Guest contributors: Jonathan Roberts & Joel Sigrist

The 2025 NFL Draft is officially in the books. After three days of surprises, celebrations, and a little chaos, 257 players now know where they’ll begin their NFL careers.

With the dust settled, my friends Jonathan, Joel, and I are teaming up to hand out our top 3 and bottom 3 team grades, plus (mostly) unbiased reviews of how our favorite teams fared. Let’s dive in.

Worst

Evan – Cincinnati Bengals, C-

A few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and the Bengals failing to improve their O-line. Yes, the Bengals needed to address their defense with Trey Hendrickson’s contract up in the air and Sam Hubbard retiring, but taking a gamble on a boom-or-bust prospect like Shemar Stewart seems misguided. For a team that should be in win-now mode, there were safer and more polished players still available who could contribute immediately. 

Unfortunately, the questionable decisions didn’t end there. Their second-round pick, Demetrius Knight Jr., was a major reach for a guy graded as a third- or fourth-rounder. The rest of the Bengals’ draft lacked impact players as well. Once again, Cincinnati bet big on risky prospects while ignoring the glaring need to solidify the offensive line.

Jonathan – New Orleans Saints, D-

Their first round selection, Kelvin Banks Jr., is an offensive tackle with an overreliance on his strength. He lacks proper hand technique, and his vision is poor by NFL standards. He seems to be hyper-focused on his assignment at the cost of all else, leading to plenty of opportunities for an NFL defense to provide tricky blitz packages.

They followed up their wasted 9th overall selection with a 2nd round quarterback (a concept which, on its own, I’m wholly against). Tyler Shough made waves for his terrible throw into the dirt at the combine, but that lowlight is just a snapshot of what was a middling college career filled with misplaced and mistimed throws.

The rest of the draft was equally underwhelming as the Saints overvalued positional needs at the cost of opportunity. This draft could easily get someone fired at the end of the season.

Joel – Atlanta Falcons, C+

I struggled with this draft grade. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. are both good edge players. Walker is a versatile pass rusher who could be a problem for opposing offenses, and having both paired together dramatically improves what was the 31st-ranked pass rush in 2024.

The problem is what they paid to do it, and where they’re at as a team. The Falcons traded a 2026 1st round pick to move back into the first round to grab James Pearce Jr. The Walker pick was a good one at 15, but moving up to get Pearce, in a class that’s deep at the position, was such an overpay at the price they paid. I don’t mind the player, and I liked the safeties they took later in the draft, but this is the type of move that stalls franchises where they’re at, and the Falcons aren’t close enough to a Super Bowl to be making it.

Best

Evan – Baltimore Ravens, A

The Ravens must have borrowed some of the Chiefs’ voodoo magic, consistently watching top talent fall into their laps in the first round the past few years. Malakai Starks is excellent value at the 27th pick and should pair beautifully with Kyle Hamilton in the secondary. Mike Green, one of the best EDGE prospects in the class, was a steal at pick 59. And OL Emery Jones Jr. adds much-needed depth up front to give Lamar even more room to operate. 

The rest of the Ravens’ class is filled with good value, high upside picks. With players like Teddye Buchanan and Bilhal Kone, the Ravens once again showed their ability to grab impactful talent in the later rounds. This was an excellent draft for a team looking to finally get over the championship hump in 2025. 

Jonathan – Baltimore Ravens, A

Drafts are won and lost in the first three rounds, and perhaps no team had a better first three draft selections than the Baltimore Ravens. Malaki Starks has shades of Derwin James with impressive talent in man coverage, an excellent ability to track the play, and disrupt the running game as well as the passing game. He’s got high intelligence and is excellent at all three levels.

Mike Green is a talented speed rusher who is incredibly fast off the snap and has excellent vision to contain the edge. He will be sneakily valuable in the run game and especially at containing mobile quarterbacks, which could prove useful during practice for Lamar Jackson.

