- A dynamic cornerback duo in Denver: Denver opts to build upon a strength, pairing Texas‘ Jahdae Barron with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II.
- Arizona landed a first-round caliber cornerback: Medical concerns sent Will Johnson tumbling down boards, but his level of talent and proven track record of success at Michigan are well worth a first-round evaluation.
- Final chance to claim 25% off PFF+: Use code DRAFT25 and unlock access to player grades, fantasy tools and the 2025 Draft Guide.
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
Every NFL draft produces its share of surprises, but the 2025 class delivered some true steals at every stage.
From early-round sliders to late-round sleepers, teams across the league found value picks who could quickly outperform their draft slots. Here’s a round-by-round look at the biggest steals from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Day 1
No. 20. Denver Broncos: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas (Big Board Rank: 11)
Denver opts to build upon a strength, pairing one of the best cornerbacks in college football, Barron, with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II. The versatile coverage defender — the highest-graded cornerback in college football last season (91.1) with at least 400 coverage snaps — is a natural zone defender with incredible instincts and can slot in at any position in the secondary.
No. 27. Baltimore Ravens: S Malaki Starks, Georgia (Big Board Rank: 8)
The Ravens let the board fall to them and take the best available player on the PFF Big Board. He has positional versatility that allows Kyle Hamilton to be a movable chess piece. Starks’ 85.6 run-defense grade was one of the best in the draft class, while his 8.1% missed tackle rate was one of the lowest in the class. Starks brings high-level football intelligence and great anticipation to make plays on the ball in coverage.
No. 16. Arizona Cardinals: DI Walter Nolen, Mississippi (Big Board Rank: 7)
The Cardinals add another extremely talented player to amplify their defensive front. As a plus run defender, Nolen earned the second-highest PFF run-defense grade in the FBS this past season (91.6). The seventh-ranked prospect on the PFF Big Board will instantly upgrade an Arizona defense that ranked 27th in EPA allowed per rush in 2024.
No. 31. Philadelphia Eagles: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama (Big Board Rank: 13)
Campbell oozes athleticism with incredible first-step quickness and speed to cover in space. He needs to develop his anticipation and awareness in coverage, but he lands in the perfect spot to learn alongside Zack Baun. Campbell is an excellent tackler with just a 5.9% missed tackle rate while totaling 30 coverage stops.
No. 32. Kansas City Chiefs: T Josh Simmons, Ohio State (Big Board Rank: 18)
After watching Patrick Mahomes get pressured on more than 40% of his dropbacks in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs look to give their franchise quarterback some time to do what he does best. Simmons is coming off a season-ending knee injury but showed impressive movement skills, flexibility and balance at the left tackle position. He allowed just one sack the past two years and posted an 82.2 true pass set pass-blocking grade in 2024.
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Draft Position Rankings
Day 2
No. 39 Chicago Bears: WR Luther Burden III, Missouri (Big Board Rank: 15)
After falling out of the first round, Burden hit the practice field for a late-night workout, putting his dedication to the game on full display. The No. 15 prospect on PFF’s big board was drafted early in Round 2 — a sizable value for the Bears. Burden is a consistent separator, having generated a 94th-percentile separation rate over the past two seasons.
Burden possesses first-round talent as an all-around threat in the receiving game with polished route-running ability, natural hands and explosive after-the-catch ability. Quarterback Caleb Williams now has another dynamic threat in the receiving game to pair with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
No. 44 Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College (Big Board Rank: 17)
Although Ezeiruaku may lack the size and power of some other edge defenders in the class, his length and capability as a quick, smooth-moving pass rusher earned him a top-20 rank on PFF’s big board as EDGE3. His 196 snaps versus true pass sets last season are the most in the class, and he earned a 90.7 PFF pass-rush grade with a 25.8% pass-rush win rate on those plays.
