NFL Draft Round 1 analysis: The winners and losers
The 2025 NFL Draft got off to a thrilling start with the first round having plenty of talking points.
The first overall pick provided no shocks, with the Tennessee Titans selecting Cam Ward out of the University of Miami.
The Jacksonville Jaguars made an aggressive trade up to number two to select receiver/corner-back Travis Hunter, giving the Cleveland Browns pick number five, 36 and their first-round pick next year.
This left Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter to fall to the New York Giants as the third overall pick, who also traded back into the first round later on to take Jaxson Dart at number 25.
The Green Bay crowd finally got to see their Packers draft a receiver in the first round - the first time since 2002 - taking Matthew Golden with the 23rd pick.
The Atlanta Falcons addressed their defensive woes by taking not one, but two edge rushers.
But who actually won the first round? Sports News Blitz writer Dylan Richardson assesses the biggest winners and losers.
Winner - Jacksonville Jaguars landing Travis Hunter
2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter was always going to be selected at the top of the first round.
The 21-year-old had impressed on both ends of the ball, coming into this draft as both the best receiver and corner-back.
Hunter made 96 receptions for 1,258 yards on offense last season for the Colorado Buffaloes, scoring an impressive 15 touchdowns on the year.
On the defensive side of the ball, too, Hunter made four interceptions and 35 solo tackles, so coming into the NFL, Hunter will be effective for use on both sides of the ball.
The 21-year-old did not come cheap, however, with the Jaguars giving up pick number five, 36 and their high-value 2026 first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns to move up three places to select Hunter.
Loser - Shadeur Sanders
Without a doubt the biggest loser of the first round was quarter-back prospect Shadeur Sanders.
The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame corner-back Deion Sanders, Shadeur has been projected as a high first-round pick for a long time, but his draft stock continued to fall over the off-season.
When you consider that the Giants traded up to select Jaxson Dart at pick 25, Sanders will be disappointed that he has fallen into the second round, and missing out on a bigger paycheck in the process.
Winner - Los Angeles Rams gaining draft capital
It feels crazy to say that a team that did not make a selection came out on top in the first round, but the LA Rams may have done just that.
After Jaxson Dart was taken off the board at pick 25 by the Giants, the Rams decided to trade the 26th pick to Atlanta in exchange for pick 46, pick 242 and the Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is entering the last year of his contract in LA and with him being 37 years old, the Rams will likely be looking to add a quarterback in the draft next year and have done a good job positioning themselves with two first-round picks.
Loser - Dallas Cowboys selecting Tyler Booker at 12th overall
The Cowboys have drafted yet another offensive lineman called Tyler in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Tyler Smith in 2022, Tyler Guyton in 2024 and now Tyler Booker in 2025.
Getting a player like Tyler Booker to add to your offensive line is definitely not a loss but the Cowboys selecting him at 12th overall is a bit of a reach, especially with other players available.
With the retirement of Zach Martin, the Cowboys desperately needed to address the O-line and Booker will definitely help add protection to star quarterback Dak Prescott.
But with receiver talent like Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden still on the board, Booker at pick 12 does seem like a bit of a reach.
Winner - Indianapolis Colts landing Tyler Warren at 14
Tyler Warren was the number one tight-end in the draft class for a lot of people so there was an element of surprise when the Chicago Bears selected Colston Loveland at 10, leaving Warren on the board.
The 22-year-old had 1,233 receiving yards from 104 catches in the 2024 season with Penn State Nittany Lions, scoring eight receiving touchdowns in the process, making him a great target for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Warren also rushed for 218 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 26 attempts in 2024, making him a bit of a ‘swiss army knife’ as an offensive weapon.
Winner and loser - Atlanta Falcons
There are conflicting thoughts on the Falcons’ first-round pick-ups.
On one hand, they managed to come away with two defensive upgrades, using their 14th overall pick to select linebacker Jalon Walker and trading up with the Rams to select edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
On paper, the addition of both Walker and Pearce Jr. will be a big help when it comes to pass rushing.
But when you take into account that they gave up their 2026 first-round pick and number 46 overall in this year’s draft, the value becomes questionable, especially with the strength of next year’s draft class looking to be better than this year.
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