Note: I red-bolded “Rams relevant” stuff

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2025 NFL draft class: Strengths, weaknesses, big questions

https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/story/_/id/43955223/2025-nfl-draft-class-better-expected-strengths-weaknesses-questions-prospects

For months, the 2025 NFL draft class has been billed as weak relative to recent years by scouts and media analysts. It has been labeled thin and void of blue-chip talent. And sometimes, it has been called flat-out bad.

But as NFL analysts, scouts and executives dive further into the class ahead of Round 1 on April 24, that narrative is shifting. Thanks to underclassman declarations and a closer look at Day 2 and 3 prospects, this class could be stronger than previously predicted.

How did we get here? After talking to more than a dozen scouts and general managers over the past few weeks, a clear pattern emerged. What started as a quest for historical perspective on the inferiority of the 2025 class became a deep dive into positional value, team-building philosophies and the idea that good players are out there — scouts just need to find them.

“The people saying this is a bad class just haven’t watched enough players yet,” an AFC college scouting director said.

What are scouts saying about this class?

“There are four, maybe five, blue-chip players,” one NFL general manager said. ”After that, it’s 40 guys with a late-first-round or second-round grade.”

Scouts view the 2025 class as light on future All-Pros but strong on starters. “You’re going to see a ton of rookie starters from this class because it’s such an experienced group,” an AFC South area scout said.

Though the class appears to lack high-end, can’t-miss prospects seen as future stars — such as Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. last year — it has fewer players ranked high based purely on potential. As an AFC East area scout put it: ”Player No. 15 on your board might have the same grade as No. 50.”

That’s great for teams selecting in the middle of the first round or later. It also benefits teams with three or more picks in the first two rounds, such as the Chicago Bears, who have three selections between pick Nos. 10 and 41, and the Buffalo Bills, with three selections between Nos. 30 and 62.

This could also mean more trades starting in the middle of Round 1 through Round 2 due to a lack of leaguewide consensus regarding the top players in the draft’s strong middle class. The reverse seems unlikely, as there could be fewer trades into the top 10 because of the lack of blue-chippers and elite quarterback talent.

The narrative change for this draft class was supported by the Philadelphia Eagles’ dominant Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The position groups that fueled Philly’s win — defensive end, defensive tackle and versatile defensive backs — are the strengths of the 2025 draft.

“This is a meat-and-potatoes draft,” one NFL area scout said.

Which position groups have the biggest questions?

The lack of buzz surrounding the class reflects the number of quarterbacks at the top of the board. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is seen by most as the class’ top passer, followed closely by Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. But scouts wouldn’t have ranked them in the top passers drafted in 2024.

“There isn’t a single guy this year you’d take over the six drafted [in the first round] last year,” an AFC scouting director said.

Though scouts are down on the expected first-round quarterbacks, they like the depth at the position. One scout said he likes this group better than 2021, a surprise given there were five QBs selected in the first round that year, including each of the top three picks (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance).

This is also a down year for elite wide receivers after a run of great classes that featured game-changers such as Harrison, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.

Travis Hunter (Colorado) will likely be a top-three pick, but teams are divided on his primary NFL position after he played wide receiver and cornerback in college. Many evaluators prefer him at cornerback, with receiver being a secondary position, and Hunter is listed as a corner at the combine. If he’s classified as a defensive player, it would greatly diminish the top-end strength of the receiver class.

Scouts are also torn on Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) and Luther Burden III (Missouri) because of questions about their deep speed. There could be five receivers drafted in Round 1, but none are seen as better prospects than last year’s top three of Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze.

Which position groups have scouts excited?

The running back class has a chance to be special, as six backs have at least a second-round grade in my pre-combine rankings. There is also depth.

”If you can’t find a starting running back this year, you’re really just not trying,” an NFC West area scout said. “There will be starters coming out of Rounds 5, 6 and 7.”

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty leads the way and has a first-round grade, but teams will find starters in Round 2 in Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. There’s a good chance this year’s draft will feature the most running backs picked since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994 (30 were drafted in 1998 and 2017).

It’s also another strong year for tight ends. Tyler Warren (Penn State) and Colston Loveland (Michigan) are seen as top-15 players, according to NFL scouts. The depth is strong behind them, with seven more tight ends having a good shot of being selected by the end of Day 2.

