We’re coming to the end of the 2025 NFL season, and there’s so much to get excited about. Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks like the next great wide receiver in the NFL. Drake Maye, Bo Nix, and Trevor Lawrence are in a race for the top seed in the AFC. Ben Johnson has unlocked everything great about the Chicago Bears. The youth movement is here.
And youth starts at the NFL Draft. Each year, teams line up to add players at every position. This season, the New York Giants completely changed their offensive outlook with Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. TreVeyon Henderson is pushing the New England Patriots into the next level on offense. Tyler Warren might be the next great tight end in this league. However, for every smash hit, there’s a devastating loss. These 10 draft picks are ones their team would like back.
10. Jack Bech
Las Vegas Raiders
Second Round, 58th overall
Unlike most years, there haven’t been many second-round wide receivers that popped this season. In 2024, Ladd McConkey showed promise as a future great. Rashee Rice was finally there to give Patrick Mahomes his number one in 2023. This year, there isn’t a guy who is sticking out from the second round.
Many thought Jack Bech could have some value going at the end of the second round to the Las Vegas Raiders, but it hasn’t worked out. The Raiders are a mess, especially on offense. Geno Smith has been a terrible acquisition. Chip Kelly was fired as offensive coordinator. Pete Carroll is likely going to see his career end with a one-and-done performance.
So, this isn’t saying that this is Bech’s fault, but he hasn’t done much of anything this season. Most games, Bech has a single-digit snap count. He’s behind guys like Tyler Lockett and and Tre Tucker. If you thought the loss of Jakobi Meyers would help his offensive output, you’d be mistaken. As of this writing, Bech has 18 catches and 181 yards while still searching for his first career touchdown. They could have used that pick to fill one of the many holes on the roster, which still includes wide receiver.
9. Terrance Ferguson
Los Angeles Rams
Second Round, 46th overall
Not much about the Los Angeles Rams is wrong this season. They have a clear path to make it back to the Super Bowl. Matthew Stafford is on pace for his first NFL MVP. The offense and defense are clicking on another level, and they might be the class of the NFC. Still, great teams are going to make their fair share of mistakes. Choosing Terrance Ferguson in the second round of the draft seems to be one of them.
The Rams thought they could finalize their offense with Ferguson. After signing Davante Adams in the offseason to pair with Puka Nacua, Ferguson had a chance to be a superstar tight end with wide-open spaces to make plays. Instead, he’s making basically no impact. He has six catches this season.
Things could be going really badly here, and Ferguson might not even get a second season in LA. That sounds insane since he was a second-round pick, but there’s nothing that shows even a growth mindset here. Where can the Rams go with Ferguson? This was a player who was touted at the draft for his receiving ability. It just isn’t working here, but he might get a Super Bowl ring just for going on the ride.
8. Jihaad Campbell
Philadelphia Eagles
First round, 31st overall
Jihaad Campbell almost had the dubious distinction of being a player who was invited to the NFL Draft but didn’t get selected in the first round. It’s never a good feeling to watch and wait while your peers get taken ahead of you. Most had Campbell going in the top 20, but if a few specific teams passed on him (especially with worries about a shoulder injury) he was going to fall. Luckily for him, the defending champs ended his tumble.
Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Eagles, Campbell hasn’t been very good. A consensus top talent in the draft, Campbell has had serious issues with the NFL game. He went from a key contributor to the defense to a non-entity. In fact, he’s gone some games without a single defensive snap. He's still really talented, and he could turn into something eventually, but he's hardly showing the talent that had teams really excited about him. It hasn't even been an injury issue. It's been an effectiveness issue.
Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean have both thrived this season, making Campbell’s contribution mostly unnecessary. Most teams would be slightly worried about the development of their first-round pick, but the Eagles are trying to win another Super Bowl. Campbell can develop by seeing it happen right before his eyes. Still, the Eagles probably wish they had a player who contributed more.
