For the first time in the existence of this column, we have a bonus edition! I have not really settled on how we are defining this, but alas, we have more football to get to! This past weekend, the 2025 NFL draft took place. Between the seven rounds of players picked and the plethora of undrafted players signed to contracts, there is plenty of discussion to be had.
In this part of Pok’s Football Week in Review, I will run through my favorite, and the underrated picks from each round of the 2025 NFL draft! Who made the cut for each round? Follow along below to find out!
NFL Draft: Favorite and Underrated Picks
Round 1
- Favorite: Malaki Starks, Safety, Ravens
- Underrated: Walter Nolen, DT, Cardinals
Considering the crop of talent coming into the NFL on a yearly basis, trying to pick first-round players for this category is a difficult task. There are way more players who deserve to be recognized than not recognized, especially before any of them step onto the field for their football team.
Taking this into account, my favorite pick of the first round was the Baltimore Ravens selecting Georgia safety Malaki Starks.
While not having the upper-level testing metrics that other defensive backs have, Starks has some of the best on-field ability and production in the entire draft class. The safety was a mainstay for the Bulldogs’ defense for three seasons, racking up 160 tackles and only 15 missed tackles in his career. He has 44 defensive stops, six interceptions, and 14 pass breakups. This does not mention the versatility of Starks, who played over 500 snaps in the box, slot, and free safety.
Heading into Baltimore’s defensive scheme, I see Starks being a perfect fit alongside Kyle Hamilton. Starks is cerebral, athletic, and versatile; he can fill the gaps that Hamilton vacates and will have the freedom to make big plays all over the defense. The coaching, along with his role in the defense, will likely take Starks’s game to an even more consistent and productive level.
As for my underrated pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, I am going with Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Walter Nolen.
Nolen is not necessarily an “underrated” player when it comes to the draft, but I feel that not enough people are talking about how quickly the Cardinals could see dividends from this selection. The defensive tackle has impressive speed and power on the interior of the defensive line, which allowed him to have a career year in 2024. Nolen posted 35 pressures, 32 defensive stops, six sacks, and 31 tackles. He also had a whopping 91.6 run defense grade and a great 75.0 pass rushing grade.
At the Senior Bowl, Nolen continued to show off his impressive power and speed, whether it was in the running game or the passing game.
Landing in a perfect fit under head coach Jonathan Gannon and getting a perfect mentor in Calais Campbell, Nolen is primed to break out very shortly. I would truly not be surprised if he were one of the best players from this draft class in 2025.
Round 2
- Favorite: Mason Taylor, TE, Jets
- Underrated: Terrance Ferguson, TE, Rams
For Round 2, I went with two different tight ends for the categories: Mason Taylor and Terrance Ferguson.
Taylor falls into my “favorite” category due to his overall skill as a player and how he fits with the New York Jets. The son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, Mason is a smooth and skilled route runner. Even at 20 years old, the LSU all-time leader for yards at the tight end position (1,308) has a high level of feel and polish to his game as a receiver. Whether against the SEC or Senior Bowl competition, Taylor was closer to unguaranteed and projects to be a reliable target for Justin Fields.
Additionally, Taylor is a good and developing run blocker. He showed promise at the Senior Bowl on a variety of plays.
TE expert Max Toscano said that Taylor “was excellent” at blocking outside zone in college. For a New York Jets offense that will likely look similar to the Lions in some key ways, Taylor’s do-it-all profile is a perfect fit for the team.
As for Ferguson, I think he deserves buzz as one of the best player-team fits in the entire 2025 NFL draft. Sean McVay is going to create matchup wins for the Oregon product all over the field, as Ferguson has the speed and strength to beat smaller DBs and bigger linebackers. He is a willing and able blocker, but has not been the most consistent in this area at Oregon.
However, this will likely get mitigated in McVay’s offensive scheme. As he thrives as a pass catcher, Ferguson will be able to develop as a blocker to round out his game. Not only did the Oregon product land in a great spot for the present, but a great spot for his growth as an NFL player.
Round 3
- Favorite: Kyle Williams, WR, Patriots
- Underrated: Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Lions, or Kevin Winston Jr., Safety, Titans
When it comes to wideouts, Kyle Williams was one of my favorites throughout the draft process. Starting in Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl, the Washington State product show off an upper-tier skillset at the position.