“It’s not 2023 good, but this tight end class is stronger than last year’s or 2022,” an AFC South area scout said.

And finally, the defensive line group must be lauded. Penn State edge Abdul Carter anchors the class, followed by Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Georgia edge Jalon Walker. There are 31 defensive linemen in my top 100 — the most I’ve had at that group.

One NFL general manager said that “a third of the first round might be edge rushers and defensive tackles.”

Is there a recent class comp for the 2025 group?

“It reminds me of the 2015 first round with two quarterbacks at the top and then just a bunch of really solid players,” said an AFC North scout with more than 20 years of experience.

The 2015 draft featured Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as the first two picks, but five future Pro Bowlers were drafted in the top 10. That comparison might be too pessimistic, however.

The 2016 draft might be the best comp. Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz came off the board at the top, but the rest of the top 10 was dominated by the trenches with Joey Bosa (No. 3), Ronnie Stanley (No. 6), DeForest Buckner (No. 7), Jack Conklin (No. 8) and Leonard Floyd (No. 9). The 2016 class also featured a star running back drafted high (Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4), which could be mirrored in this draft if Jeanty goes in the top 10.

”This class might not have a superstar quarterback, but at the end of the day, it’ll have more [long-term] starters than 2021 or 2022 [one each],” an NFC scouting director said.

from 2025 NFL free agency signings: Ranking best deals, contracts — https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/44295980/2025-nfl-free-agency-signings-ranking-best-deals-contracts-fits-values

5. Wide receiver Davante Adams signs with the Rams
The deal: Two years, $46 million ($26 million guaranteed)

Three years ago, the Rams were seeking a second wide receiver to play alongside Cooper Kupp and they signed veteran Allen Robinson to a three-year, $45 million deal. It didn’t go great. Fast-forward to 2025, and they’re trying the veteran free agent route again. With Kupp being released (he signed with the Seahawks), the Rams are turning to Adams on a two-year deal to line up opposite Puka Nacua. And this time, I think it will turn out better.

Make no mistake: Adams is on the decline. He’s 32, and we often underestimate the rate at which age can erode a player’s ability. Maybe I’m doing it right now. But Adams’ decline is coming from such a high peak, and the evidence is there that he’s still a very good receiver. And in my view, he is a value at the price Los Angeles paid. Even in his down 2024 season, Adams averaged 2.1 yards per route run — and he was catching passes from Gardner Minshew (with the Raiders) and Aaron Rodgers (in a dysfunctional Jets offense). That’s still pretty good.

The advanced metrics suggest a similar story. His open score was 77 last season (via ESPN’s receiver scores), down from a peak of 99 in 2020 but still well above average. (Adams’ catch score dropped to a disastrous 5 last season, but it is more volatile from year to year, and I’d be less worried about age affecting his hands than his shiftiness.)

Now put that player in a Sean McVay offense in which he can be the No. 2 option behind an exceptional Nacua, and there’s a world where this could really work out, at least for a year. It makes all the sense in the world for the Rams, running it back with quarterback Matthew Stafford for another year with great offensive playmakers and an exceptional defensive line in place. I think the $23 million per year for Adams is going to age very well. After all, if Tutu Atwell is getting $10 million these days, you had better believe Adams is worth $23 million.

zn wrote:

Joe Noteboom (is he still on the roster?)

Noteboom is not listed on the Ram official roster. In Over.the.Cap, he is counted as dead money on a contract that expired in 2024 & OtC does not list him as being on the Rams roster.

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2025/3/18/24388891/rams-free-agency-nate-landman-linebacker

International implications:

Landman was born in Zimbabwe. He became a US citizen during his sophomore year of college. He’s currently the only player in the NFL of Zimbabwean heritage, though Andrew Mukuba of Texas should soon join him. Mukuba, a safety, will likely hear his name called on either day two or three of next month’s NFL Draft.

By the numbers:

Landman appears to be a better run defender than coverage player at linebacker. He played 809 and 543 snaps for the Falcons in 2023 and 2024, respectively, posting Pro Football Focus (PFF) run defense grades of 85.4 (10th of 90 players using a 20% snap threshold) and 73.9 (29th of 94).

On the 2024 Falcons defense, Landman ranked third in run defense behind safety Jesse Bates and linebacker JD Bertrand.

