The 2025 NFL Draft has officially come to a close. The New England Patriots concluded the festivities by making Memphis defensive Kobee Minor the 257th and final selection of the draft, which produced plenty of drama and intrigue.
The most notable storyline was Shedeur Sanders’ slide, which lasted until the middle of Day 3. The Colorado quarterback was once considered a potential first-round selection, but he ended up remaining on the board until the Cleveland Browns traded up to take him with the 144th pick.
The Browns had already taken Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in Round 3, so the battle between the two rookie quarterbacks will be an intriguing storyline to follow ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Several other star college quarterbacks heard their names called on the draft’s final day as well. Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard went to the Indianapolis Colts, Ohio State’s Will Howard landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Texas’ Quinn Ewers lasted until Round 7, where he was selected by the Miami Dolphins.
Plenty of other recognizable players came off the board, especially at receiver. Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor, Utah State’s Jalen Royals and Oregon’s Tez Johnson all heard their names called while top running backs Cam Skattebo and Bhayshul Tuten heard their names called early in Round 4.
USA TODAY Sports tracked each Day 3 pick and analyzed the most notable of the day’s 155 selections. Below are the results of the draft’s final day, from the fourth round through Mr. Irrelevant in the seventh round.
2025 NFL Draft tracker: Day 3 picks
Round 4
103. Tennessee Titans: Chimere Dike, WR, Florida
104. Jacksonville Jaguars: Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
Tuten ran a 4.32 40 at the 2025 NFL Combine, reflective of his game-breaking speed. He had fumbling issues at Virginia Tech, but his explosiveness out of the backfield and as a pass-catcher should make him a quality weapon in Liam Coen’s Jacksonville offense.
105. New York Giants: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
Skattebo enjoyed a breakout season for the Sun Devils, leading them to a Big 12 title and racking up 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns on 293 carries. He’s well-built at just under 5-10, 219 pounds and is hard to tackle thanks to his combination of contact balance and power.
106. New England Patriots: Craig Woodson, S, California
107. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jack Kiser, LB, Norte Dame
Kiser spent six seasons at Notre Dame and played in a school-record 70 games. He generated 90 tackles as part of a strong Fighting Irish defense in 2024 while serving as a team captain and key leader for the national runner-up.
108. Las Vegas Raiders: Dont’e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
109. Buffalo Bills: Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
Walker is a 6-7, 331-pound defensive tackle prospect who once got first-round buzz. He wasn’t overly productive in his final season at Kentucky, but pairing the massive Wildcat with the smaller and quicker Ed Oliver could give the Bills a quality defensive tackle pairing.
110. New York Jets: Arian Smith, WR, Georgia
Smith has great athletic potential and ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. However, he recorded 10 drops during his final college season, so he will have to improve upon that at the NFL level.
112. New Orleans Saints: Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
113. San Francisco 49ers: CJ West, DT, Indiana
114. Carolina Panthers (from Cowboys): Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia
Etienne, the brother of Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, has three-down versatility and good vision. He tested well at the NFL combine and could become a productive NFL running back if he’s able to stay healthy at the professional level. Etienne looks like a nice complement to Chuba Hubbard and provides insurance as 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks recovers from a second ACL tear in a 13-month span.
115. Arizona Cardinals: Cody Simon, LB, Ohio State
116. Houston Texans (from Dolphins): Woody Marks, RB, USC
117. Los Angeles Rams (from Colts): Jarquez Hunter, RB, Auburn
Hunter is a physical, downhill runner who averaged 6.3 yards per carry during his time at Auburn. Between him, Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, the Rams have what should be a tough-to-tackle trio in their backfield.
118. Atlanta Falcons: Billy Bowman Jr, S, Oklahoma
119. Cincinnati Bengals: Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
120. Tennessee Titans (from Seahawks): Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas
Helm emerged as a vertical threat down the seam in his final season at Texas. He became a favorite target of Quinn Ewers, logging a team-best 60 receptions, and has good hands, making him a viable receiving threat at the next level. Cam Ward should enjoy throwing to him during their respective rookie seasons.
121. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: David Walker, edge, Central Arkansas
Walker is undersized for the edge at 6-1, 231 pounds, but was highly productive playing in the FCS. He had 10.5 sacks during his final season and Todd Bowles should be able to figure out how to best use his explosiveness in a rotational setting. Walker starred at the Senior Bowl, helping instill confidence he can hold up against higher-end prospects.
