NFL Draft 2025 Round 1 grades: Jaguars earn A for Travis Hunter trade up

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Welcome to The Athletic’s pick-by-pick grades for Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. We’re breaking down every selection as the drama unfolds Thursday night. Which teams found the prospect they needed? Who might regret their decision down the line?

Of course, we won’t have full, accurate answers to those questions for a few seasons, so our grades are trying to take everything into account — pick value, trade costs, what the board looked like ahead of the selection and so on.

Here’s how everyone did:

(Note: Scott Dochterman provided grades for odd-numbered picks, Nick Baumgardner for even-numbered picks.)

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Tennessee needed a quarterback and Ward is the best one in this draft. He has both talent and grit, which will endear him to his teammates and the fan base. Although hypothetical and irrelevant, it’s fair to ask where Ward would have landed in last year’s draft, or if Tennessee would have selected one of the 2024 draft’s six first-round quarterbacks ahead of Ward. Regardless, Ward has the skill set to become a successful NFL quarterback. Whether he becomes a Pro Bowler — and, thus, worth the No. 1 pick — remains to be seen.

Ward (6-foot-1 5/8, 219 pounds) played at Incarnate Word and Washington State before transferring to Miami last year. There, he became one of college football’s best quarterbacks. Over his career, Ward set an NCAA record with 158 touchdown passes, plus threw for 18,184 yards with a 65.1 completion percentage. Last year alone, Ward passed for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his passes.

Grade: B-plus

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (from CLE): Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

The best football player in this class, by a decent margin, Hunter is as rare as he is dynamic. It’s incredibly difficult to compare him to any current NFL player, as we really haven’t seen a modern equivalent to a guy who can play two of the most exhausting positions on the field at an elite level all game long. He should be a day one standout, on either side of the ball.

The strategy might be to start Hunter out as a corner and let him work as a wide receiver on the side. In time, Jacksonville could have the league’s best (and really only) true two-way player.

This was a terrific trade for both sides: No. 2, a fourth- and sixth-rounder to Jacksonville; No. 5, a second- and fourth-round pick in this draft plus a 2026 first to Cleveland. The Jags are closer than many think, talent-wise, and Cleveland desperately needs more picks.

Grade: A

3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter, edge, Penn State

The Giants could have panicked and drafted for need, but they did the right thing by taking the best player on the board. Carter was a relentless edge rusher at Penn State, and he’ll fit in with Brian Burns in the Giants’ 3-4 defense. He also should push Kayvon Thibodeaux for snaps — and perhaps for a starting role.

Carter (6-3 3/4, 250 pounds) shifted from linebacker to edge last year at Penn State and became an unanimous first-team All-American and the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year. He finished with 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss. Perhaps most impressive, he fought through a serious left shoulder injury in the College Football Playoff and still dominated. That injury prevented him from combine testing, but his toughness trumps whatever numbers he forfeited in Indianapolis.

Grade: A

4. New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU

Campbell is the best offensive lineman in this draft—  and that might have been close to a league-wide consensus. There are concerns about Campbell’s lack of elite length outside at left tackle, but I believe those are overblown. The former LSU star’s hands and feet are as efficient as you’ll see from a three-year college player, and Campbell’s work ethic and football character are off the charts.

This is a very safe pick that fills a need for a team trying to rebuild around its young QB. Great news for Drake Maye.

Grade: A

5. Cleveland Browns (from JAX): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

A powerful interior defender, Graham was the heartbeat of Michigan’s defense and one of the most difficult individual matchups in college football. In Cleveland’s 4-3 defense, he should be perfect alongside Myles Garrett and instantly help a mediocre run defense.

It was smart by Cleveland not to press for need and instead go with the best player available. Graham (6-3 1/2, 306) was a consensus first-team All-American (3.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss), but he did so much more than just compile statistics — he consistently won snaps with low and powerful jolts combined with rare lateral quickness. He also was the Rose Bowl MVP in a College Football Playoff semifinal and help guide Michigan to the national title two seasons ago. He’s also tough, demonstrated by missing only two games after surgery on his thumb during the 2023 season.

Grade: A

6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Unicorn running backs do exist. Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs proved it a few years ago, and now Jeanty — the modern day version of LaDainian Tomlinson — should add his name to that list very soon. A true three-down weapon who can perform in any system or situation, Jeanty has playmaking ability in the box, on the edge, as a receiver and as a blocker.

