2025 NFL Draft: Day 1 recap of first-round picks

The Tennessee Titans chosen Miami quarterback Cam Ward because the No. 1 general decide in Thursday’s NFL Draft, a drama-free transfer that had been predicted for weeks by soccer pundits, and one in every of solely two quarterbacks taken in all the first spherical.  

In an indication of the significance of the place, Ward turns into the third straight quarterback to go No. 1 general, after the Chicago Bears chosen USC’s Caleb Williams with the primary decide in 2024, and the Carolina Panthers chosen Alabama’s Bryce Younger in 2023.

The final non-quarterback to go No. 1 was Georgia defensive finish Travon Walker in 2022, picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Though Ward was thought of a digital lock to go to the Titans, the remainder of the draft was taking part in out as some of the unpredictable in years. 

That unpredictability got here to fruition nearly instantly when, after Ward’s choice, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded a haul — together with the No. 5 decide — to the Cleveland Browns with the intention to transfer as much as No. 2 and take two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter, who has expressed a want to play each cornerback and receiver within the NFL as he did in faculty. 

The largest shock of the night time was that Hunter’s teammate — Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL legend Deion Sanders — dropped out of the primary spherical solely after preliminary projections had him going as excessive as first general. 

In contrast to 2024’s draft class, thought of some of the talent-laden in many years, 2025 would not have anyplace close to as many blue-chip prospects, and forecasts on who may go the place have been everywhere in the map. A case-in-point being the Seattle Seahawks’ number of guard Gray Zabel at No. 18, who had been projected by most to go on day two. 

The overriding theme gave the impression to be the trenches. Whereas an unprecedented six quarterbacks have been taken within the first 12 picks in 2024, just one, Ward, was chosen within the top-12 Thursday. Seven of these first 12 have been on the offensive and defensive traces.  

It wasn’t till decide No. 25 that one other quarterback was taken, with the New York Giants — who used the third general decide on Penn State edge Abdul Carter — buying and selling again into the primary spherical to snag Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss. In stark distinction to the 2024 draft, Ward and Dart have been the one two quarterbacks chosen Thursday. 

For the primary time ever, in the meantime, the draft was being held in Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin, simply exterior Lambeau Area, the long-lasting dwelling of the Packers.

Rounds two and three will happen Friday starting at 4 p.m. Japanese Time, whereas rounds 4 by means of seven might be held Saturday starting at midday. 

NFL Draft order and picks for the primary spherical

• No. 1: Tennessee Titans — QB Cam Ward, Miami 

• No. 2: Jacksonville Jaguars (through commerce with Cleveland) — CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado

• No. 3: New York Giants — DE Abdul Carter, Penn State

• No. 4: New England Patriots — OT Will Campbell, LSU

• No. 5: Cleveland Browns (through commerce with Jacksonville) — DT Mason Graham, Michigan

• No. 6: Las Vegas Raiders — RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

• No. 7: New York Jets — OT Armand Membou, Missouri

• No. 8: Carolina Panthers — WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

• No. 9: New Orleans Saints — OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas 

• No. 10: Chicago Bears — TE Colston Loveland, Michigan 

• No. 11: San Francisco 49ers — DE Mykel Williams, Georgia

• No. 12: Dallas Cowboys — G Tyler Booker, Alabama

• No. 13: Miami Dolphins — DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan 

• No. 14: Indianapolis Colts — TE Tyler Warren, Penn State

• No. 15: Atlanta Falcons — LB Jalon Walker, Georgia

• No. 16: Arizona Cardinals — DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

• No. 17: Cincinnati Bengals — DE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

• No. 18: Seattle Seahawks — G Gray Zabel, North Dakota State

• No. 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State 

• No. 20: Denver Broncos — DB Jahdae Barron, Texas 

• No. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers — DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon  

• No. 22: Los Angeles Chargers — RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina 

• No. 23: Inexperienced Bay Packers — WR Matthew Golden, Texas 

• No. 24: Minnesota Vikings — G Donovan Jackson, Ohio State 

• No. 25: New York Giants (through commerce with Houston) — QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

• No. 26: Atlanta Falcons (through commerce with Los Angeles Rams) — DE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

• No. 27: Baltimore Ravens — DB Malaki Starks, Georgia

• No. 28: Detroit Lions — DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State

• No. 29: Washington Commanders — OT Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon

• No. 30: Buffalo Payments — CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky 

• No. 31: Philadelphia Eagles (through commerce with Kansas Metropolis)  — LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama

• No. 32: Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (through commerce with Philadelphia) — OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State