122. Carolina Panthers (from Broncos): Lathan Ransom, S, Ohio State
123. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jack Sawyer, edge, Ohio State
Sawyer produced a career-high nine sacks during his final season with the Buckeyes and established himself as an strong, hard-working edge rusher. He will add depth to an already good Steelers pass rush and profiles as a great rotational player behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
124. Green Bay Packers: Barryn Sorrell, edge, Texas
125. Los Angeles Chargers: Kyle Kennard, edge, South Carolina
126. Cleveland Browns: Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
Sampson led the SEC in carries (258), rushing yards (1,491) and rushing touchdowns (22) last season. He and second-round pick Quinshon Judkins will create a dynamic one-two punch in Cleveland.
127. Indianapolis Colts (from Rams): Jalen Travis, OT, Iowa State
128. Washington Commanders (from Texans): Jaylin Lane, WR, Virginia Tech
129. Baltimore Ravens: Teddye Buchanan, LB, California
130. New York Jets (from Eagles): Malachi Moore, S, Alabama
Moore played five seasons at Alabama and posted a career-high 70 tackles and eight pass defenses during his final seasons. His experience will allow him to seamlessly transition into Aaron Glenn’s defense, which relied on high-end safety play during the coach’s time in Detroit.
131. New Orleans Saints (from Commanders): Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville
132. Chicago Bears (from Bills): Ruben Hyppolite II, LB, Maryland
133. Kansas City Chiefs: Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
Royals ran a 4.42 40 and has a well-built 6-0, 205-pound frame. His combination of solid speed, burst and great body control should allow him to consistently separate from NFL defensive backs and develop into a quality weapon for Patrick Mahomes.
134. Denver Broncos: Que Robinson, edge, Alabama
135.Las Vegas Raiders (compensatory, from Dolphins): Tonka Hemingway, DT, South Carolina
136. Tennessee Titans (compensatory, from Ravens): Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Ayomanor has great size (6-2, 206 pounds), length and was a vertical playmker in college at Stanford. He generated 293 yards in a 2023 game against Colorado while largely being guarded by Travis Hunter. Ayomanor should be another quality playmaker for the Titans to install around Cam Ward.
137. New England Patriots (compensatory, via Seahawks): Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State
138. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory): Jordan Watkins, WR, Ole Miss
Round 5
139. Minnesota Vikings (from Browns): Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, edge, Georgia
140. Carolina Panthers (from Giants): Cam Jackson, DT, Florida
141. Baltimore Ravens (from Titans): Carson Vinson, OT, Alabama A&M
142. Seattle Seahawks (from Vikings): Rylie Mills, DT, Notre Dame
Mills led Notre Dame with 7.5 sacks last season. An injury limited him to just one College Football Playoff game appearance, and his presence was missed. If healthy, he should be quality rotational lineman for the Seahawks.
143. Miami Dolphins (from Raiders): Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland
144. Cleveland Browns (from Seahawks via Patriots): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Sanders’ long draft day slide finally ends. The Browns traded up in the fifth round of the draft to select the Colorado quarterback, who completed 74% of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. His arm strength is merely solid, but his accuracy and ability to navigate the pocket could make him a quality NFL quarterback.
Sanders will now compete with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel for playing time with the Browns.
145. Philadelphia Eagles: Mac McWilliams, CB, UCF
146. New England Patriots (from Panthers): Bradyn Swinson, edge, LSU
147. San Francisco 49ers (from Saints via Commanders): Jordan James, RB, Oregon
148. Los Angeles Rams (from Bears): Ty Hamilton, DT, Ohio State
149. Dallas Cowboys: Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas
Blue had the most productive season of his career in his final season at Texas. He racked up 730 yards on 134 carries with eight rushing touchdowns. The 21-year-old blazed a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and will add a much needed pop of speed to Dallas’ backfield rotation.
150. Miami Dolphins: Jason Marshall Jr., CB, Florida
151. Indianapolis Colts: DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
152. Dallas Cowboys (from Cardinals): Shemar James, LB, Florida
153. Cincinnati Bengals: Jalen Rivers, OL, Miami (FL)
154. New York Giants (from Seahawks): Marcus Mbow, OL, Purdue
155. Miami Dolphins (from Broncos): Dante Trader Jr., S, Maryland
156. Kansas City Chiefs: Jeffrey Bassa, LB, Oregon
157. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Elijah Roberts, edge, SMU
158. Los Angeles Chargers: KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR, Auburn
159. Green Bay Packers: Collin Oliver, LB, Oklahoma State
160. San Francisco 49ers (from Vikings): Marques Sigle, S, Kansas State
161. Philadelphia Eagles (from Texans): Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia
Mondon plays with good physicality and downhill speed. He ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Combine and had three sacks in each of his last two seasons at Georgia. The Eagles love selecting Georgia players and Mondon could develop into a solid role-player for them.
