Grading Picks #1-16 in the 2025 NFL Draft

Written by Garret Greenlee, adapted by Jonathan Krone

We’re halfway through the 2025 season, and teams are already doing self-evaluation, up to and including firing coaches and benching players. For many of these teams, the picks they made in 2025 bear heavily on the team’s futures. The top 16 picks should be high-level starters and contribute right away. Given that, let’s evaluate and grade the top 16 picks in the draft and see how these teams feel about the guys they added in the most recent draft.

Watch the Football Analysis video this article is based on HERE.

Pick #16 – DT Walter Nolen (INCOMPLETE)

​​​​The Arizona Cardinals selected Walter Nolen with the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and at the time of this article’s release, Walter Nolen has only played in one NFL game, which was in week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. Nolen started the season on the PUP list due to a calf injury, and in his lone NFL game, he made a big impact. He had 4 total tackles, 2 TFL’s, a sack and a pass deflection and played a big part in the Cardinals’ win. Unfortunately, this grade will be incomplete as he only played 37 snaps – and I don’t think that’s enough of a sample size to grade – but if Cardinals fans want a grade on his first NFL game, I personally would give it an A+.

Pick #15 – LB Jalon Walker (B+)

Georgia defensive player Jalon Walker was the first of 2 Falcons first-round picks on the night, as the other was pass rusher James Pearce Jr – but there have been flashes from Jalon Walker in the first half of his rookie season. At the time of this article’s release, Walker has played in 6 of the team’s 8 games, as he missed a few games with a groin injury. The big thing with Jalon Walker as a prospect was – he was a very unique player in the sense that whichever team drafted him, had to have a plan with his usage because he lines up at so many positions.

I was worried a team would draft Jalon Walker and not have a plan for him, or try to make him become a player he’s not. You also had to factor in him adjusting to the NFL level and the physicality and strength at just 21 years old. But Walker had a really good game against the Patriots in week 9 as he had 5 total tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble – and I really think we’re starting to scratch the surface of the player he can become. At the time of this article’s release, he has played less than 180 total snaps – and I do think this grade will rise by season’s end – and significantly – but for now this is a B+.

Pick #14 – TE Tyler Warren (A+)

Tyler Warren was the Colts’ first-round pick, and in the first half of his rookie season, he’s been everything the Colts could have asked for and more. He has over 500 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns, as well as a rushing touchdown in his first 9 career games, and also has 5 games with 60 or more yards. When the Colts made this pick, I was surprised he fell all the way to the 14th pick and already thought this was good value for the Colts, but I specifically liked this selection because I thought it was a great landing spot for Warren.

A lot can change in a short time in the NFL – and when they made this pick, I thought, ‘Man, if Anthony Richardson can’t hit Tyler Warren, then the Colts have a lot bigger problems on their hands.’ But that was never an issue because Daniel Jones took the starting job, and through 9 games, the Colts have the highest scoring offense in the league at over 32 points per game. And I think you can make a legitimate argument that Tyler Warren could put up even better numbers on a team that doesn’t have as many mouths to feed as Indy does. And even with Jonathan Taylor – a guy who could very easily win the offensive player of the year award- Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce – there’s still a possibility Warren puts up 1,000 yards as a rookie tight end. Not surprisingly, this is an easy A+.

Pick #13 – DT Kenneth Grant (D)

Kenneth Grant for the Dolphins is up and 9 games into his rookie season – I’ll be honest – I don’t think pick looks great. And not just because of the Kenneth Grant pick – but there’s a reason former GM Chris Grier and the team mutually parted ways. I liked Grant as a draft prospect coming out of Michigan – and for reference, I had him at 26 on my final top 150 big board – so admittedly, the value was a little rich for where Grant was selected, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with how this pick looks half a year in.

If you look at the raw stat sheet and see that he has 1.5 sacks, you may say – well, that’s not bad for a rookie interior defensive lineman – and that he could finish the year with 4 sacks, and that would be a stepping stone. But he only had 12 pressures on 168 pass rushing snaps – and the 1.5 sacks he has under his belt were also sacks that kind of fell into his lap. Bryce Young was trying to get the first down on a 3rd and 2 on one play, and Kenneth Grant tackled him after he tried to get past the line of scrimmage, and he caught Justin Herbert on his way to the line of scrimmage too. Grant also gets bullied regularly in the run game – and if there is anything positive to take away – or anything to hang your head on – it’s that he just turned 22 years old – and he could be going through growing pains – the way a lot of young trench players do. But right now, this pick does not look good. And half a year in, this is a D

Pick #12 – OL Tyler Booker (A-)

The Cowboys beefed up their offensive line with their first-round pick in Alabama Guard Tyler Booker. Now the Cowboys are in the headlines pretty often for – well – a lot of reasons, but Tyler Booker had a near impossible task as a rookie – and that was to replace future Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin. And I think he’s done a tremendous job. One of my concerns with Tyler Booker coming out of Alabama was that a team was going to try to make him be a player he’s not.