The positives continue for Ezeiruaku as a run defender, where he profiles as a savvy addition to boost a struggling Cowboys front. Dallas surrendered the most expected points added per rush in 2024. Ezeiruaku’s 83.6 PFF run-defense grade placed him in the 91st percentile at the position this past season.
No. 47 Arizona Cardinals: CB Will Johnson, Michigan (Big Board Rank: 14)
Medical concerns sent Johnson tumbling down boards, but his level of talent and proven track record of success at Michigan are well worth a first-round evaluation. He is a long cornerback with elite foot quickness and fluidity who can play either side and shadow No. 1 receivers. Johnson’s 57.2 passer rating allowed into his coverage across the past three seasons ranked in the 94th percentile.
Even with the injury history, Johnson — the 14th-ranked prospect on PFF’s big board — profiles as a significant value for the Cardinals at the 47th pick. Many anticipated Arizona to draft him at No. 16.
No. 59 Baltimore Ravens: EDGE Mike Green, Marshall (Big Board Rank: 10)
Green’s off-field concerns likely caused his draft stock to tumble, but his on-field production is indicative of a supremely talented edge defender. Although he played a lower level of competition at Marshall, Green dominated, earning a 90.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of the past two seasons. His 17 sacks in 2024 led college football, powered by a 21.1% pass-rush win rate.
Although the Ravens field a solid defensive front, having produced the third-most sacks (53) in the NFL during the 2024 regular season, they have struggled to generate consistent pass-rush wins off the edge, ranking 25th in win rate (19.9%) last season. This addition will help boost that number and smooth out the potential variance.
No. 96 Atlanta Falcons: S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame (Big Board Rank: 36)
The Falcons traded up again on Day 2 to acquire another potentially impactful defender. Watts produced as one of the best ball-hawking safeties in college football last season. Across his last two seasons, he racked up 13 interceptions — the most by any safety in the FBS — and nine forced incompletions on his way to a 90.3 PFF coverage grade (95th percentile).
Watts’ addition will prove to be a savvy move. He will pair with Jessie Bates III, instantly amplifying a Falcons coverage unit that ranked 29th in EPA allowed per dropback last season.
Day 3
No. 144 Cleveland Browns: QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (Big Board Rank: 45)
Sanders may be the most polarizing player in the class, as some believe the Colorado signal-caller should have been QB1, while others hold concerns with his game. Nevertheless, he’s an undeniably talented player who throws with anticipation and can stand in the pocket to deliver with ice in his veins. His 94.3 PFF passing grade in the two-minute drill last season stands as the highest of any quarterback since 2014.
No. 105 New York Giants: HB Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State (Big Board Rank: 51)
Skattebo was RB3 and the No. 51 overall player on the PFF Big Board, making this a strong value pick for the Giants at the top of the fourth round. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he excels in many areas that translate well to the NFL. Skattebo ranked above the 85th percentile in PFF rushing grade in both gap and zone schemes in 2024 and was the only running back besides Ashton Jeanty to force more than 100 missed tackles on the ground last season.
No. 146 New England Patriots: ED Bradyn Swinson, LSU (Big Board Rank: 47)
The Patriots get outstanding value here, as Swinson ranked No. 47 on the PFF Big Board. On true pass sets, he posted a 91.4 pass-rush grade and an overall pass-rush win rate of 22.1%.
No. 172 Los Angeles Rams: LB Chris Paul Jr., Mississippi (Big Board Rank: 83)
Paul was the No. 83 prospect on the PFF Big Board, making this a great value pick for the Rams. He put together a well-rounded season for Ole Miss, finishing with an 84.6 PFF run-defense grade and an 84.0 pass-rush grade.
No. 207 Philadelphia Eagles: T Cameron Williams, Texas (Big Board Rank: 93)
Ranked 93rd on the PFF Big Board, Williams might be one of Day 3’s biggest steals. He earned an 84.0 grade on zone blocks last season and could become Philadelphia’s long-term answer at right tackle once future Hall-of-Famer Lane Johnson retires.
This news was originally published on this post .
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