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

The Tennessee Titans chosen Miami quarterback Cam Ward because the No. 1 total decide in Thursday’s NFL Draft, a drama-free transfer that had been predicted for weeks by soccer pundits. 

In an indication of the significance of the place, Ward turns into the third straight quarterback to go No. 1 total, 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-about a digital lock to go to the Titans, the remainder of the draft was enjoying out as some of the unpredictable in years. 

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

The massive query mark of the night time seemed to be the place Hunter’s teammate — Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL legend Deion Sanders — would land, and whether or not he may drop out of the primary spherical totally after preliminary projections had him going as excessive as first total.     

Not like 2024’s draft class, thought-about some of the talent-laden in a long time, 2025 doesn’t have anyplace close to as many blue-chip prospects, and forecasts on who would possibly go the place have been everywhere in the map. A case-in-point being the Seattle Seahawks’ choice of guard Gray Zabel at No. 18, who had been projected by most to go on day two. 

The overriding theme seemed 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 strains.  

A second quarterback wasn’t taken till decide No. 25, when the New York Giants traded again into the primary spherical to snag Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss.   

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 seven will likely 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 (by way of 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 (by way of 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 (by way of commerce with Houston) — QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

• No. 26: Atlanta Falcons (by way of 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: Kansas Metropolis Chiefs
• No. 32: Philadelphia Eagles