There are always fair reactions to an NFL draft — and there are always blatantly overhyped overreactions.
The 2025 NFL Draft is no different, as some negative takes got too much shade (Shedeur Sanders’ fall) and some positive storylines (Tyler Shough’s rise) got too much sunshine.
Based on the biggest headlines from all seven rounds — starting with the biggest headliners at quarterback — here’s countering the hyperbole with reality.
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Nine biggest overreactions from 2025 NFL Draft
“Shedeur Sanders needs to overcome so much to win the Browns’ starting QB job”
Cleveland was tied to Sanders plenty before the draft, as he seemed like a long-term QB solution to replace injured Deshaun Watson. However, the Browns traded with Philadelphia for Kenny Pickett in March and added Joe Flacco two weeks before the draft. Then, after having a glut of Day 2 picks, it looked like Sanders and the Browns were done once they took Dillon Gabriel in the third round.
Taking Sanders with their final pick was a mild shock, given it was two rounds later at No. 144 overall. From a distance, with Watson not available, Sanders is stuck needing to beat out three guys for the job. But Pickett was a developmental journeyman flier and Flacco is a familiar contingency. Gabriel isn’t built to see regular snaps yet with his short status, similar to Chase Daniel with his backup makeup.
For going so late and having so much “competition,” Sanders still landed in a great spot. He definitely has the arm edge in the battle with Gabriel, and now it comes to grasping a Kevin Stefanski offense that really fits him bettter than the rest as a strong, fearless pocket passer. Should Sanders keep it simple and continue to exude his off-the-charts confidence, one could expect him to emerge from the battle, with Flacco going from bridge to a veteran No. 2.
With all due respect to Gabriel and Pickett, neither is making the team or rising up the depth chart at Sanders’ expense. The extra chip on Sandres’ shoulder will pay off big time.
SHEDEUR SANDERS NFL DRAFT SLIDE:
“The entire league had it out for Shedeur, Deion, and the whole Sanders football family”
This was a bit of an insane narrative. This wasn’t Colin Kaepernick-like collusion. This wasn’t Cam Newton-level blackballing. This wasn’t Tim Tebow-style sanity at work. Sanders had the arm and clutch vibes, but consider most of the QBs who went ahead of him had more dual-threat, athletic upside. It’s a copycat league and Jalen Hurts is Super Bowl MVP, which no doubt helped the similar Jaxson Dart’s stock skyrocket. Some of the others who also went before Sanders had bigger winning resumes in college.
There also weren’t a lot of teams with a desperate need for a QB, so they could be a little more selective in who they wanted, including tabling the position for the Arch Manning-headlined class in 2026. Once a small handful of teams passed or picked another QB, it led to Sanders’ shocking slide. In the end, he’s fine money-wise from NIL to be OK with the massive salary slide from the first round, and he still controls his chances to nail that mega-lucrative big second contract, a la Brock Purdy.
MORE NFL DRAFT 2025:
“The Jaguars gave up way too much to get Travis Hunter”
The Jaguars didn’t pull off the “Saints for Ricky Williams” with Hunter, but for the modern era, it was a massive haul of picks, including future first-round consideration to move up three spots from No. 5 to No. 2. This might have seemed like an eager rookie mistake with 34-year-old James Gladstone making a “fantasy GM-like” move.
But it was a shrewd decision, one that has made the former Les Snead Rams protege the youngest actual GM in the league. Jacksonville needed a cornerback to better cover big receivers outside It also needed a complementary receiver outside to make big plays opposite Brian Thomas Jr.
Once Hunter declared his desire to keep playing both ways with regular snaps as he did in winning the Heisman Trophy at Colorado, it was a unique chance to fill two position holes with a single generational talent. The new-school approach of Gladstone and coach Liam Coen, only 39, will flip the Jaguars into a winner with Trevor Lawrence, Travon Walker, and others sooner than expected.
“The Saints had good reason to pass on Sanders and shock early with Tyler Shough”
When Shough was taken as the surprise No. 40 overall pick in the second round after Cam Ward and Dart, it might have seemed that new offensive-minded coach Kellen Moore and GM Mickey Loomis were showing real smarts in preferring him as the third-best QB. However, when considering Shough and Sanders are both pocket passers while Ward, Dart, and Jalen Milroe were the more dazzling athletes, there’s no way Shough’s skill set and resume are better than his more-hyped counterpart.
Sanders’ slide should have stopped at No. 40, and everyone should have been thrilled with him being attached to Moore, the former offensive coordinator to Hurts, Justin Herbert, and Dak Prescott. Instead, going with Shough caused the freefall, when Shough should have been the QB going in the fifth round. The Saints straight-up made a mistake because of how well Sanders would have fit in their offense. Now, he can work to prove them wrong in Cleveland.
