2025 NFL Draft Grades for Every Team

The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and as always, some teams crushed it while others left us wondering what they were thinking. From surprise picks to big-time steals, here’s how every team graded out after an action-packed weekend.

Arizona Cardinals Draft Grade: A-

The Arizona Cardinals had one of the worst defenses in the league in 2025. 6 of their 7 picks in the draft were on defense and we loved getting Will Johnson in the 2nd, someone we had projected to go in the 1st round. The only thing we wished we saw from the Cardinals was drafting a receiver on day 2 or early in day 3. There were plenty of guys they could’ve landed that would have been a WR2 or WR3 on the team from the get-go. 

Atlanta Falcons Draft Grade: A+

After years of building the offense, the Falcons needed to work on their defense and the defense is what they worked on. They had a home run of a draft class from the top to the bottom, even though they only had 5 total picks in the class. Each pick they made, we had their player ranked better than where they were drafted at. They got a steal, getting Jalon Walker outside the top 10. After making that move, they traded up to get EDGE James Pearce Jr out of Tennessee. The Falcons fixed their biggest problems and they have a real shot at winning the NFC South in 2025. 

Baltimore Ravens Draft Grade: B

The Ravens started off this draft super strong with the additions of Malaki Starks and Mike Green. After those 2, every pick felt like a major reach. The Ravens do have a knack for finding talent through the draft, but we’re unsure on any of their round 3 and later picks. 

Buffalo Bills Draft Grade: A-

In the AFC Championship, the Bills just lost control and could not contain the Chiefs. A lot of that fell on the play of their cornerbacks and was the biggest need of the Bills heading into the draft. They ended up selecting 3, with the first being Maxwell Hairston and got him for a solid value. They also added some nice depth on the defensive front with a pair of defensive tackles and an EDGE rusher. Overall, we were fans of this draft for the Bills except we wished they picked a wide receiver with one of their round 5 or 6 picks. 

Carolina Panthers Draft Grade: B

Bryce Young has a new #1 wideout in Tet McMillan and a new #1 tight end in 5th round pick Mitchell Evans. The Panthers got some solid value on all of their defensive picks as well, especially with back to back EDGE rushers on day 2. The pick we didn’t like was Trevor Etienne in the 4th, he’s an undersized guy and a reason, he fell off a cliff in college.

Chicago Bears Draft Grade: B

We loved that the Chicago Bears are going all in on offense, largely thanks to new head coach Ben Johnson’s offensive mindset. Their first 3 picks were all on the offensive side of the ball. The one we disagree with was Colston Loveland, not only was he not the best tight end, but they had Cole Kmet, they should’ve used this pick on Omarion Hampton or a lineman. They did get a lineman in round 2, along with Luther Burden III. Their only other offensive pick of the draft was not until round 7 with the addition of a sleeper we had in Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers. The Bears should have no excuses on offense, but the defense still needs some significant work, that’ll be a 2026 offseason focus.

Cincinnati Bengals Draft Grade: B+

With the surprise retirement from longtime defensive end, Sam Hubbard, the Bengals were put in a tough spot entering the draft. They need someone to complement Trey Hendrickson on the other side of the ball. If they still had Hubbard, this draft would’ve gone completely different, but the Bengals drafted Hubbard’s replacement with their first pick which was the wise decision. They picked up a couple versatile linebackers which will help boost their pressure. They missed out on getting a wide receiver or tight end in the draft, but the defense was more of a concern. Not a flashy draft, but a solid one nonetheless. 

Cleveland Browns Draft Grade: B-

It was a smart move to trade out of the #2 spot, given the haul they received from Jacksonville for it. It was not smart to draft Dillon Gabriel and Quinshon Judkins. The Browns did not need to draft Gabriel and should’ve just drafted Sanders, earlier than they did. We liked them picking a running back but Judkins wasn’t even the better of the 2 running backs from Ohio State. They did get Dylan Sampson in the 4th and we think is a better value and potentially player than Judkins. Would not surprise us to see Sampson finish the year ahead of Judkins on the depth chart. Same goes for Shedeur and we hope to see him succeed in Cleveland. This was a very interesting draft for the Browns and we look forward to seeing how things pan out. 

