Execs unfiltered thoughts on NFL Draft for every NFC team: Giants, Bears get high marks

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With the 2025 NFL Draft complete, we engaged team executives for thoughts on NFC teams’ classes. (The AFC report published Thursday.)

The Chicago Bears, unofficial offseason champs more than once in recent years, could be pushing for another mythical crown. The New York Giants, offseason chumps a year ago after their “Hard Knocks” experience, earned rival execs’ praise for their work in this draft. They were not alone.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona, Atlanta and Buffalo combined to use their first 14 selections for defensive players. A common thread: All three teams have defensive-minded head coaches. It wasn’t that for every team, but this Arizona draft and offseason in general sent a clear message. The Cardinals are hell-bent on upgrading a lackluster defensive front.

“They are trying to create an identity in how they are going to win, and putting less pressure on their small quarterback (Kyler Murray) is part of it,” an exec said. “I have no issues in how they are trying to build it. To me, you shot all your bullets on defense this year, and those guys have to hit because they are not doing this again next year.”

First-round defensive tackle Walter Nolen and third-round edge Jordan Burch join a defensive front featuring veteran newcomers Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell.

“They did not have any guys with juice on the interior last year,” another exec said. “Now, they can attack on defense instead of always catching.”

The Cardinals ranked ninth on offense and 23rd on defense last season by EPA per play (they were 32nd on defense in 2023).

“They’ve gotten better for sure,” another exec said. “I liked their top three guys and (fourth-round linebacker) Cody Simon as well. He is a really instinctive player. They needed some instinct on defense. Will Johnson is another one. Great leader, instinctive. They got good, solid football players from good programs.”

Atlanta Falcons

Drafting edge rusher Jalon Walker at No. 15 seemed routine. Trading a 2026 first-round pick to the Rams for the right to jump 20 spots and select a second edge rusher, James Pearce, at No. 26 was anything but — and a move most execs around the league questioned.

“I don’t know how many boards James Pearce was on,” one exec said.

The “character concerns” raised regarding Pearce seemed to have more to do with on-field drive and attitude than a 2023 arrest for disobeying police.

“Maybe they had to get ahead of Kansas City or Philadelphia or another team that might take fliers on character risks,” the exec added. “It just felt like a very steep price to pay for somebody who likely would have been there in Round 2.”

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mocked Pearce to Seattle at No. 52 in his seven-round mock draft and also left him out of the first round in his final mock.

“I’m sure the way they are rationalizing it is, ‘We gave up a first next year to get a first this year, and we basically did that for moving back from the second to the third,’” another exec said. “If you look at that objectively, it’s not as bad as it sounds. People overlook getting the third back from the Rams as part of the deal.”

The Falcons’ 7.5 Vegas win total for 2026 would slot their projected first-round pick in the No. 8-14 range.

“I liked the Falcons’ draft other than the trades,” another exec said. “They got some talented guys and, other than Pearce, they were all seen as pretty high-character guys. Xavier Watts in the third round is really good value.”

Carolina Panthers

Walker, the player Atlanta drafted at No. 15, was a popular choice for the Panthers at No. 8 in mock drafts. But general manager Dan Morgan said receiver Tetairoa McMillan was the Panthers’ guy for a long time.

The risk: using a top-10 pick for a wide receiver without great speed.

“I think he is like Tee Higgins,” an exec said of McMillan. “That is higher than Tee went, but you would still be getting a top-15 receiver in the league. I do not think Carolina will look back on this draft class, with these players, and regret it. There were not a lot of blue-chip players.”

Carolina’s decision to take a receiver first and a pass rusher second (Nic Scourton in Round 2, not to mention Princely Umanmielen in Round 3), rather than vice versa, signaled the Panthers liked a smaller number of wideouts in this draft.

“McMillan was the only big guy, so if you were looking for size, you had to take him,” an exec said. “The rusher they got (Scourton) does everything really well, to where I do not think there is a miss factor with him. Not dynamic, but a really good player and an ass-kicker. Guys with those intangibles, you can’t have enough of.”

