The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books and anyone expecting the proceedings to be straightforward were given a rude awakening just minutes into the draft. The night began with all 32 teams holding first-round picks but things shook up very quickly when the Jacksonville Jaguars stunned the world by trading a haul to land Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Jacksonville was one of two teams to surrender a future first round pick, with the other coming later in the evening when Atlanta moved back into the first to add a second edge rusher in Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. There was also some quarterback drama as well when the New York Giants moved back into the first round to secure Jaxson Dart as their potential answer at the game's most important position.
While some picks will age like fine wine, others will offer instant regret like going for that extra taco that's been sitting out for too long. Which 2025 first-round picks were the worst?
5. Jacksonville massively overpays to land Travis Hunter
To be clear, this is not a slight on Travis Hunter, who is unquestionably the most talented player in this draft. Many scouts viewed Hunter as both the best cornerback and receiver in the class, with his ability to play both ways offering his future employer a unique weapon to deploy going forward.
The issue here is that Jacksonville gave up a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and a 2026 first-rounder for Hunter and two Day 3 picks in this year's class. Jaguars' GM James Gladstone also set impossible expectations for Hunter to meet, labeling him as a player who can "alter the sport" in his post-pick press conference.
The Jaguars will basically need Hunter to be a star on both sides of the ball while playing regularly to justify paying a franchise quarterback price for his services. After coming off a year where they won just four games, the odds are high that Jacksonville just gave Cleveland a golden ticket to solve their quarterback problem next season in a stronger draft.
4. Falcons double down on edge rushers with James Pearce Jr.
Defense has been an issue in Atlanta over the past few years as the Falcons have spent a ton of draft capital on their offense. Taking Jalon Walker out of Georgia at No. 15 added a needed edge rusher to Atlanta's defense, but the Falcons weren't done and hopped back into the first round to grab James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee.
Pearce is another edge rusher, which could bolster their rush presence significantly, and that could make the difference in helping Atlanta make up ground in a winnable NFC South. The issue, once again, is that the Falcons paid a premium in draft capital to add a second player at one position.
The Los Angeles Rams sent No. 26 to Atlanta in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick, which is a steep price to pay for a speed rusher who could have issues against bigger offensive linemen. If Michael Penix can't guide the Falcons into the postseason, that first-round pick could allow the Rams to have enough ammo to find a succession plan for Matthew Stafford, even if they make the playoffs themselves.
3. Vikings reach for Donovan Jackson
The theme of the offseason for Minnesota has been improving its offensive line in order to give J.J. McCarthy the best possible chance to succeed. The additions of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly were good starts, and taking Donovan Jackson out of Ohio State makes logical sense as a continuation of that plan.
The choice may have been a reach, however, as Minnesota could have likely gotten Jackson in the second round based on where he was projected to land in most mock drafts. The two teams directly behind the Vikings (Houston and the Rams) took advantage of desperate teams to snag extra draft capital, with Los Angeles landing the aforementioned 2026 first-rounder, which would have been huge for a Minnesota team entering the day with just four total picks.
There is also a chance Jackson may not even start right away with head coach Kevin O'Connell indicating earlier in the offseason that last year's starter, Blake Brandel, would be given "grace" after a second-half slump that coincided with an injury to left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Failing to take advantage of an opportunity to land extra picks and reaching for a player while doing so is not a good combination for the Vikings.
2. New York Giants give up two picks for the right to take Jaxson Dart
The 2025 draft class has been considered an extremely weak one for quarterbacks, with most experts noting that anyone outside of Cam Ward has a lot of work to do in order to succeed in the NFL. No one gave that memo to the New York Giants, who jumped back into the end of the first round to snag Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss to try and give them a long-term answer under center.
Head coach Brian Daboll surely sees some Josh Allen-type traits from Dart, who has excellent mobility and a big-time arm. There is no pressure to play Dart right away with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on board, which should help, but making this pick now feels like either the current regime felt a need to have a quarterback on board to save their jobs or owner John Mara insisted on finding a fit in a year where the options weren't great.
GM Joe Schoen deserves credit for only surrendering two thirds for the right to land Dart, but those picks could have been useful to plug other holes on the Giants' roster. Having Dart now may also take the Giants out of play for the more intriguing 2026 draft class, which is not ideal when their mediocre roster and brutal schedule could have New York well positioned for a high pick at this time next year.
1. Buccaneers add a fourth receiver with their first pick
The Buccaneers made a head-scratching choice in the first round when they took Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka at No. 19 overall. Most mocks projected a defensive end for Tampa Bay, who have little depth at the position for the long haul with Hassan Reddick on a one-year deal, but Egbuka may not have a clear path to playing time with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin still around (not to mention Jalen McMillan).
Evans is 32 but has shown little sign of slowing down, racking up his 11th straight 1,000-yard season in 2024, while Tampa Bay re-signed Godwin to a three-year deal worth $66 million with $44 million of it guaranteed. Egbuka is a talented player who can play on the outside, allowing Godwin to work his magic in the slot, but the process is flawed here for a team that had plenty of defensive needs.
The argument that Egbuka is an insurance policy for Godwin also doesn't make sense since there was no reason for Tampa Bay to hand Godwin that big a contract if they were worried about his ability to bounce back from a serious ankle injury. Taking a third receiver is a luxury pick with the Bucs' needs, which is not the smartest strategy to maintain a grip on a division that is starting to catch up with them.