It’s pretty straightforward who Tyler Booker is. He’s mean, he’s nasty – and you get better, get out of his way in the run game. And Javonte Williams has had a resurgence year – and obviously he deserves a lot of credit for that – but Tyler Booker has also helped pave the way – big time. And in pass pro, Tyler Booker has allowed just 12 pressures on nearly 300 pass blocking snaps. Unfortunately, he did miss some time due to a high ankle sprain – but in the 3 games he’s played since returning – he’s allowed just 4 pressures on 135 pass blocking snaps. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – Jerry Jones truly does a lot of things right from a football standpoint. There are obviously things he doesn’t do right – but I couldn’t be happier for Tyler Booker. Right now, this is an A-, though I project this grade to go up at season’s end.

Pick #11 – DE Mykel Williams (C-)

Mykel Williams was the 49ers’ first-round selection, and this was a pick I wasn’t a huge fan of to begin with because I thought he was an extremely raw player who won largely on athleticism during his time at Georgia. I didn’t think there was a pass rush plan from Mykel other than speed to power. And I think that was borne out in a lot of ways in his rookie season. This was why I was lower on Mykel Williams as a prospect than other analysts – for reference, I had him at player 32 on my board. Now, unfortunately, Mykel Williams tore his ACL in the week 9 game against the Giants – and obviously, we all wish Mykel the best in recovery, but for these purposes, that is enough time to register a grade.

He didn’t play 10 snaps in one game, and that was it. No. He started 9 games. He had 245 pass-rushing snaps and only registered 19 pressures, and he had a few plays here and there – but for the 11th overall pick – I was largely underwhelmed with Mykel Williams’ performance in his rookie season. He is only 21 years old, and he can grow into his body more in year 2- but I thought there was a lot of meat left on the bone. And the criticism has nothing to do with the injury, because we, of course, wish him the best. But through half a season, this grade would be a C-. 

Pick #10 – TE Colston Loveland (C+)

Colston Loveland, the Bears’ first-round pick, is up, and this is a very difficult pick to grade for a couple of reasons. The first thing that I think needs to be established with Loveland is – I don’t think he’s a bad player by any means. I don’t think he’s destined to be a bust – and to always be in Tyler Warren’s shadow as a tight end who was drafted after him in 2025. But one thing I do not understand is – drafting a tight end with a top 10 pick and only giving him 25 targets in his first 7 career games – and if you want to go further – 18 targets in his first 6 games as he had more than half of his receiving yards on the year in the week 9 game against Cincy – which is one of the worst defenses over the past 25 years.

So with the Loveland pick, he makes plays when he’s actually thrown the ball, but the plan is not something I can get behind. And I think the plan after drafting Loveland would be a D or, at the very best, a C- grade. But it’s clear that Loveland has talent; he’s just not being fully utilized. And out of the top 16 picks – this is one I struggled with the most because it’s not a reflection on the talent or the player – it’s more of a reflection of the lack of involvement. And ultimately, we went with a C+.

Pick #9 – OT Kelvin Banks (A-)

Kelvin Banks was a prospect I loved coming out of Texas, and I loved the thought process from GM Mickey Loomis with this pick. Obviously, the Saints have not had a lot of success this year – but I loved the process of drafting Tailese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks in back-to-back years. And through the first half of his rookie season, Kelvin Banks has allowed a lot of pressures on paper – but I think his tape has also shown promise.

He did have one bad game against the 49ers – in which Nick Bosa took him to school a couple of times – but that was in Kelvin Banks’ second career NFL start at 21 years old – and I’m willing to dismiss that. Now, if this were a regular thing – where Banks was getting beat by everybody – not just Nick Bosa – it would be a different conversation. But the progress has been there, and like we’ve discussed on the channel before – playing in the trenches at 21 years old – and succeeding – is a massive accomplishment in itself. And several offensive linemen from this class are young and have had a lot of success early on – and good for them. And what I think should also be remembered for Kelvin Banks specifically is – he plays on a team that is often down in the second half – meaning opposing teams know they’re going to throw the football. So I don’t think Banks has been put in advantageous situations to say the least. And he’s been solid. And I think this grade will go up with time – and for now this is an A-.

