The 2025 NFL draft has officially come to an end, and that means it’s time to dish out the grades for each team as we wrap up one of the busiest months in professional football. Not every team can do well, and not every pick is a slam dunk. However, it’s important to go through the analysis of each selection.
2025 NFL Draft Grades
For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll break down three tiers. Those who “aced” their draft, the “overachievers”, and the teams who may have flunked – all things considering. The end of the article will feature grades for all 32 teams.
I also want to clarify, that just because a team selected a “good” player in the first round, the grades are more about the other selections; primarily because team’s should be selecting great players in the first round. Grades are based on team need, fit, and talent.
Aced It
Yes, it’s impossible to know how players will turn out before they play a snap in the NFL. However, we can guess based on college production, team fit, and overall value based on draft position. I limited this to only three teams, because the word count is extremely high. However, there is another team that was given an “A” in this article (see below). With that in mind, these teams aced their drafts.
Baltimore Ravens: A+
Good teams draft good players. It’s a main reason a team like the Baltimore Ravens have been so successful on a yearly basis. And to be honest, it’s hard to come away with a better draft on than the Ravens – at least, on paper.
Baltimore started the 2025 NFL draft by selecting perhaps the best safety prospect in Malaki Starks. While that pick could be considered “chalk”, having Marshall EDGE Mike Green falling to them was anything but. Character concerns aside, Green is an elite talent and instantly becomes a dangerous weapon within the Ravens defense.
In fact, Baltimore used a plethora of their picks to select very underrated players with incredibly high ceilings. Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan being taken in the fourth round is excellent value. Buchanan offers instant ability as a rotational linebacker with the ability to develop into a longtime starting Will linebacker in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Bilhal Kone is another great selection in the fifth round. A former FCS product, Kone transferred to Western Michigan and played at an elite level as a coverage cornerback.
Filling out the defense, Baltimore added Aeneas Peebles and Robert Longerbeam in the sixth round. Peebles is a unique pass-rushing interior defensive lineman with an unstoppable swim move. Meanwhile, Longerbeam is truly an elite man-cover cornerback who would work perfectly in Baltimore’s system.
Attacking the offensive side of the ball, the Ravens added Emery Jones who fell to the third round. Jones has some flaws, but if he can put it together he can become a solid tackle option for Baltimore. If not, there’s always potential as a swing tackle. They also added his teammate, Garrett Dillinger in the seventh round, as depth within the interior.
On top of the OL additions, Baltimore added perhaps one of my favorite (and underrated) receivers in the 2025 NFL draft: LaJohntay Wester. The former FAU wideout is an incredible slot receiver with true production at the G5 and P4 levels. While it’s an uphill battle for Day 3 receivers to become reliable starters, Wester will, at minimum, push that receiving room to be better.
Finally, the Ravens added a kicker, in the likely chance that Justin Tucker is exiled from football as he pursues his career as a Deshaun Watson mimic.
All in all, the Ravens vastly improved their defense in the draft, while solidifying depth at positions of need on offense. Given the quality of players, where they were selected, and the fit on the team, it’s impossible for me to give them anything but an “A”.
Los Angeles Chargers: A
With Jim Harbaugh entering his second season as the Chargers’ head coach, we’re starting to get a better feel as to how he wants to approach team-building. And in the 2025 draft, it’s safe to say they nailed it.
Omarion Hampton is one of my favorite players in the draft, and a perfect scheme fit for the aggressive offense that the Chargers will be looking to run. Hampton is a big play waiting to happen, and getting him late in the first round is fine value.
Adding Tre Harris in the second round is a perfect complement to the current offense. It allows Ladd McConkey to work the intermediate and middle of the field, let’s Quentin Johnston to work the short area with YAC ability, while Harris tries to blow the top off of defenses. The team also added KeAndre Lambert-Smith at wide receiver, who is an excellent possession receiver and not hesitant as a blocker. And, to be honest, there’s a chance he competes with QJ for the WR3 role if Johnston isn’t moved prior to the start of the season.