Dallas Cowboys Draft Grade: B

With arguably the biggest reach in the first round, the Dallas Cowboys took guard Tyler Booker. We understand the desire to draft him with the retirement of Zack Martin, but they would’ve likely still been able to get him in round 2. The highlights of the draft for Dallas was their day 2 picks, both who were potential 1st rounders. Great value on the defense for the Cowboys who are coming off a bad year overall. They’re poised for a comeback in 2025 with these additions. 

Denver Broncos Draft Grade: B

The Broncos might have the #1 lockdown corner in the NFL in Patrick Surtain II, but opposite him, the position battle is wide open. The Broncos drafted a top DB in Jahdae Barron for what’s arguably the best cornerback duo in the NFL. We loved that pick, but the next one taking RJ Harvey was a question mark. We 100% agree that they needed to go running back here, but when Kaleb Johnson, Cam Skattebo, and Dylan Sampson were still on the board, we weren’t a fan of the decision. We do know that Sean Payton always has something up his sleeve.

Detroit Lions Draft Grade: C+

The Lions have been on a roll drafting insane value in recent years, but this year just wasn’t it. We wished they would trade up in the 1st to land one of the top EDGE or trade back to land one in round 2. The bigger question mark was Isaac TeSlaa in the 3rd, he was drafted over a half dozen receivers, we ranked higher than him. Maybe this will work out for them, but it had us scratching our heads. We did love Miles Frazier in the 5th, who was on that stellar LSU offensive line that saw fellow teammate Will Campbell go at #4 overall.

Green Bay Packers Draft Grade: A-

After 20+ years of not drafting a wide receiver in the first round, the Green Bay Packers broke that spell and drafted Texas wideout Matthew Golden. They doubled down on their efforts to supply Jordan Love with an arsenal with also drafting Savion Williams, who has a very impressive stature. The Day 3 Picks were nothing special, but the pair of wideouts should provide Love with a much needed boost in support and hopefully Golden can develop into a true #1.

Houston Texans Draft Grade: B+

With Stefon Diggs out of the picture and Tank Dell likely to miss most of the season, if not all, getting a wide receiver was a main priority for the Texans heading into the draft. They didn’t draft just one wide receiver, but 2 in Jaylin Noel & Jayden Higgins, both out of Iowa State. They also have Xavier Hutchison on their current roster from Iowa State, so they’ll give quarterback C.J. Stroud, 3 different receivers from the Cyclones to throw to. They clearly put an emphasis on setting Stroud up for success in year 3. The biggest reach was cornerback Jaylin Smith in the 3rd, who we had pegged as a late 5th / early 6th rounder. 

Indianapolis Colts Draft Grade: B+

The Colts took full advantage of the Bears dropping the ball on not picking Tyler Warren and snagged him up at pick #14. Tight end was their biggest need and they landed the best one in the draft without having to move up, this is as good as it can get for Colts fans. The Colts found some more gems in the draft with running back DJ Giddens in the 5th who can be a premium backup for injury prone Jonathan Taylor. It’ll be interesting to see if Riley Leonard makes the roster or if the team uses him like the Saints use Taysom Hill with the versatility of Leonard’s game. 

Jacksonville Jaguars Draft Grade: C

The biggest move on draft night was the Jacksonville Jaguars trading up for the #2 overall pick from the Cleveland Browns. They had to send a haul to get it, but they landed the dual threat Travis Hunter. Given the amount they had to give up and their current needs, we disagree with the move to trade up for Hunter, despite how talented he is. The rest of the draft the Jaguars didn’t really focus on their needs and it appeared, they were just throwing darts. 

Kansas City Chiefs Draft Grade: A

There’s a reason that the Chiefs went to 3 straight Super Bowls and it’s because they find and develop talent through the draft. They have been excellent at drafting players and finding gems. Some of our favorite picks from them this year was landing stud wideout Jalen Royals late in the 4th, receiving back Brashard Smith in the 7th, and Josh Simmons at #32 overall. This was a good draft for the Super Bowl runner-ups. 

