2025 NFL Draft: The Biggest Surprises of Day 1

After months and months of anticipation, the first round of the draft is over. There were great moments last night of prospects with their families as their childhood dreams came true. There were also, I’m sure, moments of disappointment for other prospects. While some picks were expected, there were plenty of surprises as well. This is what makes the draft so fun to watch; it is never completely predictable.

Last night really started off with a bang as the Jaguars traded up with the Cleveland Browns to draft Travis Hunter. I was not surprised that Hunter was drafted second overall whatsoever; he has been projected there for months. He also, by consensus, was the best player last season in college football. He is thought to be a generational talent, and he very well could be the best player in this entire draft. Hunter intrigues me a lot as a prospect with his athleticism, reported work ethic, and the way he played both sides of the ball throughout college. Even though he isn’t a Steeler, I’m excited to watch what he accomplishes in the NFL. He reminds me of both Charles Woodson and his former coach, Deion Sanders. Unless he turns into a major bust, this guy is special.

My surprise comes from the fact that Cleveland was willing to trade away from this guy. The Browns need a lot of help, and I get that. They traded away a crazy amount of draft capital to bring in Deshaun Watson. There are a lot of holes they need to fill, and more draft picks can help them do that. Still, they traded away from a prospect of the highest caliber. In my opinion, they should have stayed put and taken Hunter at #2. I shouldn’t have been surprised about this. We’re talking about the Browns, and this trade is definitely a typical Cleveland Browns move. Still, I was surprised about this trade.

Another shocker for me in round 1 was that Tyler Warren was not the first tight end off the board. A young man who won the John Mackey award and finished 7th in Heisman voting this past season, he is a very special player. Tyler Warren was undoubtedly the top target for Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar. Not only did he play the traditional role of tight end, but Penn State lined Warren up in different positions on offense and got very creative with how they used him. I truly didn’t think he would make it out of the top ten picks last night. While Colston Loveland, the number ten overall pick, is no slouch, I think the Bears may live to regret their decision in a few years. Warren was drafted #15 overall to the Colts. He will be Anthony Richardson’s bestie very quickly, and he immediately makes that team better. As an added bonus for Penn Staters everywhere, Warren will still be wearing blue and white (We Are!). Despite him not sporting black and gold on Sundays, I am excited to see just how explosive he can be in the NFL.

The Giants trading back into the first round and hunting their quarterback of the future did not come as a shock to me, but I didn’t see the selection of Jaxson Dart coming. My surprise was the name of the quarterback taken here. I really expected Shedeur Sanders to go at this point. I by no means claim to be a scouting expert, but it seems that Sanders was graded higher than Dart on many people’s boards. While this is thought to be a weak quarterback class, maybe the Giants saw something in Dart that many fans, including myself, did not. I hope that is true for the sake of the Giants franchise and for Brian Daboll. Nevertheless, congratulations to Dart on being drafted. I wish him the best in his NFL career and hope he proves the doubters wrong.