With the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft officially complete, it’s time to overreact about which teams nailed their pick, and more importantly, which teams did not. It’s important to note that each prospect taken in round one was taken for a reason. While it may not be the best pick, there are no truly bad players. Regardless, not all draft picks are equal, and thus, there will be NFL Draft Losers.
It’s no secret that Bears fans were drooling at the idea of adding Ashton Jeanty to the roster, and rumors of a trade were making this very realistic. Instead, Ryan Poles stayed put and drafted Colston Loveland 10th overall, making him the first Tight End off the board. At the end of the day, Chicago succeeded in adding a weapon to the offense to help out a young Caleb Williams. The issue is, the consensus is that other weapons available would have been better selections.
Loveland is widely considered a top prospect in this year’s draft, and the number two TE behind Tyler Warren. The problem is that while Loveland is considered a good prospect, Warren is considered a great prospect at the TE spot. Tyler Warren led the Penn State offense to their first college football playoff berth this past season, making it to the semifinals, narrowly losing a game to play for the national championship. Loveland is coming off a down year for Michigan, but was far and away the best offensive piece for the Wolverines on a lackluster offense.
While the Bears passed on the top TE prospect for a different guy, there may be a silver lining here. Loveland has received numerous pro comparisons to Lions TE Sam LaPorta, one of the NFL’s best at the position. Ben Johnson, Chicago’s new Head Coach, is coming over from Detroit, where he drafted and molded Sam LaPorta from a round 2 pick into an All-Pro level talent. If he can work the same magic on Loveland, Warren defenders might be eating their criticisms next year.
It’s no secret the Bengals are in dire need of help on the defensive side of the ball. With the team ranking 26th in points allowed per game, Cincinnati can’t sit by and waste the prime years of Joe Burrow. So when the Bengals took Defensive End Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M, it may come as a shock as to why this pick is disappointing. Once again, the issue here isn’t the position of the selection, but rather which player it ended up being.
Shemar Stewart is a freak of nature, perhaps being the most athletic player in the entire draft class. So if the Bengals got the most athletic player in a position of need at pick 17, what’s the issue? The problem lies in the fact that Stewart has yet to put together any sort of production. Across his ENTIRE college career of three seasons, Stewart managed to put together just 4.5(!) sacks, with only 1.5 of those coming in his final season. Stewart relies purely on his athleticism to make plays and has almost nothing in terms of pass-rush moves. Stewart also struggles to tackle, whiffing on over a quarter of his tackles at the collegiate level.
It’s no question the Bengals took Stewart as a project, hoping to mold him into his potential, being the gifted athlete he is. What’s worrisome about this is Cincinnati has done this thing before, and it’s yet to work out. In 2022, the Bengals selected DE Myles Murphy out of Clemson, a very similar prospect to Stewart. In two seasons, Cincinnati has failed to develop him, and he’s recorded just 3 sacks.
There may be hope for the pick, as this offseason the Bengals fired Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo and replaced him with former Notre Dame DC Al Golden. Al Golden just led one of college football’s best defenses and has a knack for getting the most out of his players. If things go according to plan, Stewart could be one of the league’s scariest edge rushers, but it’ll take a lot of work to get there.
This may come as a surprise, but listen. Yes, Ashton Jeanty is an electric player and one of the best Running Back prospects in the last decade. Yes, Ashton Jeanty adds a whole new layer to this offense. No, this was not a great pick. The Raiders were selecting at sixth overall for a reason, being this is a roster that just isn’t very good. In the 2024 NFL season, the Raiders ranked in the bottom quarter of the league for both points scored and points allowed. Las Vegas is in full rebuild mode, and a running back isn’t how a team should begin a rebuild.
The Raiders need help across the entire board, and RB is a premium position in the modern NFL. Now more than ever, positions in the trenches or the passing game bring much more value to a team than RB does. Las Vegas still sports one of the league’s worst offensive lines, and even with Jeanty being the player he is, will struggle with defenders meeting him at the line of scrimmage. Hopefully, Jeanty still thrives in Vegas and helps Geno Smith turn the offense around, but it’s hard to see this being the best pick for the Raiders’ Future.
As mentioned previously, each player taken in the first round was selected for a reason. They all can impact the game at a high level, whether it be immediately or later on down the road. This isn’t to say each player will be good, but it’s worth noting that it’s hard to say if a pick was good or bad until these men step onto the field on Sundays. Until then, the only way to judge and grade these selections is based on the fit and how a player has looked in college.
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