At tight end, the Chargers selected Oronde Gadsden II in the fifth round. The perfect “big slot”, Gadsden is an elite receiving weapon at the position. Tight end is a position that usually takes a couple years to develop, so it’s not a concern if he starts out slow.
Finally, Branson Taylor is a solid depth option in the sixth round for the offensive line.
On the defensive side of the ball, the first player Los Angeles added was Jamaree Caldwell in the third round. Caldwell is a great run-stopping defensive tackle, a role the Chargers desperately needed. In the following round, they added 2024 Defensive Player of the Year in Kyle Kennard. While Kennard underwhelmed during his time at the Senior Bowl, he’s showcased that he can put up elite numbers when working with another prolific pass-rusher. And for the Chargers, he’s a great addition to play alongside Khalil Mack.
With their last two picks, the Chargers selected two safeties: RJ Mickens and Trikweze Bridges. Bridges is an athletic player who can provide versatility on the backend. Meanwhile, Mickens is an underrated player in the class at the position with an NFL bloodline. Getting Mickens in the sixth round is excellent value for a team looking to strengthen their defense.
New England Patriots: A
The first two days of the draft, the Patriots went heavy offensively. They selected the “chalk” pick in OT Will Campbell at No. 4 overall. They followed that up with selecting TreVeyon Henderson in the second, adding elite talent at the running back position.
In the third round, New England added Kyle Williams, who proved at the Senior Bowl that he can be a truly elite separator at the position. While the Patriots’ receiving room is crowded with unproven talent, Williams has a chance to step in and instantly make a difference. The team also selected IOL Jared Wilson from Georgia with the 31st pick in the third round. Wilson is considered a smart player, yet it remains to be seen how that will pan out in the NFL. With that said, the Patriots need capable bodies there, and Wilson fits the role.
In the fourth round, the Patriots got an absolute steal in Cal’s Craig Woodson. The safety is one of the top-5 players at the position per PFF grading, and his film is just as good. Personally, he’s a top-3 safety in this class in my opinion – a player who can literally do it all at the position. Following the Woodson selection, New England selected FSU DT Joshua Farmer. Farmer is a capable interior defensive lineman who can create havoc without issue.
Adding in the trenches, the team also selected EDGE Bradyn Swinson in the fifth round. At this point in the draft, Swinson is an excellent value pick who can help create competition in the unit.
The final two rounds of the draft were interesting for New England, as they added a kicker and a long snapper, as well as an offensive lineman and cornerback.
Andres Borregales was excellent with the Miami Hurricanes and instantly should compete for the starting kicker spot. Meanwhile, Julian Ashby should work his way into the a fulltime role at LS.
Marcus Bryant, an OT from Missouri was selected in the sixth round. Bryant has insane athleticism and was an elite player at SMU before transferring to Missouri. He should be a great depth addition on the left side of the offense.
Their final pick, “Mr. Irrelevant”, was Kobee Minor. Despite their now-deleted cringeworthy X (formerly Twitter) post, Minor is not a bad selection. He should be expected to be an impact player on special teams, though it’s unlikely that he sees a significant role on defense.
Seattle Seahawks: A
The Seattle Seahawks had a whopping 11 selections in the 2025 NFL draft, and given their team needs (and their spot on this list) it’s safe to say they’ve received good grades from me.
On offense, the team selected Grey Zabel in the first round. Zabel is an elite IOL who dominated in college and at the Senior Bowl. He will be a staple in the line for years to come. Their second OL selection was Bryce Cabeldue in the sixth round. The Kansas product is a very high IQ player who played tackle in college, but switching to guard in the pros. I talked with him personally at the Shrine Bowl, and if he interviewed with Seattle like he did with me, this pick was a no-brainer. Seattle also added Mason Richman in the seventh round along the offensive line. While he wasn’t “elite”, he was reliable and consistent throughout his tenure at Iowa.
