The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. Now that the dust has settled, what stood out the most—and how might these rookies perform with their new teams? In this week’s NFL Draft Notebook, we look at an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, one rookie who could be a bust, and much more, including the Browns' intriguing quarterback moves and the Cyclones' invasion of Houston.
Breaking down the 2025 NFL Draft
Rookie of the Year
My early pick to win Rookie of the Year is Jacksonville Jaguars’ Travis Hunter for several reasons. One of the biggest is that he joins an offense where defenses won’t be able to key on him, with Jacksonville also featuring Brian Thomas Jr., who had a stellar rookie season with 87 receptions. Hunter will also benefit from having Trevor Lawrence throwing him the ball. While Lawrence struggled last year, I expect him to take a big step forward under new head coach Liam Coen and get closer to living up to the potential that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. On top of that, Hunter is sure to draw major media attention as he likely sees limited snaps on defense while making a big impact as a wide receiver.
Bengals draft the most overrated player
The Cincinnati Bengals, who had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, made a costly mistake in trying to address that issue with the selection of Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart. Stewart, who I labeled the most overrated player in the draft, is a great athlete, but his lack of production is hard to overlook. He never recorded more than 1.5 sacks in a single season and finished his college career with just 4.5 total sacks. It's difficult to envision a player who struggled to generate pressure in college being the answer for a Bengals defense that managed only 36 sacks last season.
Browns' intriguing quarterback decisions
The Cleveland Browns made a questionable move late in the third round by selecting Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel with the 94th overall pick. While Gabriel put up impressive numbers during his college career, he lacks the physical tools to develop into a potential starting quarterback. His biggest concern is limited arm strength, which could become a major issue in Cleveland’s harsh weather. After taking Gabriel, the Browns doubled down by selecting Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round. There’s no doubt Sanders has much higher upside, and if he enters the league with a humbled attitude, he could even push for a starting job. Meanwhile, Gabriel will likely settle in as the team’s third-string quarterback.
Not such a hilarious prediction after all
One of the more criticized picks in my final 2025 NFL Mock Draft was projecting Michigan tight end Colston Loveland to come off the board before Penn State’s Tyler Warren. Brandon Ray of Buffalo Bills News even called the prediction a “hilarious reach.” As it turned out, Loveland did indeed go higher—selected 10th overall by the Chicago Bears—while Warren didn’t hear his name called until the 14th pick, when the Indianapolis Colts scooped him up. While I may have missed on the team fit, Loveland’s high upside ultimately justified his earlier selection.
Houston Cyclones
The Texans went to Ames, Iowa to add more playmakers to their passing game. They took WR Jayden Higgins with the 34th pick—a big, physical receiver who excels at winning jump balls. In the third round, they added Jaylin Noel, a prototypical NFL slot with quickness and sure hands. On a personal note, as someone who grew up in Iowa and now lives in Houston, I absolutely love this move.
Thunder and lightning part 2
Back in the early 2000s, the Giants had the running back tandem of Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber, commonly known as "Thunder and Lightning." In the 2025 NFL Draft, the team recreated that type of combination by drafting Cam Skattebo, the most physical running back in this year’s class. He’ll team with Tyrone Tracy, a dynamic playmaker the Giants selected in the fourth round last year. This young running back duo should help take pressure off quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart, whom the team added with their second first-round pick this year.
Oronde Gadsden II’s role in Los Angeles
Look for the Los Angeles Chargers to use former Syracuse tight end Oronde Gadsden II, who the team took in the fifth round, in a similar way to how Jim Harbaugh used Colston Loveland back at Michigan. During the 2023 season, Loveland lined up for almost half of his snaps in the slot and thrived in this role, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. Gadsden has the type of receiving ability to succeed in this role as well, having recorded 73 receptions last season and showing naturally soft hands by only dropping four passes. If he can have even half the impact Loveland had under Harbaugh, this could turn out to be one of the best Day Three picks of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Smart late-round pick
A pick I really liked late in the NFL Draft was the Houston Texans' selection of Florida quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz, who was my fourth-ranked quarterback going into the season, missed all but five games this year due to a knee injury. What earned Mertz such a high ranking on my board was his accuracy, as he completed 73% of his passes in 2023 and routinely hit receivers in stride. He also showed outstanding character, helping freshman DJ Lagway prepare after his injury and winning the GatorMade Danny Wuerffel "Man of the Year" award, recognizing his leadership on and off the field. Overall, he has the character, work ethic, and playing ability to develop into a high-quality backup in the NFL.
Another late-round pick that stood out
One more sixth-round pick that stood out was when the Washington Commanders selected UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano. One of the big reasons they took Medrano is that his former linebacker coach at UCLA, Ken Norton Jr., is now on the Commanders' staff and can vouch for his character. Medrano also has the speed to be a high-quality coverage linebacker and special teams standout, having posted the fastest 40-yard dash time among linebackers at the NFL Combine.
FCS Had One of Its Best Years
Lately, we have seen a sharp decline in small school players getting drafted, but this was one of the better years for the FCS level. Fifteen total picks came from that level, the highest number in three years and the second-most in the past six years. In addition to having more players drafted, North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel became the highest-drafted offensive lineman in FCS history. We also saw several FCS players sign as undrafted free agents shortly after the NFL Draft, with one standout being Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III, who signed with the Patriots.
Please note: Starting next week, this article will be called The Rookie Report, as we shift focus to how these rookies are fitting in with their NFL teams. I will still produce an NFL Draft Notebook each Monday, which will focus on the 2026 NFL Draft class.