2025 NFL Draft Recap from Matt Youmans:

No grades will be handed out for the 2025 NFL Draft. No teams will be labeled as losers. My mission in evaluating the NFL Draft each year is to identify the biggest winners.

 

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Draft analysis is a subjective exercise, but it is important to those of us who care about knowing the personnel on the 32 teams we are handicapping. In the big picture, the draft is not going to change Super Bowl odds or teams’ season win totals. Still, a lot can be learned by watching the seven-round reality show that will have a big impact on the future. A year ago, I came away from draft weekend feeling sky high about the Eagles’ chances in the NFC East and made bets on Philadelphia to win the division and Super Bowl.

Which teams are building a roster the right way, filling needs and improving the most? Here are my magnificent seven winners from this NFL draft:

New York Giants

In 2022, his first year as coach, Brian Daboll finished 9-7-1. The Giants were not headed in the right direction, however, and went a combined 9-25 the past two years. New York needed upgrades all over the field, starting at quarterback and on the defensive line. Daboll still is on a hot seat, along with general manager Joe Schoen, but this draft is a clear sign the Giants are going to get it right.

The defensive front has the potential to be among the league’s best after the addition of edge rusher Abdul Carter (Penn State) at No. 3 overall and tackle Darius Alexander (Toledo) in the third round.

Daboll wanted a quarterback in the 2024 draft and made unsuccessful attempts to move up from No. 6 to get either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, who went second to Washington and third to New England, respectively. Daniels and Maye had standout rookie seasons. Daniels was my top-rated quarterback last year, and Jaxson Dart (Mississippi) is my favorite quarterback in this draft. The Giants traded up to 25th in the first round to target Dart, who will likely be the backup to veteran Russell Wilson when the season starts. As the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Buffalo, Daboll developed Josh Allen, and Daboll can be trusted to do something similar with Dart.

Another one of my favorite players in this draft is running back Cam Skattebo (Arizona State), a 5-10, 220-pound battering ram who’s also a talented pass catcher out of the backfield. It was a steal for the Giants to get Skattebo with the third pick of the fourth round. Skattebo could put up numbers this season comparable to first-round picks Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton.

The bottom line is the Giants, who bottomed out at 3-14 last season, are not going to contend to win a division with the Eagles, Commanders and Cowboys. But I will consider betting the win total on the Giants (Over 5.5, +115) at DraftKings.

Pittsburgh Steelers

As Pittsburgh continued to pass on quarterbacks, including the freefalling Shedeur Sanders, it became obvious the plan is to bring in Aaron Rodgers. In classic Steelers fashion, they strengthened the defensive front with tackle Derrick Harmon (Oregon) in the first round, edge Jack Sawyer (Ohio State) in the fourth and tackle Yahya Black (Iowa) in the fifth. Running back Kaleb Johnson (Iowa) offered great value in the third round and will be a workhorse in the backfield. Will Howard (Ohio State) was a smart backup plan at quarterback in the sixth round. After trading for receiver DK Metcalf, the Steelers significantly improved the areas most needed in this draft. If Rodgers eventually signs and has something left, Pittsburgh’s power rating deserves a boost.

Baltimore Ravens

It’s an annual tradition to praise Baltimore’s draft acumen, but the Ravens did it again by getting two defensive studs — safety Malaki Starks (Georgia) and edge Mike Green (Marshall) — in the first two rounds. Green was considered a top-20 talent but slipped because of off-field concerns. Offensive tackle Emery Jones (LSU) will help veteran quarterback Lamar Jackson, who once was a draft steal himself and needs to finally get this team over the hump in the playoffs.

New England Patriots

After the messy end to the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick eras, New England’s rebuilding plan is finally full of optimism. It begins with Mike Vrabel, who’s a top-five coach in the league and has a plan to help second-year quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots addressed a variety of needs with their 11 picks, the first four being on the offensive side with tackle Will Campbell (LSU), running back TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), wide receiver Kyle Williams (Washington State) and center Jared Wilson (Georgia).

Philadelphia Eagles

Even the Super Bowl champs have needs, and Philadelphia filled two holes by getting linebacker Jihaad Campbell (Alabama) in the first round and safety Andrew Mukuba (Texas) in the second. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman did some exceptional work later in the draft when he aced the sixth round by taking offensive tackles Myles Hinton (Michigan) and Cameron Williams (Texas) in addition to quarterback Kyle McCord (Syracuse).

Seattle Seahawks

Top to bottom, Seattle showed its scouting intelligence by grabbing several players who will start immediately and others who could develop down the road. Offensive guard Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) was the Seahawks’ first-round pick, followed by safety Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina), tight end Elijah Arroyo (Miami), quarterback Jalen Milroe (Alabama), defensive tackle Rylie Mills (Notre Dame) and receiver Tory Horton (Colorado State). Milroe is a freak athlete who must develop his passing accuracy, but getting him in the third round was a shrewd move. Wide receiver Ricky White (UNLV) is also a special-teams star who should not have slipped to the seventh round.

Tennessee Titans

If quarterback Cam Ward proves to be the real deal, Tennessee won’t regret turning down trade offers for the No. 1 overall pick. The Titans made some other impressive moves, including edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo (UCLA) in the second round and wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (Stanford) in the fourth. 

The next-best five: Falcons, Bears, Cardinals, Colts, Jets.

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