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Five best first-round picks of 2025 NFL Draft: Bold Jags move wins the day
The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay is in the books.
Here are the five picks we loved the most from Day 1.
Jaguars cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter
If fortune favors the bold, the Jaguars are in for a fortuitous future. Jacksonville shook up the first round by trading with the Browns for the No. 2 overall pick, which it used to select Hunter, sending Cleveland the No. 5 overall pick, a second-round pick (No. 36 overall), a fourth-round pick (No. 126 overall) and a 2026 first-round pick.
The shocking trade could be a home run for the Jaguars, who needed to improve their depth at wide receiver and add playmakers to their secondary.
Per Sports Info Solutions data, among 10 receivers with at least 120 targets in 2024, Hunter ranked first in expected points added (EPA) per target (0.514)
NFL Next Gen Stats states, "Hunter is just the second CB to earn a 99 production score since 2021," joining 2024 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II.
RD 1 | PK 2 - Jaguars: Travis Hunter WR/CB, Colorado
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 25, 2025
The @Jaguars move up from #5 to #2 to select Hunter, the 3rd-highest rated player by NGS overall score in this year's class (92). Hunter is just the second CB to earn a 99 production score since 2021 (the other was Patrick… pic.twitter.com/znctN1rrQ5
The Jaguars added the draft's most dynamic and unique player on Thursday. The future just got a lot more exciting for Jacksonville.
Colts tight end Tyler Warren (No. 14 overall)
The Colts benefited from the Bears selecting tight end Colston Loveland four spots ahead of him at No. 10, landing arguably the best player at the position in the draft.
Per NFL NGS, Colts tight ends produced "a league-low 232 yards after the catch in 2024."
RD 1 | PK 14 - Colts: Tyler Warren TE, Colts
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 25, 2025
With the 14th overall pick, the @Colts select the 2nd-highest rated prospect from this year's class by the NGS overall score (92). His 98 production score is the 3rd-highest mark by a tight end over the last five years.
Warren will… pic.twitter.com/iGLGarmmlA
Warren is a tantalizing playmaker who will help out whoever is the team's starting quarterback, either Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson. Paired with wide receiver Michael Pittman and running back Jonathan Taylor, the Colts have built a strong offensive foundation. Quarterback remains an issue, but the rest of the Indianapolis offense is taking shape.
Falcons edge-rusher Jalon Walker (No. 15 overall)
Atlanta's long nightmare might soon be over. For years, the Falcons pass rush has been nonexistent. However, that could soon change after the front office snapped a streak of selecting four consecutive offensive players in the first round by landing Walker, one of the top defensive prospects in this year's class.
In 2024, Walker had 60 total tackles (11 for loss), 6.5 sacks, two pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. Getting him at No. 15 was a massive steal; Walker was a top-10 prospect on big boards from The Athletic (No. 5), ESPN (No. 4) and Sports Info Solutions (No. 10). At long last, the Falcons finally addressed their inability to pressure quarterbacks. Based on Walker's talent, it could be worth the wait.
Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (No. 22 overall)
Widely viewed as a potential pick by the Broncos at No. 20, Hampton will instead try to make Denver rue its draft decision for years after being chosen by the division-rival Chargers two picks later.
Over the past two seasons at North Carolina, Hampton rushed for 3,164 yards and scored 33 total touchdowns.
He joins a revamped Chargers backfield after the team moved on from J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards during the offseason and signed former Steelers running back Najee Harris, which should only make quarterback Justin Herbert's life easier.
NFL NGS noted Chargers running backs gained 319 yards after the catch, the league's fewest, while Hampton averaged 11.7 yards after the catch per reception, via Pro Football Focus.
RD 1 | PK 22 - Chargers: Omarion Hampton RB, North Carolina
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 25, 2025
With the 22nd pick, the Chargers select Hampton to pair with offseason acquisition Najee Harris.