7. Mykel Williams
San Francisco 49ers
First round, 11th overall
Now we’re starting to get to draft picks that come with some serious impact. The San Francisco 49ers hope they don’t pick in the top 12 for years to come. They had a year from the underworld in 2024, and they got the 11th-overall pick for their efforts. Niners GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan were hoping to get a generational talent there.
Mykel Williams was supposed to be the anchor to the 49ers defensive line for at least a decade. Unfortunately, those plans are on hold. Unlike many of the others on this list, Williams was playing up to the hype. He battled back from an injury in training camp to be a contributor on the field. The 49ers expected him to gain a bigger role as the season progressed, and injuries ironically forced him to play more snaps. Then, his ACL snapped on the dreaded MetLife Stadium turf.
Williams suffered a torn ACL, and his season is over. It wasn’t even that serious a play. He was running after Jaxson Dart, and his knee just gave in. Injuries are a part of the game, but for a team that already lost Nick Bosa to a torn ACL and watched Bryce Huff, Fred Warner, and Yegor Gross-Matos miss significant time, losing Williams felt like one injury too many in the front seven.
6. Colston Loveland
Chicago Bears
First round, 10th overall
If this list came out just a few weeks ago, this choice would be a lot higher. The Chicago Bears appeared to make a huge mistake when they took Colston Loveland over Penn State’s Tyler Warren. Most thought Warren was the top tight end in the draft, anyway, but there were plenty who could talk themselves into the choice. Then, Warren started to dominate the league.
Warren started off incredibly strong, but he hasn’t had the same impact during the Indianapolis Colts’ four-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Bears are starting to figure out how to use Loveland in their offense.
Still, it’s clear which player is better. Warren looks like one of the best tight ends in the league today. He has all the tools to be a superstar. There’s an opening to be the very best tight ends with former stars like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and T.J. Hockenson falling down the tight end rankings. George Kittle is still hanging on, and Brock Bowers and Trey McBride have been great, but Warren is the only rookie in that conversation. Loveland is not there yet. Could he get there? Possibly, but the Bears would be considered a true contender in the NFC if they had Warren instead of Loveland.
5. Kaleb Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers
Third round, 83rd overall
What is happening with Kaleb Johnson and the Pittsburgh Steelers is just strange. There were high hopes for the former Iowa Hawkeyes star, but he never got a chance to even run the ball. In most of his games, Johnson has one or two carries. There’s no way he can have any kind of impact with such a small workload. His career high in carries is six, which he’s done twice against the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings.
Johnson isn’t close to 100 yards rushing on the season. It’s not like he’s doing anything with these opportunities he’s getting. However, it’s hard to get any kind of rhythm in his game without consistent reps. Honestly, at this point, we’re surprised he’s even getting dressed for most of these games. Mike Tomlin has very little interest in getting him on the field.
We think everyone would be surprised if Johnson starts next season on the Steelers roster. Johnson was supposed to replace Najee Harris after he signed with the Chargers in the offseason, but that’s not going to happen. Something isn’t clicking between Johnson and the Steelers, whether that’s an Arthur Smith issue or if Johnson just hasn’t translated well to the NFL. We do see another team giving him a chance, but this has gone so bad in Pittsburgh.
4. Ashton Jeanty
Las Vegas Raiders
First round, 6th overall
Ashton Jeanty was going to be the guy who changed the Las Vegas Raiders immediately. He was supposed to be the type of running back who became a one-man wrecking crew in the backfield. He could make people miss, unlike anyone we’ve seen in college in a long time. He dragged the Boise State Broncos to the College Football Playoff last season, and that led to going in the top 10.
It always takes a special running back to go in the first round as a running back, but going in the top 10 is almost unheard of. It happens every so often, but it usually comes from a team thinking they need one last piece to go on a run. Spoiler alert: it usually doesn’t work out that way. Still, the Raiders were in a completely different spot. They need everything. Imagine this team with Tetairoa McMillan or Emeka Egbuka? They probably still stink, but at least they wouldn’t have Tre Tucker as their number-one receiver.
