CNN
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The 2025 NFL draft is in the books and there were plenty of talking points from the three days in Green Bay.
The drama began from the second pick on Thursday when the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select two-way sensation Travis Hunter, a blockbuster move for arguably the most talent-packed day in the whole event.
But the main storyline over the three days was the unexpected slide of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders who, to many people’s surprise, had to wait until the fifth round to be selected by the Cleveland Browns.
Here is what we learned from the 2025 NFL draft.
The Shedeur Sanders slide
Because of the confidence he carries himself with and who his father is – Colorado Buffaloes head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders – there was plenty of scrutiny on Sanders heading into this weekend’s draft.
While Miami quarterback Cam Ward was seen as the consensus best passer in the class, Sanders was predicted to go somewhere in the first or perhaps second round at the latest.
After Thursday’s first 32 picks, the 23-year-old was still waiting to hear his name called, with TV coverage repeatedly cutting away to the camera in his home as he and his family all eagerly waited for the big moment.
When Friday’s second and third round came around, most believed Sanders would discover his NFL home then.
But the former Colorado star QB had to wait. And things became even more confusing when he received a prank call from who he thought was New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis – it was later revealed the call was from the son of Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich – saying the Saints would be picking Sanders soon.
At the end of Friday, he was still yet to be picked. TV coverage was dominated by Sanders discussion about how and why his name hadn’t been called.
But eventually, the Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick on Saturday, becoming the fifth quarterback taken.
So why did Sanders have to wait until the third day to be taken?
While some teams might not have rated him as a first-round prospect, the importance of a quarterback in the NFL typically leads to QBs being over-drafted. And Sanders’ highest ceiling for a potential career could see him as a solid starter in the NFL, a very valuable piece for any team.
However, there were clear concerns around his NFL-readiness, with Colorado running a simplified offense, one which lacks many of the minute, intricate details used in the pro game.
And then during the draft process, teams reportedly soured on Sanders after some of his performances in pre-draft interviews.
Whether it was his lack of knowledge about certain aspects of the game or his reaction to being called out on the gaps in his game by members of NFL coaching staffs, Sanders didn’t market himself well in that part of the process, according to multiple reports.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero said he was told by a longtime NFL assistant coach that their interview with Sanders was “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life,” adding that Sanders is “so entitled” and has “horrible body language.”
Additionally, Pelissero was told by a longtime AFC executive that their interview didn’t “go great” and that Sanders wanted to “dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”
Add onto all that the attention that comes with being the son of a Hall of Fame player and the column inches that inevitably follow, and it looks like most teams preferred to stay away.
Sanders could very well have a successful NFL career, but it hasn’t gotten off to the start he would’ve wanted.
It’s easy to crown winners and losers after the NFL draft, with teams either addressing or going in new directions with their selections.
But like most years, there are some obvious candidates who looked to have retooled the best.
It’s hard to look past the Jacksonville Jaguars as one of the winners of the three days with their shock move up to No. 2 to get Hunter.
Hunter, the Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver and cornerback from Colorado, gives Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence another dynamic option on offense to pair alongside Brian Thomas Jr. who had a Pro Bowl rookie season last time out.
And Hunter could also fill a glaring need at cornerback for Jacksonville. It will be intriguing to see how his two-way game will translate to the NFL, but if Hunter can have an impact on both sides of the ball, it could be one of the more impactful selections in recent draft history.
Other winners include two second-year quarterbacks who struggled in their rookie seasons due to a scarcity of offensive talent.
Both Caleb Williams and Drake Maye – quarterbacks for the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots respectively – were in dire need of some weapons to help their growth and were given some tools to help them succeed.
The Bears drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th pick and Missouri receiver Luther Burden III in the second round as they seek to give Williams some explosiveness to thrive in new head coach Ben Johnson’s offensive scheme.
They also took Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo with the 56th pick to pair alongside free agent acquisitions Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as Chicago looked to completely revamp the O-line to help Williams stay upright.
For the Patriots, they addressed their offensive needs with the first four picks in the draft.
They took arguably the best tackle in the draft in Michigan tackle Will Campbell with the fourth pick to help protect Maye’s blindside as well as picking up center Jared Wilson, who can learn the ropes behind new starter Garrett Bradbury.
New England also selected running back TreVeyon Henderson and wideout Kyle Williams to add some much-needed juice to a Patriots offense in dire need of some excitement around Maye.
While many teams’ fans will leave the draft excited about what is to come, there will be some left wanting more.
One set of supporters who may be waking up miffed are Atlanta Falcons fans.
The team addressed its glaring need for pass rushers in the first round, taking Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the 15th pick before trading back up into the first round for James Pearce Jr. with the 26th pick.
While that aggressiveness is often praised, the Falcons had to give up their 2026 first round pick to the Los Angeles Rams to move up the draft board, a huge risk for a team unlikely to be challenging for a Super Bowl in 2025.
The team also needed help at cornerback, but instead chose to draft two safeties – Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts and Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman Jr. – in the later rounds.
The Cincinnati Bengals are another team coming away with questions over their picks.
Although they addressed many of their areas of need with their selections – in particular with pass rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round – there was little excitement about many of their others.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, it will still likely be on quarterback Joe Burrow and his dynamic offense to bring success to Ohio.
