2025 NFL Draft winners and losers: Giants go big; Steelers still in limbo

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Here are some of the most exciting and most puzzling hauls from the 2025 NFL Draft.

Winners

Detroit Lions

I feel like I’m alone on an island in liking the Lions’ draft, but maybe that’s because I’ve learned to trust general manager Brad Holmes.

No, the Lions didn’t find a starting edge rusher, but I deeply appreciate their commitment to the line of scrimmage. Drafting Tyleik Williams in the first round is a great way to beef up the defensive front, and it should make life easier on Aidan Hutchinson. More importantly, the Lions found two guards who could push for serious playing time in Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier. That offensive line is the most important piece of Detroit’s roster, so stocking it with talent is just fine with me.

Yes, the Lions did commit one of this draft’s biggest “reaches,” according to the experts: a massive trade up to snag Arkansas receiver Isaac TeSlaa. It was a steep price to pay, giving up two third-round picks in next year’s draft. But if you’re going to make a move like that, at least TeSlaa fits the bill: 6-foot-4, 214 pounds with off-the-charts athleticism. It’s a gamble, but I think Holmes deserves the benefit of the doubt with hits like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs on his résumé.

As I said, that’s the theme for the weekend. I trust Holmes, even if many don’t want to. It’ll be fun to watch whether TeSlaa pans out, but in the meantime, I feel better about the Lions on both sides of the line of scrimmage than I did before the draft. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Sometimes you just want to see a team make the fans happy.

We tend to overreact to skill player picks, because those are the guys that create fun highlights and swing our fantasy leagues. There’s more to the game than runners and receivers, but it’s always interesting to watch teams add juice to their rosters.

Jim Harbaugh obliged us in a big way. With their first two picks of the draft, the Chargers finally, hopefully improved the skill talent around Justin Herbert. Omarion Hampton feels like such an obvious Harbaugh pick, as he’s a massive, explosive, unit of a running back who can carry the ground game. Right after him, they took a big, strong receiver who lines up out wide in Tre Harris — which sounds like a great complement for Ladd McConkey. If it wasn’t obvious enough what they were doing, they also used a Day 3 pick on receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith, who runs a 4.37, as well as a hybrid tight end in Oronde Gadsden II.

The Chargers also made picks on the lines of scrimmage and at safety, but the intention is obvious. Four of their nine picks were skill players, including the first- and second-rounders. Their goal in this draft was to make life easier for Herbert. If they’re successful, it should pay off in a big way.

New England Patriots

This is how you build excitement for a young, growing team.

Free agency wasn’t as fun for the Patriots’ offense as many expected, but apparently that’s because they had big plans with all their draft picks. In two short days, they completely restocked the depth chart surrounding Drake Maye. Take your pick about what’s more promising. Will Campbell and Jared Wilson look like they’ll be cornerstones on the offensive line for years to come. TreVeyon Henderson brings big-play ability to the backfield, but he’s also such a well-rounded player. The path to playing time might be a bit tougher for Kyle Williams, but he still provides excellent value to a receiver group that needed talent.

Speaking of value, the Pats found it elsewhere, too. Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer and LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson are two guys they found on Saturday who they’d probably have been happy to draft on Friday. Even kicker Andre Borregales is solid value all the way back at pick No. 182.

Obviously, the caveat is that we can’t guarantee how many of these picks will pan out. But the process is rock solid. The Patriots needed to surround their young quarterback with talent, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. And if you can also still find some solid value on defense and special teams, so much the better. 

New York Giants

Ironically, I’m not even much of a Jaxson Dart fan. I worry about the simplicity of the Ole Miss scheme he played in, and I’m also dubious about his decision-making.

But even if I’m not sold on Dart as a prospect, I love the Giants’ process in landing this draft class. For starters, they didn’t botch the most important pick. Rather than being wooed by their need at quarterback, they did the smart thing and drafted Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall, giving them one of the draft’s best players and turning their pass rush into one of the league’s most terrifying units.