It’s not even like Jeanty has been the clear best rookie running back this season. Omarion Hampton looks like the best talent when he can stay healthy. TreVeyon Henderson has been able to make the biggest plays. Quinshon Judkins looks like the best option for running in between the tackles. Jeanty has 700 yards, but he’s averaging 3.5 yards per carry. It’s not bad, but it should be much better. He has one 100-yard rushing game, and he hasn’t looked like the superstar he looked like in college.
3. Cam Ward
Tennessee Titans
First round, 1st overall
This one is going to cause the most arguments, but we stand by the Tennessee Titans being really worried about what they have under center. The Titans have fallen under the radar this season because there’s not much worth watching there, and the rest of the AFC South has been weirdly intriguing. The Colts, Jaguars, and Texans are actually in a decent race for the division lead, although the Colts are fading and had to hire Philip Rivers five years after retirement to save them.
Focusing on the Titans, Cam Ward has been mediocre. That’s probably being nice. Ward doesn’t have the scary high interception rate. He actually only has seven picks on the season, but he also only has 11 touchdowns. As of this writing, he has less than 200 yards passing in five of his last six games. He’s supposed to be progressing as the season goes on. Instead, we’re seeing less confidence in his game.
It’s very early in his career, but this was already a pretty bad quarterback class. So far, Jaxson Dart looks like the better talent. He can’t stay healthy, but that can be coached. Dart makes incredible plays, and Ward seems to be saving his reserves. The Titans are going to get another top pick, which they can use to build around Ward, but he hasn’t exactly set the stage for a dominant run.
2. Shemar Stewart
Cincinnati Bengals
First round, 17th overall
The Shemar Stewart saga in Cincinnati has been a mess from the start. The Bengals desperately needed help on defense, which has been the reason they have missed the playoffs in recent years. Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, and Ja’Marr Chase cannot overcome the mistakes on the other side of the ball. Stewart and re-signing Trey Hendrickson (although he’s still a free agent this offseason) were the first steps in revamping the other side of the ball.
Then, Stewart sat out all of mini-camp and part of training camp. His contract dispute with the Bengals seemed like a major issue that wasn’t getting solved. There was some serious beef between the two sides during the process, and some even mentioned he could be traded before taking a snap with his new team. Once he finally got on the field, his talent was clear, but so was his lack of preparation.
Stewart first got hurt in Week 2, tweaking an ankle injury that cost him four games. He returned from the injury, and then he hurt his knee three weeks later. That second injury put him on injured reserve, and it was looking like this would be a lost season for Stewart. He is expected to return from the IR soon. Let’s see if he can salvage something for this year.
1. James Pearce Jr.
Atlanta Falcons
First round, 26th overall
This one might not be totally fair to James Pearce Jr., but the Atlanta Falcons tried to make the big move and fix the defense after spending way too many picks on the offensive side of the ball. They took outside linebacker Jalon Walker and defensive end Pearce. They both had game-breaking talent that pushes a team from decent to great on defense. So far, while both are performing decently enough (Pearce has eight sacks, and Walker has 5.5), the price they paid to make it happen is very regrettable.
The Falcons gave the Los Angeles Rams a first-round pick in 2026 to take Pearce. He looks like a good player, but it’s going to cost the Falcons a top-10 pick. And this is a very good defensive draft. The Falcons could have gotten themselves a star on defense, or they could have traded down and drafted multiple defensive starters. Instead, they will take the first night of the draft off.
Pearce is a good pick at 28th overall for the Falcons. He is probably their best pass rusher right now. That’s definitely valuable, but trading their 2026 first-round pick, when they are just as likely to move up in the draft as they are to move the other way, it really puts a terrible taste in the mouths of Falcons fans.