Las Vegas Raiders Draft Grade: A-

The first year under new head coach Pete Carroll is going to look a lot different for the Raiders. The Raiders traded for quarterback Geno Smith, drafted Ashton Jeanty, and wide receiver Jack Bech. Jeanty is an instant day 1 difference maker. He has the ceiling of Derrick Henry and takes over the game. Geno Smith will have Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and Bech to spread the ball to. The Raiders also added a pair of offensive tackles in the 3rd, with at least one of them likely to be a day 1 starter. The only question marks we had for the Raiders were drafting FCS quarterbacks on back to back picks in the 6th. Outside of this, it was a solid draft overall for the Raiders. 

Los Angeles Chargers Draft Grade: B+

Last year was tough for Justin Herbert as he had to deal with one of the worst supporting casts in the league. The Chargers promised they would build around him and that fell flat last year. This year, they made some work with the addition of Najee Harris and the return of Mike Williams. We loved them doubling down on that with Omarion Hampton and Tre Harris through the draft. We wished they went wide receiver #1 and then running back #2 in the draft, but we can’t complain as both Hampton and Harris were very high on our list. Outside of the round 3 Jamaree Caldwell pick, this was a rather solid draft for the Chargers.

Los Angeles Rams Draft Grade: C

The Rams spent the first 4 picks of the draft on positions they did not need. They traded with the Falcons to get a tight end on day 2 when they already have Tyler Higbee back & healthy. They then followed that up with drafting backups to Jared Verse and Kyren Williams, positions they are very set at. They did find a gem on day 3 with Chris Paul Jr in the 5th, but overall, the priorities for the Rams were not in the right places.

Miami Dolphins Draft Grade: C

When the best pick the team makes is all the way in the 7th round, that’s when you know there is a problem. This was not the best year for the Dolphins drafting. They way overreached on a non-essential position in the 1st, traded up in the 2nd when they likely didn’t need to, and then because of trades, didn’t have a single round 3 or 4 pick. We loved Quinn Ewers in the 7th as someone who can potentially replace Zach Wilson as QB2 on the roster. 

Minnesota Vikings Draft Grade: C+

The Vikings didn’t need to draft a quarterback as they traded for Sam Howell to get a quality backup for J.J. McCarthy who is looking for his professional action. With this trade, they now were able to focus on a big weak spot which was offensive guard and landed a solid one in Donovan Jackson. We weren’t a big fan of drafting Tai Felton in the 3rd when they could’ve drafted a CB or Safety. Some guys that were still available for better value and a bigger need were Billy Bowman Jr or Quincy Riley. The rest of their draft, they didn’t land one either which had us a bit disappointed in the team coming off an impressive 14-3 campaign. 

New England Patriots Draft Grade: A-

Drake Maye was the lone bright spot for the New England Patriots last year. He was in contention for the worst supporting cast and offensive line protecting him. The Patriots fully committed to supporting Maye this year with the big addition of Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. They didn’t stop there, got the #1 left tackle, #1 center, top 3 running back, and top 15 wide receiver from this class. This was a very solid draft for the Patriots and we are expecting significant improvements from the Patriots in Drake Maye’s 2nd year. 

New Orleans Saints Draft Grade: D+

After passing on Jaxson Dart in the 1st round, we thought the New Orleans Saints would take Shedeur Sanders in the 2nd. Nope, they took Tyler Shough, an inaccurate passer out of Louisville who makes too many mistakes. This was the most head-scratching pick of the draft and we don’t think Shough is even good enough to outplay Spencer Rattler, current backup and poor passer. Landing Devin Neal in the 6th was the main bright spot for this New Orleans draft class as he can be the #2 back behind Alvin Kamara or step up to the plate if Kamara goes down. 

New York Giants Draft Grade: A

The Giants not only got the best quarterback in this class in Jaxson Dart, they also got the best defensive player in the class in Abdul Carter. Even if Dart doesn’t play in year one, he can develop behind the Russell Wilson – Jameis Winston combination. Once Dart becomes the starter, the Malik Nabers & Kyle Williams connections are going to be game-changing. Two picks where they got amazing values were Darius Alexander in the 3rd and Marcus Mbow in the 5th. This was a great draft for the Giants who now have some hope for the future. 

