NFL Draft Grades 2025

2025 NFL Draft Grades for Picks 1-16:

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami – A Grade
   One-Year Grade: A Grade
   
   Cam Ward had a rough start to his rookie campaign, taking sacks at a pace that would have made David Carr cringe. Ward, however, improved as the season progressed and had some quality games at the end of the year. If you’re still skeptical, just keep in mind that he had no semblance of a supporting cast last year. He didn’t have much blocking, while his receiver group was very lackluster. We’ll see what Ward can do with better talent around him.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   I’ve seen opinions from NFL media people that the Titans should eschew a quarterback and draft Travis Hunter instead. While Hunter is the safer prospect, I believe the Titans are correct in selecting Cam Ward because he gives them the most upside for the next decade. Ward isn’t on the level of the top quarterbacks from a year ago, but he provides great rushing ability with plenty of passing talent. The Titans have needed a franchise quarterback for a long time, and it seems as though they’ve finally found one.
   
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2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado – C- Grade
   One-Year Grade: D Grade
   
   I was opposed to this pick when it was made, and I now dislike it even more. Travis Hunter still has the potential to be a great player in the NFL, but he was spread too thin before getting hurt in his rookie year. Perhaps being a byproduct of spending time preparing to be a cornerback, Hunter would often line up in the wrong spot when he was being used as a receiver. And it must be pointed out that Jacksonville’s offense became much more explosive after Hunter suffered an injury. It now sounds like Hunter will concentrate more on being a cornerback next year, which makes this decision even more dubious.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   It makes sense for the Jaguars to draft the best player available, and that would be Travis Hunter. Some would argue Abdul Carter, but there’s a Carter in many drafts. There’s never been a player like Hunter who can be elite at two positions. However, trading a 2026 first-round pick to move up three spots for a non-quarterback is insane. I guess we can’t be surprised that a Browns general manager bullied a new Jaguars general manager into a poor trade. Despite his poor dancing, Hunter will likely be great. But Jacksonville should have remained at No. 5.
   
   
3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State – A- Grade
   One-Year Grade: B+ Grade
   
   Abdul Carter has gotten some flak for the lack of sacks he accumulated during his rookie season. He registered four sacks, but that’s a misleading number because he was able to tally a team-high 66 quarterback pressures. He was able to generate lots of heat on the opposing quarterback, but just got unlucky in the sack department. I imagine this will correct itself in the seasons to come.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   We return to normalcy. The one argument you can make about this pick is that it doesn’t satisfy a need. The Giants have tons of needs, but they had a quality edge rush last year. However, Carter is the best player available, and Kayvon Thibodeaux has an expiring contract in the near future. Besides, you can never have too many talented pass rushers, especially in a division with Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels.
   
   
4. New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU – A+ Grade
   One-Year Grade: A Grade
   
   This re-grade may look odd to those who only watched the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Will Campbell had a miserable Super Bowl performance. Not only did he surrender lots of pressure; he also had a tell, which allowed the Seahawks to diagnose if New England was going to run or throw the ball. However, Campbell was clearly injured. He was having a great rookie year until he got hurt in late November. He returned to action after missing five weeks, but definitely not himself. He should continue to improve with more experience.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   The Patriots could have been scared off by Will Campbell’s short arms, but I think this would have been a huge mistake. Plenty of offensive linemen with short arms have thrived over the years. Campbell has elite tape and athleticism. In fact, prior to the 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Combine, only two offensive linemen recorded his level of athleticism: Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs. That’s pretty great company! The Patriots obviously made the correct pick here to find much-needed protection for Drake Maye.
   
   
5. Cleveland Browns: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan – A Grade
   One-Year Grade: B Grade
   
   Mason Graham was not the Cleveland player who won Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he still had a fine rookie campaign. He recorded just half a sack, but was able to generate 36 quarterback pressures, all while handling the run well. He certainly didn’t look special, but he’s someone who could make a big leap in the coming seasons and earn an A+ re-grade after five years.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   I’d probably give the Browns a “B” grade for Mason Graham in a vacuum. Some people in the NFL didn’t like his body type at all and even ranked Kenneth Grant ahead of him. He should still be a very good player. However, I’m bumping this up to an “A” grade because the Browns stole a first-round pick away from the Jaguars. This will put the Browns in a great position to land their quarterback of the future in 2026.
   
