5 teams that could shape the 2025 NFL Draft
The 2025 NFL draft is nine days away, and organizations are getting ready to select their next class of players.
Here's a look at five teams that could define draft weekend:
Cleveland Browns
The Browns desperately need a franchise quarterback and own the No. 2 selection in this year's draft. In most years, this would be a prime position to roll the dice and select a signal-caller. But the 2025 draft features one of the weakest quarterback classes in recent memory.
Cam Ward, the projected top passer in the draft, is the heavy favorite to be Tennessee's No. 1 overall selection. That leaves Cleveland with a tough decision to make - one that will ultimately have ripple effects for the rest of the first round.
They could swing for Shedeur Sanders, the presumed No. 2 quarterback, though many evaluators believe that would be a reach. If they pass on Sanders, top prospects like Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter could be in play, or they could explore trading down.
The Browns have the most draft value in 2025 with 10 total picks, including five selections in the top 105, according to The Harvard Sports Analysis Collective. Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco are competing to be the Week 1 starting quarterback, but the Browns have the draft ammo to add someone to the mix if they don't attack the position with their first selection.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are in no man's land heading into the 2025 draft. New Orleans finished 5-12 last season after a 2-0 start and hasn't reached the playoffs since 2020 in a weak NFC South division. Its roster lacks young talent after years of poor drafting, and the organization refuses to initiate a full rebuild.
General manager Mickey Loomis fired head coach Dennis Allen in November and hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to help steer the ship. Derek Carr was projected to be Moore's starting quarterback in 2025, but his season is reportedly in jeopardy due to a shoulder injury that may require surgery. Carr's four-year, $150-million contract has also handicapped the salary books. Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener, and Ben DiNucci are the other signal-callers on the Saints' roster.
New Orleans has the No. 9 selection in the draft and four top-95 picks. The Saints could take a quarterback with their first selection and have the ammo to move up in the draft if need be. Loomis, the general manager since 2002, has to be feeling the heat after hiring his third head coach. General managers usually don't get the chance to hire a fourth, so Loomis needs to get the Saints moving in the right direction. The 69-year-old has been aggressive in recent drafts, trading up to select players such as Chris Olave, Trevor Penning, and Marcus Davenport. If New Orleans attacks a quarterback early, other teams eying signal-callers will be scrambling.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers' front office let several former starters walk in free agency following a disappointing 6-11 season riddled with injuries. Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave, and Deebo Samuel all battled ailments and are now gone.
The 49ers' roster is in transition, but the team still has the talent to make a run in 2025 and bounce back after a fourth-place finish in the NFC West. General manager John Lynch has plenty of picks to work with, as San Francisco holds the fifth-most draft value, per The Harvard Sports Analysis Collective.
Lynch has sat back this offseason and watched his roster dwindle, so expect him to be active in the trade market. The franchise has seven picks in the final four rounds, which Lynch can use to move up in earlier rounds or acquire cheap veteran talent.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle has been the talk of the offseason. It dealt quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders, traded wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Steelers, and released a fan favorite in Tyler Lockett. To counter these moves, the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, setting the stage for a new offensive regime in 2025.
The Seahawks are the only team in the league with five picks in the top 92 selections, giving general manager John Schneider flexibility on the first two days. This isn’t a rebuild - the front office believes it can still compete in the NFC West.
A general manager doesn’t make this many bold moves without a bigger plan in mind. You don't trade your starting quarterback and borderline star wideout while signing players like Darnold and Kupp if you're not prepared to be aggressive with the assets you recouped from the trades. If Seattle zones in on a player it likes in the first round, it can easily jump up from 18. It can also use its five picks in the first three rounds to trade for players that help the team win now. Schneider has received pushback for how he handled his team this year, and how he navigates the draft will be fascinating to watch.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are coming off a dominant Super Bowl victory and have the core of their team returning for next season. However, they lost Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Mekhi Becton, who all contributed to their 2024 success. General manager Howie Roseman has taken low-risk, high-reward swings on players in free agency, but he's been relatively quiet this offseason.
If you know Roseman's history, he won't sit back on draft weekend. The 49-year-old made eight trades in last year's draft, tied for the most since the NFL went to seven rounds in 1994, according to CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr. Philadelphia owns the 32nd pick in the first round, but it has plenty of draft capital to work with. It has eight selections this year and is projected to have 12 in 2026.
Recent drafts have been home runs for the Eagles, producing foundational players like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean. With Roseman’s aggressive, calculated style, expect the Eagles to stay one step ahead of the curve again this year.