New York Jets Draft Grade: A-

Outside of picking Arian Smith in the 4th, the Jets had one of our favorite draft classes. They got multiple day 1 starters and at great values. This is the most hope the Jets can have entering the 2025 season, after a failed Aaron Rodgers experiment over the last 2 years. 

Philadelphia Eagles Draft Grade: A

If there’s one thing you need to know about Howie Roseman, it’s he’s a stellar drafter. The reigning Super Bowl Champions only needed to move up 1 spot to get the #1 linebacker in this class. Not only is Jihaad Campbell, the top linebacker, he’s a Georgia Bulldog and the Eagles love their SEC boys. They continued to get value after value all draft long and even landed one of our favorite quarterbacks of the draft in Kyle McCord as an upgrade in backup quarterbacks all the way in the 6th. Another great draft for Philly. 

Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Grade: C

After spending all off-season so far debating whether or not to bring in Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers drafted Will Howard to compete for the starting job with Mason Rudolph. With Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders still on the board, this was the wrong decision for the franchise. Especially since they have two deep threat receivers in D.K. Metcalf and George Pickens who are now likely going to deal with Mason Rudolph throwing them the ball. They didn’t need a defensive tackle which they used that 1st round pick on and now still have a massive question mark on who will play under center. It’s possible that Mike Tomlin’s streak of having a winning record comes to an end. 

Seattle Seahawks Draft Grade: B+

The Seahawks had a whopping 11 picks in the draft and they made the most of them. They got the #1 guard, #1 safety, and the #3 tight end in this draft class. That was their first 3 picks. They then followed that up with a sleeper wide receiver in Tory Horton in the 5th and one of our favorite backs in the class in Damien Martinez all the way in the 7th. We wished they didn’t waste their 3rd round pick on drafting Jalen Milroe when they already have Sam Darnold and Drew Lock. This move forced them to trade Sam Howell and we prefer Howell as a #3 option over Milroe.

San Francisco 49ers Draft Grade: B

One of the least flashy draft classes was that of the San Francisco 49ers. They had 11 picks and for the most part, they were all solid players. A couple notable ones we liked were their pair of 5th rounders in Jordan James and Marques Sigle. Overall, an average run of the mill class for San Fran. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft Grade: B

We expected the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to draft a wide receiver or two, but not until day 2 where there would be an abundance of quality talent available. Instead they surprised us all and drafted OSU product Emeka Egbuka at #19 overall. We are not a fan of this at all when their most pressing needs are cornerback and EDGE. They should’ve drafted Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron, Maxwell Hairston, or James Pearce Jr here and it would’ve been a much smarter move. Despite passing on a cornerback in the 1st, they doubled down and landed 2 middle tier ones on day 2. Our favorite pick of theirs was Tez Johnson in the 7th who is outstanding value and should’ve been a round 3 / 4 pick. 

Tennessee Titans Draft Grade: A-

The Titans got their guy in Cam Ward and despite the abundance of offers they received for the #1 pick, they turned them all down. The Titans believe Ward is the future and he was our #2 quarterback on the draft board. They signed his teammate Xavier Restrepo as an undrafted free agent which will help on top of the 2 receivers they drafted. One of them being Elic Ayomanor who we had as one of our top sleepers of the draft. The rest of the draft was not too shabby either for the Titans as they hope to bounce back from finishing with the worst record in the league in 2024. 

Washington Commanders Draft Grade: A-

The Washington Commanders didn’t have many picks in the draft, but the picks they did have, they used them well. They added a top 5 offensive tackle from the class and another weapon for Jayden Daniels in Jaylin Lane. The offense now features Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and rookie Jaylin Lane, which is going to be exciting to watch. A position on the other side of the ball that they needed to address was cornerback and they got a lockdown guy in Trey Amos in the 2nd, one of our favorite picks on day 2.