2025 NFL Draft: Ward goes #1, Sanders not picked, Jags trade up

Read Time:4 Minute, 53 Second

The 2025 NFL Draft kicked off last night in a year that saw no trades or movement before the draft began. Storylines were aplenty in this one. Would the Tennessee Titans make Cam Ward the #1 pick? Would any team trade up to and make a splash? Could it be possible that Shedur Sanders would fall out of the first round? We got all those answers and more. Let’s take a look at what went down in round 1.

Cameron Ward has gone through one heck of a road to become the #1 overall pick in this draft. He was a zero-star recruit who had to settle for Incarnate Word his first two years. From there, he transferred to Washington State and finished his career at Miami. For an organization that has not gotten the QB pick right, whether through draft or trade, the team is banking on Ward being the franchise player who will change the fortunes of the Titans. He made his message to the team crystal clear when he said: “They are getting a dog, somebody who is willing to do anything to put the team and themselves in situations to win,” Ward said. “And the ultimate goal is to win championships, whether that is this year, next year, or down the road. That is our dream to accomplish, and I don’t plan on stopping until I hopefully get one of those things.”

.@Cameron7Ward’s entire podium session at the NFL Draft in Green Bay after being selected first overall by the @Titans.

Ward discusses Steve McNair, Warren Moon, his winning mindset, being a @MorganWallen fan and a whole lot more.

🎥 pic.twitter.com/knd5le8JUR

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) April 25, 2025

As soon as the pick was made, a trade happened. That trade would involve the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns. The Browns would move from #2 to #5, and with the second pick of the NFL Draft, the Jags selected two-way star Travis Hunter. He would become the first college player in the draft to be announced at two positions. Whether he plays both full-time in the NFL is another story altogether. It is no secret that the Jags’ other first pick, Trevor Lawrence, has not lived up to expectations yet. The Jags hope the pairing of the two will ignite a new offense. The deal was made possible by the 34-year-old first-time general manager James Gladstone.

The New York Giants are coming off a miserable season that sees the jobs of the GM and head coach on the line. The 3rd pick in the draft had to be as close to a home run as possible. What they got was the best pass rusher in this draft to upgrade a defense in need of getting back its identity. Later, they would move up into round 1 and choose QB Jaxson Dart with the 25th pick. The two picks are what this team really needed if they intend to compete next year, as well as possibly saving the jobs of their GM and coach.

At pick #6, the Raiders made a decision that lit up the draft room early. The possibility of picking Sanders was looming, but in the end, the Raiders went with RB dog, Ashton Jeanty from Boise St. His 2,601 rushing yards were the second-most in FBS history and he made it clear to Raider Nation when he said: “I’m just thankful for this opportunity,” Jeanty said. “I’m going to show everybody why the position is valuable, and you know it is great to take an exceptional running back in the first round.” It was a move that made sense with the run-style offense Pete Carroll likes to run. Just ask Beast Mode. Let’s see if Jeanty can add value to a position that continues to be devalued.

As for Sanders, he waits to see if round 2 gets him the call. This is a kid who has gone from a projected top pick to now wondering when and where he will be picked. When you look at the film, there is no question that Sanders is NFL-ready. The question is, why did he fall out of round 1? The Steelers were thinking about Sanders but ended up taking Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the No. 21 overall pick. So what now for Shedur and the Sanders clan? Rumors swirled about how interviews went with him. About how he appeared to act entitled and possibly arrogant. Well, Sanders now has the chance to make all those teams pay if he is the real thing.

Round 2 begins today with the possibility that the Browns, who could have chosen Sanders at #5, could pick him at #33. Other QBs to watch for are Jalen Milroe and Tyler Shough, who just might be a Saint by the end of the day. A player to look at will be Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College. He has long arms and a quick first step that could become very disruptive to NFL offenses sooner rather than later.

More storylines will emerge from this year’s NFL Draft, but the main ones will revolve around the top picks. Will Cam Ward change to fortunes of the Titans’ failures in picking franchise QBs? Will Travis Hunter actually play significant snaps on both sides of the ball, and can he excel at both? Who picks Sanders? What other surprises will we get in the next two days?

This is how the NFL Draft works. Mystery, intrigue, suspense, and all the drama you could ask for. In the coming days, experts will break down the draft with their analysis. This writer has always said the same thing…..Will their Saturday game translate over to Sunday? Stay tuned to find out.