With Carter already in the fold, I care a lot less about trading up for Dart – especially considering the price the Giants paid. Moving up nine spots without surrendering a future first-round pick is a tremendous win, and I’m not batting an eye at losing two third-round picks. If this gamble pays off, it’s obviously worth it. If it doesn’t, the Giants didn’t give up any resources that will hinder them in the future. Fantastic stuff from general manager Joe Schoen. 

Those two decisions are the important ones, but the rest of this class is fun. People are going to love a battering ram like Cam Skattebo for obvious reasons, but Darius Alexander is also another exciting piece to add to the pass rush.

It’s a class that should make the Giants better in the short term, while the Dart trade gives them at least a chance to be significantly better in the long term — with very little downside. That’s what you call smart drafting.

Washington Commanders

Here’s evidence that you don’t need a ton of resources to have a fun draft.

The Commanders were short-handed this year, as they shipped their third-round pick to Houston for Laremy Tunsil and their fifth-round pick to San Francisco for Deebo Samuel. They were also picking toward the back end of every round, thanks to their surprising run to the NFC Championship Game.

No problem for general manager Adam Peters, apparently.

Peters pulled off one of the best value picks of Day 1 by simply hanging out at the end of the night. Sitting there at pick No. 29, the Commanders managed to snag Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Conerly was an All-American for the Ducks and is widely seen as one of the best 20-25 prospects in this class. Go find his reps against No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter if you need some convincing. Conerly played left tackle in college, but he should be plenty capable of making the swap to the right side, where he can start right away.

Something similar happened on Day 2. Sitting back at pick No. 61, Washington had to be shocked to see Ole Miss corner Trey Amos hanging around. Again, widely considered a top-40 type of prospect, Amos should have an opportunity to start right away in Dan Quinn’s defense. If he can, it’d go a long way toward shoring up a secondary that needed help last year.

The Commanders could still use some help rushing the passer, but it’s impossible to argue with the value here. Throw in the fact that they used draft assets to acquire proven veterans in Tunsil and Samuel, and this is as high-impact a draft class as you could ask for.

Losers

Atlanta Falcons

If James Pearce Jr. becomes a perennial Pro Bowler and the Falcons boast an amazing pass rush for years to come, I’ll gladly eat crow and apologize profusely to general manager Terry Fontenot.

The problem is that this is what needs to happen if the Falcons’ bold first-round trade is going to work out. When you trade away a future first-round pick for a non-quarterback, you are putting an enormous amount of pressure on the guy you’re drafting. Pearce is a good player, but he needs to be averaging eight sacks a year or more to be worth two first-round picks, as well as a second.

What’s even crazier is that Fontenot was previously involved in a trade like this that didn’t work out. Fontenot was part of the New Orleans front office that traded a future first-round pick to move up for Marcus Davenport in 2018. Davenport is a perfectly solid player, entering his eighth year in the league. But in five years with the Saints, he only managed more than six sacks in a season once. The juice wasn’t worth the squeeze.

It’s a shame, because I loved the first of the Falcons’ big picks. Not only is Jalon Walker a good player, he’s also the first Georgia Bulldog taken in the first round in Falcons history. That’s a fun story in addition to being a good decision.

Maybe Fontenot’s conviction will pay off. The Falcons desperately need pass rushers. If Walker and Pearce both live up to expectations, that won’t be the case much longer. You make this trade every time for two players who rack up 10-plus sacks every season.

It’s just a big gamble to make, and draft history suggests it’s not a smart one. 

Cincinnati Bengals

My dislike for the Bengals’ first-round pick is twofold.

For starters, there’s the obvious gamble on upside. Shemar Stewart might be the freakiest athlete in the class, but — for whatever reason — that athleticism didn’t translate to sacks in college. Maybe the Bengals will put him in a role better suited to his skill set, but it’s still a gamble.

On top of that, I don’t like what this forecasts for Trey Hendrickson. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said after the pick that the decision had nothing to do with his All-Pro pass-rusher, but I’m not convinced. Even if Cincinnati isn’t planning to trade Hendrickson, this feels like a leverage play. It makes me wonder if we’re about to have another lengthy contract standoff in Cincy. Stewart is a fun pick if he’s a complement to Hendrickson. It’s much less fun if he’s a replacement.

