2025 NFL Draft: Shavon Revel Jr. to Cowboys, Jack Bech to Raiders among best single picks made by each team

I provided my team draft grades right after the 2025 NFL Draft. How about a more micro angle with them? Let’s get more granular. Instead of giving a grade for the entire draft class, let’s highlight the best pick made by every franchise from Day 1 through Day 3, selection No. 1 through No. 257 overall. 

Here are the best individual picks for all 32 teams. And this process wasn’t an easy endeavor. Value was slightly factored in, as was opportunity for said draft pick to produce in the NFL. I also included an honorable mention for every club because it was often very difficult to come to a concrete decision. That’s what happens when you evaluate an entire class — there are many prospects you ultimately like quite a bit. 

After this, be sure to check out my seven favorite undrafted free agents with rationale for each of those post-draft signees. 

Will Johnson had first round — and even top-10 buzz — for a while at the outset of the pre-draft process. The lingering injury, shorter arms than expected and lack of a 40-yard dash when there were clear concerns about his speed, led to his fall. He did have nine interceptions in 32 games at Michigan, and the Cardinals desperately needed more juice at outside cornerback.  (Honorable mention: DT Walter Nolen)

OK, so I didn’t love the cost to get James Pearce Jr. Then again, he was my No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class, so, technically, if I had to pick a player I believed was worth spending an arm and a leg for, it was him. He’s NFL-ready in my estimation because he can already beat blockers in a variety of ways. Because of that 6-foot-5 frame, there’s plenty of room to add mass that’ll generate even more power as a professional, and the Falcons have had the worst pass-rushing unit in football for more than a decade now. (Honorable mention: S Xavier Watts)

Teddye Buchanan and Roquan Smith are going to quickly become one of the best linebacker tandems in the NFL. Mark it down. Buchanan is a heady second-level defender, rarely caught out of position. The three-down skills emanate from him. And he’s not a small overachiever who will have to overcome athletic hurdles in the NFL. He ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash with a 40-inch vertical at taller than 6-foot-2 and 233 pounds. (Honorable mention: EDGE Mike Green)

Let me ask you, when Ed Oliver was off the field or not at his best, who could the Bills defensive line rely upon the past season or two to generate consistent pocket push from the inside? The answer is no one. And that lack of interior pressure was integral to Buffalo’s difficult defeats in the playoffs the past five years. T.J. Sanders walks into Orchard Park with a loaded pass-rush move arsenal, his motor hums on every play, and he tested as a high-caliber athlete for the position. The final check mark on his profile? Back-to-back years of high-caliber production in the SEC. (Honorable mention: DT Deone Walker)

No defense in Round 1 for Carolina. That came later. It’s as if the team knew the historically porous defense needed to be addressed while remembering nothing moves the needle for a franchise more than tremendous play at quarterback. And Tetairoa McMillan directly impacts Year 3 of Bryce Young. He’s a big power-forward type who wins as a rebounder with consistency and shines post-catch. (Honorable mention: EDGE Princely Umanmielen)

Overkill at receiver. On paper, sure. In reality, I genuinely believe a team can’t have too many receivers — particularly when there’s a young, unproven quarterback looking to make a name for himself — although there is only one football to go around. Luther Burden III is D.J. Moore 2.0, a stocky, YAC dynamo who can excel in the other aspects of playing the position, most notably tracking the football downfield. It will forever confuse me how and why he was available a few picks into Round 2. (Honorable mention: CB Zah Frazier)

Cincinnati Bengals 

Tahj Brooks is not your classic throwaway sixth-round running back. No siree. This man went over 1,300 yards in consecutive seasons at Texas Tech at 5.3 yards per in each campaign the past two seasons at a fire-hydrant like 5-9 and 214 pounds. He’s shifty too, always a plus for any back, and especially for one with that much thickness to his profile. The Bengals will get desired efficiency from their double Round 6 backfield with Chase Brooks and this rookie. (Honorable mention: OL Jalen Rivers)

Approaching this from a football-viewpoint only. Shedeur Sanders was not a fifth-round talent. He has slow feet, only slightly above average accuracy downfield, and an average arm. But in Round 5, for a club that’s been on a never-ending voyage to find its quarterback since Bernie Kosar left the organization, and, yeah, this was a sensible pick, at No. 144 overall. (Honorable mention: TE Harold Fannin Jr.)

