Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft wrapped up on Thursday night with plenty of brilliant moves and a few head-scratchers. From odd selections to top prospects who experienced a draft-day slide, we’re examining the biggest losers from Round 1.
Of course, being labeled as one of the biggest NFL Draft losers of Round 1 doesn’t mean the future won’t play out in their favor. Just look back on some of the labeled losers from the 2024 NFL Draft, like the Denver Broncos, as an example. With that in mind, here’s our list of the biggest losers from Round 1 of the NFL Draft.
Loser: Ashton Jeanty
Ashton Jeanty is an outstanding player with the talent to be a multi-time All-Pro selection in the NFL. Unfortunately, this is a disappointing landing spot. The Las Vegas Raiders finished bottom 10 in ESPN run-block win rate last season and not much was done to fix that offensive line this offseason. He’s also walking into a situation where there isn’t a lot of help around him, even with quarterback Geno Smith and tight end Brock Bowers. We still believe the Raiders are getting an All-Pro talent, but his efficiency (yards per carry) will take a significant hit in Las Vegas. Plus, he’ll be among the league’s leaders in touches for the next three-plus years for a team that isn’t remotely close to competing with the cream of the crop in the AFC.
Related: Analyzing Ashton Jeanty to the Las Vegas Raiders
Loser: Carolina Panthers defense
In 2024, the Carolina Panthers finished 31st in ESPN pass-rush win rate (28 percent) and they allowed 180 rushing yards per game, with the second-worst run defense, surrendering 141.4 rush ypg. If that’s not bad enough, opponents converted on 50.2 percent of third-down attempts (32nd in the NFL) against the Panthers’ defense. Instead of addressing that, Carolina took wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. We understand the desire to help Bryce Young, but a good defense is also a great supporting piece for a young quarterback. For whatever reason, the Panthers are just failing at providing defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero with starting-caliber defense. Expect Carolina’s defense to be bottom-five once again in 2025.
Related: NFL defense rankings
Loser: New Orleans Saints reach for Kelvin Banks Jr
The New Orleans Saints made the right decision not to take a quarterback with the ninth overall pick. What was surprising was to see the team select a third Round 1 offensive lineman, with Kelvin Banks Jr. likely to play guard in the NFL. We also don’t trust the process, even with a new coaching staff. Trevor Penning was a bust and failed at both tackle spots and Taliese Fuaga is meant to be a right tackle but is playing the blindside. Banks Jr. can be a very good player at guard, but we do have some concerns that the Saints will try him at tackle. At the very least, New Orleans didn’t reach for Jaxson Dart or Shedeur Sanders and that’s a positive.
Related: New Orleans Saints insider shares which round team will draft QB
Loser: Dallas Cowboys reach after missing out on weapons
We understand the thinking with the Tyler Booker pick. The Dallas Cowboys offense was at its best with a dominant offensive line. By adding Booker, the interior Cowboys offensive line will now be one of the most physical in the NFL. Booker is an awful athlete (3.68 Relative Athletic Score) and he’s not a high-ceiling interior lineman. Dallas also loses out here because Ashton Jeanty and Tetairoa McMillan were off the board, forcing them to take more of a top-25 prospect with the 12th overall pick. Booker will be a quality starter for Dallas and he absolutely fits the style of football they want to play, but this is the team making the best of a scenario it was hoping wouldn’t unfold on draft night.
Related: 2025 NFL Draft order, picks by team
Loser: Shemar Stewart’s ceiling becomes harder to reach
Shemar Stewart has one of the highest ceilings of any player in the 2025 NFL Draft. He didn’t produce whatsoever in college – 4.5 in 37 games – but the length and athleticism are phenomenal. Unfortunately, the Bengals’ organization isn’t one we trust to turn the physical tools into something great. Cincinnati swung and missed on Myles Murphy and they’ve really done a poor job of developing talent defensively. Stewart can’t be an instant contributor and it feels like this pick opens the door to a Trey Hendrickson trade, which would put pressure on Stewart to produce immediately. This is a home run swing by Cincinnati, but the franchise’s history of striking out leads us to believe Stewart won’t reach his potential.
Related: 2025 dynasty rookie rankings
Loser: Emeka Egbuka gets stuck in Tampa Bay
This is a disappointing landing spot for Emeka Egbuka, at least initially. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed Chris Godwin this offseason and the deal locks him in with the team for the next two years. While Mike Evans has one year remaining on his deal, Egbuka plays the Godwin role. Barring another injury, the best-case scenario for Egbuka is being the WR3 in Tampa Bay’s offense. That’s unfortunate for a smart wideout who is a good route-runner and ready to be a No. 2 wideout. We love the player and like this long-term for Tampa Bay, but it feels like Egbuka’s production will be really underwhelming in 2025.
Loser: Shedeur Sanders learns what the NFL really thinks of him
Shedeur Sanders entered the offseason viewed as a potential top-three pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In reality, that was a media creation. Quarterbacks who don’t have high-end physical tools – Sanders has adequate arm strength and athleticism – aren’t being drafted highly anymore. As Albert Breer reported, many teams didn’t view Sanders as a first-round talent and some others thought he was the third-best quarterback in the class. Sanders can still be a quality starter, but the ceiling here might be Geno Smith or a slightly better version of Andy Dalton. Unfortunately, the spectacle around him created by Deion Sanders influenced this ‘draft-day slide’ and it was a very rough night for Sanders’ family.
Loser: Atlanta Falcons grossly overpay in trade-up
The Atlanta Falcons overpaid, as highlighted by OverTheCap.com, with the Falcons giving up (2,873 points) in value for 2,010 points in draft-pick value. We’ll start with the fact that James Pearce Jr. is only a pass-rushing specialist who can’t be used on early downs. Pearce Jr. has great speed, but he struggles against stronger tackles and his pass-rush moves are a work in progress. There’s potential here, but sacrificing a future first-round pick to get Pearce Jr. is an awful overpay. Then again, last offseason at quarterback seemed to show this regime loves to overpay for positions of need. Pearce’s biggest weakness – run defense – will also be directly exploited by NFC contenders like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings.
Loser: Will Johnson’s medical concerns prove costly
Following the 2024 college football season, many viewed cornerback Will Johnson as a likely top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, the pre-draft process cost him millions of dollars. He didn’t run at the NFL Combine, raising further questions about his speed. To make matters worse, the medical review process created red flags surrounding his knee. Johnson can be a CB1, but the long-term concerns with his knee clearly cost him dearly.