Chicago Bears

Drafting a tight end at No. 10 is not for everyone, but the Bears still drew high marks for this draft and their overall offseason.

“I like what they have done, and I’ve been skeptical of the Bears in the past,” an exec said. “The tight end (Colston Loveland) is a really good player. The sleeper in the bunch is that (Ozzy) Trapilo kid in the second round. Eventually, I think he will be their right tackle.

“I have to hand it to (GM Ryan) Poles. They have upgraded in a lot of ways this offseason.”

New coach Ben Johnson’s fingerprints were all over Poles’ fourth draft with Chicago.

“Your first pick is in some way a statement about what this team needs and how they are going to play and how they are going to win,” another exec said. “(Loveland) is an interesting choice, and I think you can tell it was coach-driven.”

Chicago’s first draft with Johnson delivered four players among the draft’s first 62 picks, three of them on offense, with two of those being pass catchers: Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III.

“Chicago was interesting,” another exec said. “They got a lot of love for the Colston Loveland pick, but they just extended Cole Kmet. That’s a lot of resources at the tight end position.”

And a lot of flexibility.

“Loveland is going to catch a million balls,” an exec said. “He will be better than (Sam) LaPorta. He is such a good receiver, and he’s bigger — two inches taller and another 10 pounds. They will have an 11 personnel package with Burden in the slot and the 12 package when Burden is off the field with Loveland and Kmet on the field. They are set up pretty well.”

Dallas Cowboys

Execs did not share some analysts’ concerns that Dallas failed to draft a receiver.

“I don’t know why everyone wants them to take a receiver so bad when they have one they are paying $34 million a year,” one exec said, referring to CeeDee Lamb. “There are always wideouts out there, and you have a guy that demands coverage.”

Dallas’ first two picks, guard Tyler Booker and edge Donovan Ezeiruaku, were team captains in college.

“They got the best guard in the draft, and they get a pass rusher opposite Micah Parsons who can actually win with speed,” an exec said. “Their pass rush is going to be a pain in the ass to deal with. The corner they got in the third (Shavon Revel Jr.) might have gone in the back end of the first round if he’d never gotten hurt.”

The Panthers’ decision to take receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 doomed a slew of mock drafts that had Dallas taking the Arizona wideout at No. 12.

“Booker is huge, and he can knock people back, but he does run out of gas some,” another exec said. “We liked the corner they took (Revel). He can change the angle of the ball arriving, like Seattle used to do with those taller corners.”

Though many wanted the Cowboys to take a wide receiver, execs liked a class that began with Alabama guard Tyler Booker. (Gary Cosby Jr / Imagn Images)

Detroit Lions

The Lions’ first two picks, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and guard Tate Ratledge, weigh a combined 626 pounds. Any questions?

“Keep building on the lines, which is what they do there,” an exec said. “They play to their strengths, and let’s call it what it is: the Philly mindset. Not a bad strategy. And then they got three players from Georgia, one from Ohio State, one from LSU — big schools.”

The Lions, over the past three drafts, have used first-round picks for a running back (Jahmyr Gibbs), an off-ball linebacker (Jack Campbell) and a run-stuffing defensive tackle (Williams), plus one at a premium position (cornerback Terrion Arnold).

“They pretty much took a run-defending nose tackle in the first round, but they are very firm on their style of ball, and it has paid off, so they get the benefit of the doubt,” another exec said.

Trading two 2026 third-round picks to Jacksonville to move up from No. 102 to No. 70 for receiver Isaac TeSlaa was easier with Detroit adding compensatory thirds after former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn became the New York Jets’ head coach. But it was another move defying analytical models.

“They are confidently aggressive,” an exec said. “Maybe that is the coach (Dan Campbell) just saying, ‘We are going to kick ass and take names forever.’”

Green Bay Packers

The two receivers Green Bay drafted in the first three rounds — Matthew Golden at No. 23 and especially Savion Williams at No. 87 — were conversation starters among execs.

