NFL Draft 2025: Quarterback investments, the sliding scale of morality and more lessons learned

Every year, there is analysis stemming from the selections made over the three-day NFL Draft event. Within those selections are often bigger lessons to be learned. Below are examples of those from the 2025 version:

Teams are looking at quarterbacks as future trade pieces

Value is a term often applied to the NFL Draft but teams are finding a new way to attain it. When the Browns selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round, it was not their plan to take another, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, in the fifth round. As Saturday developed, the organization packaged its last two picks in order to trade up, in front of the Eagles, to draft Sanders. 

A year ago, Cleveland carried Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tyler Huntley and Jameis Winston into the preseason. The idea was to turn a low-cost signing, Huntley, into a draft pick, but no one took the bait. 

Weeks ago, New England was able to flip former seventh-round pick Joe Milton III and a seventh-round pick to Dallas in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Circumstances are different, but Cleveland is probably thinking about that possible outcome. 

Talent-morality sliding scale

Although not exactly a new lesson, it did seem like this year had more examples of the leagues tolerance for issues. After so much discussion about character concerns with Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr., Atlanta traded back into the first round and surrendered a future first-round pick in the process. Marshall edge rusher Mike Green’s slide ended mercifully in the second round. He was regarded as a top-20 prospect in this class but flew some red flags of his own. 

Players who were not held in a similar talent regard did not get the same treatment. Notably, Sanders was viewed as a Day 2 quarterback but fell to the fifth round for other reasons. Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond was a potential top-100 overall prospect but went undrafted because of some lingering legal issues. 

The league values RBs, if the talent necessitates 

‘The league does not value running backs’ is a phrase that has been accepted by casual culture, but it should be amended to include ‘on second contracts.’ The NFL has shown no hesitancy to draft a running back early in the first round if there is a worthy talent; Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and, most recently, Ashton Jeanty have all been recent examples. Jeanty was the No. 6 overall selection to Las Vegas. 

The league has been slower to pay out large contract extensions to those same players but there has been a bit of flexibility there as well. 

Sean McVay coaching tree does not care about draft picks

For years, ‘f— them picks’ was made popular by the Rams for executing multiple trades for the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller and Matthew Stafford that involved premium draft capital. As McVay’s disciples have begun to spread across the league, so has a shared disbelief in draft picks. The Jaguars made the first big move by trading two first-round picks and a second-round pick to move up three spots for the rights to Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter. Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone both cut their teeth in Los Angeles. 

It was not just Jacksonville, however. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris most recently spent three seasons as the Rams defensive coordinator. As noted above, Atlanta parted with a future first-round pick to trade up and secure Pearce.