Despite getting Sam Darnold at quarterback, the Seahawks also selected Alabama QB Jalen Milroe in the third round. That value is good for Milroe, and it seems likely that the Seahawks will utilize him in certain packages early. If the coaching staff can develop Milroe, he could become a steal based on his draft position.
Seattle also added multiple skill position players. At wide receiver, the team selected Colorado State WR Tory Horton in the fifth round. Horton is a 6-foot-3 receiver who could play a similar role to Mike Evans in Tampa Bay. Then, Seattle selected Ricky White in the seventh round. White was a Shrine Bowl darling who had two excellent seasons at UNLV. Honestly, White in the seventh is a steal considering his skillset. It’s hard to find players selected that late who could make an impact, but White could be the exception to the rule.
Despite a strong running back room, Seattle also added Miami RB Damien Martinez in the seventh round. Martinez is a hard-nosed runner who should provide quality depth at the position. Honestly, it was a surprise to see him selected so late, so the value here is amazing.
Finally, the Seahawks also double-dipped at tight end. Their first selection was Miami’s Elijah Arroyo in the second round. Arroyo really impressed with Miami this past season, and put up a tremendous display at the Senior Bowl. He’s an excellent tight end that is more polished than some of the other prospects at the position. Their second tight end selection was Robbie Ouzts from Alabama in the fifth round. Ouzts is more of your H-Back type of tight end, who will survive in the NFL based on his blocking and short routes.
Defensively, the Seahawks only made two selections on that side of the ball. The first was Nick Emmanwori, a first-round talent who was selected in the second round. The Gamecocks safety is an elite prospect and was considered by many to be a top-32 player in the draft. The value at this pick is incredible.
Their only other defensive pick was Notre Dame DT Rylie Mills in the fifth round. Mills really put it together in 2024, leading to career-highs in TFLs and sacks despite missing three games. Mills could be a disruptive player in the middle of the DL if he develops properly.
Overachievers
This section is for the team’s that seemed to be doing a little too much during the draft – whether that includes double-dipping on multiple positions, big trades, or something else. Now, being an overachiever can be both a good and a bad thing, which, of course, will reflect on their grades in this NFL draft discussion.
Jacksonville Jaguars: C+
The Jaguars had an interesting, albeit confusing strategy in the draft. They started by trading up from the No. 5 pick to select Travis Hunter. They gave up their 2025 second-round pick as well as a 2026 first-round pick. While the move makes sense, selecting another cornerback with their third-round pick in Tulane’s Caleb Ransaw was interesting, to say the least. That’s not to say Ransaw is a bad player, because he’s not. However, given how many holes are on the team, it was confusing to double-dip this early.
Sticking with defense, they also double-dipped at linebacker, selecting Notre Dame’s Jack Kiser and Auburn’s Jalen McLeod in the fourth and sixth round, respectively. The value here on Kiser is actually great, as he’s a high IQ player who understands gap responsibility and performs well. While McLeod isn’t a bad player, either, it’s another case of a head-scratching double-dip at the same position (and this remains true even despite the Jaguars turning down the fifth-year option of Devin Lloyd – as two Day 3 players are a longshot to make an impact on the team).
Their final defensive pick was safety Rayuan Lane III from Navy in the sixth round. Lane put together his best season in 2024 as a coverage safety, playing in the box, at free safety, and spent some time in the slot. Given his draft slot, Lane will likely have to work his way up from a special team’s contributor before getting a shot on defense.
On offense, the Jaguars first selection came with Wyatt Milum in the third round. The West Virginia IOL is an elite prospect. Getting him in the third round is great value, and he should really help the interior of a poor Jaguars line. They also drafted Jonah Monheim from USC in the seventh round. Monheim is more like a camp body than a player who’ll see action, but if he can develop it’ll be great for Jacksonville.
Like two other positions, the Jaguars also double-dipped at running back. This one is more strange, considering the team already has Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne at the position. And while I truly love Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen, the picks seem like a complete waste given the structure of the team.
