With two more rounds in the 2025 NFL Draft in the books, it's time once again to take a look at the five best picks of Friday night.
Here are the selections from Day 2 that we liked the most.
The Seahawks entered Friday with four picks between Rounds 2 and 3, and they used their capital to move up for a player they coveted who can make an immediate impact.
Emmanwori (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) was one of the top performers at the 2025 Scouting Combine, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and posting an incredible 43-inch vertical jump. Per Combine IQ, he had the top overall score (85) among safety prospects and the highest athleticism score (91) among all NFL Draft safeties since 2023.
RD 2 | PK 35 - Seahawks: Nick Emmanwori S, South Carolina
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 25, 2025
Emmanwori recorded a position-best 11'6" broad jump and a 43-inch vertical, while also running a 4.38-second forty (2nd-fastest) with a top speed of 23.53 mph (tied for fastest). His combine performance helped him earn a… pic.twitter.com/KRbdsO88g8
In Seattle, Emmanwori joins a promising young secondary that already includes cornerbacks Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon and safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant. Legion Of Boom II, anyone?
The Seahawks moved up 17 spots, trading the No. 52 overall pick (along with No. 82), to select the rare athlete. With its Day 2 draft capital — Seattle also owned Nos. 50 and 92 — it made sense for the Seahawks to take a swing on a player who was unlikely to be on the board when they were orginally expected to make their first second-round pick.
The Patriots continued to build around second-year quarterback Drake Maye by adding the explosive former Ohio State running back.
Henderson had 144 carries, 1,016 rushing yards (7.1 yards per attempt) and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2024. He's also an asset in the passing game, gaining 284 receiving yards on 27 receptions a season ago. The four-year senior should be a seamless fit in the Patriots' running game as a perfect complement to starter Rhamondre Stevenson.
Injury concerns aside, the Cardinals got one of the best defensive players in the 2025 class. Johnson was limited to six games due to a turf toe injury but had two interceptions and two pass breakups when healthy. (h/t Pro Football Focus)
In three seasons, the former Michigan defensive back allowed 52 receptions on 92 targets for 689 yards, one touchdown, six interceptions and six pass breakups, with quarterbacks posting an unseemly 56.8 passer rating.
Bech's story is one of the most emotional of the 2025 NFL Draft. His older brother, Tiger Bech, was killed in the New Year's Eve terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
The standout wide receiver had 62 receptions, 1,034 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns as a senior at TCU in 2024. Bech is a perfect fit for the Raiders, who are building their culture under newly hired head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek.
With quarterback Geno Smith, running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers, Las Vegas has the makings of an explosive offense. Bech could carve out a valuable role on the outside in short order.
Per PFF, Norman-Lott ranked first in pass-rush win rate (18.9 percent) among defensive tackles in college football last season.
Kansas City Selects Tennessee DL Omarr Norman-Lott 63rd Overall
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 26, 2025
18.9% Pass Rush Win Rate in 2024 (1st Among DTs) pic.twitter.com/uRKRKZAiLv
As ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick said during the network's draft coverage, "You pair him with Chris Jones on the inside, offensive guards are going to have some problems on third down."
"He will give guards fits in this league because of his quickness," added ESPN NFL and college football analyst Booger McFarland.
"You pair him with Chris Jones on the inside, offensive guards are going to have some problems on third down.”@LRiddickESPN discussing DL Omarr Norman-Lott after he was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs pic.twitter.com/bMzRQW9qiX
— Josh Ward (@Josh_Ward) April 26, 2025
After having their season end with an ugly Super Bowl LIX loss largely due to a ferocious Eagles pass-rush, the Chiefs are building a defensive line that can generate the same amount of havoc.