   
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State – C- Grade
   One-Year Grade: D Grade
   
   This pick is still terrible. Running backs grow on trees these days, so drafting one in the first round is dubious in the first place. It can be done if the team doing it is on the verge of winning the Super Bowl and already has most of its other pieces in place, but that was far from the case with Las Vegas. The Raiders’ poor blocking ensured that Ashton Jeanty had a negative yards-before-contact figure, which meant that he had to constantly evade defenders in the backfield because his offensive line was so awful. Conditions will improve, but the Raiders wasteda valuable year of their first-round running back’s career.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   I’m not crazy about this pick. Ashton Jeanty is obviously a great running back prospect, but I don’t think he’s on an elite level like Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey. I would only draft those sort of players in the top 10. If I were the Raiders, I would have drafted Armand Membou instead or tried to trade down. However, I can’t grade Las Vegas poorly for this because Jeanty will be a very good player. Still, with Chip Kelly on the staff, couldn’t the Raiders have drafted one of the Ohio State backs with their second pick?
   
   
7. New York Jets: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri – A+ Grade
   One-Year Grade: A+ Grade
   
   Here’s the player the Raiders should have drafted. Armand Membou was a monster for the Jets in his rookie year. He was even better than second-year left tackle Olu Fashanu, who also had a strong 2025 season.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   I have to grade this as an A+. I mentioned that Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs were the only offensive linemen in the same athletic category as Will Campbell. That also applies to Armand Membou, expect Membou has longer arms and a wider wingspan than Campbell. The Jets can start Membou at right tackle and eventually move him to the blind side if Olu Fashanu doesn’t pan out. Either way though, the Jets have a bookend of tackles for the next 3-4 years.
   
   
8. Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona – C Grade
   One-Year Grade: C+ Grade
   
   Tetairoa McMillan won Offensive Rookie of the Year, but only by default after Emeka Egbuka vanished in the second half of the season. McMillan was good, and was certainly limited by Bryce Young’s mediocrity, but there are still concerns about his work ethic and passion for football. If he doesn’t progress in the coming years, we’ll know why.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   Wow, our Panthers source did not pan out for once. Jalon Walker was heavy chalk to go here, but the Panthers decided to draft a No. 1 receiver instead. While this fills a need, I’m concerned with Tetairoa McMillan’s work ethic, which is something you never want to hear from a first-round prospect, especially one who is chosen in the top 10. Bryce Young needs this, and McMillan is talented, but will he give 100 percent at the next level? Also, what about the defense, which was the worst in the NFL last year?
   
   
9. New Orleans Saints: Kelvin Banks, OT/G, Texas – A Grade
   One-Year Grade: A+ Grade
   
   The 2025 NFL Draft was packed with excellent offensive linemen in the first round, and Kelvin Banks was no exception. Banks was terrific as the Saints’ left tackle despite having no experience.
   
   Original Write-up:
   
   It’s no surprise that the Saints passed on a quarterback. It’s also not a surprise that they drafted an offensive lineman. Ryan Ramczyk retired, so the Saints desperately needed to find a blind-side protector. Tallies Fuaga was the pick last year, but he’ll move to right tackle, which is his more natural spot. I love the Kelvin Banks pick, as it’ll give New Orleans’ next quarterback a good chance to succeed.
   
   
10. Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan – D Grade
    One-Year Grade: B Grade
    
    Colston Loveland was invisible during the first couple of months of his rookie year, but was a monster down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs. I can’t grade this highly because I still believe that Tyler Warren would have been the better pick. This was quite apparent in the first half of the 2025 season, but now either side can be argued.
    
    Original Write-up:
    
    Uhh… did the Bears know that Tyler Warren was available? Why would they draft the second-best player at the position when the best one was there for the taking? This pick provides poor value and doesn’t fill a need. This is a poor pick, but not quite worthy of being a Millen.
    