One of the best pound-for-pound players in this draft and college football’s most productive running back since Barry Sanders, Jeanty ran for 2,601 rushing yards with 29 touchdowns last year and added a receiving score. He finished as Heisman Trophy runner-up and was an unanimous first-team All-American. He can dominate in gap or zone schemes and will be a terrific receiver at the next level.

Grade: A

7. New York Jets: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

The Jets had plenty of options here, and they opted for substance over sizzle — which is almost unexpected. In the last two drafts, the Jets chose to fortify the edge, so Membou now becomes a bookend with the team’s top pick last season, Olu Fashanu. Four of the Jets’ projected starting lineman were either first- or second-round picks between 2021 and Thursday night.

It’s a sound philosophy, but is it more important than picking up someone who can score points for an offense that needs firepower? That remains to be seen. Membou (6-4 1/4, 332) played exclusively right tackle at Missouri and started his final 29 games. Explosive and powerful, Membou ran the 40-yard dash in 4.91 seconds and put up 225 pounds 31 times on the bench at the combine.

Grade: B

8. Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

A long and flexible receiver with a giant catch radius and elite ball skills, McMillan’s college tape is filled with acrobatic catches that also turned into big plays after the catch — his vision and feel in traffic is outstanding for a man his size. He does come with some speed concerns, and it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be against press coverage.

McMillan will have to show more of what we saw from him in 2023, because he had moments in 2024 in which he looked either hurt, disinterested or a bit of both. He’s another version of Drake London, though. He finished his career with a combined 213 catches for 3,423 yards and 26 TDs in just three years — and that’s despite being dinged up in 2024. Carolina had a bunch of needs, but this is a very sturdy pick at No. 8.

Grade: B-plus

9. New Orleans Saints: Kelvin Banks Jr., G/OT, Texas

New Orleans has thrown numerous resources at its offensive line, spending first-round picks there in 2020, 2022, 2024 and now 2025. That spot on the field is always important, but this team also could use some defensive backs to shore up what was the NFL’s 27th-ranked defense a year ago.

Banks can become a stalwart (and the grade below isn’t about him specifically), but it’s arguable whether spending another key asset on the offensive was the best move. Banks (6-5 1/8, 315) was ranked as this class’ 26th-ranked prospect by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. He started every game of his college career at left tackle and won both the Lombardi Trophy and Outland Trophy after the 2024 season.

There is much debate over whether Banks’ skill set works best at tackle or guard, and that will be ongoing.

Grade: C

10. Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

We’ve been writing for months that the race for TE1 in this class, between Tyler Warren and Loveland, was much closer than many thought.

Loveland reminds me a lot of current Detroit Lions standout Sam LaPorta, only bigger. New Bears coach Ben Johnson absolutely adored LaPorta in Detroit, and Loveland will give Johnson and QB Caleb Williams a legit receiving threat in all areas of the field. Warren is the better blocker of the two prospects, but Loveland is absolutely the better receiver. He’s an outstanding fit for everything Johnson does.

Grade: A

11. San Francisco 49ers: Mykel Williams, edge, Georgia

The 49ers needed a bookend to play with Nick Bosa, and Williams fits the description. After the 49ers lost a ton in free agency and were faced with salary-cap situations, this pick is more than solid. Williams can become a decade-long starter, if he stays healthy.

At Georgia last year, however, he dealt with repeated ankle issues, which kept his starts and rotational snaps down. But as a team captain, he still was productive (five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss). Williams (6-5 1/8, 267) possesses huge arms (34 3/8 inches) and wingspan (82 7/8). He is a physical edge capable of moving anywhere along the line of scrimmage on passing downs.

Grade: A

12. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

A mountain of a man, Booker (6-4, 321 with near 35-inch arms) is the most physically dominant run-blocking offensive lineman in this class. There are issues with his quickness and movement skills, but nothing too overwhelming. He’s likely a guard-only — but potentially a terrific one, powerful enough to help both the center and tackle playing next to him.

Dallas has done a nice job evaluating talent along the offensive line in recent years, and Booker should be able to come in and make an impact quickly. He started as a true freshman at Alabama and grew into a leader. This might feel like a reach for some, especially given Booker’s positional limitation — and with players including Tyler Warren and Jalon Walker on the board — but Booker is the best guard in the draft.

Grade: B-plus

(Top photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)

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