Lastly, Jones Jr. has great strength and hand technique as an offensive tackle. He has the vision to pick up on challenging blitz packages and the strength to shut down his man once they connect. 

Joel – New England Patriots, A

The Patriots did exactly what they needed to do at this stage of their franchise. Take every pick and every resource you have and support Drake Maye. The Patriots spent their first four picks on offensive players, two offensive linemen, a running back, and one of my preferred day two wide receivers. That’s what you should be doing when you’re a bad team trying to develop a franchise QB.

Will Campbell has short arms, and he may end up as a better guard than he is a tackle. That’s a significant concern for a player drafted 4th overall, but he’s still a candidate to be a strong starter on a very weak line. Their next three picks were A+, adding weapons for Maye in TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams, two players who immediately raise the floor for this offense. Williams slots in between Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas as a starting receiver, and Henderson gives an alternative to fumble-prone Rhamondre Stevenson.

This draft class might not have any Hall of Fame players in it, but they added two starting linemen, a starting receiver, and a starting running back as the first four of their 11 picks. When you have a young franchise QB and you miss on offensive talent in free agency? That’s exactly what you should be doing.

Worst

Evan – Minnesota Vikings, C

The Vikings came into this draft at a disadvantage with limited capital and used what they had very ineffectively. Taking interior lineman Donovan Jackson at No. 24 — despite a second-round grade — wasn’t great value; they likely could have traded back, picked up extra assets, and still been able to draft him or a comparable IOL prospect. Grabbing WR Tai Felton in the third was decent value, but with Jefferson and Addison already on the roster, Minnesota had bigger needs elsewhere, particularly at cornerback and safety. 

Their day 3 selections didn’t move the needle either, with lower-tier depth pieces who will be fighting just to make the roster. Trading for Sam Howell was a reasonable swing at improving their QB room, but he isn’t expected to compete for a starting job. Overall, it was a flat, uninspired draft for the Vikings — and no, this isn’t just Packers fan bias talking.

Jonathan – Miami Dolphins, C-

Kenneth Grant is like a Walrus between the posts in hockey. His size and strength will clog lanes and take away blockers, but at the end of the day, he’s little more than a distraction to the opposition. It couldn’t have been hard to find an equivalent talent in free agency, but the Dolphins opted to spend one of their two draft picks from the first 4 rounds instead.

I don’t hate the guard they took, but he is a riskier prospect than I’d prefer for them. He has quick hands and can adjust well to most finesse moves that defenders will make, but I worry about his ability to contend with strength. Strangely, I wonder if we’ll hear great things about Kenneth Grant in training camp because of his ability to outsize Savaiinaea, but praise for each of them probably won’t live long into the season itself.

Those are the only picks the Dolphins had until the 5th round. For a team that’s too good to rebuild but not good enough to contend, they needed a strong draft. I fear this may mark the beginning of a slow death for this iteration of the Dolphins.

Joel – New Orleans Saints, D

Look, I like Kelvin Banks Jr enough. I had a late first-round grade on him rather than going 9th overall, but it’s never the wrong idea to take an offensive lineman. The real complaints I have start after that. Tyler Shough at 40 as QB3 off the board? Tyler Shough started his college career in 2018 as Justin Herbert’s backup QB in college. Read that again. Being old as a QB prospect is one thing, but Shough has had such a strange injury history in college (two broken collarbones at different times…) that he plays like he’s scared to take a hit. He throws the ball away at the first sign of pressure, and that’s going to be a problem in the NFL. It’s especially going to be a problem for a team frustrated with watching Derek Carr play. Bad news, Saints fans. Tyler Shough’s upside is that he turns into Derek Carr.

The rest of the draft was fine enough. I like Devin Neal, the RB in the 6th. He blocks well, can catch passes, and run between the tackles. He’s a back that likely sticks in the league for a long time like a Carlos Hyde-type, just because coaches like having him around. On the whole, this draft did not set Kellen Moore up for success.

