The NFL draft is always a landmark event in sports, featuring so much talent across multiple positions. Teams are eager to improve their rosters and shape the future of the league. The 2025 NFL Draft was set to take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, from April 24-26 and is sure to have a deep pool of talent that teams will be pulling from. It’s also notable for being the 90th annual meeting of the NFL’s franchises to select these players.

The 2025 draft was quite different from the 2024 draft. Whereas the 2024 draft featured six quarterbacks in the first 12 picks for the first time ever, the 2025 draft ended up having a lot less star power when it comes to the quarterbacks. There were a smaller number of “blue-chip” players, players who are highly sought after or top recruits expected to be drafted.

One of the most notable moments from this draft is the Tennessee Titans, who have the worst record from the previous season, securing the first overall pick, which was Cam Ward, a quarterback from the Miami Hurricanes. This makes him a true underdog, the first zero-star recruit to achieve this in the 21st century.

Besides just Ward, the draft was especially notable for being very defense-heavy, with standout prospects such as Shemar Stewart, Ashton Gillotte, and most notably Travis Hunter, who was the second overall pick for his skills as both wide receiver and cornerback. A junior football fan at Elkhart High School, Sean Bevins, reacts: “You can tell some of them are going to be huge even if it wasn’t the flashiest draft ever.”

Overall, the 2025 NFL draft stands out as one of the most unpredictable and defensive of recent years. With significantly fewer big-name standout quarterbacks but with more versatile, defensive players, this is one of the more unique drafts in recent memory. One that could quietly have a huge ripple effect on the future of the league.