Tick, tock. With each passing second, we draw nearer to Thursday evening, when the direction of NFL franchises will be altered for the upcoming 2025 season and beyond. Like millions of fans worldwide, I’ll be tuning in with eager anticipation and bated breath to see how my team fares, and which players wind up in ideal positions for the fantasy season right around the corner.
With smokescreens billowing around social media regarding which players will be selected and what sort of interest teams have, here are a few questions about the 2025 NFL Draft that have been on the tip of my tongue.
2025 NFL Draft Burning Questions
Who takes Shedeur Sanders, and how far does he fall?
Since Ohio State raised the college football trophy in late January, Sanders’ stock has continued to tumble down boards, from the expected No.1 overall selection over Cam Ward to possibly being eliminated from the first round entirely. Yet for all the shifts and swings, has anything honestly changed over the past few months to cause the decline?
Athletically, Sanders was always considered a rung below Ward – his arm strength would best be described as league-average, rather than strong. Toughness under duress and an ability to fit the ball into tight windows are his calling cards, causing many to wonder if he has already reached his ceiling from a talent perspective. Under a spotlight for his entire career due to his father’s shadow, Sanders has handled things in stride with a very level-headed approach, confident in his skill set yet not brash or arrogant.
Sanders doesn’t offer the same scrambling upside as Jalen Milroe or the creativity of Jaxson Dart, but he is the most “Week 1 ready” prospect that teams could acquire as a starter. His overall skill set has been compared to Jared Goff or Brock Purdy (apt likenesses in my opinion) – slightly above “game manager” territory, but not a player who will strike fear into the hearts of defensive coordinators.
The New York Giants were initially pegged as a common landing spot in mock drafts for Sanders at third overall, but recently it appears that Big Blue is more comfortable selecting Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter instead, passing on quarterback until later on.
New Orleans could be an interesting fit at the ninth overall pick, given recent reports regarding Derek Carr‘s health status and lingering shoulder injury, which, according to Ian Rapoport (and other insiders), could “threaten his availability” for the entirety of 2025. Friction between Carr and the team has been lingering for quite some time, and perhaps this is the final straw that causes them to move in a different direction.
The final stopping point for Sanders in the first round would be Pittsburgh at 21st overall. The Steelers are still waiting at the altar for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision on playing this year, but they need to be approaching “poop or get off the pot” mode in short order. As talented as Rodgers may still be, Pittsburgh cannot afford to wait until after Thursday to make a decision. Rumors have begun to circulate that Rodgers may opt to retire rather than return for his 21st season.
After Pittsburgh, things get dicey rather quickly for Sanders. No team within the 22nd-32nd pick territory desperately needs a quarterback, so a team (such as the Giants, as mentioned above) would have to be willing to trade back into the first round to acquire Sanders, allowing them to pick up a fifth-year option down the road.
We shall see.
How many running backs will be taken in the first round?
I’ve been writing fantasy football content for over a decade, and this is the deepest draft I can remember at the running back position. Ashton Jeanty is the poster child for the position with the most name recognition, but Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins (along with several others) aren’t far behind in terms of talent.
Jeanty is expected to be selected in the fifth-seventh pick territory, with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders expressing plenty of interest in landing the former Boise State Bronco. Jeanty rushed for an absurd 2,601 yards in his final season, ranked second behind Barry Sanders for the most all-time in NCAA history. His burst, power and receiving skills make him an instant fan favorite in fantasy circles as an immediate top selection.
Hampton, a slightly larger back at 6-0 and 221 pounds, will also garner plenty of interest as an early-down contributor who can be a bell cow option if necessary. A patient, bruising option who can run through (or over) defenders, Hampton also excels as a pass blocker, a skill that rookies usually need to develop in order to establish a field presence as a multi-down threat. Teams like Cincinnati, Denver, Minnesota and Houston would be ideal landing spots for Hampton.
Within the last two weeks, I’ve read plenty of reports about “not sleeping on” teams’ interest in Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. The “lightning” option in the Buckeyes’ committee last year, Henderson averaged an absurd 7.1 YPC. He further solidified his status as a high pick at the NFL Combine by running a 4.43 40-yard dash and posting a 38.5-inch vertical jump. He dealt with a fair share of injuries in college, but few can question his explosiveness and burst, along with the threat he provides as a checkdown option in the passing game. He would be a perfect fit for the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders or Denver Broncos as a complementary option and third-down threat.
Now comes the fun part – did Saquon Barkley‘s impact with Philadelphia in 2024 cause NFL GMs to revalue the running back position back to first-round eligibility for other players? This class offers early-down and goal-line options galore with Judkins, Cam Skattebo, Kaleb Johnson and Devin Neal. Want some burners? We have those in spades. Dylan Sampson, D.J. Giddens and RJ Harvey say hello.
Will Rodger Goodell finally get cheered instead of booed at the draft?
Lol. No.
How high does Tyler Warren go in the first round?
Borrowing a fun statistic that I came across from ESPN, Warren finished as the all-time leader in Penn State history at tight end for total touchdowns (25), receptions (153), receiving yards (1,839) and receiving touchdowns (19). That was after being held to 49 receptions TOTAL during his first three years.
Think about that for a second.
Warren is a throwback at the position who excels as both a receiver and a blocking option. He can line up in-line or in the slot and even handle carries or passing duties when necessary. An old-school football player who is gritty, aggressive and powerful, Warren has no weak spot in his game, and his ability to utterly pick apart zone coverage reminds me of a young Travis Kelce.
We have seen rookie tight ends have an immediate impact in the league for the past few seasons, with T.J. Hockenson, Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers becoming focal points in their respective offenses. I expect that sort of a contribution from Warren, and can’t foresee him lasting past the middle portion of the first round. Indianapolis, the New York Jets, and the Atlanta Falcons would all be fantastic landing spots for him.
How many EDGE rushers will go in the first round?
Outside of running back, EDGE may be the deepest position for the 2025 class. Teams looking to shore up their defensive line and get after opposing quarterbacks will often address the area. I anticipate Abdul Carter, Mykel Williams, James Pearce Jr. and Shemar Stewart to all be locks as first-round selections, with Nick Emmanwori and Donovan Ezeiruaku having an outside chance as well.
Where will Travis Hunter ultimately play – cornerback, wide receiver or both?
Hunter is one of the more intriguing prospects that I’ve ever watched tape on, because his otherworldly athleticism and conditioning allow him to do anything (and everything) at an elite level.
He is my No. 1-ranked cornerback over Jahdae Barron (CB – Texas) and Will Johnson (CB – Michigan), and my No. 1-ranked wideout over Tetairoa McMillan (WR – Arizona) and Luther Burden (WR – Missouri). Comparisons can be made to Deion Sanders or Charles Woodson, but I don’t feel that they honestly do him justice.
No matter what an NFL team decides for Hunter, whether it is CB, WR or a combination of the two, I feel he has the upside to excel. In terms of a learning curve, it would be the easiest transition for him to primarily play cornerback while being involved in a handful of snaps at wideout, with the potential of being incorporated more once he is familiar with the playbook.
Hunter is fairly adamant about playing both positions if possible, but that would be a big ask out of the gate for a rookie. If a team took the opposite approach and viewed him as a receiver to start, his upside rivals that of Garrett Wilson or Justin Jefferson in my estimation. Elite hands, moves in open space, jumping ability and contested catch skills make him an easy pick to target for fantasy in Dynasty (or Redraft) formats if he falls to the proper offense. I can’t envision Hunter making it past New York at third overall, if he even drops that far.
Hunter is a unicorn. View him as such.
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