We're down to the final day of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Friday provided plenty of interesting selections. A handful of players who had first-round potential finally found homes, including cornerback Will Johnson and edge rushers Mike Green and Donovan Ezeiruaku. There were more wide receivers flying off the board, as well, with 10 going between Rounds 2 and 3. Of course, there's still the story that won't go away: Shedeur Sanders remains undrafted as we head into Round 4 on Saturday.
You can probably guess where he fits into this edition of The First Read, which will focus on the winners and losers of Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Here is the list in its entirety ...
WINNERS
1) Luther Burden III, WR, Chicago Bears: Burden could end up being one of the steals of this draft if he plays up to the potential that made some think he could've landed in the first round. His ability to separate and run after the catch will be another asset in a Chicago offense that that keeps adding playmakers by the day. The Bears hit it big by taking tight end Colston Loveland in the first round on Thursday. Then they used a second-round pick to bring Burden into a wide receivers room that already includes D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze. There should be plenty of opportunities for Burden to exploit single coverage and showcase his all-around abilities as a receiver in this offense. No other wide receiver taken in the first two days of this draft landed in a better situation.
2) Jonathan Gannon, head coach, Arizona Cardinals: Gannon is quietly building this team into a real contender, and this draft will go a long way toward helping that cause. In the first round, Arizona grabbed defensive tackle Walter Nolen, who can be a disruptive pass rusher in the interior of the defensive line. The bargain came in the second round, when Michigan cornerback Will Johnson was still on the board to be taken with the 47th overall pick. Concerns about a knee issue might have caused Johnson to slide out of the first round, but he brings real value to Gannon's defense. Johnson made a ton of plays in college and has the instincts and ball skills to make an impact as a rookie. Throw in the selection of edge rusher Jordan Burch in the third round, and you can see what the Cardinals wanted to accomplish in this draft. This team looks a lot better on defense today.
3) Jason Licht, general manager, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Licht doesn't get enough credit for the job he does running this franchise. He's kept key veterans when free agency has come around the last couple years (most notably quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin) and he's been pretty good at finding productive players in the draft (such as running back Bucky Irving in 2024). This year's draft has provided another example of Licht's skills. He used the first round to find a wide receiver (Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka) who should contribute right away before becoming an eventual successor to Evans or Godwin. The second and third rounds delivered much needed help at cornerback in the form of Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison and Kansas State's Jacob Parrish. Morrison has the skill set to thrive in the Bucs' zone-coverage schemes, while Parrish's speed (he ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine) will help this secondary, as well. There's a reason the Bucs have won the NFC South four straight years. They keep adding good players.
4) Zach Orr, defensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens: Orr must be excited about the talent joining his unit. Baltimore used a first-round pick on safety Malaki Starks, adding him to a secondary that already includes three other former first-rounders (safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins). The real question here is related to the risk around selecting Mike Green 59th overall in Round 2. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday that Green fell in the draft because of two separate sexual assault allegations (Green wasn't charged in either case). Later on Friday night, GM Eric DeCosta said the team "investigated this situation very thoroughly" and "felt comfortable taking him." There was a strong sentiment that Green's talent as an edge rusher could've landed in him in the first round if the off-field issues weren't part of his story.
5) Dillon Gabriel, QB, Cleveland Browns: The Browns used a third-round pick on Gabriel, who was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in college football history. There were sexier names on the board at the time -- including Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Ohio State's Will Howard -- but this was the guy Browns GM Andrew Berry wanted in this spot. Gabriel makes this list because of the opportunity he's walking into. The Browns have Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco in the mix for a starting job, so it's not hard to see Gabriel factoring into that competition. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski also likes working with system quarterbacks -- think Kirk Cousins -- and that's exactly what Gabriel will be in this league. The Browns had a productive second day with picks like linebacker Carson Schwesinger, running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. If Gabriel can develop into a reliable starter, then this will be a strong class for Berry.
LOSERS
1) Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: It's almost impossible to make this list two days in a row, but that's where we are with Sanders. It was one thing for him to fall out of the first round when there were serious debates about him being a potential top-10 pick. The idea that he could be undrafted after three rounds tells you this is one of the most glaring examples of how a player's public perception doesn't match what NFL decision-makers think. It seems possible this is not about what comes with bringing Sanders into a franchise, whether that's his big personality or his father's aura. There's a chance teams simply don't think he's that good of a player. It's anybody's guess as to where Sanders is taken now.
2) James Gladstone, GM, Jacksonville Jaguars: The first-year general manager lands in this category because on Friday, the cost of Thursday's blockbuster trade became starkly apparent. Yes, the Jaguars selected wide receiver-cornerback Travis Hunter with the second overall pick they acquired from Cleveland. They also had to sit out the entire second round, having dealt the No. 36 overall choice (along with their first-round pick in next year's draft) to the Browns in the deal. Gladstone used two late third-round selections to take a cornerback (Tulane's Caleb Ransaw) and a guard (West Virginia's Wyatt Milum), but Friday night drove home the extent to which this draft is all about the success of Hunter. If he's a superstar, then nobody is going to quibble about the loss of a valuable Day 2 pick and a first-rounder next year. However, the Jaguars aren't one player away from being serious contenders, and even factoring in the extra 2026 third-rounders picked up in a separate swap with Detroit, the lost chance to add another top-40 player highlights how easily the Hunter trade could be remembered for the wrong reasons.
3) Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks didn't treat Darnold in the same way Atlanta handled Kirk Cousins last offseason -- when the Falcons used a first-round pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after giving Cousins $100 million in guaranteed money as a free agent -- but Darnold probably didn't love the third-round pick Seattle used on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. There's no doubt that Milroe is a raw talent who needs time to develop. It's also true that Darnold just joined Seattle as the most valued free-agent quarterback in this year's crop, and he could use as much help around him as the Seahawks can find. GM John Schneider found a guard in the first round (North Dakota State's Grey Zabel) and a tight end in the second (Miami's Elijah Arroyo), but taking a potential successor to Darnold in the third tells you that Seattle wants some insurance on its new veteran quarterback.
4) Pittsburgh Steelers: There's little question about how the Steelers are playing their quarterback situation. They appear to be all-in on the idea of landing Aaron Rodgers, and they don't seem to even want to give the slightest hint that they're interested in a younger talent who could play in 2025. Pittsburgh had plenty of opportunities to draft one in the first and third rounds -- they had one selection in each -- and passed. That leaves the Steelers with a quarterback depth chart that includes Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, neither of whom should be taking snaps for this team unless something has gone horribly wrong. Pittsburgh just handed all its leverage to Rodgers. Now the Steelers just have to hope he really wants to play football for them this fall.