“The Cowboys turned in another disappointing draft with Jerry Jones”
Jerry Jones gets a lot of heat for his dual role as the owner and general manager, tied of course to the Cowboys not winning consistently and falling short in the playoffs with the extended Super Bowl drought. But in terms of stockpiling talent, especially for the offensive line, his track record is strong.
For not taking a wide receiver, Jones ended up once again investing more in the offensive line, a method that has given his team a high winning floor with Tony Romo and then Prescott when the QBs are healthy. Tyler Booker gives them a third promising young starter with Tyler Guyton and Tyler Smith. The level of talent between the next picks — edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, Shavon Revel Jr., and Jaydon Blue, is super high and fills key needs.
Everyone always expects or wants flash from Jones, including something crazy like taking Sanders to compete with Dak, but he’s more calculated and direct as a GM, which keeps serving him well.
“Caleb Williams was the quarterback helped the most by this draft”
The Bears invested plenty in free agency to upgrade their interior offensive line. They also went into the draft with wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze and tight end Cole Kmet as the key three targets, all set to be more effective in Ben Johnson’s offense. Then they went back-to-back with another tight end, Colston Loveland, and another receiver, Luther Burden III, to open the draft.
That came at the expense of looking at more immediate needs for an early-down workhorse back and edge pass rusher. They also waited too long for an offensive tackle. In the end, they were more superfluous than supplemental for Williams.
C.J. Stroud got a much-needed reboot of complementary receivers in Houston. Geno Smith got a top running back and a go-to big outside receiver in Las Vegas. Drake Maye also got an elite left tackle, a running back, and a slot receiver in New England. Lawrence, Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young, and Jordan Love also have better arguments for what their teams did. Williams’ biggest boost still comes from Johnson being the new coach.
“The Giants don’t need to think about starting Jaxson Dart right away”
The Giants weren’t desperate for a QB, but their interest in taking either Sanders or Dart or trading up for Ward all got revved up again right before the draft, indicating they would make sure they got one of them in either the first round or not long afterward.
When considering the team’s additions of Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson in free agency, it might feel like they have the luxury to “redshirt” their Ole Miss pick, much like they did with Eli Manning behind Kurt Warner 21 seasons ago.
That was Warner, a Rams league MVP and future Hall of Famer, who still had prime left to star in Arizona. This is Winston, a congenial gunslinger who’s accepted his fall from No. 1 overall pick to career backup with aplomb, and Wilson, who started his hard fade in Denver and showed more arm decline in Pittsburgh at age 36.
The Giants need to open up the competition and let Dart push to beat both veterans. Dart has the dynamic athletic running elements Winston has never had, and he has the cannon arm that Wilson doesn’t have in the same way anymore. He also would be more willing than both QBs to settle throwing short-to-intermediate routes and checkdowns instead of just trying to throw deep to Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. Dart’s skillset is a better fit for Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka’s offense right away than either Winston’s or Wilson’s. No one should be surprised if does what Manning didn’t and starts in Week 1.
“The Steelers made a mistake by not taking QB early”
The Steelers did end up drafting a good arm and athletic talent for their run-heavy, downfield-passing offense under Arthur Smith in Will Howard. It’s down to Howard, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thomas in the QB room, but this just might mean they were slow-playing the signing of Aaron Rodgers.
If they don’t end up with Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, or another available veteran late in the offseason, it also should be considered the right move. The Steelers have had a high floor, going 10-7 with shaky QB messes the past two seasons. If they didn’t think Sanders or Dart or Shough could give them a higher ceiling, then they were right to pass on potential immediate starters. The 2026 class has better options early on the board.
This is the lesson learned from forcing a late first-rounder on Kenny Pickett (No. 20 overall) in a terrible 2022 QB draft class. They also learned from going makeshift QB with Wilson and Justin Fields when Williams, Maye, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix went in the first round.
The Steelers can’t commit to drafting a QB unless they truly believe he will be their next Ben Roethlisberger. Arch Manning and others definitely have more of that vibe in 2026, when a first-round QB will get more consideration with or without Rodgers.
“The 2025 NFL Draft will produce more impact on offense than defense”
There’s no doubt between quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end, the offensive skill player selections happened early and often with unprecedented volume. But while that side of the ball has the quantity, the best players from this class, including the ones who make more of an immediate impact, will be on defense.
Between Hunter, Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, Mykel Willaims, Jalon Walker, Walter Nolen, Jahdae Barron, and Malaki Starks, there are eight surefire superstars all over the field, representing a quarter of the first round. Derrick Harmon, Maxwell Hairston, and Jihaad Campbell also all have reliable star qualities.
Although the quantity was definitely there to help teams with passers, runners, and receivers, the higher star quality was on defense. This should mirror the 2011 first round when there were 10 defensive Pro Bowl-caliber players in all.
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