New York Giants: B+
The Giants took their “chalk” pick of Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall. And while they have a good defensive line, adding Carter makes it an incredibly scary unit with many exchanging parts. That became even more true when they were able to select DT Darius Alexander with the first pick in the third round. Alexander is an elite DT from Toledo who adds an imposing presence in the run game, and can create consistent pressure as a pass-rusher.
Their final defensive pick was CB Korie Black from Oklahoma State in the seventh round. Black was a five-year player who showed good instincts as a tackler, with average coverage ability. He will likely be a camp body and special team’s contributor.
Yet the biggest splash for the Giants came on offense, when they traded back up into the first round to select a quarterback. While many expected that to be Shedeur Sanders, it was Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, instead. While some people dislike Dart, the value to move back up into the first round to select him was great for New York.
The Giants followed up the Dart pick by getting RB Cam Skattebo in the fourth round, OG Marcus Mbow in the fifth round, and TE Thomas Fidone in the seventh round. I consider all three of those players to be steals at where they were drafted.
Skattebo provides toughness and continued versatility at the running back position. Meanwhile, Mbow was a highly-touted prospect who somehow fell into the fifth round. Finally, Fidone is a complete tight end who can instantly compete for the backup position in his rookie season.
Cleveland Browns: B+
Honestly, it’s hard not to like what Cleveland did. Trading down to acquire a future first and an extra early second-round pick was great. They made the “chalk” selection of Mason Graham at No. 5 overall; yet got incredible value with Carson Schwesinger and Quinshon Judkins early in the second round – two players who had first-round grades by a lot of scouts.
In the third round, they selected one of the most decorated receiving tight ends in the draft in Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. While the pick may seem redundant with David Njoku present, tight ends typically take longer to develop. On top of that, Fannin just brings another level to the receiving game that Njoku just doesn’t.
Now, their second third round pick is what I would consider a huge reach, in QB Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel is a very short quarterback (under 6-foot), and while he’s mobile, shorter quarterbacks really struggle to find success in the NFL. If there’s one coach who can change that it’s Kevin Stefanski, but in the third round, it seemed like far too big of a reach.
Day 3 for the Browns was interesting. Their first pick came in the fourth round, selecting Dylan Sampson, running back from Tennessee. Sampson was a favorite of many in the pre-draft process. The addition of him and Judkins likely means a total revamp of the position group in Cleveland.
Their final pick came in the fifth round when Shedeur Sanders’ slide finally came to an end. With Joe Flacco as the primary quarterback, a competition between him, Sanders, and Gabriel will be good for the Browns. And, there’s a strong chance that Sanders, despite his persona, may end up the starter for Cleveland. If that’s the case, it would be a huge boost for the team, and tremendous value in the fifth round.
Flunked
I never like to give flunking grades – especially before snaps can even be played. However, the point of giving draft grades for the 2025 class is to put my stamp on team’s classes, and the players within them. Just because a team receives a “failing” grade, doesn’t mean their draft was a failure. I’m not the all-seeing eye, and my opinion shouldn’t be taken as anything more than that. With that said, based on my grades, these teams would be considered the “losers” of the 2025 NFL draft.
Detroit Lions: F
The Detroit Lions are a team that goes against the norm. At times, this can be good (see Jahmyr Gibbs). Other times, it can leave one scratching their head. And to be honest, more times than not that’s what I found myself doing with the Lions’ selections.
The team’s first-round pick was Tyleik Williams, an interior defensive lineman with below-average pass-rushing skills. On top of that, he struggles as a tackler, consistently missing despite playing at a position where that shouldn’t happen. He is good against the run, but I think this was one of the weakest first-round picks in the draft.
The Lions traded up for Tate Ratledge in the second round. And although I like this pick, the team could have likely swapped positional need between the first two rounds.