Pick #8 – WR Tetairoa McMillan (A)

Tetairoa McMillan was the Panthers’ first-round pick back in April, and when this pick was made, admittedly, I clapped my hands and said YES in excitement because of what this meant for the Panthers franchise. I was really excited to see Tetairoa McMillan get paired with 2023 number one overall pick Bryce Young, and that the Panthers finally had a number one receiver. In the first half of McMillan’s rookie year, he has over 550 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in a 100-yard game. He also technically has a 99-yard game – which is certainly frustrating from the accolades standpoint – but he’s played really well through the first half of his career, and I think McMillan has been everything the Panthers could have realistically hoped for.

At the time of this article’s release – he is on pace for a little over 1,000 yards and I do think as football fans – we’ve been spoiled with the Justin Jefferson’s, Ja’Marr Chase, Puka Nacua’s, and Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas’s of the world as rookies over the past few years – and I think what McMillan has accomplished over the first 9 games – is a good representation of producing good numbers – while not necessarily putting up 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. And I think both things can be true – TMac is having a good rookie season and doing everything that’s asked of him – and guys before him set unrealistic expectations for rookie receivers. And midway through his rookie year, we give this an A.

Pick #7 – OT Armand Membou (A+)

The New York Jets have had a long season so far, but it has nothing to do with their first-round pick, Armand Membou. I loved Armand Membou in the draft process and had him as a top 5 player in the 2025 class – and through the first half of his rookie season, he’s played like it. He started his NFL career against the Steelers – and given that he’s a right tackle, that meant he was going to be matching up against a former DPOY in TJ Watt.

In his NFL debut, he had 26 pass blocking snaps and 0 pressures allowed – and even threw TJ out of the club at one point in the game. There have been a few welcome to the NFL moments for Membou – but for him to show this type of promise at 21 years old – has all the makings of a tackle who’s going to play for this franchise for a long time. And there are a lot of things to joke about with the New York Jets – but their 2025 first-round selection is not one of them. And a lot of the time in the draft process, the biggest thing I try to emphasize is to draft good football players – and not overthink it – and credit Jets GM Darren Mougey for not overthinking this one. Half a year in, this is an A+ grade.

Pick #6 – RB Ashton Jeanty (B)

Ashton Jeanty was the Raiders’ first-round pick, and it’s been a long season for the silver and black – and by extension – Ashton Jeanty too. In the first 9 games of his career, he has just one 100-yard rushing game and two games with 100 or more yards from the line of scrimmage. But in fairness to Ashton Jeanty, the situation around him is awful, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this is close to the equivalent of a 2002 David Carr situation for a rookie running back. Whenever I watch the Raiders play – both live and going back through the tape – the first thing I notice is how little push the offensive line has, and whether the back is Ashton Jeanty – or Barry Sanders, this situation is not good for anybody to succeed in. Period.

Now, Jeanty didn’t play great against the Broncos in week 10, as a ball hit off his hands that should have been caught – and became an interception. One play or one game doesn’t bring his grade down significantly, but Jeanty hasn’t been perfect either. I think this is a good player in a bad situation – but this is a challenging pick to grade because of how bad the situation is. At the moment, he is on pace for nearly 1,300 total yards and 13 total touchdowns – and half a year in – this pick gets a B grade.

Pick #5 – DT Mason Graham (B)

Mason Graham of the Browns is up, and this is a pick that needs context within the grade. If you look at the raw numbers and say – man – Mason Graham has 17 total tackles in 8 games along with just 2 TFL’s and half a sack – then you may say – yep the Browns drafted another bust and they’re the same old Browns and insert any jokes here you’d like. But going back through tape, Mason Graham is a really impactful player – and he’s had several splashes early in his career. For him to show flashes like a huge TFL against the Ravens, in which he completely wrecked the play from the start, or like he did against the Packers, in which you saw him win in various ways as an interior rusher, shows a lot of promise for who he will be in 2026 and beyond.

Now, for the crowd that says you don’t draft that type of player at number 5 overall – I get where you’re coming from – but we’re more so grading what the player has done, rather than saying – they could have or should have gone another direction with the pick. And I’ll also say this too – Mason Graham receives a lot more double teams than you probably think. And I know the raw numbers don’t look great – but I think the Browns have something here. And half a year in this gets a B, with it expected to go up.

