We’re through two days of the 2025 NFL draft, and I saw a lot of picks in Rounds 2 and 3 that I really liked. There was value to be had: Six players from my top 32 were still on the board when Cleveland kicked things off Friday at No. 33. (Yes, quarterback Shedeur Sanders was one of them … and he’s still available.) Front offices added impact edge rushers and playmakers who I thought might go in Round 1. And the way a few teams tackled needs was impressive. But some moves left me a little confused. Day 2 is where teams can find solid players at value, but there were definitely some reaches.

As we did after Round 1, let’s put the second- and third-round picks into context. Which teams were the big winners of the night? To break down the best and worst from Friday, I leaned on my own Big Board rankings and prospect grades to get a sense of which teams got steals and which teams reached. Each roster’s biggest needs, what each front office did in Round 1 and any trades involved in the picks — both up and down the board — were also important considerations.

We’ll be back for Rounds 4-7 on Saturday (noon ET on ESPN and the ESPN App). I still have 15 players in my top 100 on the board, so expect some more impact selections on Day 3. (I listed my best available prospects at the bottom here with some early lookahead thoughts.) I’ll also have complete post-draft grades for all 32 franchises late Saturday night, sizing up each class. But first, let’s recap the highs and lows of Rounds 2 and 3, starting with one team that had an outstanding night.

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Biggest winners and best picks from Rounds 2-3

Seattle Seahawks

The picks: Nick Emmanwori (No. 35), Elijah Arroyo (No. 50), Jalen Milroe (No. 92)

Seattle came up 17 spots from No. 52 to take Emmanwori early in Round 2. The Seahawks handed a third-rounder to Houston, but they had four Day 2 picks entering the day. And Emmanwori, my No. 17 overall prospect, was still sitting there at No. 35. The Seahawks love toolsy players in their secondary, and Emmanwori has a lot of standout traits. He’s explosive, physical and fast, as we saw at the combine. And he is a ball hawk on the back end, picking off four passes last season.

Down the board, the Seahawks got new quarterback Sam Darnold another pass catcher with Arroyo. He plays tight end, but he’s essentially a big wide receiver. He’ll bring speed and a wide catch radius, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is going to move him around to find mismatches against the coverage. Arroyo was 37th on my board, so the value is right, too.

To cap it all off, the Seahawks went and got a quarterback to learn behind Darnold. This should have been Shedeur Sanders. But I do like the fit a lot, and the value is still really strong for Milroe. He can hit the deep ball with accuracy, and he’s a true difference-maker as a runner on designed carries and scrambles. Defensive coordinators are going to be worried about offensive packages shaped around his run-game traits this season, and he has the chance to develop into a starter down the road.

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Seahawks draft Jalen Milroe with the No. 92 pick

The Seahawks select Alabama QB Jalen Milroe with the 92nd pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Arizona Cardinals

The picks: Will Johnson (No. 47), Jordan Burch (No. 78)

On Thursday, Adam Schefter reported that Johnson has a knee issue that scared teams off in Round 1. But when healthy, he’s the complete package. Johnson had nine career interceptions, thanks to his high-end instincts, quickness and diagnosing ability. He was No. 11 on my board, and two corners whom I had ranked below him — Jahdae Barron and Maxwell Hairston — went on Day 1. We’re going to look back at this pick and wonder how Johnson slid all the way to the middle of Round 2. Arizona took care of a big need in a big way. Johnson will start outside right out of the gate and should improve a pass defense that allowed opponents to complete 68.6% of throws last season (29th in the league). The Cards also landed Burch to put pressure on NFC West quarterbacks.

Houston Texans

The picks: Jayden Higgins (No. 34), Aireontae Ersery (No. 48), Jaylin Noel (No. 79), Jaylin Smith (No. 97)

The Texans traded back on Thursday, which meant they had to check off needs on Friday. One was wide receiver. Stefon Diggs signed in New England after missing much of last season with a torn ACL. Tank Dell‘s return timeline from his own knee injury is uncertain. They traded for Christian Kirk, but the Texans had to do more to support C.J. Stroud in Year 3. Higgins is a big 6-foot-4 pass catcher who had 1,183 yards last season. I preferred Luther Burden III, and it’s a slight reach for Higgins based on my board (No. 53), but it’s a solid pick for an offense that needed a boost.