162. New York Jets (from Rams via Steelers): Francisco Mauigoa, LB, Miami (FL)
163. Carolina Panthers (from Ravens): Mitchell Evans, TE, Notre Dame
164. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Chiefs): Yahya Black, DT, Iowa
165. Los Angeles Chargers: Oronde Gadsen II, TE, Syracuse
166. Seattle Seahawks: Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
Horton posted back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons for the Rams before missing half of his final season with a knee injury. He has great size (6-2) and 4.41 speed that should allow him to become a productive part of Seattle’s receiving corps.
167. Tennessee Titans (from Chiefs): Jackson Slater, G, Sacramento State
168. Philadelphia Eagles: Drew Kendall, C, Boston College
169. Chicago Bears (from Bills, compensatory): Zah Frazier, CB, UTSA
170. Buffalo Bills (from Cowboys; compensatory): Jordan Hancock, CB, Ohio State
171. Detroit Lions (from Patriots via Cowboys; compensatory): Miles Frazier, G, LSU
172. Los Angeles Rams (from Vikings via Seahawks, compensatory): Chris Paul Jr., LB, Ole Miss
173. Buffalo Bills (compensatory): Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech
174. Arizona Cardinals (from Cowboys, compensatory): Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
175. Seattle Seahawks (compensatory): Robbie Ouzts, TE, Alabama
176. New York Jets (from Ravens, compensatory): Tyler Baron, edge, Miami (FL)
Round 6
177. Buffalo Bills (from Giants): Dorian Strong, CB, Virginia Tech
178. Baltimore Ravens: Bilhal Kone, CB, Western Michigan
179. Miami Dolphins (from Texans via Browns): Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Gordon is a thick (6-1, 226 pounds), physical runner who will compliment the speedy De’Von Achane well in Miamis running back-friendly offense.
180. Las Vegas Raiders: JJ Pegues, DT, Ole Miss
181. Philadelphia Eagles: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse
McCord had a Syracuse-record 34 touchdowns in 2024 and led the FBS is passing yards with 4,779 passing yards. He has a gunslinger’s mentality and is willing to take downfield chances. He has the arm strength needed to be a quality quarterback but Philadelphia will look to develop his accuracy at the next level.
182. New England Patriots: Andres Borregales, K, Miami (FL)
Borregales is the first kicker off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Miami product made 74 of 86 field goals during his four-year college career with the Hurricanes. He made all 62 of his extra point attempts last season as well.
183. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Harris, CB, California
184. New Orleans Saints (reacquired via Commanders): Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
185. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Bears via Seahawks): Will Howard, QB, Ohio State
Howard was a steady, accurate and tough quarterback during his lone season at Ohio State. He has a solid arm and functional mobility that should give him a floor as a high-end backup quarterback at the NFL level. The Steelers will look to develop Howard, perhaps behind veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and look to build upon the Ohio State product’s excellent performance during the team’s national championship run.
186. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Loop, K, Arizona
187. Houston Texans: Jaylen Reed, S, Penn State
188. Tennessee Titans (from Cowboys): Kalel Mullings, RB, Michigan
189. Indianapolis Colts: Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
The Colts wanted to add quarterback depth behind Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. Leonard ends up being their choice. He led the Fighting Irish to a national championship game appearance in his lone season with the team, showing excellent toughness and downhill running abilities that could make him a Taysom Hill-like threat at the NFL level.
Leonard doesn’t have the strongest arm and settled mostly for short passes because of that at Notre Dame. He needs to work on his downfield accuracy and consistency, but he’s still a worthwhile gamble at this point in the draft.
190. Indianapolis Colts (from Rams via Falcons): Tim Smith, DT, Alabama
191. Philadelphia Eagles: Myles Hinton, OT, Michigan
192. Seattle Seahawks (from Browns and Dolphins via Bears): Bryce Cabeldue, G, Kansas
193. Cincinnati Bengals: Tahj Brooks, RB, Texas Tech
194. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Seahawks): Jalen McLeod, LB, Auburn
195. Los Angeles Rams (from Steelers): Luke Newman, OL, Michigan State
196. Detroit Lions (from Buccaneers): Ahmed Hassanein, edge, Boise State
197. Houston Texans: Graham Mertz, QB, Florida
Mertz played six college seasons at Wisconsin at Florida and completed 73.7% of his passes across two seasons with the Gators. He enjoyed a quality 2023 season, throwing for 2,903 yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions but played just five games before suffering a torn ACL in October. Mertz will now look to battle for a spot behind C.J. Stroud on Houston’s quarterback depth chart, unless the Texans give him a redshirt year to heal his knee.
