2025 NFL Draft winners and losers: Raiders score big, Shedeur Sanders' disaster

Shough, 25, was in the 2018 high-school recruiting class, alongside current NFLers Trevor Lawrence, Micah Parsons and Amon-Ra St. Brown (h/t 247Sports).

He started his career at Oregon (2018-20), where he backed up Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's (2018-19) and started the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. 

Shough transferred to Texas Tech (2021-23), where he suffered three significant injuries, including two broken collarbones and a broken fibula, that limited him to 15 games. Last season, he transferred to Louisville and played a career-high 12 games while leading the Cardinals to an 8-4 record.

It's a remarkable story of perseverance that shouldn't get lost in any controversy over who he was selected ahead of.

Loser: Atlanta Falcons

Do the Falcons know something we don't? For a team that hasn't made the postseason since 2017, Atlanta is spending future draft capital like a team guaranteed a spot in the 2025 playoffs.

After inexplicably trading a 2026 first-round pick to the Rams to acquire a second 2025 first, which the Falcons used on edge-rusher James Pearce Jr., they dealt a 2026 fifth-rounder to the Eagles to move up in the third and select safety Xavier Watts.

Those moves leave Atlanta with just five picks in the 2026 draft, the same number it had this year. That might be OK for a perennial contender, but not for a team looking to reestablish itself in the NFC.

Winner: New England Patriots

The Patriots were winners by addressing their biggest needs, adding to their offensive line with offensive tackle Will Campbell (No. 4 overall) and center Jared Wilson (No. 95 overall) and giving quarterback Drake Maye more weapons by choosing running back TreVeyon Henderson (No. 38) and wide receiver Kyle Williams (No. 69 overall). 

On Day 3, New England targeted its defense, selecting safety Craig Woodson (No. 106 overall) with its first pick, followed by defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (No. 137 overall) and edge-rusher Bradyn Swinson (No. 146 overall). 

Loser: Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold

Darnold got closer to becoming 2025's Kirk Cousins when the Seahawks nabbed Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round (No. 92 overall). Like Cousins a season ago, Darnold signed a lucrative contract this offseason, only to watch his new team select a potential replacement a month later. In 2024, the Falcons followed their Cousins signing by selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8.

Darnold had a strong 2024 season with the Vikings, but if he takes a step back and more closely resembles the quarterback who couldn't keep the starting job with the Jets and Panthers, the Seahawks might already have his replacement.

Winner: Georgia-to-Philadelphia pipeline

The Eagles revived the Georgia pipeline on Saturday, selecting Bulldogs linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. (No. 161 overall). Since the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Philadelphia has selected six Georgia defenders, including three in 2023, but none during last year's draft.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter has been the best of the bunch, but each has carved out a valuable role, including starting linebackers Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith, core special teamer Kelee Ringo and rotational starting lineman Jordan Davis.

Mondon could be the next success story. Per SIS data, he's a quality coverage linebacker, allowing minus-3.8 expected points added when targeted in coverage last season. Mondon is also a capable pass-rusher, generating a 23 percent pressure rate.

Loser: Cleveland Browns

The Browns had seven picks in the 2025 draft and used two on running backs — Quinshon Judkins (No. 36 overall), Dylan Sampson (No. 126 overall) — and two others on quarterbacks — Dillon Gabriel (No. 94 overall), Shedeur Sanders (No. 144 overall).

That's a tragic misuse of draft resources for a team as bad as the Browns. Instead of plugging multiple holes, they hardly filled any.

Winner: New York Giants

We're not sold on quarterback Jaxson Dart, but the Giants hit the right notes with their other seven picks. Edge-rusher Abdul Carter was one of the consensus best players in this year's draft. Along with fourth-round pick defensive tackle Darius Alexander (No. 65 overall), the Giants have built one of the league's top defensive lines, which already included interior lineman Dexter Lawrence and edge Brian Burns.

On Day 3, the Giants selected Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (No. 105 overall) and Purdue offensive tackle Marcus Mbow (No. 154 overall), two other players with starter potential.

Loser: Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero

Instead of investing heavily in defense, Carolina gave Evero a can of Spam and a matchstick and said, "Make a five-star meal."

The Panthers had the league's worst defense last season but spent their first-round pick on wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. They ended up spending four of their eight picks on defense, but that might not be enough for a unit that needed more help.

Winner: Ohio State

Ohio State's 2024 championship team was recognized with 14 members — wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, guard Donovan Jackson, defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton, running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, edge-rushers J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, linebacker Cody Simon, safety Lathan Ransom, cornerbacks Jordan Hancock and Denzel Burke and quarterback Will Howard — being selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, tied with 2019 LSU and 2003 Ohio State for the second-most in draft history, and one behind 2021 Georgia for the most.

The volume of draft picks speaks to the absurd level of talent on last year's roster and puts them in a tier of most talented teams in recent history. Perhaps more importantly, the Buckeyes had one more player selected than their arch-nemesis, Michigan, had last season following its 2023 national title.

Loser: Pittsburgh Steelers

So, Aaron Rodgers it is. 

The Steelers waited until Round 6 to select a quarterback (Howard), which fits with owner Art Rooney II telling reporters on Friday that Rodgers "does want to come here."

Pittsburgh missed opportunities to add arguably better prospects this weekend as it settles for a 41-year-old quarterback past his prime. It's a massive step back for the proud Steelers organization. In many ways, they're the league's model franchise. But this weekend, they gave teams an illustration of what not to do.