The better value came when Houston took Higgins’ Iowa State teammate. Noel — 56th in my rankings — is speedy slot man with reliable hands, and he’s going to make things happen after the catch for Stroud. Higgins and Noel will slide in alongside Nico Collins.

The other need to address was offensive line. Houston had another second-rounder and traded up to get Ersery, who brings 6-foot-6, 331-pound size and the power to drive defensive ends off the ball. Texans O-line coach Cole Popovich has a lot to work with in Ersery’s skill set. Remember, the Texans completely turned over the offensive line after giving up 54 sacks last season, tied for the third most. Ersery could play early here.

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Philadelphia Eagles

The pick: Andrew Mukuba (No. 64)

Every year I put out a list of my favorite prospects at every position heading into the draft. These are the Day 2 or Day 3 picks who have great tape and should outplay their draft slot. Mukuba was the first member of the 2025 list to get drafted this year. I love Mukuba’s game. He’s 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, but he plays so much bigger and hits like a linebacker. Mukuba is a top-five safety on my board, and I could see him popping into the lineup in C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s vacated spot.

New York Giants

The pick: Darius Alexander (No. 65)

Great pick. The Giants’ roster still has a lot of holes. But their pass rush is a massive strength. They added Abdul Carter early in the third round Thursday, and they already had Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Now they go get Alexander, who plays with speed, physicality and bend. He simply wreaks havoc in the backfield (nine tackles for loss last season), and the Giants will be able to line him up anywhere. I thought he might go early in Round 2, as he was ranked No. 39 on my board. The Giants got him in Round 3. New York’s defense is going to put some quarterbacks on the ground this season.

Chicago Bears

The picks: Luther Burden III (No. 39), Ozzy Trapilo (No. 56), Shemar Turner (No. 62)

If Caleb Williams doesn’t break out this season, there are going to be a lot of questions. The Bears have cleaned up this offense in a hurry, starting with the offensive line moves in free agency and continuing into the first two days of the draft. They took seam-stretching Colston Loveland in the first round, and then landed Burden on Day 2. He’s really, really good after the catch. His 2024 numbers were down a little bit (676 yards), but the quarterback play was shaky at Missouri. Burden can play. He’s explosive, and he will be able to take crossers and slants from Williams for first downs — and then some — in Chicago.

Chicago also drafted Trapilo in Round 2; he could push Braxton Jones for work at left tackle. No more excuses for Caleb. Watch this offense take off in 2025. But the Bears weren’t done: Turner will join Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. on the interior defensive line. Good Day 2 haul for an up-and-coming team.

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New York Jets

The picks: Mason Taylor (No. 42), Azareye’h Thomas (No. 73)

The Jets passed on Tyler Warren and Loveland in Round 1. I would have probably taken a tight end at No. 7, but I do like the Armand Membou pick. I like it even more now that the Jets came back on Friday and got Taylor. He’s consistent. He has great hands and runs superb routes. Justin Fields is going to love putting the ball up to the 6-foot-5 target downfield. Taylor isn’t going to blow you away with his after-the-catch ability or his blocking, but he’s going to make the offense better in New York. And there’s this: His dad, Jason Taylor, played one season with the Jets.

Plus, getting Thomas in Round 3 was really good value. I had him No. 47 overall. His recovery speed is impressive, and his Senior Bowl performance showed what he can do against top-tier receivers. Thomas will get reps opposite Sauce Gardner.