The team’s third-round pick was Isaac TeSlaa, which I think is on par with the New York Jets for the worst wide receiver pick given where they were taken. Yet, TeSlaa may be worse considering it was a Day 2 selection. TeSlaa is a big slot receiver that didn’t have much success in college, despite a massive 6-foot-4 frame.
In the fifth and sixth round, Detroit selected OG Miles Frazier from LSU and Ahmed Hassanein, an EDGE from Boise State. Like the Ratledge pick, I don’t necessarily mind these picks. Both are solid value for where they were selected and I am a fan of both.
Detroit ended their draft by selecting Dan Jackson, a safety from Georgia. Their final pick was WR Dominic Lovett, also a Bulldog. For the seventh round it’s hard to be picky about selections, but I don’t believe the value is here for either player unless they were drafted specifically for a special team’s role.
In all, there are some picks from Detroit that I enjoy. However, their first and third picks really plummeted the entire grade in my opinion. With that said, Detroit has a tendency of making some odd picks work out, so it’ll be interesting to see if that happens this year, too.
Pittsburgh Steelers: F
Overall, the Pittsburgh Steelers had my least-favorite draft in the NFL, which is why their 2025 draft grades are an F. With a lot of needs on the roster, I think Pittsburgh did a poor job addressing their needs given their draft picks.
The team’s first-round selection of Derrick Harmon isn’t the worst pick. He showcases good pass-rush and run-stopping ability. His downfall is that he let’s runners out of his grasp far too easily and doesn’t necessarily finish plays. Thankfully, that can be coached up and he’s in a great place to do it.
The Steelers didn’t have a second-round pick; but used their third-round pick on RB Kaleb Johnson. While I’m not a huge fan of Johnson, the pick makes sense. However, they likely could have found a player of similar talent on Day 3.
The start of Day 3 led to two picks that I really think are poor value. The first is EDGE Jack Sawyer. Like Harmon, Sawyer is another player that doesn’t finish well, nor make tackles consistently. He doesn’t have a diverse set of pass-rush moves, and his first step (and play strength) are overrated. With that said, given their positional group, there’s a chance Sawyer can develop and become “the guy” in a few years. However, I’m not certain it’s possible yet.
The following pick was Iowa DT Yahya Black. At the Senior Bowl, Black was one of the worst defensive linemen at the event. He struggled mightily in one-on-one’s, where his biggest moment was picking a fight after being stonewalled by an offensive lineman. That’s important, because those reps are designed to make the defensive linemen look good. This pick falls in line with the team taking poor-attitude players, yet the talent just isn’t there to justify the selection.
Pittsburgh finally chose a quarterback in the sixth round, and to be honest, I don’t mind the Will Howard selection. It’s where he wanted to go, and allows him to work his way up the depth chart. The team’s likely waiting for Aaron Rodgers, but unless they’re taking a quarterback early next year it’s puzzling why they waited so long.
In the final round, the Steelers had two selections. The first was Washington LB Carson Bruener. Bruener is a coverage linebacker who had his best season last year. He should be a solid yet unspectacular depth at the position with the chance to develop into a low-end starter or backup.
Their final pick was cornerback Donte Kent from Central Michigan. Kent is purely a project cornerback who will likely see most of his action on special teams.
Other 2025 NFL Draft Grades
- Arizona Cardinals: C+
- Atlanta Falcons: C
- Buffalo Bills: C+
- Carolina Panthers: B-
- Chicago Bears: A
- Cincinnati Bengals: C+
- Dallas Cowboys: B+
- Denver Broncos: B
- Green Bay Packers: D
- Houston Texans: B-
- Indianapolis Colts: D
- Kansas City Chiefs: B+
- Los Angeles Rams: B+
- Las Vegas Raiders: B-
- Miami Dolphins: D
- Minnesota Vikings: C
- New Orleans Saints: D-
- New York Jets: C+
- Philadelphia Eagles: B
- San Francisco 49ers: B
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C-
- Tennessee Titans: C
- Washington Commanders: C
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