In 2023 he also ranked third with corner Tre Flowers and Bates coming in ahead of him.

Sosa Kremenjas@QBsMVP
Nate Landman in run defense among LBs in 2023, per @PFF (min. 150 snaps):

52 stops (1st)
12.6% stop percentage (1st)
2.7 average depth of tackle (13th)

Will need to dive into the tape but those are some impressive numbers.

Keeping an OL together through an NFL season is rough work.

Every team's most-used OL combination from 2024 per TruMedia and the snap% of that group. pic.twitter.com/mmRPSF03kr

— Rich Hribar (@LordReebs) March 18, 2025

Jim Youngblood 53@53_jim70721
I doubt Landman is a 3-down LBer, unless he improves his pass rush stuff … but as a 240-pound MIKE-type, I think he’s going to help the run defense and maybe he’ll continue to force fumbles ..

They do the Rams at 4:58 in.

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

But it makes me wonder who 159 was.

And 140.

Zooey wrote:

Turns out, the information available for free.

159 is Tommy Tremble, CAR TE

There was no 140 because of ties, they counted 2 141s. And the other 141 was Deebo.

In 2024…

Adams was 15
Nacua was 19
Atwell was 37
Robinson was 77
Johnson was 115
Parkinson was 120
Kupp as mentioned was 141

Zooey wrote:

Just to be absolutely clear, I am not complaining about the Rams’ drafting ability.

I know. I was just grabbing a chance to type it up.

They have a hole or 2 to fill but this is already a better team that the one that game just short against the Eagles on the road in the snow.’

Adams and Ford are good signings. They are set up to draft well. This will be a better team than the one that took the division last year.

Last year they got solid to great contributions from 6 draft picks: Verse, Fiske, Kinchens, Karty, Limmer, and Whittington (ie. with Whitt it was not just on offense, on different special teams units too). That includes the defensive rookie of the year.

In the last 3 drafts combined they had 9 6th round picks. Usually the hit rate on round 6 is anywhere from 2% to 8.84%, depending on your source. That means that 9 6th round picks should yield at best 1 player. But of out of those 9 Rams picks I would say so far that we know the Rams hit on 5: Lake (2022), Ethan Evans (2023), and 3 from 2024: Whittington, Karty, & Limmer. That’s a 55.6% hit rate. They have 4 more 6th round picks in 2025.

So IMO if they continue this good streak drafting, they ought to come up with 4-5 players, ie. counting
both immediate and depth/future contributors. As a result, the 2025 team could be even better than we already know it is.

Let’s hear your pick! ⬇️🤝 pic.twitter.com/DeIEu8oE3v

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) March 17, 2025

Krystal Ball@krystalball
ICE relentlessly pursued this Fulbright scholar and forced her to flee the country because she had liked some pro-Palestine posts and signed onto a letter calling for Palestinian liberation.

Even the most basic expressions of support for Palestinian human rights or critique of Israel can make you a target for destruction by the Trump regime.

Did you know Rams hold the NFL record for most points scored in a single quarter? 1980 against the Green Bay Packers, in the 2nd quarter.. 😳 pic.twitter.com/nQvu8of8zj

— Rams Tapes 🇵🇷 (@RamsTapes) March 17, 2025

Nicholas Kristof@NickKristof
Elon Musk says that no one has died because he slashed humanitarian aid. I went to South Sudan to check if that’s true. It’s not. Within an hour of starting interviews, I had the names of a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl who had died because of decisions by wealthy men in Washington.
The visit that moved me the most was to a remote area that used to have no health care, where women routinely died in childbirth. Then a US-funded maternity clinic opened through
@UNFPA
in December, and not one woman has died since. I showed up, and people mistakenly thought I was responsible for the clinic. One new mom wanted to name her baby for me, and the village elders thanked me and hailed America’s generosity. What they didn’t know was that Trump/Musk had cut all funding for UNFPA and that as a result the maternity clinic will close this month, and women will once again be bleeding to death in the dust.
Here’s a giftlink to my report from ground level about what the shutdown of USAID means: https://nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/15/opinion/foreign-aid-cuts-impact.html?unlocked_article_code=1.4E4.H8Lx.GD39rucUfloD&smid=url-share