198. Green Bay Packers: Warren Brinson, DT, Georgia
199. Los Angeles Chargers: Branson Taylor, OT, Pittsburgh
200. Jacksonville Jaguars: Rayuan Lane III, S, Navy
201. Minnesota Vikings: Kobe King, LB, Penn State
202. Minnesota Vikings (from Rams via Texans, Steelers and Bears): Gavin Bartholomew, TE, Pitt
203. Baltimore Ravens: LaJohntay Wester, WR, Colorado
204. Dallas Cowboys (from Lions via Browns and Bills): Ajani Cornelius, G, Oregon
205. Washington Commanders: Kain Medrano, LB, UCLA
206. Buffalo Bills: Chase Lundt, OT, UConn
207. Philadelphia Eagles (from Jets and Chiefs): Cameron Williams, OT, Texas
208. Carolina Panthers: Jimmy Horn Jr., WR, Colorado
209. Philadelphia Eagles (compensatory, from Chargers): Antwaun Powell-Ryland, edge, Virginia Tech
210. Baltimore Ravens (compensatory): Aeneas Peebles, DT, Virginia Tech
211. Arizona Cardinals (compensatory, from Cowboys): Hayden Conner, G, Texas
212. Baltimore Ravens (compensatory): Robert Longerbeam, CB, Rutgers
213. Las Vegas Raiders (compensatory): Tommy Mellott, QB, Montana State
Mellott is on the smaller side for a quarterback (5-11, 200 pounds) but was undeniably productive at Montana State. He completed 67.8% of his passes for 2,783 yards, 31 touchdowns and two interceptions while running for 1,050 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Mellott is fast and slippery, so he could be turned into a versatile backfield weapon at the NFL level. He could also potentially move to receiver (like Julian Edelman) if the Raiders don’t think his arm isn’t strong enough to remain at quarterback.
214. Los Angeles Chargers (compensatory): R.J. Mickens, S, Clemson
Mickens has NFL bloodlines, as his father, Ray, played 11 NFL seasons for the Patriots, Jets, and Browns. The younger Mickens had a career-high 75 tackles and seven pass defenses in his final season at Clemson.
215. Las Vegas Raiders (compensatory): Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State
That’s two sixth-round FCS quarterbacks for the Raiders. Miller completed 73.5% of his passes for 3,251 yards, 33 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading North Dakota State to another FCS championship. He has good mobility and could become a solid backup at the NFL level.
216. Denver Broncos (from Texans, compensatory): Jeremy Crawshaw, P, Florida
Round 7
217. Dallas Cowboys (from Titans via Patriots): Jay Toia, DT, UCLA
218. Atlanta Falcons (from Browns via Chargers): Jack Nelson, OT, Wisconsin
219. New York Giants: Thomas Fidone II, TE, Nebraska
220. New England Patriots: Marcus Bryant, OT, Missouri
221. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jonah Monheim, C, USC
222. Las Vegas Raiders: Cody Lindenberg, LB, Minnesota
223. Seattle Seahawks (from Saints via Eagles and Steelers): Damien Martinez, RB, Miami (FL)
Martinez posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Miami and has the size needed (6-0, 217 pounds) needed to be a productive back at the NFL level.
224. Houston Texans (from Dolphins via Bears) Kyonte Hamilton, DT, Rutgers
225. Arizona Cardinals (from Jets via Chiefs): Kitan Crawford, S, Nebraska
226. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Chiefs via Panthers): Carson Bruener, LB, Washington
227. San Francisco 49ers: Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana
Rourke doesn’t have a stand-out skill set, but he was a good-looking game manager at Indiana, completing 69.4% of his passes for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He may not have a starter’s ceiling, but he could be a steady backup at the NFL level.
228. Kansas City Chiefs (from Lions via Cowboys): Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
229. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Falcons via Eagles): Donte Kent, CB, Central Michigan
230. Detroit Lions: Dan Jackson, S, Georgia
231. Miami Dolphins: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
The Dolphins get a backup quarterback to compete with Zach Wilson. Questions exist about Ewers’ arm strength – he threw a lot of touch passes at Texas and didn’t drive the ball into his downfield throws – but he led the Longhorns to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances while showing poise in the pocket and between-the-numbers accuracy.