Dallas Cowboys

Shavon Revel Jr. is a throwback cornerback. In the Legion of Boom days, when every team wanted cornerbacks over 6-foot with long arms, this East Carolina star would’ve been a first-round selection. And frankly, had he not torn his ACL in September, he was tracking toward that draft status anyway because of his immense play-making skill and tremendous speed. (Honorable mention: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku)

Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey is going to be a blast with Sean Payton designing plays for him in the pass game. He’s a darn-good between-the-tackles runner, too. And with 4.41 speed, you better believe he’ll hit a few home-runs at the next level. This was such a smart pick for a team attempting to build around Bo Nix. (Honorable mention: EDGE Sai’vion Jones)

Offensive guard Miles Frazier is the wide, nasty blocker born to play in Detroit for Dan Campbell’s team. He’s over 6-foot-5 and 317 pounds, so there’s probably room for him to add 10 pounds to his frame to become a masher in the NFL like he was at LSU the past few seasons. After some losses along the offensive line this offseason, this was a prudent choice for the Lions, and getting Frazier in Round 6 represented magnificent value. (Honorable mention: OG Tate Ratledge)

I’m actually surprised the Packers didn’t select Warren Brinson sooner, because he’s in the same mold of the bigger, long, legit versatile defensive linemen this organization has gravitated towards for a long time. At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds with long arms, Brinson establishes contact then counters off it on a regular basis. He registered 36 pressures on 412 pass-rush snaps the past two seasons at Georgia and displayed freaky movement skills when knifing into the backfield against the run often. The Packers quietly needed more defensive-line depth. (Honorable mention: WR Savion Williams)

The theme of the offseason for the Texans has been the complete teardown and rebuilding of what was a brutal offensive line in 2024. Aireontae Ersery represents the youthful element of the overhaul. He had some of the cleanest film of any blocker in the entire class. His size, balance and deceptive athleticism caused that. He can play right tackle or guard to begin his NFL career before gliding outside to left tackle post Laremy Tunsil. (Honorable mention: WR Jayden Higgins)

Jonathan Taylor is the workhorse. No one is disputing that. He is 26 years old now and has carried the ball over 1,200 times in his NFL career to date, so it’s smart for the Colts to start thinking about ball-carrier options to relieve Taylor of such a giant workload. Sure, a fifth-round pick doesn’t indicate Indianapolis felt this was a top priority, but DJ Giddens should’ve been picked earlier, especially relative to many of the runners selected in front of him. He runs high yet interestingly has incredible lateral-cutting talent. His springy style allows him to excel once he reaches the second level and beyond. (Honorable mention: TE Tyler Warren)

My RB2 in Round 4 — heck yea, this was the definition of a value pick for the Jaguars. Bhayshul Tuten needs to rid his game of the fumbling issues he demonstrated at Virginia Tech, no doubt. He has 4.32 speed — which feels that fast on film — and escapes tacklers on a regular basis. I haven’t forgotten about Travis Etienne Jr., yet the Tank Bigsby-Tuten combo has me much more excited. (Honorable mention: CB/S Caleb Ransaw)

Ashton Gillotte is George Karlaftian, in that he may not always move like a premier pass rusher, but he knows how to rush the passer with subtly. His film was littered with nuanced reps against tackles and guards, and it showed in his production numbers — 15.6% pressure rate on over 730 pass-rush opportunities the past two years at Louisville. And the Chiefs were desperate for another serious outside pass-rushing presence beyond Karlaftis. (Honorable mention: DT Omarr Norman-Lott)

I had a first-round grade on Jack Bech. Not ashamed to admit it for one second. Bech is a savvy route runner with quality size, impeccable hands and concentration in traffic, and he was one of the most rugged, dynamic receiver after the catch in college football last season. He’s going to rock with all the attention over the middle, and justifiably so, on Brock Bowers. (Honorable mention: WR Dont’e Thornton Jr.)

Tre Harris has route-running upside, but after hardly getting experience on a full route tree at Ole Miss, it’s going to take time to master the intricacies it takes to separate from NFL cornerbacks. Everything else about his profile is really fun. He’s tall, fast and regularly made circus grabs downfield. Oh, and yeah, the Chargers had an overt need on the outside, even if they believe in Quentin Johnston’s development and think they can get some contributions from Mike Williams in 2025. (Honorable mention: WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith)

The Rams exuded draft prudence. They’ve long been one of the sharpest drafting teams in the NFL, which was overshadowed by their massive success during a time when they didn’t have first-round picks. Those picks were vital to the Super Bowl victory. So were the Day 2 and Day 3 selections along the way. And this is next in line. Terrance Ferguson was my TE2 in this class, blessed with a stellar combination of every trait and developed skill a team would want from a tight end in today’s NFL. (Honorable mention: EDGE Josaiah Stewart and RB Jarquez Hunter)

GM Chris Grier has flipped the script on the Dolphins draft ideology. While the previous ideology led to a cascade of points and playoff appearances, it was clear Miami wasn’t going to win in the postseason with all flash and minimal substance. Jonah Savaiinaea was on the draft radar for years because of his size, calm, cool and collected pass-blocking capabilities, and movement skills. He can play any position upfront but makes sense at center for the Dolphins to help usher in a new, more physical era in South Beach. (Honorable mention: Ollie Gordon II)

Even if I don’t love the prospect, if a team’s first-round pick directly impacts the young quarterback, I applaud it. In the case of Donovan Jackson, I happened to have adored him as a prospect. Huge recruit, long, requisite size to play on the interior, and he took on the unenviable task of any interior blocker when he bumped out to left tackle for Ohio State last season and absolutely thrived. He can be Wyatt Teller 2.0 in Minnesota. (Honorable mention: WR Tai Felton)

