
Three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft are now in the books after Friday night. And one massive name, Shedeur Sanders, did not have his name called for a second consecutive day, leaving countless analysts to forecast where — or if — the polarizing Colorado quarterback will come off the board on Day 3.
Sanders isn’t the only story of the draft, of course. Yet he’s an awfully important one, considering several teams still in dire need of long-term quarterback help (see: the Pittsburgh Steelers) passed on the opportunity to secure him multiple times. That’s why he’s the headliner of our major takeaways from the second day of 2025 NFL Draft action, which included a handful of other surprises, including a couple of quarterbacks not named Sanders coming off the board in the third round.
Which incoming players changed the face of their new NFL homes? Which teams rewrote their trajectories with their choices? Who deserves our praises ahead of the final day of selections? Here are some of the biggest things we learned on Day 2 of the draft:
The NFL is sending Shedeur Sanders a message
Maybe it didn’t start as a collective effort, but it’s sure turning into one. How else do you explain such an accomplished starting quarterback, with plenty of legitimate first-round grades from legitimate football backgrounds, going wholly untouched through two days of the draft? The NFL is addicted to the quarterback hunt, and teams will take swings if they see even a morsel of upside in a passer. So why not Sanders? It’s got to be the personality, right? The celebrity family? The perceived entitlement?
NFL Media’s Charles Davis suggested as much Friday night, arguing teams may have had justified on-field skepticism about Sanders’ ceiling as an NFL playmaker, but that his slide more so indicates an unwillingness by franchises to bring Sanders and his public persona into a locker room as a backup. Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt reiterated this, speculating that Sanders’ fall is precisely a result of “the person that sat with those teams” in pre-draft meetings. Does that mean the NFL teams are right? Not necessarily. Sanders may have the last laugh, and sooner rather than later. For now, though, it’s apparent: He wasn’t nearly the coveted face of the franchise that he crowned himself.
The Packers are taking their WR needs seriously
Remember that 23-year stretch when Green Bay declined to address wide receiver in the first round? One day after snapping that drought, sending the draft’s Wisconsin crowd into a tizzy by using their first pick on Matthew Golden, the Packers went right back to the well on Friday, adding TCU’s Savion Williams. A supersized utility man who’s drawn some Deebo Samuel comparisons, Williams alongside Golden gives Jordan Love an even deeper treasure trove of young pass catchers. This offense should be fun.
The Cowboys are quietly building with smarts
Dallas may not be wheeling and dealing with surprise, sexy trades and whatnot, but we’re not talking enough about the good value they’ve unearthed so far. They went against the grain in Round 1 by spending a borderline top-10 pick on a guard in Tyler Booker — a classic Jerry Jones gesture to beef up the trenches. But then Day 2 brought not one, but two defensive steals in Donovan Ezeiruaku and Shavon Revel Jr. That could be two starters at premium positions right there. The arrow is shifting upward.
The Browns are reverting to power football
Cleveland’s most stunning move of Day 2 was certainly addressing quarterback … with Dillon Gabriel, of all prospects, the older, shorter, left-handed Oregon product. Even Gabriel’s entry as an efficient, short-area option reinforces their apparent shift deeper into an old-school, ball-control approach. One day after using their first pick on Mason Graham for the defensive trenches, they got even grittier, adding linebacker Carson Schwesinger and running back Quinshon Judkins. Welcome back to the 1960s in Ohio.

The Saints are officially turning the page on offense
Not to Shedeur Sanders, but past Derek Carr, it seems. Look, maybe there’s an outside chance Carr shows up at some point in 2025 and plays nice with new coach Kellen Moore coming off a bad shoulder. But spending the No. 40 overall pick on Tyler Shough probably means New Orleans is OK flipping the script. Shough, after all, is already 25 after a seven-year college career; he may well open his rookie season as Moore’s QB1. It helps he should have Kelvin Banks keeping him upright, too.
Caleb Williams is due for a legitimate breakout
The Chicago Bears have spent all offseason working to build a real supporting cast for their former No. 1 overall pick. First it was the offensive line overhaul in free agency, headlined by Joe Thuney’s arrival via trade. Then it was the first-round splash for Colston Loveland, a potential Sam LaPorta copy for new coach Ben Johnson. And then, to round things out at the top of Day 2, it was Luther Burden III, whose versatility and after-catch juice opposite DJ Moore and Rome Odunze should help take Williams to new heights.
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