Pick #4 – OT Will Campbell (A+)

The New England Patriots knew they needed a left tackle of the future, and that’s why they selected Will Campbell from LSU with the 4th pick in the 2025 draft. And half a season in, Will Campbell has been exactly that. Now obviously with the 2025 Patriots – and the success they’ve had – a lot of the media attention and praise goes to Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel, or even sometimes, Josh McDaniels. But Will Campbell has played really well for New England since being drafted.

One thing that may get brought up is the Myles Garrett 5 sack game, but those 5 sacks weren’t all on Will Campbell – not even close. Technically, he allowed 2 of the 5, but I would argue that Drake Maye should have thrown the ball away before taking a few of those sacks. Myles Garrett obviously had a tremendous game, but he beat Hunter Henry on a few of them, and not Will Campbell on all of them. Campbell has also been a beast in the run game, and he’s a people mover. I was admittedly a little worried about his arm length at the NFL level – and thought he would be a better guard – and I guess that could still technically apply – but he’s done a wonderful job for the Patriots this year. And next time you watch the Patriots, I recommend checking in on number 66 at left tackle. An easy A+ grade.

Pick #3 – LB Abdul Carter (A)

Abdul Carter of the Giants is up, and Carter was the first of two Giants first-round picks on the night – the other being quarterback Jaxson Dart, of course. And coming out of Penn State, Abdul Carter was my number one prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. I thought with the leap he took from 2023 to 2024 at Penn State, and with how explosive he is on tape, that he would be able to seamlessly make the transition to the NFL level. And I would argue in a lot of ways – he has.

One of the only negative things you can say about Carter at this point is – he only has half a sack. But if you do watch Giants games, he is constantly impacting the game, and he and Brian Burns are forces to be reckoned with. And I don’t want this to be anti Brian Burns – because both have been great players for New York – but there have been a couple of sacks where Burns has cleaned up a play that Abdul Carter blew up to begin with. And I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Carter has 5 or 6 sacks in the back half of the 2025 season. He is a player who impacts every play, and I think he’s been pretty close to what the Giants could have hoped for with the number 3 overall pick. The only part that I think can improve is his finishing plays over the next few months. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he wins the defensive rookie of the year, and half a season in, this is an A grade.

Pick #2 – CB/WR Travis Hunter (C+)

Travis Hunter, the 2-way Heisman trophy-winning player from Colorado, is up, and one thing I do want to be clear is that we are grading the Jags’ pick – not the trade up to go get him. We are not saying hey – the Browns also drafted Quinshon Judkins with the Jags second-round pick – and have their number one pick next year, therefore Travis Hunter’s grade comes down. No, not at all. And unfortunately, Travis Hunter is currently on short-term IR with a knee injury – and the Travis Hunter grade is always going to be difficult because he plays two positions. And this is by every definition – an anomaly.

I’ve expressed frustration with the Jags’ usage of Travis Hunter offensively – because it felt like it was a lot of forced, manufactured touches – meaning a lot of screens, or passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage – and I didn’t think it looked natural when Jacksonville was forcing him the ball – outside of the Rams game. The flashes have been there at times, but if I had to grade the plan the Jags had with Travis Hunter – I’d probably give it a D. But Hunter is a tremendous athlete, and he’s a very good football player and I think he’s going to get a lot better over the next few years and he gets more accustomed to the NFL. But for now, with what we’ve seen, this is a C+.

Pick #1 – QB Cam Ward (C-)

Cam Ward was the number one overall pick out of Miami, and this is a very difficult pick to grade for a couple of reasons. And the first thing I want to say is: a lot of things can be true at once. Cam Ward has not played great in his first 9 games. But on the same side of the coin, it’s not a coincidence the Titans fired Brian Callahan and were the first team to fire a head coach in the 2025 season. And I truly believe the 2025 Tennessee Titans are an all-time bad team. We all know what it took for them to win a single game – it pretty much took a miracle. So what makes the Cam Ward pick so difficult to grade is that he is a truly horrible situation – and in a lot of ways it’s making chicken salad out of chicken feces – every. Single. Week.

Cam Ward’s raw numbers are not good, and he’s near or at the bottom of the league in every passing category. But I do think some flashes for him have been there. He definitely needs to work on how often he gets sacked as his pressure-to-sack ratio is terrible, and there are times where he’s way too late on reads – and it happens – he’s a rookie quarterback. If there is anything positive to say, it’s that his interceptions are not all his fault – but I don’t think you can give a true evaluation of Cam Ward based on his first 9 games, because of how bad the situation is. If I had to give a true letter grade, I would personally give it a C-. – but there is a lot that needs to be factored in with this grade.