Who are the big winners & losers from the NFL Draft?

Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders at the 2025 NFL DraftGetty Images

As usual the NFL Draft provided plenty of talking points, with Shedeur Sanders’ epic slide and the Jacksonville Jaguars trading up two of the biggest.

There was not quite the depth of star names involved this year but still plenty of intrigue, and although you can never really gauge just how well teams have done there are clear opinions on both.

Cam Ward was picked first by the Tennessee Titans but there has been none of the fanfare that usually accompanies that selection, as it was widely expected and there was plenty of drama elsewhere.

But who have been seen as the big winners and losers from the draft in Green Bay?

Jaguars jump up to land Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at the 2025 draft in Green BayGetty Images

Seen as the best receiver and the best cornerback in the entire draft, Travis Hunter could be one of the biggest stars for years in the league.

So much so that the Jacksonville Jaguars gave the Cleveland Browns their second-round pick and next year’s first rounder to grab him at number two in the draft.

Baby faced Jaguars general manager James Gladstone is just 34, the second-youngest to ever hold the position with an NFL team, and he has signalled his intentions to be aggressive from the very start.

It is a bold move, but star players can help teams build empires in the NFL, and having a difference maker on both offence and defence is something the league has hardly ever seen before.

Hunter will primarily play as a wide receiver at first, forming an explosive partnership with Brian Thomas Jr that gives quarterback Trevor Lawrence immense firepower.

If Hunter can also work his magic in limited defensive packages then the Jags really could have pulled off a masterstroke.

The Shedeur Sanders slide saga

Where do you start with Shedeur Sanders?

In truth, not being picked in the first round was not that big a shock as only a handful of teams were in the market for a first-round quarterback, and not many held a pressing need for a QB at all.

And despite what his famous father Deion Sanders proclaimed, the Colorado quarterback did not show truly elite, NFL talent in college.

Dropping down to the fifth round at pick 144 overall was a surprise though, as five other quarterbacks were taken before him – including by the Cleveland Browns who eventually picked up Sanders.

Sanders had a lavish draft party set up but had to watch as pick by pick and round by round went by without his name being called, and although he took it with good grace that really would have hurt.

Some say he has an entitled, arrogant personality that caused his slide, some say it was personal – but now he has to prove himself in a crowded quarterback room in Cleveland at a team that picked six other players, including a quarterback, ahead of him.

And such is the new way of college athletes being able to get paid, Sanders has already earned millions as a big name with lucrative marketing deals – but his draft slide has cost him, as his fifth-round contract will be about $5m (£3.7m), when even being a low first-round pick would have earned him about $18m (£13.5m).

Did the confusing Cleveland Browns win or lose?

The Cleveland Browns pick Shedeur Sanders at the NFL DraftGetty Images

All you want to see from your team at the draft is a plan, and if the Browns have one they disguised it pretty well.

It could still be a success if a number of gambles pay off – notably passing up the chance to pick Hunter, which could be a massive mistake if he becomes a league legend.

The extra first-round pick they have next year though could make it look inspired.

And then there is picking Sanders as their second quarterback, after also selecting Dillon Gabriel earlier.

The expensive but injured Deshaun Watson, veteran former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett are joined by two rookies all vying for a starting spot.

A best case scenario sees both Gabriel and Sanders push each other into a genuine quarterback battle with both being quality choices, but it could also lead to more misery at the position for the Browns.

And famous father Deion Sanders will not be quiet in the background if things do not go his son’s way.

Brady’s Raiders solid and get a star

The Las Vegas Raiders have made some dodgy picks down the years, but with veteran head coach Pete Carroll and part-owner Tom Brady to lean on, first-time general manager John Spytek delivered a very solid draft.

He made 11 pretty reasonable picks – starting with a star running back in Ashton Jeanty who together with veteran quarterback Geno Smith could give the offence new life.

They picked two wide receivers and added a third with Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott expected to switch to wideout and special teams.

And Brady will certainly have been consulted about their sixth-round quarterback selection Cam Miller from North Dakota State.

Miller had 9,721 passing yards and 81 touchdowns in college, but also ran for 2,277 yards and 48 rushing scores, so could be one to watch if he develops as Smith’s back-up.

Aggressive Atlanta overpay – then Sanders apology

The Atlanta Falcons needed a pass rush but maybe they went overboard trying to solve it, when not only selecting Jalon Walker with the 15th pick overall but also doing an ambitious trade to get back into the first round.

They gave up a first rounder next year to draft James Pearce Jr, by no means a slam dunk, and a hefty price to pay for a bit of a swing.

Atalanta have form though as they drafted quarterback Michaal Penix Jr in last year’s first round despite handing Kirk Cousins $100m just before it.

The questionable trade was followed by sheer embarrassment as it emerged the son of Atlanta’s defensive co-ordinator Jeff Ulbrich made a prank call to Sanders pretending to be the New Orleans Saints about to draft him.

The Falcons issued an apology, as did 21-year-old Jax Ulbrich, but it still left a bitter taste.

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