I’m mixed about the Day 2 picks. Pick No. 49 felt a bit early for an off-ball linebacker, though I am optimistic third-round pick Dylan Fairchild can compete for a starting guard job.

All in all, it just felt like a confusing set of decisions. The Bengals need to nail every draft to offset all the huge contracts on their offense. I’m just not convinced they did that.

Houston Texans

This Texans’ draft class is a perfect example of quality versus quantity.

I get it if you love what Houston did over the weekend. By trading out of the first round, they added some big ammunition and managed to restock their receiver room while also landing an offensive tackle. On paper, it looks great.

My question is whether that collection of players will serve them better than what was available at pick No. 25. Specifically, at offensive tackle. Before the trade, the Texans could’ve taken their pick of Josh Connerly Jr. or Josh Simmons, who are both widely seen as franchise tackles. 

Instead, they’ll hope second-round pick Aireontae Ersery can do the job.

It definitely helps to add two receivers to the mix. If either of Jayden Higgins or Jaylin Noel is a hit, this will work out just fine. If both of them are stars, then I’ll gladly call myself an idiot and see my way out.

That’s the fun thing about the draft. I don’t know right now that the Texans are wrong. But I can’t help but wonder if they’ll regret passing on one better prospect in favor of two or three lesser ones.

New Orleans Saints

I honestly loved the way the weekend started for the Saints. Drafting a versatile, immediate starter on the offensive line in Kelvin Banks felt like a responsible way to begin the Kellen Moore era.

My issue here essentially boils down to the second-round pick. A top-40 selection simply feels like a big price for Tyler Shough, who isn’t what you’d call a developmental prospect. Shough turns 26 soon and has started 32 games across seven college seasons. You’d assume that means he’s closer to his ceiling as a player than any other quarterback in this draft.

That’s fine if Shough is your Day 1 starter, but that might not be the case in New Orleans. The Saints haven’t ruled out Derek Carr starting for them in 2025. And even if Carr’s injury keeps him out, Shough would still have to beat out Spencer Rattler for the top job. I just can’t say I love the idea of Shough being 28 when he finally gets a real chance to start.

There’s also this part: If Carr can’t play in 2025, the Saints could be picking near the top of next year’s draft, which could render Shough a moot point. I think I would rather have just rolled with Rattler, bulked up the roster and waited to see what happened.

Pittsburgh Steelers

I don’t really have a problem with the Steelers’ actual draft class, so much as what it means moving forward.

Derrick Harmon is a badass football player, and Kaleb Johnson was destined to play running back in Pittsburgh. The Steelers even acquired some value at quarterback, as drafting Will Howard with the 185th pick is a no-brainer bargain.

I’d go as far as to call it a good draft class, especially since their second-round pick was used to acquire DK Metcalf.

So, what on Earth does it mean?

Clearly, the Steelers don’t feel the same urgency at quarterback as we expected. They passed on Jaxson Dart in the first round, which is just fine with me. Passing on Shedeur Sanders in the first round? Also not shocking.

Passing on Sanders in the third and fourth round is curious, though. I’m not saying Sanders is a guaranteed Pro Bowler, but he does at least have a chance to be an NFL starter, and the value of that pick on Day 2 or 3 feels undeniable.

It feels fairly obvious where this is heading. The Steelers don’t want to confirm anything, but they’re clearly expecting Aaron Rodgers to stave off retirement and start for them in 2025.

Or, at least, that had better be the plan. Without Rodgers, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers doing anything of consequence this year. And even with Rodgers, how high do we think the ceiling really is? It’s also amusing to think that the Steelers, one of the most no-nonsense franchises in the NFL, might have passed on Sanders because of the scrutiny he brings with him — only to then sign Rodgers, and all the extracurriculars that follow him these days.

It all feels very strange, and while this draft class itself looks promising in the long term, this weekend doesn’t leave me with a lot of optimism for the immediate future.

David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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