2025 NFL Draft: First-Round Reactions & Insights

Hello everyone! With the NFL Draft happening right now, I wanted to take some time to step away from my studies and focus solely on draft reactions and first thoughts. I know that’s why you are here, so I won’t talk too much more. Let’s get into the first round reactions!

Cam Ward to Tennessee

🔥 The talented rushing quarterback out of Miami finds his home in Tennessee. He will get to throw to Tyjae Spears, Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Lockett. The Titans could very well add a receiver (Luther Burden?) to help things out and inject some youth into a team with a very old receiver room. Then again, Ward did say Treylon Burks was a top-4 WR in the NFL.

It was a pick that surprised no one, unlike what happened moments later.

Travis Hunter to Jacksonville

My night was ruined with the Browns trading back. I hope Mason Graham has a great career in Cleveland, I really do. But if I were Andrew Berry, I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror knowing I traded away a potential generational talent and one that many dubbed as the best player in the draft. But, here we are. Jacksonville now has a great duo for Trevor Lawrence to throw to. 🐆

For your rookie drafts, Hunter has an insane upside that pretty much anyone else in this draft doesn’t have. I’m willing to select him as high as the 1.02 unless I have a big need at running back.

Ashton Jeanty to Las Vegas

☠️ Pete Carroll gets his new Marshawn Lynch and then some. Jeanty gives the Raiders a game-changing skill set with his rushing and receiving ability. There’s not much I can say about Jeanty that hasn’t already been said, but I think you’d find it interesting to know he’s now the highest-scoring running back in my S240 model, which dates back to 2019. Draft him with your rookie 1.01 picks without hesitation. ⚫️ 

Tetairoa McMillan to Carolina

🐈‍⬛ Bryce Young gets a great young receiver! Here is a list of receivers who have scored above 200 in the S240: Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Drake London, Treylon Burks 😅 , Garrett Wilson, and CeeDee Lamb. And now with top-10 draft capital, Tetairoa McMillan is now a part of that list with a score of 202.9. 📈 

He will need to clean up some things with his release and route running, but he has great hands and is an amazing contested catch guy. I don’t want to throw out Mike Evans, but I could see Dave Canales using him similarly. I’m more bullish on Tet than most, so if you were to select him instead of Travis Hunter for the sake of safety because you know he’s playing offense exclusively, I wouldn’t fault you. That might be a hot take but that’s where I’m at. But, I will admit I think the ceiling is higher with Hunter.

Colston Loveland to Chicago

🐻 I’m not super happy with this for fantasy. I’m not sure exactly what Ben Johnson is planning, but unless Cole Kmet is traded away, it’s an insanely crowded room for Loveland to join. Usually, for fantasy, we want a tight end to be at least the No.2 target on their team, but he’s now behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.

It’s not a great landing spot for volume purposes, but a Sam LaPorta-2024-type season could be in the cards for Loveland’s rookie year: nothing special, but solid with some schemed touches.

Tyler Warren to Indianapolis

Both tight ends go to “meh” spots. However, Warren could easily take over as the No.2 or even No.1 option in the passing game, so he is the one I favor between him and Loveland. Michael Pittman and Josh Downs are both fine receivers, but Warren could easily overtake them.

For rookie drafts, you have to decide between a better quarterback and more competition OR a worse quarterback and lesser competition. For me, right now, I’m picking Warren. 🐴 

Emeka Egbuka to Tampa Bay

🏴‍☠️ This pick took me by surprise. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are getting up there in age and injuries, so from that aspect I get it. It could be Godwin is not as far along as the team would like him to be, or Jalen McMillan is dead in the water and they have no faith in him. But also, Mike Evans is a UFA after 2025. He will be entering his age-32 season, the Bucs could be preparing for his departure. Egbuka isn’t the outside force Evans is, so they have some more work to do in that sense. Unless they just keep hoping McMillan develops an outside game.

Either way, this year does feel like a Jaxon Smith-Njigba situation where he will be stuck behind the incumbents for a year before taking over in year 2. 🔴 

Omarion Hampton to Los Angeles Chargers

⚡️ This landing spot is pure gold. I’ve not been on the Najee Harris hype train, at least not to the extent others were. IF he remained the sole back, it was a great spot for him. But it was only a one-year deal and not a whole lot of money committed to him. So there were reasons to be hesitant. And now the Chargers took Hampton.

Wheels up for Hampton. He’s an amazing weapon in the rushing and passing game and should provide Justin Herbert with a nice safety valve he didn’t have last year. I still think the Chargers could go with a pass catcher on Day 2, but that wouldn’t hamper my enthusiasm. It would only help it. Oh, also, Jeanty is the highest-scoring RB in my model, right? With his first-round capital, Hampton is now number 2. Drafting him at the 1.02 in rookie drafts regardless of format is great. ⚡️ 

Matthew Golden to Green Bay

🟢 Green Bay finally selected a first-round wide receiver! With the Packers having a plethora of options and wideout but no true alpha, they decided to take a swing at Golden. And honestly, I think they still have a plethora of options with no true alpha.

But, with Golden’s speed and outside ability, I do think he can develop into what the Packers wanted Christian Watson to be but never became due to injury. Speaking of Watson, both he and Romeo Doubs are free agents after this season. So that could be a factor as well. Dontayvion Wicks has the brick hands, and Bo Melton just hasn’t played enough to make a judgment call on him (despite promising when given the chance). So the receiver room is crowded, but there are still opportunities because none of them have really stood out.

Given the capital spent on him, I think he will be found on two WR sets on day one in Green Bay. 🧀 

Jaxson Dart to New York Giants

Finally, Jaxson Dart going to the Giants meant that my No.2 ranked quarterback was off the board for my Browns. I have a feeling they are going to select Sheduer Sanders in Round 2, but at the moment I’m hoping for Jalen Milroe.

Back to Dart, I do like this selection for the Giants. He isn’t being called upon to start right away. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are ahead of him for this year, so it’s likely in your rookie drafts that you are selecting a guy who won’t play till 2026. Sort of a JJ McCarthy situation from last year. Dart could use that extra bit of time to learn how to read defenses and play under center, something he didn’t do at Ole Miss. It’s a good spot for him and I’m excited to see what that means for his future.

For fun, look at the connections: Dart was the quarterback of Tre Harris at Ole Miss, and Tre Harris was Malik Nabers's high school quarterback, and Nabers is now teammates with Dart. That means fireworks are bound to happen, right? 🎆 

That’s all for now, Rounds 2 and 3 are tonight, and I can’t wait!