Grading Nfl Draft 2025 First Round Picks Travis Hunter Jaxson Dart

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 16, 2025, 4:29 PM

grading nfl draft 2025 first round picks travis hunter jaxson dart

Welcome to The Athletic’s pick-by-pick grades for Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Which teams filled a need with a potential star? Which GMs might wind up regretting their decisions down the line? Because we won’t know those full answers until the incoming rookie class has been in the league for a few seasons, our immediate grades take into account a number of factors: pick value, trade... (Note: Scott Dochterman provided grades for odd-numbered picks, Nick Baumgardner for even-numbered picks.) Tennessee needed a quarterback and Ward is the best one in this draft.

He has both talent and grit, which will endear him to his teammates and the fan base. Although hypothetical and irrelevant, it’s fair to ask where Ward would have landed in last year’s draft, or if Tennessee would have selected one of the 2024 draft’s six first-round quarterbacks ahead of him. Regardless, Ward has the skill set to become a successful NFL quarterback. Whether he becomes a Pro Bowler — and, thus, ultimately worth the No. 1 pick — remains to be seen. Ward played at Incarnate Word and Washington State before transferring to Miami last year.

There, he became one of college football’s best quarterbacks. Ward set an NCAA record with 158 career touchdown passes, plus threw for 18,184 yards with a 65.1 completion percentage. Last year alone, Ward threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. The 2025 NFL Draft is underway, and Round 1 is officially in the books. The PFF Live Draft Tracker has been grading and analyzing every pick in real time, and now it’s time to break down the results with full evaluations for all 32 first-round selections. For more on each prospect, check out the PFF Draft Guide and PFF Big Board, and you can get a head start on Day 2 by heading over to the PFF Mock Draft Simulator...

Stay tuned for Day 2 and 3 coverage on the PFF Draft Show, streaming live on YouTube, X and FuboTV all weekend. NFL Draft Big Board | Mock Draft Simulator | NCAA Premium Stats2025 PFF Draft Guide | Mock Draft Hub | Prospect Data ProfilesDraft Position Rankings TEN | JAX | NYG | NE | CLE | LV | NYJ | CAR | NO | CHI | SF | DAL | MIA | IND | ATL | ARZ | CIN |... The first term is pretty much complete, and it's time to issue report cards to the NFL's 32 first-round freshmen as we say goodbye to September. Obviously, a lot can and will change here, but first impressions are important. Here's a grade for each first-rounder at the four-week mark.

.css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}1. Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward: C Support has been an issue, as Ward has taken a league-high 17 sacks while dropped passes have also been a factor. And to his credit, he's limited his mistakes. All of that said, his pocket awareness is a problem and his .css-wrcrjw{margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}.css-lu48cp{margin:0;font:inherit;color:var(--br--palette-primary-main);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback... November 6, 2025, 9:49am EST 479 • By Alex Hoegler

The 2025 NFL first round was packed with quarterback drama, surprise risers, and blue-chip defenders expected to become instant cornerstones. Now that we’re halfway through the season, the early returns are finally clear. Some rookies have exceeded expectations and become immediate impact players, while others are still struggling to adjust to the league’s speed and physicality. From breakout stars reshaping their franchises to first-round gambles that haven’t paid off yet, we break down how every 2025 first-round pick has performed so far — and what their trajectory looks like heading... It’s unfair to fully blame Ward for the Tennessee Titans’ struggles. But like, Caleb Williams and Robert Griffin III had excellent rookie years on horrible teams with textbook coaching malpractice.

Ward is barely completing over half his pass attempts, is in danger of finishing with more interceptions than passing touchdowns, and, oh yeah, has his Titans in a spot to potentially pick first overall... Grading every pick from the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft: Grade A-: Maybe the most unlikely No. 1 pick of all-time given that he was a zero-star recruit who played his first two seasons at Incarnate Word. He makes both special plays and head-scratchers, but more of the former. Grade A+: The Jags made a bold trade up from No.

5 and gave up their 2026 first-round pick to the Browns. The 2025 NFL Draft is here, and with it comes hope for many NFL teams. However, not every pick is a home run selection. As the first round unfolds, we'll be live grading every pick, providing instant analysis and takeaways throughout the night. Which teams are getting better, and which ones are making mistakes? Tennessee needs an offensive engine to build around, and Cameron Ward has the best blend of current skill and traits to develop into one.

His free-wheeling style might frustrate Brian Callahan, but the Titans hope he can harness his instincts like Jordan Love has in Green Bay. The Jacksonville Jaguars boldly traded up for Travis Hunter when they could've sat tight for Tetairoa McMillan. Hunter is a great fit next to Brian Thomas Jr. if he primarily plays on offense or can be the new CB1 in Jacksonville. Is he worth the price of moving up is a valid question since McMillan and Will Johnson are similarly graded prospects at one, but not both, positions. Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and if the first round is any indication, it will be one of the most interesting drafts in recent memory.

Just two quarterbacks were taken and one of them was not named Shedeur Sanders. Sanders will have to wait until Friday to be selected as he fell out of the first round as numerous teams passed on the Colorado signal caller. The Tennessee Titans had the No. 1 draft pick for the first time since 1978 and took Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter was taken next by Jacksonville at No. 2 after a mega-trade between the Jaguars and Browns.

Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter went No. 3 to the Giants. Those three guys going 1-2-3 was chalk. The Giants also made a move up in the first round to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Grading Nfl Draft 2025 First Round Picks Travis Hunter Jaxson Dart

People Also Search

Welcome To The Athletic’s Pick-by-pick Grades For Round 1 Of

He Has Both Talent And Grit, Which Will Endear Him

There, He Became One Of College Football’s Best Quarterbacks. Ward

Stay Tuned For Day 2 And 3 Coverage On The

.css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}1. Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward: C Support Has Been