    
11. San Francisco 49ers: Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia – B- Grade
    One-Year Grade: D Grade
    
    Mykel Williams looked like a bust in his rookie year. In nine games, he had just one sack and 19 quarterback pressures. About a third of those quarterback pressures came in one game against Arizona’s sketchy offensive line. It’s not guarantee Williams will be a bust, but he didn’t resemble a first-round prospect.
    
    Original Write-up:
    
    I thought there was a chance Mykel Williams would slip because he was deemed as safe, but not as someone who had a lot of upside. This pick makes sense from a needs perspective, but it would make so much more sense if the 49ers didn’t have Jalon Walker or Tyler Warren available.
    
    
12. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama – MILLEN Grade
    One-Year Grade: A Grade
    
    I was way off on this grade. Tyler Booker seemed likee a bust at this juncture. It appeared as though I was right in the first month when Booker got off to a slow start, but he was dominant after that. Booker was great, and there’s a chance he’ll be a Pro Bowler for years to come. The only reason this is not an A+ re-grade is because there was a better interior lineman who was chosen a few picks after this.
    
    Original Write-up:
    
    And we have our first Millen grade of the draft. The Cowboys had Tyler Warren and Jalon Walker fall into their laps. Matthew Golden was also there. Instead, the Cowboys drafted a guard expected to be drafted in the 20s. Booker is a high-character player, but he was one of the worst-testing players at the combine. His agility was very low, so I don’t know how he’ll be able to pass protect in the NFL.
    
    
13. Miami Dolphins: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan – B+ Grade
    One-Year Grade: D Grade
    
    Those who said Kenneth Grant was chosen too early have been proven right so far. Not only did Grant fail to generate much quarterback pressure (1.5 sacks, 29 pressures); he was also poor at defending the run.
    
    Original Write-up:
    
    There was some chatter that Kenneth Grant could fall to the 20s, but I never understood that. Some teams had Grant over Mason Graham. The Dolphins didn’t exactly get the draft board to fall their way with Jalon Walker and Tyler Warren not filling needs, but I like this pick. Grant is a tremendous talent, and Miami had absolutely nothing on the defensive line, save for Zach Sieler.
    
    
14. Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State – A+ Grade
    One-Year Grade: A Grade
    
    The difference between Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland was night and day in the first half of the season. Things reversed after that when Loveland caught fire and Warren wasn’t very productive down the stretch, but Warren’s decline was a byproduct of Daniel Jones suffering an injury. Warren still looks like the better of the two tight ends, but it’s close and things could be much different in a few years.
    
    Original Write-up:
    
    A no-brainer. Tyler Warren should have been drafted in the top 10. He could have gone as high as No. 7. This is a steal, and it fills a big need. This pick is definitely worthy of an A+ grade.
    
    
15. Atlanta Falcons: Jalon Walker, DE/OLB, Georgia – A+ Grade
    One-Year Grade: B+ Grade
    
    Jalon Walker was expected to be chosen in the top 10, but fell to No. 15. Walker was better than some players who were chosen before him, as he was able to log 5.5 sacks in his rookie year. He has lots of potential and could be a double-digit sack artist down the road.
    
    Original Write-up:
    
    The Falcons were deciding between Mykel Williams, James Pearce, and Shemar Stewart all day. Never in a million years did they imagine that Jalon Walker was available. This is incredible value and fills a need. Like the Tyler Warren pick, this is an easy A+.
    
    
16. Arizona Cardinals: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss – A- Grade
    One-Year Grade: A- Grade
    
    We didn’t get to see much of Walter Nolen as a rookie because he played just five full games as a result of injury. In those five games, Nolen was terrific, generating plenty of quarterback pressure (2 sacks) and stuffing the run effectively. We’ll just have to see if he can remain healthy in the coming years.
    
    Original Write-up:
    
    Walter Nolen was projected by many to go No. 11. I saw some even have him as high as No. 8. Nolen is one of the most talented players in this class. He has insane upside, but there are some questions about his work ethic. I’d have an issue with this pick if it were made in the top 10 with so many other great prospects available, but Nolen is arguably the best player on the board.
    
    
2025 NFL Draft Grades - Round: Picks 1-16 | Picks 17-32 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | NFL Draft Team Grades