Dallas Cowboys

The picks: Donovan Ezeiruaku (No. 44), Shavon Revel Jr. (No. 76)

OK, here’s some good value. Ezeiruaku was No. 23 on my board. Dallas got him halfway through Round 2. Ezeiruaku led the FBS in pressures last season with 65, and he had 16.5 sacks. Simply put, he gets after the quarterback. The Cowboys now have Micah Parsons, Dante Fowler Jr. and Ezeiruaku coming off the edge, so they will once again put up some strong sack numbers. Ezeiruaku isn’t going to help much against the run, but he’s going to feast on NFC passers on third down when he can pin his ears back.

Dallas kept going on defense. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are both capable cornerbacks with elite ball skills, but they have both dealt with injuries. Plus, the Cowboys lost reliable slot corner Jourdan Lewis in free agency. So, Revel should contribute. He tore his ACL in 2024, which caused his stock to fall a little. But he’s long and fast, and like Diggs and Bland, he makes plays on the ball. He looked like a first-rounder early in the 2024 season before the injury, so this is nice value for my No. 55 prospect. I actually had him projected to Dallas in the three-round mock draft that Field Yates and I did two weeks ago — one round earlier.

I was critical of the Cowboys’ approach to Round 1, reaching for guard Tyler Booker at No. 12. But this was a good recovery.

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New England Patriots

The picks: TreVeyon Henderson (No. 38), Kyle Williams (No. 69), Jared Wilson (No. 95)

The Patriots clearly want to support Drake Maye in his first full season as the starter. They got him a left tackle in Will Campbell on Thursday. And they got him an explosive running back in Henderson on Friday. He’s a game breaker — he could go 60 yards in a blink, and he ran for 1,016 yards last season despite splitting time with Quinshon Judkins. I think he’s at his best in that sort of timeshare role, when he can stay fresh. And he will get that in New England, with Rhamondre Stevenson getting plenty of work. Henderson is a great blocker and pass catcher, too, so he could be a big factor for coach Mike Vrabel on third down.

The offensive boost continued with Williams and Wilson. New England lacked much beyond Stefon Diggs in the receiver room, and Williams went for 1,198 yards last season. And Wilson offers excellent value; I had him ranked No. 45.

More picks I liked in Rounds 2-3

• The Commanders absolutely had to find a Week 1 starter at outside cornerback in the draft. Marshon Lattimore has struggled to stay healthy, and the Commanders replaced Benjamin St-Juste with Noah Igbinoghene and Jonathan Jones. Neither is a lockdown cover man. Trey Amos was No. 43 on my Big Board. Washington got him at No. 61. He gets his hands on the football in coverage (three picks, 15 pass breakups last season). There’s a lot to like with this pick.
• Edge rusher Mike Green was the 18th-ranked prospect on my Big Board based on his on-field play. When the Ravens came on the clock at No. 59 on Friday, he was the only player in my top 35 still on the board not named Shedeur Sanders. Green had 17 sacks last season and is explosive. He mixes up pass-rush moves and uses his speed to get home on the QB. So there’s a lot to like about his scouting report, and the Ravens need edge rushing with Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh both entering the final years of their deals. But there are also some off-field concerns that need to be factored into the pick. At the combine, Green said he was accused of sexual assault at Virginia, which led to his transfer to Marshall, and he faced another sexual assault allegation in high school. Green was never charged and insisted he did nothing wrong.
• The Raiders kept trading back on Friday. First they traded Nos. 37 and 143 to Miami for Nos. 48, 98 and 135. Then they promptly traded back again, sending No. 48 to Houston for Nos. 58 and 99. Raiders GM John Spytek added some serious draft capital here, and they still picked up some really good players in receiver Jack Bech, cornerback Darien Porter and offensive tackles Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant. That’s good navigation of the board.

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Jack Bech lets emotions fly after being drafted by Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders select TCU WR Jack Bech, whose brother Tiger was killed in the New Orleans terror attack on New Year’s Day.

