Top 10 No. 25 overall picks in NFL Draft history

Ideally, teams would love to be drafting at No. 25 overall in the NFL Draft year in and year out, as that means they advanced to the second round of the NFL postseason picture. Teams in this range often prioritize specific role players who can help the team win immediately.

While no player picked at No. 25 overall has made it to the Hall of Fame yet, there have been plenty of standout performers who established themselves as long-term building blocks for their respective teams. Multiple champions have been selected here, as they played a big role in helping their teams reach the mountaintop.

These 10 players all stand out as the best at their respective draft position in NFL history. Perhaps the next player who ends up being picked in this range can climb their way up this list and eventually become the first such draftee to earn a gold jacket in Canton.

Top 10 No. 25 Draft Picks in NFL Draft History

Honorable Mentions:

Steve Riley, Minnesota Vikings (1974)
Mark Mullaney, Minnesota Vikings (1975)
Santonio Holmes, Pittsburgh Steelers (2006)
James Carpenter, Seattle Seahawks (2011)
Shaq Thompson, Carolina Panthers (2015)

10. Bobby Butler, Atlanta Falcons (1981)

Before No. 5 overall pick Deion Sanders established himself as one of the best defensive players in NFL history with the Falcons, it was Butler, also a Florida State cornerback, who wrote his name all over Atlanta's defensive record book. Butler still holds the record for most games started by a Falcons cornerback.

While Butler was starting to age out of his prime when Sanders came along, he was one of the more underrated cover corners of the 1980s. With a robust 27 interceptions to his name and five seasons with at least three turnovers created, Butler could have gotten more praise on a better team.

Chris Hovan was a solid No. 25 pick in the NFL Draft

9. Chris Hovan, Minnesota Vikings (2000)

While space-eating defensive tackles rarely get shine from the press, every good team seems to have one of those guys who can reset the line of scrimmage. In a ten-year career split evenly between the Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hovan put together a decade worth of worthwhile interior line play.

Hovan, who made Second-Team All-Pro in 2002, finished his career with 412 tackles and 22 sacks while missing just four games to injury during that span. Any team that drafts a reliable starter for 10 seasons at this point in the draft should chalk that up as a major win in their corner.