Subscribe
Follow Us
Perhaps the NFL Draft turned out as a surprise for Jaxson Dart. And one team impressed Mel Kiper Jr. However, here are the five biggest steals from the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The league rolled out the red carpet for newcomers, with Cam Ward leading off the festivities by joining the Tennessee Titans organization.
A blockbuster trade between Jacksonville and Cleveland followed, and things took off from there. And here’s a look at which teams nailed it.
No. 1: Packers, WR Matthew Golden
The Packers had not gone the wide receiver route in the first round. But when team after team passed on Golden — most notably the Cowboys — the Packers pounced. And they won the first round.
This is exactly what the Packers needed. It’s not like Golden will do it by himself. But the Packers already have the things in place that put them in the Super Bowl conversation. Now they have that Alpha dude who can make big plays in the postseason. The kind of big plays that lift a team to victory.
The big-play threat possesses sub-4.3 speed. So, he can take the top off defenses. Also, he can win with physicality and crisp route-running. The expectation is that he will hit the ground running and start from Week 1.
Packers GM said Golden brings plenty to the organization, according to packerswire.com.
“Really versatile, he's going to do a lot of things,” Gutekunst said. “He's going to be versatile enough to do everything we ask him to do.
“Dynamic (returner). I think our special teams staff is pretty fired up, too. I think kickoffs will be an easy transition for him, and I think he can do some punts as well. When you take a guy in the first round, that's not the first thing I'm thinking about, but I do think he can help us there.”
Also, Golden brings good things to the locker room.
“Authentic and genuine,” Gutekunst said. “This guy has been through some things now in his young life, came out the other side of it. He knows who he is. He loves football. And I think he's going to be a great teammate around here.”
No. 2: Raiders, RB Ashton Jeanty
When the Jaguars made their move for Travis Hunter in the draft, the Raiders probably celebrated. That’s because it cleared the way for them to get the next superstar running back.
Jeanty’s combination of potentially elite NFL skills will make him a draft look-back in about 10 years. People will check out the 2025 draft and say, ‘Man, we could have had Jeanty.
He has power through contact, patience, stamina, and vision. The whole bucket of goods. And he can make plays as a receiver.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll seemed to be tickled, according to raiders.com.
“There's a lot of things to talk about, but one of the things is he was hard to tackle,” Carroll said. “I mean, guys couldn't get him on the ground. That skill to make people miss and to bounce off tackles and to use the force of the tacklers, he had marvelous talent in that regard.”
“I think the word is dynamic for us. He has the ability to do all of it. (Jeanty) can run with power. He can run in short-yardage areas and find the spacing that he needs to make the plays, and he's got that marvelous ability, just on any play, he can score, and that's just such an exciting aspect to add to our football team. We just feel very fortunate.”
No. 3: Ravens, S Malaki Starks
How the Ravens pulled this one off will be talked about for some time. To get a player of this talent at the No. 27 spot in the draft is impressive. They made a similar move three years ago and got Kyle Hamilton. Now they have two of those guys. Wow.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said it best, according to baltimoreravens.com.
“He's wired like a Raven,” General Manager Eric DeCosta said. “I just think it was remarkable, the way that he could discuss football. His awareness, his ability to call out the plays from their defense before we even showed the plays, just based on formation. The ability to dissect and talk about what happened on any given play, and to know what his teammates were doing on any given play. It was like he was a coach.”
No. 4: Falcons, edge Jalon Walker
There are two parts to the Falcons’ first round in the draft. They knocked it out of the park with Walker. But then they gave up way too much to get James Pearce Jr.
We’ll focus on Walker, and the Falcons got this draft pick right. Walker caught the scouts’ eyes, according to atlantafalcons.com.
“The first time I saw Jalon, it was like, ‘Woah,'” Falcons southeast area scout Shepley Heard said. “There are so many players on that Georgia defense, and you're watching everybody. But then you see Jalon, and he's flying all over the place. And you love what he can do because you can move him around. Jalon is a grand slam for us.”
No. 5: Bears, TE Colston Loveland
Yes, the Bears passed on Tyler Warren. Yes, they took a draft chance. But when Loveland is catching touchdown passes right and left and making 20-plus-yard plays all over the place, the questions will evaporate.
The Bears liked his versatility, according to chicagobears.com.
“It's not just one part of his game,” said general manager Ryan Poles. “It's the totality of what he can do for us. When you turn on the tape, there's plays being made constantly. It's a guy that you could feel confident going to in critical situations.
“What stands out? Obviously, the dynamic skillset to separate, but also when you really study him in the run game, the blocking is way better than I think people realize.”