“Golden was the top receiver in the draft for me over (McMillan),” one said.

Execs valuing speed tended to view it that way.

“Golden is awesome,” another said. “He is their best receiver right now. I think he is really good, and he was the best receiver in the draft.”

Williams was interesting for other reasons.

“He struggles to catch the ball, and so does (2022 second-round pick) Christian Watson, so it seems like Green Bay has devalued hands from the days when Ted (Thompson) was GM,” one exec observed. “Coaches sometimes are more, ‘Just get him open, and he will be fine.’”

Getting Williams the ball could be the fun part, especially for the newer wave of coaches focused more on calling plays than implementing rigid systems.

“I love the kid,” another exec said of Williams. “He can do everything. He is tough, he can play running back, tight end, receiver. He is a joker, a great tool for somebody. You have to scheme him, but that is a big man who can run.”

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams were among the envies of this draft for securing the Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick when trading back from No. 26 to 46. The move gave Los Angeles potential ammunition for a quarterback next year, depending on where things stand with Matthew Stafford. It also gave the team capital in a draft that executives think will be stronger from a talent standpoint.

“That was brilliant by them — good stuff,” one exec said.

The move showed what is possible when teams are operating from different positions. The Falcons were acting with the short term in mind at a time when their GM, Terry Fontenot, could be under pressure to win right away. The Rams, with a highly secure leadership team that has been in place for nearly a decade, could afford to think longer term.

“It’s a really smart move by the Rams, but I bet it was hard for them to do because they are not wired to punt like that,” another exec said. “It will be interesting to see how they maneuver the season and whether they use draft capital to improve their team.”

Once the Rams used the No. 46 pick for tight end Terrance Ferguson, it was notable to see which pass catchers the team missed out on when moving back those 20 spots. There were three: receiver Jayden Higgins to Houston at No. 34, receiver Luther Burden III to Chicago at No. 39 and tight end Mason Taylor to the Jets at No. 42.

“Ferguson is not flashy or explosive, but he is a smooth athlete, like a basketball player,” an exec said. “He is a long-strider, looks the part, wide catch radius. He is in that Tyler Higbee-type mold. The back they got from Auburn (Jarquez Hunter) is explosive, will be a good kick returner, and when you talked to SEC coaches, his name always came up.”

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings’ quarterback situation has dominated this offseason, complete with some Aaron Rodgers intrigue, but after Minnesota acquired Sam Howell from Seattle to back up 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, all is finally settled, right?

“You know what is going to happen?” an exec who wasn’t high on McCarthy asked. “J.J. is going to get banged up, and Howell is going to walk in there and become the next Sam Darnold.”

Really?

“Stop,” another exec said. “There’s no comparison. J.J. will be really good, and the coach (Kevin O’Connell) will make sure he is good.”

As for the draft itself, the Vikings continued to bolster their offensive line, taking Donovan Jackson, the third of three guards selected in the first round, after Tyler Booker and Grey Zabel.

“I would probably pick Jackson first of the three,” an exec said. “He has played left tackle. He may be a better guard. The versatility and athleticism gives them options up front. He can probably play anywhere.”

The Vikings also got the 14th receiver in the draft, taking Tai Felton in the third round. Felton, seen by some as the top special teams gunner in the class, might be best known for clocking 4.37 seconds in the 40.

“He doesn’t look that fast running routes,” an exec said. “He runs down inside and takes hits, and then when he gets the ball in his hands, he looks 4.37.”

New Orleans Saints

The Saints chose six players among the top 131 picks, by far their most that early since they took six in the top 103 in their famed 2017 draft. They also did not trade up for the first time in 13 years. These were seen as good things from a process standpoint.

“Their first two picks, they showed real discipline,” an exec said. “You thought they could have taken a quarterback at nine because of all the talk, and they were patient. They took a tackle, which they needed to take, and got one of the cleaner players in the draft (Kelvin Banks Jr.). They came back and took (quarterback Tyler) Shough, who was great from an interview standpoint.”

