2025 NFL Draft knee-jerk reactions: Was Shedeur Sanders' slide the biggest in NFL history?

During the 2025 NFL Draft, just two quarterbacks were selected in the first round, compared to six last year. Despite the lack of elite QBs, it's safe to say it wasn't uneventful.

After 257 picks, here are 10 knee-jerk reactions to the 2025 draft.

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders' slide could be one of the biggest in NFL history

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, 93.7% of mock drafts had Sanders going in the first round. He fell to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns took him with pick No. 144. 

In a story published Saturday, The Athletic's Jeff Howe reported Sanders fell because of poor interviews at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and concerns about how he could be a distraction as a backup. The QB, of course, is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer/Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion.

It's still fair to wonder why a team didn't take a flier on Shedeur Sanders on Day 2, especially in a weak QB class. In two seasons with the Buffaloes, the 23-year-old completed 71.8% of his passes for 7,364 yards and 64 touchdown passes.

Browns should trade one of their QBs after puzzling draft strategy

Along with Sanders, the Browns selected Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel with pick No. 94 in the third round. 

"We don't really go into the draft saying, 'OK, here are our needs and we're just going to pick certain players at [certain] positions,'" Browns general manager Andrew Berry said of drafting both QBs on Saturday. "If you do that, that's how you typically make mistakes."

After taking Sanders and Gabriel, the Browns have a crowded QB room that also includes Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. QB Deshaun Watson is expected to miss most of the season after tearing his Achilles for a second time in January.

The Browns may have too many QBs, and thus they should consider trading one to acquire more picks and fill other needs. Teams may be interested in Pickett, a first-round pick in 2022. 

Jaguars gambling on Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter could pay off

Jaguars first-year general manager James Gladstone doesn't seem to be having second thoughts about trading four picks to the Browns to move up from No. 5 to No. 2 and take Hunter.

"There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself," Gladstone said Thursday, via Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons.

Trading multiple picks carries risk, but 2024 Heisman winner Hunter could be a rare prospect. In 13 games last season, he logged 15 TD catches and four interceptions. 

The Titans possibly gave Miami QB Cam Ward the weapons he needed

After taking Ward with pick No. 1, the Titans possibly put him in a position to succeed, bolstering his receiving corps. 

In Round 4, Tennessee grabbed Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (pick No. 136), Florida wide receiver Chimere Dike (pick No. 103) and Texas tight end Gunnar Helm (pick No. 120). 

Dike ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine, while Ayomanor earned a second-team All-ACC nod in 2024. Helm broke out in his final season at Texas, finishing with a career-high 786 receiving yards in 16 games.

The Patriots may have had one of the better drafts

Speaking of building around young QBs, New England's Drake Maye, 22, should feel much better about the team's roster after the draft. 

With pick No. 4, the Patriots took LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell. Despite concerns about his arm length (32 5/8 inches), the 2024 first-team All-American should improve an O-line that tied for fifth in the league in sacks allowed (52) last season. 

Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson (pick No. 38) could also provide a huge boon for New England. In 16 games in 2024, he rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 TDs on 144 carries.

The Steelers may have waited too long for a QB

The Steelers selected Ohio State QB Will Howard with pick No. 185 in the sixth round. Although the QB guided the Buckeyes to a national championship in the 2024 season, he's likely a career backup. On his final big board, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. rated Howard as his No. 7 QB.

Waiting to take a QB signals that Pittsburgh is confident it will sign Aaron Rodgers. On Saturday, Steelers HC Mike Tomlin told NFL Network they have had "productive talks" with the four-time MVP (h/t ESPN's Brooke Pryor).

If the Steelers add Rodgers, it may not make them a Super Bowl contender. In 17 games with the New York Jets in 2024, the 41-year-old ranked 25th in the league in QBR (48). 

First-round running backs should thank Eagles star Saquon Barkley

During the 2024 season, Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards in 16 regular-season games, the eighth most in a season in league history. 

After watching Barkley carry Philadelphia to its second Super Bowl victory, some teams are seemingly trying to replicate the Eagles' blueprint.

The Las Vegas Raiders selected Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty with pick No. 6, and the Los Angeles Chargers took North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton with pick No. 22. It's the third time since 2020 two backs have been first-rounders. 

Eagles GM Howie Roseman keeps adding to stacked defense 

Why does the league let Roseman continue to get his hands on talented SEC defenders?

With pick No. 31, he took Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who led the Crimson Tide in tackles last season (117 in 13 games). He also grabbed Texas safety Andrew Mukuba (pick No. 64), who had a career-high five interceptions in 15 games in 2024.

Last season, Philadelphia ranked second in the league in points allowed (17.8). Adding Mukuba and Campbell keeps the elite unit intact. 

Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter should elevate Giants' fearsome pass-rush

Edge-rusher wasn't a need for the Giants after they tied for the league's eighth-most sacks (45) in 2024. 

Taking Carter with pick No. 3 could still prove to be smart. In 16 games in 2024, he had 24 tackles for loss, earning a first-team All-American nod.

A strong pass-rush is crucial in the NFC East, where Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott await twice a year. 

Taking Louisville QB Tyler Shough with pick No. 40 may backfire on the New Orleans Saints

After watching Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix thrive in his rookie season, the Saints may have felt Shough could do the same in New Orleans. Nix tossed the league's sixth-most TD passes (29) in 17 starts and led the Broncos to the playoffs in 2024.

Like Nix, Shough is an older QB prospect. Nix turned 25 on Feb. 25, while Shough turns 26 on Sept. 28. 

Unlike Nix, though, Shough had durability issues throughout his college career. In seven seasons at Texas Tech, Oregon and Louisville, he broke his left collarbone twice and fractured his left fibula.