These ten picks were some of the biggest steals in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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The 2025 NFL Draft has finally come and gone. These ten players were huge steals for their teams.
Pick 20: Denver Broncos Select Texas DB Jahdae Barron
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Jahdae Barron was one of the best pure football players in the entire draft, and his floor is incredibly high. He’s going to step in and help a good Denver defense from day 1.
Pick 35: Seattle Seahawks Select South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori
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Yeah, there are some lapses in concentration on his film. But, Emmanwori has a ton of great film, too, and he’s an off-the-charts athlete that will help Seattle’s defense.
Pick 47: Arizona Cardinals Select Michigan CB Will Johnson
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I’m not privy to the medical reports that NFL teams get on prospects. But, Will Johnson was one of my top ten prospects in the entire draft. Obviously, some lingering injuries from 2024 hurt his draft stock, but the Cardinals got a future star in Johnson.
Pick 59: Baltimore Ravens Select Marshall DE Mike Green
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Mike Green dominated college football, leading the nation in sacks last year. He easily could’ve been taken in the 1st round. Instead, the Ravens get him in the late 2nd. There are some character concerns, but they got a player way later than he should’ve gone.
Pick 79: The Houston Texans Select Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel
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The Houston Texans needed help at wide receiver, and they got a guy in Jaylin Noel who could’ve gone in the 2nd round in the middle of the third. He’s going to really help them in the slot this season.
Pick 82: The Tennessee Titans Select Penn State S KJ Winston
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Had Winston not suffered a season-ending knee injury in the early part of the 2024 season, he would’ve been a strong candidate to be drafted in the 1st round. Now, the Titans get that player in the mid-third, and that’s a huge steal.
136: Tennessee Titans Select Elic Ayomanor
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I have no clue why Elic Ayomanor went at the end of the 4th round in this draft. He’s been one of the best receivers in college football the last two seasons and has great size and a ton of upside. He should’ve been a second-rounder. This was another great pick by the Titans.
Pick 144: The Cleveland Browns Select Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
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Full disclosure, I am not high on Shedeur Sanders for the same reasons that caused NFL teams to pass on him 143 times. But, I would be remiss if I didn’t include a player that, talent alone, should’ve gone a round or two earlier. Who knows, there’s a slim chance the Browns actually found their future starting quarterback.
Pick 154: The New York Giants Select Purdue OL Marcus Mbow
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Teams should not be landing starting offensive linemen at pick 154. But, I think that’s what the Giants did. Mbow is unlikely to be a star, but the guard has starter upside and should compete for playing time as early as this season. This was a great pick.
Pick 181: The Philadelphia Eagles Select Syracuse QB Kyle McCord
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The way the quarterbacks came off of the board during the draft was pretty funky, to be honest, and McCord was a good example. Everyone had him going higher than the 6th round, but quarterbacks were slow to come off the board, which kind of hurt everyone but Dillon Gabriel’s stock. McCord is going to be a rosterable quarterback right away and will be one of the better backups in the league for his hometown Eagles.