We will say this about the director general of Jaguars James Gladstone: he knows how to make an entrance.
A few months after Jacksonville did the youngest 34 -year -old managing director, Gladstone fell the NFL draft summit in 2025 by negotiating to select the winner of the Heisman Travis Hunter trophy at No. 2. Place at N ° 5, where they selected Mason Graham, the best -classified defensive tackle in the class.
The successful agreement was the biggest story of a first round which saw as many runners and tight bits selected as a quarter (two each) and had only four professions in total. Meanwhile, SheDer Sanders, a quarter, once considered being a safe hope – if not a top 10 choice – saw 32 go and come without its name being called.
What do we do with all this? AthleticsMike Sando, Dan Pompei and Ted Nguyen shared their thoughts after the first round.
Who won the job between the Jaguars and the Browns?
Nguyen: From the point of view of resources, the Browns have obtained a huge transport, but it seems a little disappointing from the writing of one of the best players in the draft in a defensive tackle with a questionable ceiling since Hunter has a huge ceiling in the position he plays. So we will have to see what the Browns have done with their other choices. Currently, the winner is massively the Jaguars, and it is a copy response, but we will not know who won before seeing which players the Browns withdraw from the profession, which includes a first round in 2026.
Gladstone clearly enhances the first -rate potential on project resources. Should we be surprised? It is a disciple of Les Snead, who has gladly exchanged his choices for impact players. Hunter is a player as safe as in the draft.
Pompei: The price paid by the jaguars was high, but if Hunter is what they think is, it is justifiable. Hunter was a rare opportunity. Many assessors considered him as the most gifted player in the draft, as well as the best prospect. If he can play two ways, Hunter can provide the equivalent value of two players. And in attack, Hunter could be able to help Trevor Lawrence Ascend. The key to the agreement is that Hunter can play in attack and defense. For this to happen, an accommodating and intelligent plan by Liam Coen and its staff will be necessary.
Sando: Cleveland wins the process by obtaining a first round choice next year, but the chances are that Jacksonville takes over the best Hunter player. Cleveland exchanged the Kingdom of the elite player for this year – Graham is missing this cut – there is therefore a pressure on the Browns to operate this first round in 2026 for them. This could help them get their next QB, but they still have to do it.
What was your favorite adjustment of the first round?
Pompei: Will Campbell aux Patriots is perfect. Not only does he meet the most considerable needs of the team, but it is also exactly what Mike Rébel wanted to shape the culture of the team. Drake Maye has no chance without a solid left platform, but beyond that, Campbell gives the patriots a tone content. He plays aggressively, finishes blocks, works hard, demands the best of teammates and does not let the injuries keep him away. Given where the patriots are, there is an immeasurable value in the intangible active ingredients of Campbell.
Nguyen: Armand Membou with jets is perfect. They wrote Olumuyiwa Fashanu last season to play in the left tackle, and they are solid inside. Membou will give them athletics and an average sequence on the right side. Justin Fields never had a good line in front of him, and it has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Membou was one of my favorite players to look at this year’s draft because of his movement skills and his ability to finish with his mission on the field. The offensive line of jets will be fun to watch.
Sando: Ashton Jeanty with the offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could be really fun for raiders, even if you have reservations from a philosophical point of view on a team of the Las Vegas position using consecutive first -round choices for a tight end (Brock Bowers) and a back carrier.
What a choice will dive The beast To give meaning?
Pompei: Did anyone think Jaxson Dart was a first round value? The giants abandoned two second round choices and a third to write Dart. His selection is a reflection of the team’s urgency to the position. They had to add a quarter to the project for many reasons, and they thought that Dart was a better bet than Sheder Sanders. But his history of injuries and the suspicion that he could be a “quarter of the system” should take a break from the giant fans.
Sando: I do not know how the Falcons could justify the abandonment of a first-round choice in 2026 in trade with the Rams for James Pearce Jr. Of course, the Falcons already have their designated Franchise quarter, so that they do not need a future first round for Atlant.
Nguyen: The Seahawks really needed an offensive line player and chose the Gray Zabel tackle. I heard good things, but I have not honestly crushed the northern Dakota state film this year. It took me a second to find Zabel in the beast because he was listed in the center.
Sheder Sanders slipped from the first round. What does that tell you about its NFL assessment, and where do you think it’s the best fit?
Pompei: Based on his talent, his production and his position, Sanders should have been a first round choice. This does not mean that it was a prospect not to be missed, but players similar to him are chosen in the first round almost every year. The fact that he was not taken on Thursday indicates how teams appreciate intangible assets in quarter. Right or bad, some teams were undoubtedly concerned about the shadow of his father and the attitude of Sanders cocksure and his flashy style. Sanders would probably prosper with a coach like Andy Reid, who allows players to be themselves. During the last check, however, the chiefs are fixed to the position.
Sando: The teams do not think that Sanders has a solid enough skills to overcome the concerns that could be difficult to cause. They think that Sanders was over-type because of his pedigree. They think that Sanders and his outspokenness would be more likely to make a coach turn than to obtain a new contract coach. No one was willing to bet their work on Sanders, but someone will select it with a choice with lower issues, modifying the dynamics.
Nguyen: Sanders was never a talent in the first round. If his name was not “Sanders”, no one would have talked about him as the first round. There was an unrealistic expectation put to him because of all notoriety, but in reality, he has no features in the first round. He is a good athlete but try to jostle too much, which leads to bags. Its precision is good but not the elite, and its percentage of completion is stimulated by a ton of screens. He is an intelligent child with an experience under the penny, a ton of confidence and tenacity, but these features do not make you write in the first round.
What team was the biggest winner of day 1?
Sando: I love Rams that pick up the choice of Atlanta’s first round in 2026. Sean Mcvay will likely look for a quarter. The first additional round provides more than ammunition. It is also a potential lottery ticket because the choice could fall into the top 10 if, let’s say, the Falcons unload Kirk Cousins, and Michael Penix Jr. struggles or undergoes an injury. Beyond that, everyone agrees that the 2026 draft should be stronger than 2025. This is another great reason for RAMs to add a high choice next year.
Pompei: Between the usual suspects – crows and eagles. Both chose late and the two selected the best prospects of the draft in their positions. The Ravens obtained the best security of Malaki Starks at 27 years old. Starks and Kyle Hamilton should form one of the most dynamic safety combinations in the league. And the Eagles chose the second Jihaad Campbell with the 31st choice. They would have thought so much about Campbell that they tried to exchange earlier in the round to take it. As it stands, they had to set up a place for Campbell, which should help compensate for some of their losses as a free defense agent.
Ted: Titans. They are by far the best quarter of the table. Cam Ward may not be the first global choice in each draft, but he obtained a top 10 from my part. Titans have an improving offensive line driven by one of the best coaches in the League (Bill Callahan) and a head coach in Brian Callahan who knows how to design a system around a creative quarter, as he did with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. Ward is not the best global draft player, but it could be the most impactful.
(Photo by Travis Hunter: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