All signs point to Shough having a strong shot at starting as a rookie while incumbent Derek Carr deals with a shoulder injury.

“I’d be surprised if the quarterback is not starting for them,” another exec said. “He has the arm talent. He is really smart. He comes across as a veteran already. With him, it’s about staying healthy.”

New York Giants

This was a coherent draft for the Giants, one in which they correctly determined they did not need to address their quarterback future at No. 3.

Getting an elite talent (Abdul Carter) in that slot and still getting the draft’s next quarterback later (Jaxson Dart at No. 25, after trading up) was seen as a victory for the process.

“They had conviction and confidence, and then they had the execution as well,” an exec said, “so you have to give them credit. They had a good draft. Whether it all comes together, who knows?”

Execs were split on whether the runway for the team’s current leadership is any longer with Dart on board as a long-term prospect. In the short term, some wondered how the Giants would manage a position featuring Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, two veterans without ties to the current staff. Wilson, who has cast himself as “someone to lead them at every stage of the process, from the preseason to the key moments of the campaign,” is the starter for now.

“Some people think Dart is a year away, more of a project,” another exec said. “They probably shouldn’t play him at all this year, or not until very late.”

Carter will be under no such limitations.

“Their nickel (pass-rush) package will be crazy!” another exec said. “They don’t want to blitz that much, and now, they do not have to. They are loaded.”

And they have options.

“Carter is more like (Micah) Parsons than people realize,” an exec said. “I think he can play off the ball. He transcends any specific scheme.”

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles used their first two picks at non-premium positions (linebacker, safety) for the first time in more than a decade. GM Howie Roseman said after the draft that the team plans to use first-round pick Jihaad Campbell at both linebacker and on the edge to showcase his pass-rush ability.

“That tells you they are looking for guys to contribute for them right now,” an exec said. “This draft is more about now than it is about later.”

Jihaad Campbell is the first linebacker the Eagles have chosen in Round 1 since 1979. (Stacy Revere / Getty Images)

Campbell, labeled a tone-setting “hammer” by one exec, was the first true linebacker selected (considering Jalon Walker as an edge rusher). Second-rounder Andrew Mukuba was the third safety.

Injuries are one risk with Campbell. Positional fit could be another, depending on the coordinator.

“Jihaad Campbell was one of the higher grades I’ve given for a linebacker,” an exec said. “(Defensive coordinator) Vic Fangio will use (Zack) Baun off the ball and Campbell on the ball, and that is huge. They will be the blitzers in the simulated four-man pressures that Vic runs. It can be like Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman in San Francisco.”

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers, like the Eagles, Bills and Cardinals, used their first five picks for defense. All four teams also waited until at least the sixth round before addressing the offensive line (it was Round 7 for San Francisco).

“I have no issue with it,” one exec said. “They are realizing they have lost their way a little bit in the past year or so. It is more of them retooling that defense with the guys that fit what has made them really good in the past.”

Moments after the 49ers used the 11th pick for Georgia edge rusher Mykell Williams, an exec familiar with San Francisco’s philosophy said, “They will take an interior defensive lineman pretty soon here, too.”

Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins was the choice in Round 2.

“Both those guys have a little developing to do, so they are leaning hard into (defensive line coach) Kris Kocurek,” another exec said. “Both guys have huge upside.”

As for the offensive line, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows suggested the 49ers might have taken Caleb Rogers or Charles Grant at No. 100, but the Raiders selected both with successive picks right before San Francisco was due to select.

“The draft led them to defense, and an offensive coach like Kyle (Shanahan) thinks he can manufacture it enough,” another exec said.

Cornerback Upton Stout became the 49ers’ pick at No. 100. Twenty-seven more players came off the board before the next offensive lineman was selected.

“Mykel Williams is big enough to set the edge in the run game, he has some rush, and he is only 20,” an exec said. “That is why he went before the Georgia kid the Falcons took (Jalon Walker). San Fran wants guys who are bigger like (Nick) Bosa, and if you are going to play that 4-3 attacking scheme, you have to draft D-linemen every year.”