Williams is a natural and gifted separator, utilizing a variety of releases and movements to get free from defensive backs. He has the speed to burn players deep or beat them in short areas. He has great hands and footwork, which always gives him the leg up on the opposition. This translated heavily to the Senior Bowl, as it was rare to see players stick with or stop Williams.
With space at a premium in the modern NFL, a player who can constantly create big plays all over the field is extremely valuable. The New England Patriots recognized that fact and scooped up Williams as a result, who is set to become a key target, if not the primary target, on the Drake Maye-led offense.
In this same vein, I see Detroit’s Isaac TeSlaa as one of the more underrated picks from this round.
The Arkansas product did not post any gaudy numbers in college, but he did display the freakish athletic gifts that later showed up at the NFL Combine. He had five contested catches, an ADOT of 14.3, and 147 YAC in 2024. In his career, TeSlaa’s ADOT is 11.7 while holding a CTC percentage of over 50 percent(13 catches on 24 attempts).
TeSlaa popped off throughout the draft process, whether it was making incredible catches at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine or posting ridiculous testing metrics. It may not be clear to many others right now, but I see a world where TeSlaa becomes a bigger and better version of the player Jameson Williams currently is in the Lions’ offense.
Round 4
- Favorite: Teddye Buchanan, LB, Ravens
- Underrated: Jalen Royals, WR, Chiefs
In Round 4, the Baltimore Ravens landed one of my favorite defensive players to watch in the entire 2025 NFL draft class.
As mentioned in my Day 2 mock draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I saw Cal LB Teddye Buchanan a great option to fill the void that Lavonte David would soon leave. Evidently, the Ravens wanted that type of talent to be a mainstay in their defense instead.
Buchanan had 75 tackles, 24 assists, 10 defensive stops, and three forced fumbles in 2024. In his last season at UC Davis in 2023, the linebacker had an elite 85.4 run defense grade.
Buchanan was also a force for the Golden Bears in the passing game. As a pass rusher, the linebacker had 25 pressures and six sacks on 97 pass rushing opportunities. He allowed 18 receptions on 32 targets for 231 yards while also forcing three pass breakups, notching a 76.2 PFF coverage grade.
The 22-year-old linebacker has the athleticism and speed to make plays in space all over the field. Between his time in college and at the Shrine Bowl, Buchanan displayed the ability to run with players all over the field. This also translates to the run game; when he makes the correct reads, Buchanan can blow up plays before the offense can make things happen in a positive direction.
Baltimore, even if not in year one, should be a fun contributor to one of the best defenses in the NFL. He landed in a great spot not only for 2025 production, but also for future growth as a player in the NFL.
As for Jalen Royals, he was one of the better route-runners and overall receivers in the entire class. Royals looks like a technician on the field, setting up defenders on a consistent basis with his releases and footwork. He then uses these releases to create separation, run past defensive backs, or sometimes simply run through them. Add in good field awareness and the ability to make big plays happen down the field (25 career contested catches), and you have a player who could become the new best friend for superstar Patrick Mahomes. If you cannot tell, I am very high on Royals being better than his draft position in 2025.
Round 5
- Favorite: Jaydon Blue, RB, Cowboys
- Underrated: Carson Vinson, OT, Ravens
In Round 5, Jaydon Blue is a home run swing for the Dallas Cowboys. The former Texas Longhorn has blazing speed and can challenge to take the ball to the house on every single play. Blue has great pass-catching ability and has shown that he has the power to run in between the tackles. For an offense looking for its next big thing at running back, Blue is in a position where he could easily become the starter at some point in 2025.
As for Carson Vinson, this pick is classic Baltimore Ravens.
Vinson has all of the necessary traits to be a dominant tackle, whether it is his size or on-field ability. The offensive lineman dominated in 2024, only allowing two sacks in his last season with Alabama A&M and registering a 81.7 PFF pass blocking grade. He earned First Team All-SWAC, First Team All FCS, and First Team All HBCU honors to commemorate the dominance he displayed.