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Las Vegas Raiders fans were shocked to learn that their team had parted ways with Christian Wilkins, their prized 2024 offseason acquisition. Let’s take a look at the reactions on social media, particularly from Raider Nation. In what can be described as the first “shocking” development of training camp, Raiders brass (spearheaded by general manager John Spytek) opted to go in a different direction. Well, that’s putting it nicely. The official statement was uncompromising. “We have decided that it is in the best interest of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins and he has been informed of this release from the team. This franchise has a ‘Commitment to Excellence’ on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.” —Raiders statement on Wilkins’ release Here’s the thing: it’s not such a simple story. Wilkins and the Raiders originally agreed to a $110 million contract last offseason. On Thursday, the team opted to designate him as a terminated, vested veteran. Basically, he’s not subject to waivers. If you recall, Wilkins only played in five games last season before a foot injury took him out. Upon entering training camp, the Raiders placed him on the PUP list—naturally, that cast doubt as to whether he’d be available for the start of the season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders took issue with how Wilkins went about rehabbing after his surgery. As a result, the team voided what was left of his $35.2 million in guaranteed money. Also of note was that league insider Ian Rapoport stated that the organization wanted him to undergo another surgery but Wilkins declined. He opted to rehab his foot without additional surgery. Now, the Raiders will be without former general manager Tom Telesco’s prized free agent signing. Raider Nation, as we all know, had a lot to say and didn’t hold back. Raider Nation reacts to shocking Christian Wilkins news… At the end of the day, whether Wilkins plays this season and how the Raiders perform will lead us to revisit this story at some point. Clearly, this means we won’t have a quiet offseason without drama. Right, folks? *
While the Seattle Mariners landed an impact bat on Thursday night, their trade for Josh Naylor has also likely impacted the entire upcoming MLB trade deadline. On Thursday, Seattle sent a pair of top pitching prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Naylor, with left-hander Brandyn Garcia (ranked as Seattle's 13th-best prospect by MLB.com) and right-hander Ashton Izzi (ranked as Seattle's 16th-best prospect by the same rankings) heading to the desert. Knowing what the Diamondbacks received in exchange for Naylor could well set the market for what is to come between now and the conclusion of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. (Eastern) on July 31. The 28-year-old first baseman was ranked by The Athletic as the 17th-best trade candidate likely to be available, but ranked behind just one other first baseman (Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn, who was slotted in at 16th). If Naylor brought in a pair of pitching prospects, including Garcia, who has appeared in two games this season for Seattle, the Diamondbacks could be salivating over what third baseman Eugenio Suarez and his 36 home runs could bring in return. All MLB teams who will be buying or selling at this year's trade deadline have had the first price bar set for them with the Naylor deal. Now it will be fascinating to see what comes next, especially knowing that Naylor will be a free agent at the end of this season. If Seattle gave up two pitching prospects for a player who could be a late-season rental only, imagine what the Minnesota Twins may be able to recoup for starting pitcher Joe Ryan (under team control through the 2027 season) or the Boston Red Sox might get back for outfielder Jarren Duran, who won't be a free agent until the 2029 campaign. While Naylor may not be the biggest move to come during this span before the trade deadline comes to a close, his deal could be the one that establishes selling prices for the trades that are to come. With so few MLB teams expected to be outright sellers, the price for available talent was expected to be high. We learned on Thursday night with the Naylor swap just how high those prices may go.
The Golden State Warriors are still awaiting a decision by restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga as the NBA offseason is nearing August. Of course, Kuminga has a major decision to make regarding the next step of his career and it appears likely that it will not be in Golden State but rather with another franchise. This comes after the young forward fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season after the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. While it appears Kuminga’s time in Golden State is nearing an end, the Warriors still have a major say in his next team as they will likely have to agree to a sign-and-trade deal. Despite this, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel recently reported that one Eastern Conference team could escalate the situation between Kuminga and the Warriors by making a major decision this offseason. “Other teams with rumored interest in Kuminga are the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets. Then again, the Nets, who have plenty of cap space, have yet to express serious interest in Kuminga,” Siegel wrote. “If they wanted to, Brooklyn could sign Kuminga to an offer sheet right now and escalate this situation.” This is a massive report by Siegel as the Nets do have enough cap space to sign Kuminga to an offer sheet which would tie the Warriors’ hands. Of course, this is unlikely to happen as the Nets are also dealing with their own restricted free agent problems with Cam Thomas as they are not wanting to offer the young guard the contract that he wants. While that may be the case, if the Nets end up moving on from Thomas in a sign-and-trade deal with another team they could shift their focus on Kuminga, who they have been linked to over the past two seasons. This would be the worst-case scenario for Golden State and one that would extremely hurt them heading into next season, especially with their lack of moves thus far this offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers had been looking around for a center for most of the offseason before they were able to sign Deandre Ayton after the Trail Blazers waived him. One of the teams they were rumored to be talking with in a trade was the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers were interested in Nic Richards after the Suns added multiple other centers. Now that the Lakers have signed Ayton, and re-signed Jaxson Hayes as the backup, an NBA insider has given an update on where things stand on a possible trade between the two teams. More news: LeBron James Reportedly Wanted to Join Mavericks, Team Up With Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, there are no longer any discussions between the two teams now that Ayton is in LA. If the Lakers are looking to make a trade to further improve the roster before the season starts, it won't be with the Suns. At this point, they would likely only be looking to add a forward. Wing players are what they need now that they have signed Marcus Smart to help with their perimeter defense. A wing who can switch multiple positions is the next thing on their list. Whether or not they are willing to give up the assets to land that kind of player before the season starts remains to be seen. They have to figure out what the roster looks like as it is currently put together before they decide to make any more moves. More news: Lakers Targeting $66 Million NBA Champion Wing in Potential Blockbuster Trade Los Angeles is hoping that they are closer to winning a championship than things look like right now. While they were the third seed in the Western Conference, the Thunder look like they are so far ahead of everyone else. The Lakers are certainly good enough to compete offensively for a championship, but they have to improve defensively before they are ready to go deep in the playoffs, after losing in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles is hoping to add a wing, whether it's before the season starts or at the trade deadline. That could end up being the last piece that they need in order to win a championship. More news: Lakers Linked to $134.4 Million All-Star, NBA Champ in Blockbuster Trade For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.