• Edge rusher Ashton Gillotte is one of my favorite prospects in the class, and he’s a good fit in Kansas City. I see good bend, power and intensity on the tape. The Chiefs snagged him at No. 66, and I had him ranked 51st, so the value is pretty good, too.
• Another receiver for Green Bay, 24 hours after adding Matthew Golden. Savion Williams can line up all over the place, and he runs right through tackles with the ball in his hands. Nice addition at No. 87.

Questionable picks and reaches from Rounds 2-3

The NFL

The whole league gets called out here. There are slides, and then there is what’s happening to quarterback Shedeur Sanders. I’m sure you know by now from the broadcast that he is No. 5 on my board. He is my QB1 for the class, even over Cam Ward. I thought he was a clear first-rounder, but now we’re looking at Day 3. So many teams passed. The Giants, Saints, Seahawks and Browns all went other directions at the position. The Steelers and Raiders didn’t take anyone, which is potentially a big problem for Pittsburgh and perhaps more of an eyebrow-raiser for Las Vegas. But you’re telling me none of these teams saw value in taking Sanders on Day 2? We’re through 102 picks, and Sanders is still out there.

NFL offenses are skeptical of pure pocket passers these days. Sanders isn’t going to beat you on the ground. He doesn’t have a massive arm to drive the ball vertically. And he doesn’t have the 6-foot-4 size that front offices like under center. But no one can argue with Sanders’ ability to pick apart a defense with his accuracy and ball placement. He sees the field and delivers strikes. He was constantly under duress at Colorado and showed toughness through it all.

Bottom line, I think he’s going to be a great NFL quarterback. And I’m surprised none of the QB-needy teams (or honestly, at this point, even some of the teams that don’t need a passer) agree with me enough to use a Day 1 or Day 2 pick on him.

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Shedeur Sanders’ slide continues as he goes undrafted on Day 2

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders remains on the board after being passed over in Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2025 NFL draft.

Cleveland Browns

The picks: Carson Schwesinger (No. 33), Quinshon Judkins (No. 36), Harold Fannin Jr. (No. 67), Dillon Gabriel (No. 94)

There are some decent selections here. Schwesinger is a tackle machine at linebacker, with 115 last season. Earlier this week, there was buzz that he might go in the later part of Round 1, so I like seeing the Browns take him at No. 33. Judkins is a powerful back who knows how to get into the end zone, scoring at least 14 TDs in each of the past three seasons. Fannin put up wild numbers last season, leading the nation with 117 catches. These are good players at good value.

But I don’t totally get the approach at quarterback. Let’s be clear, I like Gabriel a lot. I picked him as my favorite QB sleeper in the class. He’s a winner who throws with pinpoint accuracy and timing. Gabriel sees the field well, too — he doesn’t turn the ball over. All that said, I thought he’d be a really good Day 3 get for some team. And I certainly never thought he’d go before Sanders, and even Kyle McCord and Will Howard.

Joe Flacco is 40 years old. Kenny Pickett has been traded twice since being a first-round pick in 2022. And Gabriel was my eighth-ranked QB in the draft class. This pass game could struggle big time.

New Orleans Saints

The picks: Tyler Shough (No. 40), Vernon Broughton (No. 71), Jonas Sanker (No. 93)

I wrote about the Saints and the quarterback class last night, and I won’t completely rehash that here. Shough has great arm strength; he can spin it. He has a ton of experience, too (43 games). But I still think Sanders is a much better quarterback. We’re talking about my No. 46 prospect vs. my No. 5 prospect. The Saints had a chance to completely wash away my issues with their first-round approach by taking Sanders. I guess we’ll see how it all plays out.

The rest of the night didn’t do much to improve things. Broughton was a reach. I ranked him 145th overall. He was my DT20 in the class. I know the defensive tackles were coming off the board fast on Friday, and Broughton does have some pop, but there were better options for a team that has a lot of needs. Getting Sanker late on Day 2 is in line with my board, but fellow safety Xavier Watts was still there. That’s 13 interceptions over the past two seasons that New Orleans left on the board.