Best

Evan – New England Patriots, A

The Mike Vrabel era in New England seems to be off to a great start, as the Patriots had what might be my favorite draft of any team this year. Will Campbell brings a physical edge and versatility to the offensive line, while Jared Wilson adds reliable protection for Drake Maye as he develops. TreVeyon Henderson’s explosive playmaking and Kyle Williams’ reliable hands should inject some much-needed firepower into the offense. 

On defense, Craig Woodson and Joshua Farmer headline a group of late-round additions who bolster an already-solid Pat’s unit. Amid a rebuild, the Patriots did an excellent job of grabbing top available talent while building a strong foundation for the future. 

Jonathan – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, A-

This is a bit of an odd pick relative to consensus, and honestly, I’m not sure I’d place them in my top 3, but I thought their draft was worth highlighting. Emeka Egbuka is a big-bodied receiver with great hands and body control at the catch point. I had a mid-first-round grade on him, so taking a value position late in the first is commendable.

The rest of the Buccaneers’ draft was quite odd, doubling up on every position they drafted. They came in with a clear focus and completely overhauled three separate position groups. Each of these groups received one stud and a long-time contributor in my eyes. Benjamin Morrison has the potential to be the best cornerback in the draft, and Elijah Roberts was an impressive late-round find at edge. They drafted for need, but still found top talent.

Joel – Chicago Bears, A

My editor is gonna hate this one, but I liked what the Bears did. Similar to why I liked the Patriots draft, the Bears are doing this offseason the right way. Ben Johnson is a rookie head coach with an offensive focus. They need to be doing everything they can to make sure Caleb Williams is supported. They went hard after offensive line help in free agency, and in the draft, they doubled down on Caleb with the first tight end Colston Loveland (who could serve a similar role to what Sam LaPorta played in Detroit) and an early day 2 wide receiver Luther Burden III, who is a good slot player that can take short passes and turn them into long gains.

They added an offensive tackle with their next 2nd round pick, and they’re putting all their resources into making sure that Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have everything they need to succeed. Will it work? That’s the bigger question, but this draft was a step in the right direction.

Worst

Evan – New Orleans Saints, D

The Saints easily had my least favorite draft class of the weekend. They kicked things off by reaching for Kelvin Banks Jr. at 9, despite most projections grading him as a late first- or early second-round talent. Taking QB Tyler Shough at pick 40 was another head-scratcher, especially with several higher-rated QBs still available. On top of that, Shough is on the wrong side of 25 and had a college career marred by injuries. Even if they believe in Shough’s potential, they likely could have gotten him later in the draft and grabbed a higher value player than him at 40. 

While New Orleans did add some decent defensive depth in the later rounds, it’s unlikely to offset the questionable decisions made early on. Unless Banks and Shough seriously outperform expectations, this draft could haunt the Saints for years to come. 

Jonathan – Cleveland Browns, C-

I can see your objections already.  “But Jonathan, they traded down just three spots in the draft and received a 2nd and a future 1st in exchange!” “But Jonathan, they got the best player in the entire draft in the 5th round! How can you give them anything other than an A+?”

Yes, they got good value in the trade with the Jaguars, but in doing so, they also gave up a player with Hall of Fame potential for a prospect who, while I admittedly don’t dislike, is just a low-ceiling interior run stopper. Graham will be a long-time starter in this league, but when you own the 2nd overall pick, anything less than a perennial all-pro is a failure.

Their 6 draft selections from the 2nd through 4th rounds don’t impress me. Schwesinger’s success is overly reliant on pass rushing opportunities, and for a player at such an important position, he’ll have to round out the rest of his game to succeed in the league. Nobody else has the traits I look for to be very successful in their positions.