Nothing fancy here. No sixth-round value pick. The Patriots’ best selection came with the fourth pick in the draft. There is 10% of me worried about Will Campbell short wingspan. The other 90% feels confident he’s going to be a franchise foundation in the Drake Maye era for the next decade. (Honorable mention: DT Joshua Farmer)

Another best selection made first. The Saints essentially had needs at every single position, and if don’t love the quarterbacks, pick another premium position, like offensive tackle, in Round 1. Don’t get it twisted though: Kelvin Banks Jr. wasn’t just a default decision for New Orleans. His pass-protection film was as boring as any other blocker in the class. That’s the ultimate compliment for an offensive linemen. (Honorable mention: DT Vernon Broughton)

New York Giants

Abdul Carter is the ideal running mate to Brian Burns, the equally as dynamic bendy defensive end in New York. For as clearly quarterback-challenged as the Giants have been for basically the duration of the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll era, the defense hasn’t exactly been stingy, either. But it’s slowly but surely improved, thanks to the play of Dexter Lawrence and Burns up front. Carter’s addition — along with Kayvon Thibodeaux as the No. 3 rusher — will pay big dividends. (Honorable mention: OL Marcus Mbow)

I couldn’t quite get a handle on what the Jets new regime would do in the first round, but I can tell you from a team-building perspective, they absolutely made the right decision selecting an athletic, strong-willed right tackle over a tight end. Armand Membou has some technical kinks to troubleshoot in the NFL, but his upside is massive given how smooth of a mover he is, and how fast he erupts off the line of scrimmage. (Honorable mention: CB Azareye’h Thomas)

In just a few years, we’ll be heaping even more praise on Howie Roseman for uncovering another non-first-round gem who has fortified the trenches on the offensive side of the ball. Myles Hinton was built in a football laboratory measurements-wise, and he moves like he’s 20 pounds lighter. After Lane Johnson’s Pro Football Hall of Fame career is over, Hinton can keep Philadelphia dominant up front at right tackle. Rare to find these types in Round 6. (Honorable mention: LB Jihaad Campbell)

While Kaleb Johnson is the prospect Najee Harris was a few years ago, with this pick of the Iowa runner, the Steelers demonstrated they have learned from past draft-weekend mistakes. Round 3 is a much more reasonable time to select a thick running back than in the late stages of Round 1. Johnson glides on inside and outside zone runs and has effortless power to his game. (Honorable mention: QB Will Howard)

CJ West is a lunchpail type interior rusher with upfield juice that generates serious point-of-attack power. He’s spectacular against the run — which was seemingly a prerequisite for the vast majority of San Francisco’s 2025 draft picks. (Honorable mention: S Marques Sigle)

GM John Schneider made it excruciatingly hard for me to make a selection here, because I thought he knocked this draft out of the park and into Puget Sound. I have an uneasy feeling about Sam Darnold in Seattle — particularly long-term — and Jalen Milroe graded as my No. 2 quarterback in this class. Similar to Emmanwori, I love that head coach Mike Macdonald got experience in his past in Baltimore with a Milroe-like player (Lamar Jackson). In time, Milroe can give the Seahawks a high-end, new-age passer. (Honorable mention: S Nick Emmanwori)

Quick, name some of the Buccaneers defensive ends beyond Yaya Diaby. Tough exercise, isn’t it? Tampa Bay had to get sturdier at that position, and with Elijah Roberts they get a massive edge presence (nearly 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds) who generated 131 pressures on fewer than 760 pass-rush snaps the past two seasons at SMU. Landing him in Round 5 was tremendous value. (Honorable mention: WR Emeka Egbuka)

Safety Kevin Winston Jr. was tracking toward a locked-in first-round draft projection. Then he tore a knee ligament super early in the 2024 season. He’s long, lean, hard-hitting, incredibly rangy and ridiculously reliable as a tackler. The Titans were in dire need of huge talents on the defense beyond Jeffery Simmons. They got that here with Winston. (Honorable mention: QB Cam Ward)

The one position that has reasonably good history late on Day 3 is running back. Heck, former Commanders rusher Alfred Morris was a sixth-round pick and had over 1,600 rushing yards as a rookie in the famed Robert Griffin III rookie season of 2012. Jacory Croskey-Merritt was ruled ineligible by the NCAA early in 2024. Had that not happened, he would’ve been picked two, if not three rounds earlier than this. At nearly 5-foot-11 and 206 pounds, he ran 4.44 with a 41.5-inch vertical at the Arizona Pro Day and was a bouncy back on his 13 carries — that he took for 106 yards — last season at Arizona, which followed a 6.3-yards-per tote, 17-touchdown campaign at New Mexico in 2023. He can quickly become a feature of Washington’s run game. (Honorable mention: WR Jaylin Lane)