• Draftcast | Best at every position

• Kiper’s Big Board | Miller’s top 600

• Reid’s top 350 | Yates’ top 200 | QBs

• Muench’s top 350 | Legwold’s top 100

Buffalo Bills

The picks: T.J. Sanders (No. 41), Landon Jackson (No. 72)

Sanders is a reach for me. I had to scan way down my board to No. 126 to find his name. I had six defensive tackles ranked above him still available. And to make matters worse, Buffalo traded up to get him. It sent two second-rounders and a fourth-rounder to Chicago for this pick, a third-rounder and a seventh-rounder. It’s just not very good management of the draft board. And while Sanders has good agility and can penetrate as an interior pass rusher, he lacks the girth to consistently anchor against double-teams. He has talent, but Buffalo is going to have to coach him up for him to reach his ceiling.

Jackson wasn’t a bad pick, though. He will give the Bills some youth in the pass-rush room, which matters since Joey Bosa is on a one-year deal. He will also chip in stopping the run.

Denver Broncos

The picks: RJ Harvey (No. 60), Pat Bryant (No. 74), Sai’vion Jones (No. 101)

The good news is Denver focused heavily on taking care of needs. After getting Jahdae Barron in Round 1, the Broncos got a running back and a wide receiver on Day 2. The bad news is there were much better players available at both positions when the Broncos were on the clock. Harvey and Bryant were back-to-back at Nos. 113 and 114 on my Big Board, respectively.

Let’s start at running back. The Broncos passed on Omarion Hampton in the first round. I didn’t love that, but the running back class is deep. Surely they’d get a difference-maker at the position Friday. Harvey can run away from defenders, totaling 1,577 yards last season. But he was my RB9. Passing on Kaleb Johnson? Passing on Dylan Sampson, one of my favorites in the class? Passing on Bhayshul Tuten and Cam Skattebo? Considering how disappointing the Broncos’ run game was last season, coupled with the fact they didn’t replace Javonte Williams in free agency, I would have thought they’d make a more aggressive play at the position ahead of Bo Nix‘s second season.

On to receiver. There were some really talented pass catchers out there. Bryant was buzzy this week, but he was my No. 17 WR. I’m picturing Nix dumping the ball off to Jaylin Noel or Savion Williams and letting them pick up first downs. Or throwing it up to Elic Ayomanor down the sideline. It’s just another really big reach.

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More picks I questioned in Rounds 2-3

• Kaleb Johnson is going to be really good in the Steelers’ offense, and No. 83 was a good spot to get him. Or at least it would have been if the Steelers already had a quarterback. Pittsburgh must feel really confident that it will sign Aaron Rodgers. Because if that doesn’t happen, I don’t see this team being competitive in the AFC North. And it makes me question going out and getting DK Metcalf for a premium pick a little bit. The Steelers currently don’t have a short- or long-term solution under center, so this seems risky at best.
• I was surprised to see the Chiefs pull Omarr Norman-Lott from way, way down my board at No. 63. He just snuck into my top 150 at No. 142 overall. Norman-Lott started just five of his 45 career games. He has some pass-rush upside (4.5 sacks from inside), but I don’t understand what Kansas City saw in the value here. And that’s especially true since Darius Alexander was still on the board; he was over 100 spots higher in my rankings.

Kiper’s best available prospects for Round 4

Here are the best players on my board still available for Day 3. I have their predraft top-150 ranking in parentheses.

1. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (No. 5)

2. Yahya Black, DT, Iowa (No. 66)

3. Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State (No. 72)

4. Marcus Mbow, G, Purdue (No. 74)

5. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech (No. 78)

6. Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford (No. 79)

7. David Walker, OLB, Central Arkansas (No. 84)

8. Barryn Sorrell, DE, Texas (No. 86)

9. Ty Robinson, DT, Nebraska (No. 88)

10. Jack Sawyer, DE, Ohio State (No. 90)

Mbow and Walker were both on my list of favorite prospects. And I really like Sawyer. He could make a dent off the edge for an NFL defense.