Lastly, yes, they drafted Shedeur Sanders in the 5th round. Yes, I also think he’s much too talented to be drafted that late. But let’s not mince words, Sanders enters the offseason as the 5th quarterback on the depth chart with a massive uphill battle to even make the roster. Even assuming that Watson remains on IR, he’ll have to beat out last year’s starter, this year’s 3rd round selection, and a player that they traded a 5th round pick plus Dorian Thompson Robinson to acquire just one month ago. The Browns are less invested in Sanders than any of the other rostered quarterbacks, and they won’t feel the need to hang on to what some fear could become a toxic locker room presence. They caught a falling star, but they’re more likely to get burned than be granted a wish.

Joel, Indianapolis Colts, C

Tyler Warren is a good player. Don’t read what I’m not saying. But the problem is this is a team stuck in limbo, and they’re drafting players that won’t move the needle. The Colts already have weapons they can’t seem to get the ball to, adding another one in Warren seems like a minimal upgrade. I would have preferred they invest in the line to let Anthony Richardson sit in the pocket longer, rather than give him another big body to miss on a scramble play. 

After that, I liked the JT Tuimoloau pick for the edge, as he is a 2nd round talent who will come in as a rotational player right away. But after that, Justin Walley and Jalen Travis were both guys projected to go deep into day 3, and the Colts pulled the trigger early. Round it out with a back who struggles in pass protection and some other dart throws, and this really doesn’t look like a class that helps the Colts get better in 2025. But whoever replaces Anthony Richardson in 2026 will enjoy Tyler Warren, I guess.

Best

Evan – Dallas Cowboys, A

As a lifelong Cowboys hater, it pains me to say this, but Dallas knocked it out of the park in the draft this year. Their class was a perfect blend of filling key roster holes while snagging top-tier talent at tremendous value. They walked away from this draft with three players, including Tyler Booker, Donovan Exeiruaku, and Shavon Revel Jr.,  who most analysts had first-round grades on, an impressive haul by any measure. 

None of their picks were flashy, but each addressed an immediate need and brought in polished, high-upside talent. Dallas leaves this draft well-positioned to improve in 2025 and build a strong foundation for the future.

Jonathan – New York Jets, A+

The New York Jets resisted the urge to take one of the top Tight End prospects with the 7th overall pick and wound up with my favorite tackle in the class. Membou has incredible technique and balance, and some of the most impressive highlights I’ve ever seen against speed rushers.

Their patience was then rewarded in the 2nd round with what might be my favorite Tight End of the draft. Mason Taylor was a very late breakout, but that’s not atypical for stars at the position. He’s got impressive balance, vision, and strength after the catch with shades of a young Travis Kelce.

Honestly, I am almost equally impressed with the rest of their class. Each one should be a starter by their sophomore season, and most have the potential to be long-time contributors, which is more than you can ask from a team in later rounds.

Joel – Cleveland Browns, B+

The Browns are a terrible roster, full of holes across the board with few bright spots. On top of that, they’re tethered to the worst contract ever given out, and the 2025 season is already a disaster. They recently traded a player and a pick for Kenny Pickett.

But while the offseason has been bad, the draft wasn’t. Instead of trying to make a splash early, they did the conservative thing and moved down to accumulate picks for next year. Mason Graham is a good player (although not on the caliber of Travis Hunter), and he’ll help to shore up the defensive front in the coming seasons. Quinshon Judkins is a strong runner with attitude, and he can start to replace the hole Nick Chubb is leaving. They added Jacksonville’s 2026 1st, which is likely in the top-10, and they’re starting to accumulate talent and patch holes.

Would it be better to have Travis Hunter? Yes, maybe. But Judkins, Fannin, Graham, and Schwesinger are all players who can make an impact.

