- Jaxson Dart was the biggest reach of the night: Although the Giants had a quarterback need, Dart was PFF’s 131st-ranked prospect.
- The Cowboys filled a hole but reached for Tyler Booker: The Alabama product is limited athletically but will serve as a strong pass blocker for Dallas.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
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Draft Position Rankings
Every NFL team has its own big board, and they don’t necessarily coincide with the consensus opinions. The 2025 NFL Draft’s first round was no different.
We’re looking at a few players who were reaches, given where they ranked on the PFF Big Board.
No. 9. New Orleans Saints: T Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas (Big Board Rank: 22)
After selecting Taliese Fuaga with their first-round pick last year, the Saints once again went with a tackle. Trevor Penning is still on the roster, so there’s a possibility Banks will slide inside to guard to start his career and then kick outside if/when the former first-rounder moves on. However, Pick 9 was a bit rich for Banks, who is on the leaner side at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds with shorter arms.
No. 11. San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia (Big Board Rank: 38)
The 49ers are lacking a dominant option opposite Nick Bosa, but we’re not so sure Williams will be that player. While he’s an excellent run defender, earning at least an 80.0 PFF run-defense grade in each of the past two seasons, he leaves a lot to be desired as a pass rusher.
Williams’ 61.0 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets ranked 188th among all draft-eligible edge defenders. He was PFF’s seventh-ranked edge rusher (eighth if including Jalon Walker), and the 49ers made him the second one selected.
No. 12. Dallas Cowboys: G Tyler Booker, Alabama (Big Board Rank: 48)
Zack Martin‘s retirement made guard a big need for the Cowboys, so their desire to take one makes sense. However, Booker is very limited athletically, which will restrict the types of run concepts the team can run with him. He is an excellent pass blocker, though, as he had only one game in 2024 with a PFF pass-blocking grade below 70.0.
No. 17. Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M (Big Board Rank: 31)
Stewart is an intriguing case because his athletic testing numbers were off the charts but his production numbers left something to be desired. On 680 pass-rushing snaps over his three-year career, Stewart registered only six sacks, recording exactly two in each campaign. Texas A&M ran a lot of three-man fronts, however, which may have limited those numbers.
No. 21. Pittsburgh Steelers: DI Derrick Harmon, Oregon (Big Board Rank: 42)
Arguably the biggest story of Round 1 was the Steelers‘ passing on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders despite their quarterback room featuring Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. While this suggests they’re confident in their ability to land Aaron Rodgers, they used the pick on a player who probably would have still been available had they traded down. Harmon is an excellent pass rusher, as his 55 pressures in 2024 led all interior defenders, but he is a very poor tackler, missing more than a quarter of his tackle attempts.
No. 24. Minnesota Vikings: OL Donovan Jackson, Ohio State (Big Board Rank: 46)
Jackson is a guard by trade, but after an injury to Ohio State teammate Josh Simmons midseason, he was forced to move out to tackle, where he performed competently on his way to a 71.8 PFF overall grade. The Vikings dealt Ed Ingram during the offseason, leaving Will Fries and Blake Brandel as the only guards on the roster with any real experience. This need was very apparent, constituting the reach.
No. 25: New York Giants: QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Big Board Rank: 131)
After selecting Abdul Carter with the third overall selection, the Giants jumped back into the first round to draft a quarterback. Some thought it could be Shedeur Sanders, but New York landed on Jaxson Dart. While highly productive (91.9 PFF passing grade in 2024), Dart is very raw, as the system he played in at Ole Miss doesn’t translate very well to the NFL. Luckily for Dart, he doesn’t need to start right away after the Giants signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason.
No. 28. Detroit Lions: DI Tyleik Williams, Ohio State (Big Board Rank: 41)
DJ Reader will be 31 years old when the 2025 season begins, and Alim McNeill is recovering from a late-season ACL tear that will likely limit his availability for 2025. The Lions had a need on the defensive interior, and Williams fills it — albeit a bit earlier than expected. He is an excellent run defender, posting an 88.6 PFF grade in that regard last season, but his pass rushing leaves a lot to be desired, as his season-best PFF pass-rushing grade in college was just 64.1.
No. 30: Buffalo Bills: CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky (Big Board Rank: 43)
Hairston was the fastest player at this year’s NFL Combine, running a 4.28-second 40-yard dash. That speed certainly shows up on the field. However, he suffered a shoulder injury in the middle of the season that caused him to miss nearly half the year, which may have affected his play. He earned just a 67.0 PFF overall grade this past season.
This news was originally published on this post .
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