2025 NFL Draft do-over: How would all 32 picks in Round 1 play out now?

Original pick: Cam Ward

Growing pains were significant for Ward in Year 1, but they were expected for a rebuilding team. Tennessee went 3-14 and ranked 30th in scoring (16.7 points per game). Yet, there were more than enough glimpses from Ward to believe the Titans would stick with him if they could do it all over again. They won two games in December -- something they had not done in four years -- and Ward had a TD-INT ratio of 8:1 during that month. Promising! If GM Mike Borgonzi surrounds the young signal-caller with a better offensive line and weaponry, Ward could make a big leap in 2026.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Mason Graham, No. 5 overall (traded with Jaguars)

The Browns are probably not super pumped to throw real-life foundational pieces Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. back into this re-draft pool, knowing that 1) several will be snapped up within the next 30 picks and 2) they are prohibited from trading down again. They could still use a QB, but it's not a good use of anyone's time to ask Jaxson Dart or Tyler Shough to develop in Cleveland as a top-two selection. So the Browns go with one of the most appealing long-term building blocks available. Banks -- Pro Football Focus' top-graded tackle in this class -- settles in as a blind-side rock, solving a problem that has vexed this team since Joe Thomas said goodbye.

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Abdul Carter

New York doesn’t risk losing out on its franchise QB, who surely wouldn’t be available at No. 25 overall if the 32 GMs could rewind the clock back to April 2025. Injuries -- his own, plus those to several in his supporting cast -- and fourth-quarter collapses ultimately doomed Dart’s rookie season, but the first-year passer flashed enough promise to suggest he’s the Giants’ long-term answer under center. At the very least, he was enough of a draw to lure the No. 1 coaching candidate in the 2026 cycle.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Will Campbell

While Campbell himself acknowledged his performance in the Divisional Round left much to be desired, I don’t think the Patriots would have a great deal of interest in opening up the left tackle spot by bypassing him here. Clearly, his pass protection needs to improve -- we’ve seen that in each of the last two weeks. Campbell’s a stronger run blocker at this stage, but he still has the potential to provide stability shielding Drake Maye’s blind side. There’s a tight bond between the two players already. It’s hard to envision New England messing with that dynamic, given the trajectory the team is on.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Travis Hunter, No. 2 overall (traded with Browns)

Is Hunter going to be a paradigm-shifting generational talent at the NFL level? Thanks to his injury-shortened debut season, we just don't know. But if the Jags were all in on him nine months ago, it makes sense for them to remain all in now. Yes, there might be a temptation to go with someone else here who would have stayed healthy enough to boost Jacksonville's surprising 2025 run. That's a short-term gain, though. This is a long-term project, and the Jags shouldn't give up on someone who still has a chance to help entrench them as AFC contenders for years.

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Ashton Jeanty

The Raiders finished with the worst total offense in the league, and while that unit’s issues were widespread, most stemmed from devastatingly poor O-line play. Vegas surrendered the most sacks of any team (64) and generated the lowest yards per carry (3.6), in no small part because Ashton Jeanty and the rest of the Raiders RBs were getting hit at, or behind, the line of scrimmage way too frequently (0.7 yards before contact; second-worst, per Next Gen Stats). Membou provides some immediate help in a lost 2025 campaign and serves as a bedrock for the future.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Armand Membou

While it might be tempting to address one of the Jets’ many other needs, Aaron Glenn can’t pass up a chance to land a player he can build around on defense. Carter’s rookie year with the other New York team was fraught with benchings and fewer sacks (four) than most expected from him. He remains a rare talent, though. A defensive mind like Glenn should be able to maximize his ability. The guy did lead the league in quick QB pressures (48, per NGS) as a rookie, after all. It sure seems like there’s a lot more meat on the bone here.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Tetairoa McMillan

McMillan became the first Panthers player to top 1,000 receiving yards with six or more receiving TDs in the same season since Greg Olsen in 2015, positioning himself as an Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. Oh, and he helped Bryce Young play like a winning NFL quarterback, which is the most important mission of anyone who has anything to do with this football team whatsoever. Dan Morgan doesn't just make this pick one more time; he asks us to stay late so he can make it 1,000 more times.

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Kelvin Banks Jr.

I don’t think anyone would have predicted a first-round re-draft slotting for Shough around midseason, after the Saints suffered lopsided defeats in his first two games seeing extensive playing time. Something ultimately clicked, though, with the rookie leading New Orleans to a 5-4 record as a starter, including four straight victories in December. Remember, this was a team that started 1-7 with Spencer Rattler under center. While it undoubtedly hurt the Saints to see their left tackle, Kelvin Banks Jr., come off the board at No. 2, they should happily turn in the card one round earlier for their new answer at quarterback after previously living in the wilderness during the post-Drew Brees era.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Colston Loveland

The big debate, one that lingered into the season, was Tyler Warren vs. Loveland for TE1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. While Warren started strong before the Colts’ season unraveled, the Bears should be very happy with the decision they made at No. 10 overall. Loveland became the first rookie tight end in NFL history with 8+ receptions and 100+ receiving yards in a playoff game. Also, he’s the first rookie TE to lead a playoff team in receiving yards since Keith Jackson with the 1988 Eagles. Caleb Williams has a go-to guy. There’s no reason for Chicago to think about going in a different direction here.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Mykel Williams

