The 2025 NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday, Apr. 24, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., and early indications suggest this year’s class will be a bit unusual.
After the prior 89 iterations, teams have learned which positions to prioritize and how to value their selections. Quarterbacks, left tackles and pass-rushing linebackers or defensive ends are prioritized at the top of each draft, while most safeties, centers and tight ends typically fall to Day 2 or Day 3.
Nineteen first-round selections in the past two draft classes were either quarterbacks, left tackles or pass rushers. Those three positional groups accounted for 17 of the first 21 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, which set an NFL record with six quarterbacks selected in the top 12 picks.
The 2025 NFL Draft will not see teams clamoring to climb up the board for those positions, however. There is a scarcity of high-end talent at quarterback and left tackle in this year’s class, and a deep group of pass rushers could lead teams to prioritize other needs before circling back to grab an edge threat.
Browns expected to forego quarterback at No. 2 overall
The Cleveland Browns shipped three-first round picks to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson, leaving them without a first-round selection for three long years. The Browns are poised to make a selection in the first round for the first time since the 2021 NFL Draft, but the position they need the most will be difficult to address.
The Browns are not expected to draft a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Only two quarterback prospects — Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — are considered to be first-round talents. The Tennessee Titans will likely select Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, but Sanders is expected to tumble down the board. That leaves Cleveland in position to draft the most talented prospect in this year’s class: Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.
Cleveland will likely address the quarterback position at the top of the second round, where a large number of the top prospects are expected to still be available. The Browns currently hold the opening pick of the second round at No. 33 overall.
Rampant A.J. Brown trade speculation is baseless
The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX by leaning on running back Saquon Barkley and their mammoth offensive line. While the passing attack took a backseat, the Eagles still have one of the league’s premier wide receivers in A.J. Brown.
There was some speculation that Brown could be traded to the New England Patriots after the wide receiver showed off his autographed jersey from Patriots legend Julian Edelman and all-time great Tom Brady.
“Contrary to internet speculation, the Eagles are not trading A.J. Brown,” Schefter wrote.
Some of the speculation was driven by the fact that New England currently holds the No. 4 overall pick, which likely looks quite appealing to Philadelphia fans who are dealing with the luxury of having the last pick of each round. The rumors are nothing but offseason fodder, however. Brown signed a three-year, $96 million contract extension last offseason, and a trade would leave the Eagles with $31.2 million in dead money for a total of -$13.7 million in cap savings, per Spotrac.
Philadelphia’s first chance to move on from the wideout would come after the 2026 season, when they could release him for a dead cap charge of just $13.9 million. There’s no reason to consider that at this point though. Although frustrations seemed to simmer at some points throughout the season, winning has cured any ailments.
Will Howard believes former teammate will be ‘special’ in the NFL
The Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to dominate the 2025 NFL Draft, which is to be expected after they won the national championship. ESPN’s Matt Miller projected 15 Buckeyes to be selected in a recent mock draft, which would set a new school record.
During a recent episode of “The Adam Schefter Podcast,” Schefter asked Ohio State quarterback Will Howard which of his former teammates he expects to excel at the professional level, and the five-year starter didn’t hesitate to name wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
“One guy I've been saying over and over, and I think he's a special guy, is Emeka Egbuka," Howard told Schefter. "He's been special throughout his whole career here, and he's going to be special at the next level. I see something different with him, man. He's got unbelievable route-running ability, he's got great speed, he's got some of the best hands that I've been around. On top of that man, he's one of the best guys I've been around. He's super into his faith, understands the game like a quarterback. You could sit him down in a quarterback meeting and he spit stuff out damn near like I could, and it's pretty impressive. I know he's got a really bright future ahead of him."
Egbuka is currently ranked as the third-best prospect at his position behind Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden. The 6-foot-1 senior primarily played out of the slot under Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Egbuka was often overshadowed during his collegiate career by a slew of talented Buckeyes wide receivers. During his four years at Ohio State, he played alongside former first-round picks Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Despite the talented names around him, the 22-year-old finished with the most receptions (205) in Ohio State history. Despite not starting a game until his second season with the team, Egbuka finished with 2,868 receiving yards, which fell just 30 yards shy of surpassing Michael Jenkins’ record for most receiving yards in school history.