232. Indianapolis Colts: Hunter Wohler, S, Wisconsin
233. Chicago Bears (from Bengals): Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers
234. Seattle Seahawks: Mason Richman, OT, Iowa
235. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
236. Jacksonville Jaguars: LeQuint Allen, RB, Syracuse
237. Green Bay Packers (from Steelers): Micah Robinson, DB, Tulane
238. Seattle Seahawks: Ricky White III, WR, UNLV
239. Dallas Cowboys (from Packers via Titans): Phil Mafah, RB, Clemson
240. Buffalo Bills: Kaden Prather, WR, Maryland
241. Denver Broncos: Caleb Lohner, TE, Utah
242. Los Angeles Rams: Konata Mumpfield, WR, Pitt
243. Baltimore Ravens: Garrett Dellinger, G, LSU
244. Detroit Lions: Dominic Lovett, WR, Georgia
245. Washington Commanders: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Arizona
246. New York Giants (from Bills): Korie Black, CB, Oklahoma State
247. Dallas Cowboys (from Chiefs via Panthers): Tommy Akingbesote, DT, Maryland
248. New Orleans Saints (from Eagles via Commanders): Moliki Matavao, TE, UCLA
249. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory): Connor Colby, G, Iowa
250. Green Bay Packers (compensatory): John Williams, G, Cincinnati
251. New England Patriots (from Chiefs, compensatory): Julian Ashby, LS, Vanderbilt
Ashby is the first long snapper drafted since 2021. He will challenge Joe Cardona for the job in New England.
252. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory): Junior Bergen, WR, Montana
253. Miami Dolphins (compensatory): Zeek Biggers, DT, Georgia Tech
254. New Orleans Saints (compensatory): Fadil Diggs, edge, Syracuse
255. Houston Texans: Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
Lachey is the son of Jim Lachey, who was a three-time first-team All-Pro offensive lineman with Washington. The younger Lachey had 74 catches for 893 yards and four touchdowns across five seasons at Iowa.
256. Los Angeles Chargers (compensatory): Trikweze Bridges, CB, Florida
257. New England Patriots (from Chiefs, compensatory): Kobee Minor, DB, Memphis
Sanders’ dramatic draft slide deeper than pure football?
USA TODAY Sports columnist Jarrett Bell opined Friday, regarding the free fall of Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders: ‘Given all of the negativity heaped on Sanders in the weeks leading up to the draft – including shots from anonymous sources who attacked him as arrogant and entitled – I’m having a hard time shaking the feeling that the snub went beyond football. Sure, nitpicking is allowed – and expected as part of the due diligence of talent evaluations – when it comes to breaking down prospects. But in Sanders’ case, even if his correctable flaw of holding onto the football too long can be fixed (like flaws that can be found with any given prospect), it strikes me as a culture pick, too. Or non-pick.’
Round 1 winners and losers
The draft is only 12% complete in terms of picks used. That doesn’t mean Thursday night’s wild first round didn’t dispense some immediate winners and losers … plus a pair of highly scrutinized teams that warrant a ‘TBD’ status.
First-round grades
Want report cards for Thursday night’s Round 1 proceedings? Draft expert Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz issued report cards for all 32 picks – and no one failed, but several teams will definitely need some improvement going into Day 2.
Deion Sanders weighs in on criticism of son, QB Shedeur Sanders
USA TODAY Sports columnist Jarrett Bell recently went to Boulder, Colorado, and discussed several topics with Hall of Famer and University of Colorado football coach, Deion Sanders – among them the pre-draft criticism of his son, former Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders, who wasn’t picked in Round 1.
“It’s silly to us,” Deion told USA TODAY Sports during an expansive interview. “Most of it is laughable. What I told him, too, is, ‘Son, what I’ve learned in my life is when it don’t make sense, it’s God. Because some of this stuff is so stupid it don’t make sense. That means God is closing doors and opening doors to make sure you get to where you’re supposed to go.”
50* biggest NFL draft busts of last 50 years
The asterisk because I couldn’t limit this list of names, which will take you down memory lane, to just 50. One reason? Rewind four years to the 2021 draft, supposedly chock full of quarterback talent … that mostly has yet to materialize.
NFL draft prospect rankings
NFL draft expert Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz has been evaluating and ranking players ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. Take a dive into his overall assessment plus those of the best offensive weapons:
Top 50 big board (Feb. 25) | Top 200 big board (April 24)
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