Seattle Seahawks

Using a league-high nine picks on offense after hiring a new offensive coordinator (Klint Kubiak) and trading quarterback Geno Smith and receiver DK Metcalf cemented this Seattle offseason as all about overhauling the offense.

“The top of the draft was really good for them,” an exec said. “They got three of the better players in the whole draft. (Elijah) Arroyo was the fifth tight end taken? He is a really good player. That is shocking. And I love (Nick) Emmanwori. He is going to be their Kam Chancellor in terms of physicality and demeanor.”

The catch: Seattle targeted non-premium positions with its first three picks, getting the second guard (Grey Zabel at No. 18) and second safety (Emmanwori, in a trade-up to No. 35) before taking Arroyo (No. 50), who was consistently one of the most praised players from the Seahawks’ class.

“After Michigan (Colston Loveland), he is the best pass threat in the tight end group,” one exec said of Arroyo. “He is so fast — so fast.”

The nine picks on offense matched the total for the rest of the NFC West. That included third-round quarterback Jalen Milroe, who might play before any rookie quarterback other than No. 1 pick Cam Ward, albeit in small doses designed to stress defenses with his running ability.

“They run all those nakeds and that stuff, so if (starter Sam) Darnold gets hurt, the system is kind of set for what Milroe does next,” an exec said. “You find out the things he does best, the big hard run fakes, the play-action pass. And maybe he develops as a passer.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stability in the Buccaneers’ front office could be one reason Tampa Bay seems to operate methodically in the draft most years.

“They replace (productive) guys as well as anybody,” an exec said. “Chris Godwin is getting near the end. (First-round pick Emeka) Egbuka could replace him in a year. They always have selectively done a good job of looking down the road.”

Egbuka was not the biggest or fastest receiver in this draft. He might not carry the most upside. One exec questioned the selection because of those things. Most saw Egbuka as the safest receiver in the draft.

“If the decision maker did a lot of work on him, you will fall in love with the guy,” one said.

“You know what you are getting: instincts, great hands, good production, loves ball, from a school that has churned out wide receivers recently,” another said.

“Egbuka is probably the most ready-to-play receiver in the class,” a third exec said. “One of the smartest receivers we have interviewed in terms of knowing scheme. Good route runner, good feel, has a chance to be an exceptional slot. Should have a very smooth transition.”

The Bucs loaded up on defense after the first round.

“We really liked (Benjamin) Morrison as a corner,” another exec said. “He and Egbuka can be plug-and-play for them.”

Washington Commanders

Execs did not see any surefire top left tackles in the draft, which is one reason the Commanders acquired Laremy Tunsil from Houston. Doubling up with another tackle in the first round — Josh Conerly Jr. of Oregon at No. 29 — sought to solidify the line.

“This is following the blueprint of how to fix an offensive line,” an exec said. “Throw all of your resources at the problem. I’m shocked they didn’t take another one, frankly.”

GM Adam Peters was with San Francisco when the 49ers acquired left tackle Trent Williams.

“There is no development when you do that,” another exec said. “‘We have the young quarterback (Jayden Daniels). Let’s solidify the left side. Then they draft a guy in Conerly who has a ton of upside, can play guard if need be, can slide into that battle at right tackle. He is a high-end athlete, he is young in this class. All that stuff is really, really positive for them.”

The Tunsil trade also returned a fourth-round pick, which the Commanders used for receiver Jaylin Lane. Houston used Washington’s third-round pick for another receiver, Jaylin Noel. The Texans also have Washington’s second- and fourth-round picks next year.

“I saw Lane more as a gadget/slot, but he will probably be their starting kick returner and punt returner,” another exec said, “which gives them some explosive-play value.”

(Top photos of Colston Loveland, left, and Jaxson Dart, center right: Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune / Tribune News Service via Getty Images, Thomas Salus / Imagn Images)

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