2025 NFL Draft Grades - Pick By Pick

1 day agoHayden Winks

I love NFL Draft grades because it gives us a timestamp into what we thought was good process at the time when we inevitably go back to the draft years into the future. The best way to grade these teams are with the following criteria:

  1. Did I think the player is good? I did the work for a reason!

  2. Was the pick a major reach versus consensus?

  3. Was the pick a premium position?

  4. Was the pick fitting a team need?

  5. Was the trade up worth it?

My Top 100 Prospects are here. The consensus big board is here. You can filter this table for my grades and notes.

Other notes:

  • I loved Maxwell Hairston on the stage.

  • The Bengals really only needed an edge rusher if they planned on trading Trey Hendrickson. The Shemar Stewart selection is the precursor to an upcoming trade most likely.

  • The Browns stared down the spreadsheets, sighed, and pressed accept, knowing the super star talent they were trading away. The prize is the equivalent of an extra top-10 selection after the Jaguars did send away their future 1st rounder on top of some extra Day 2 capital. The Browns need a QB to be serious eventually, and this is the ammo to increase their odds of finding one. It is odd to me to go full analytics bro with that trade down, only to draft another defensive player. We all watched the Browns have a historically great defense a few years ago, and they were not contenders in the playoffs. At some point, the Browns have to find the answers on offense. The pressure is on to his on these picks.

  • Securing Travis Hunter is as fun as it gets and gives Trevor Lawrence no excuses for being a top-10 QB right away. The cost was an extra top-10 selection in net value, so there's a lot of pressure on the two-way star. The plan is likely to play him on both sides with a major on offense after the front office said they were looking for touchdowns. This was a surprising move by 34-year-old GM James Gladstone, who learned under the "eff them picks" Les Snead era. Jacksonville's roster is mostly set with high-end players for the foreseeable future and I still see holes on the roster. Their stars have to be real stars to make this work. I'm excited to watch.

  • The Titans turned down an offer from the Giants for the 1st overall pick (QB Cam Ward). New York offered 3rd overall, next year's 1st-round pick, and other picks per Adam Schefter. That is not a nothing-burger offer. That is very real and would've netted Tennessee a blue chip player and future value. Now, that offer didn't guarantee a franchise quarterback, so I understand turning it down.