Oh, right. And they made some more weird decisions in the QB room. How good is Shedeur Sanders? It’s going to be a surprise to all of us. But he wasn’t even the first QB they drafted. Their current QB room is a mess, with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel. And that’s not even counting Deshaun. Of the QBs added this offseason, Pickett and Dillon Gabriel are more likely to miss the roster than Shedeur, and it will be a bizarre preseason to watch in Cleveland for that reason. The Browns’ roster remains a disaster, and they remain poorly run. However, adding Jacksonville’s 1st to their own (likely top-5) pick for 2026, this team might finally be starting to pivot back towards respectability.

And if not, at least Prime and Sheduer will make sure they’re interesting.

Favorite teams

Evan – Green Bay Packers, B-

As a Packers fan, I was ecstatic to see them draft a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2002. Matthew Golden should immediately help ease concerns about Christian Watson’s injury issues and give Jordan Love another dynamic deep-ball threat. 

The rest of the Packers’ draft, however, was less impressive. They reached for Anthony Belton in the second round, although, given their need for O-line help, the pick at least filled a hole. I liked the value they found with Savion Williams in the third, but adding another receiver felt like a luxury rather than a necessity. A cornerback or safety would have addressed more pressing needs. Their Day 3 picks brought good value defensively, but it felt like a missed opportunity not to prioritize those areas earlier.

Overall, it was a solid but unspectacular draft, one that should help in spots but might leave the Packers wishing they’d done a little more to shore up the defense. 

Jonathan – Denver Broncos, B-

The Jahdae Barron pick is being underappreciated by most. He’s a lockdown corner with a great eye for the ball who will fit right into the Broncos’ defense and revitalize the legendary No Fly Zone that brought the Lombardi to Denver in Super Bowl 50. I am very excited for this pick and can’t wait to see him play opposite Surtain.

The rest of the draft was underwhelming by contrast. The Broncos focused too much on their perceived needs without trying to capture value, a cardinal sin on day 2 of the NFL draft. Each of their day 2 selections was probably picked about a round early based on the value they’ll bring. Sean Payton compared RJ Harvey to Alvin Kamara and Pat Bryant to Michael Thomas, causing a bit of concern that he’s focused too much on his past teams while trying to construct this one for the future. I do not think these comparisons hold much water, and while I think both will be contributors on this team, I do not think they were the wisest selections.

Joel – Seattle Seahawks, A-

The Seahawks have had a tumultuous offseason, perhaps turning their roster over more than any other NFL team so far, especially after winning 10 games in 2024. Gone are pillars Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett. In place are Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp, and… Marquez Valdes-Scantling?

It’s hard to separate a draft from an offseason, and Jonathan hit on that with the Browns grade also. The Seahawks, on the flip side of the Browns, landed the plane in the draft. They went with some of the most elite athletes at every major position of need. Grey Zabel was the right pick and will immediately shore up the interior o-line, and Elijah Arroyo, Tory Horton, and Damien Martinez will be solid depth additions to the offensive unit, and Emmanwori and Rylie Mills will contribute defensively. Plus a fullback!

The trade-up for the safety in Nick Emmanwori was a surprising choice (positional value!!), but Emmanwori is a 1/1 athlete (seriously, he scored a 10 in the Relative Athletic Score at the combine, becoming the highest testing safety for his size). Emmanwori has some holes in his game, taking bad angles and missing tackles, but Mike McDonald likes having a big safety to use as a chess piece defensively. 

Lastly, Jalen Milroe, the athletic QB project out of Alabama. This actually was one of my favorite picks of the entire draft. Milroe has a cannon of an arm and is an elite runner. He’s not very accurate, and he struggles with progressions and reading a defense. But in the 3rd, after already addressing some needs, the Seahawks take a massive swing with the chance that this pick defines the next generation of the Seahawks if (when?) Sam Darnold doesn’t work out. It might be a miss, but third-round picks are far from bulletproof, and if you’re going to take a swing, take the biggest one you can.

Those are our top and bottom grades for this year’s NFL draft. Let us know in the comments who some of your favorite and least favorite draft classes were. And, if you’re enjoying the content, sign up to be a subscriber so you get notified when we post new content!