The Chargers continue to invest in improving a backfield that recorded a league-low 319 yards after the catch and gained… pic.twitter.com/D8GgjkGJSZ
Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (No. 23 overall)
Green Bay finally did it. For the first time since 2002 and just the seventh time in franchise history, it selected a wide receiver in the NFL Draft's first round.
And not just any wide receiver. Golden was the fastest wideout in this year's class, running a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Golden joins a young receiving core that includes Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed, giving quarterback Jordan Love an impressive collection of pass-catchers to go along with star running back Josh Jacobs. The Packers have built an intriguing foundation, and their 2025 first-round pick could be the Golden ticket they need to move back atop the NFC North.
More must-reads:
- Fans react to Jaguars trading with Browns to select Travis Hunter at NFL Draft
- Trading out of No. 2 spot for huge haul is rare win for Browns
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
The quarterback battle for Notre Dame is set to come to an end shortly, and it might be a surprise considering how the national media predicted the race to finish. Per Eric Hansen of On3, head coach Marcus Freeman is set to name the starting quarterback by Sunday when he meets the media. The Irish are still letting the quarterback battle play out until then, but it appears sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey is the favorite to start at Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Minchey has shown improvement in numerous areas throughout camp, and he has the edge on freshman quarterback CJ Carr in what is believed to be the final week of the competition. "As of Wednesday, the line between 1 and 2 remained blurred," Hansen wrote. "The tiebreaker may eventually go to Minchey, per the source, because of his ability to be a true running threat and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s preference to have that element to put pressure on opposing defenses. "But he also has a preference for QBs who can transcend adversity, and the training camp phase was choreographed to test precisely that. While both contenders responded persistently in a manner that defies their inexperience, Minchey has been exceptional in that regard." Throughout the summer, ESPN writers such as Bill Connelly and Mark Schlabach have written as though it were a forgone conclusion that Carr would win the battle in training camp. However, Minchey appears to be a natural fit for how offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock likes to scheme against a defense. He helped dual-threat Jayden Daniels earn a Heisman Trophy in 2023 and took Notre Dame to a national championship appearance with Riley Leonard. The battle isn't over, but the edge appears to be running Minchey's way.
Aaron Rodgers Recruiting All-Pro WR to Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers could still add another wide receiver before the start of the regular season, and it appears Aaron Rodgers has his eyes on a former All-Pro at the position. While appearing on the "Club Random Podcast", which is hosted by Bill Maher, free agent Odell Beckham Jr. said that he's had some conversations with Rodgers about potentially joining the Steelers. “I love him, and we’ve had conversations,” Beckham said. “I won’t say that it’s not a possibility and I won’t say that I haven’t had any communication.” Rodgers and Beckham have long been fond of one another, though they have yet to play on the same team throughout their illustrious careers. When the Cleveland Browns released Beckham in November 2021, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers immediately jumped to the front of the list as a top landing spot. Beckham opted not to head to Wisconsin, though, and instead signed with the Los Angeles Rams. That decision paid off, as the team won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals while he recorded 593 yards and seven touchdowns across 12 total games. The issue, however, was that Beckham tore his ACL in The Big Game. He visited teams during the 2022 campaign while recovering from his injury as a free agent, though he didn't end up playing that year. There was plenty of buzz surrounding the possibility of Beckham joining Aaron Rodgers for the latter's first season with the New York Jets in 2023, but the former proceeded to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro was released by Baltimore last offseason, and despite having another chance to team up with Rodgers, he agreed to a deal with the Miami Dolphins instead. While Beckham is no longer the play he was when he first entered the league as a first-round pick with the New York Giants in 2014, for whom he logged 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in 59 games before being traded to the Browns in March 2019, perhaps there's still something left in the tank. He did finish 2024 with just nine catches for 55 yards and no touchdowns in nine contests with the Dolphins, but signing him would come relatively cheap, and having him play alongside Rodgers in Pittsburgh would make for quite the story.
Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
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