The question for Vinson was how he would translate to the NFL level, and he landed in one of the best possible places to facilitate his development. With no rush to start and some of the best coaching resources in professional football now available to him, I would not be surprised to see Vinson become a standout tackle in a few years.
Round 6
- Favorite: JJ Pegues, DT, Raiders
- Underrated: Tommy Mellott, WR, Raiders
Round 6 is where we start to enter the true wacky, dart-throw territory of talking about the 2025 NFL draft. While two players are still listed in the two categories, treat them as all underrated players.
JJ Pegues is a unique player heading to the NFL level, as he played defensive tackle and fullback at a high level at Ole Miss. On defense, Pegues showed great quickness to get after the passer, notching 31 pressures and four sacks. As a run defender, he had 20 tackles and 22 defensive stops. And as a runner, he had seven touchdowns as a goal line back.
This is a slam dunk pick for the Raiders at this point of the draft, who could end up with a force on their interior and a fun wildcat option if he develops properly.
Tommy Mellott is essentially built like a super-soldier and could be the new-gen version of Taysom Hill. The Montana State quarterback, who is now moving to wideout, has over 6,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in his career. He tested out of this world with metrics like a 41-inch vertical jump and has a highlight tape that would make Superman drop his jaw. Mellott is simply underrated because I have no idea how he will be deployed at the NFL level, but I sure as hell am excited to see how he is used by a new Raiders staff.
Round 7
- Favorite: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Commanders
- Underrated: Thomas Fidone II, TE, Giants, and Konata Mumpfield, WR, Rams
Even in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL draft, I loved the selection of Jacory Croskey-Merritt by the Washington Commanders.
The RB, who was deemed ineligible this season, rushed for 1,191 yards and 17 touchdowns at New Mexico in 2023. At the Shrine Bowl, Croskey-Merritt picked up where he left off. He looked shifty, explosive, and fast all week during the practices in Texas, showing off his hands and route running in the process. During the game, Croskey-Merritt was unreal; the RB was cutting on a dime, running through people, or running past them.
In a shallow Commanders RB room, Croskey-Merritt can easily challenge for touches this season. He is a great complement to Jayden Daniels and could be a big-time steal when we look back on the 2025 NFL draft class in a few years.
On the other side of things, I like Thomas Fidone II and Konata Mumpfield as two dart-throws that could turn into very good players.
Fidone II has great size, speed, and hands at the TE position. He suffered some injuries in college, but his Senior Bowl and Combine performances showed that he is getting back to form. The Giants can now develop him and potentially have a very productive tight end in the medium term.
Mumpfield, a standout for the University of Pittsburgh, also had a great all-star week at the Shrine Bowl. While not the best tester, the wideout is a nice fit in a Rams scheme that will allow him to win with his route-running and on-field burst. I see Mumpfield starting as a depth option before challenging for playing time in 2026.
Bonus: UDFA Sleepers
As a parting gift, here are 15 UDFA sleepers to keep an eye on as we head toward rookie minicamp and OTAs!
- Leander Wiegand, OT, Jets
- Will Sheppard, WR, Buccaneers
- Jalin Conyers, TE, Dolphins
- Terrence Spence, CB, Giants (Rookie Camp)
- Kahzir “Buggs” Brown, DB/LB, Packers
- Dymere Miller, WR, Jets
- Esa Pole, OL, Chiefs
- Nathaniel Salmon, TE, Chargers (Rookie Camp)
- Laki Tasi, DL, Lions (Rookie Camp)
- Mapalo Mwansa, EDGE, Panthers
- Junior Tafuna, DL, Texans
- Devonta Davis, DL, Colts
- Sam Brown Jr., WR, Dolphins (Rookie Camp)
- Danny Striggow, EDGE, Jaguars
- Jah Joyner, EDGE, Raiders
As always, thank you for reading along, and I will catch you all next week!
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Brandyn Pokrass
Graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2023 with a Communications Degree, a concentration in Multimedia Journalism, and a minor in Broadcasting. Received an M.A. in Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May 2024. Wrote for Jets Insider for two years, previously hosted a Knicks podcast for Let's Talk Knicks, and contributed to Inside the Iggles. Currently a writer for Jets X-Factor. Avid movie watcher, gym goer, music listener, and MMA fan.