Here's a fun one (if you're John Lynch), or "fun" one (if you're John Schneider): The 49ers pilfer a crucial member of the Seahawks' dominant defense to retroactively patch one of their most glaring flaws. Including the playoffs, Emmanwori has totaled 12 passes defensed so far, third-most in Seattle -- and twice as many as any player in San Francisco besides Renardo Green (10). Emmanwori's 15 run stops, meanwhile, slot him behind only one Niners defensive back (Malik Mustapha, who had 24), according to Next Gen Stats. Does swapping Emmanwori flip-flop how these teams' seasons play out, given all the injuries in San Francisco? Who knows, but the Niners probably wouldn't mind giving it a shot. 

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Tyler Booker

Dallas’ offseason emphasis on improving its porous run defense, um, did not work. The unit, which ranked last in rush TDs allowed for the second consecutive season (24), finished 31st in EPA per carry (.06), 31st in first downs over expected (19) and 30th in explosive run percentage (14.2). As much as the Cowboys might want to retake Tyler Booker, they don't pass up the Defensive Rookie of the Year front-runner in this redo. Schwesinger led his class in total tackles (146 -- 40 more than second-ranked Demetrius Knight Jr.) and tackles for loss (11), while hauling in two picks for good measure. His tackle total was just 15 shy of Dallas’ two leading tacklers' combined mark (Kenneth Murray Jr., 81; Shemar James, 80).

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Kenneth Grant

Miami, thrilled to see Booker still on the board, moves swiftly to scoop up the mauler, who was integral to Dallas’ renewed ground attack. Booker earned PFF’s highest run-blocking grade among rookie linemen, offering more immediate help than Miami’s original first-round pick (DT Kenneth Grant) and significantly more upside than the Fins’ second-rounder, OG Jonah Savaiinaea, who was PFF’s lowest-graded rookie lineman overall.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Tyler Warren

Without taking anything away from Daniel Jones or Philip Rivers, it's clear that non-quarterbacks had as much to do with the Colts' offensive success as quarterbacks -- especially non-quarterbacks who are also 6-foot-6, 256-pound superweapon tight ends. Logging 76 catches, 817 yards and four receiving TDs, Warren was a key driver behind this team's emergence as a surprising early-season contender. Whoever ends up under center for Indy going forward -- whether it's Jones or someone else -- will take plenty of comfort in having Warren out there as a target.

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Jalon Walker

Although Jalon Walker, whom Atlanta originally picked in this spot, just wrapped a solid rookie season, the franchise prioritizes the second edge rusher it selected in last year’s first round in this redo. It took a minute for Pearce to get going, but when he did, he became one of the most productive edge rushers in the NFL. Pearce notched at least one sack in eight of his final nine games to end the year with the highest total (10.5) in the 2025 draft class.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Walter Nolen

Walter Nolen flashed as a rookie. However, he missed all but six games due to injury. That’s a lot of time for a defense desperate for playmakers. So, in this scenario, the Cardinals address the same need on the interior by stopping Graham’s slide. As my distinguished colleague Gennaro Filice recently pointed out, Graham ranked third among rookies in run stops (behind off-ball linebackers Carson Schwesinger and Cody Simon) and QB pressures (behind edge rushers Abdul Carter and James Pearce Jr.) in the final nine weeks of the regular season. Landing Graham at No. 16 would be strong value for Arizona.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Shemar Stewart

Hold on to your socks: The Bengals are about to revive their 2025 season. Lost years from Shemar Stewart (15 pressures, per NGS, and one sack in eight games) and Trey Hendrickson (24 pressures, four sacks in seven games) helped turn Cincy's defense into the kind of group that could get cooked by Mason Rudolph, who -- with neither player on the field -- was sacked zero times and pressured twice while engineering a key Steelers win in Week 11. It's not outrageous to think a more impactful QB hunter could have flipped that outcome, along with at least two of the Bengals' five one-score losses -- and then, bam, we're talking about an AFC North title and another chance to see Joe Burrow in the playoffs. Walker dealt with his own injury issues in Atlanta, but he still managed a pressure rate of 10.8%, third-best among rookies with 200-plus pass-rush snaps, and sets up nicely as the post-Hendrickson torch-bearer Stewart was supposed to be. 

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Grey Zabel

The Seahawks entered April’s draft in desperate need of help along the interior O-line, and, boy, did they find it in Zabel. The North Dakota State product lined up at left guard from Day 1 and finished the regular season having played 98.8 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Zabel, whose toughness and competitive drive elicited praise from coach Mike Macdonald earlier this season, allowed the 12th-lowest QB pressure percentage (5.5) among all guards in 2025, per Next Gen Stats. Seattle is psyched to run it back with its original selection.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Emeka Egbuka

Like the Buccaneers in general, Egbuka faded in the second half, with Baker Mayfield’s performance declining down the stretch. But there’s no doubt Tampa Bay would not have started so hot without Egbuka, who emerged as an early Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. He led the team in targets (127), catches (63), receiving yards (938) and TD grabs (six) in 2025. Egbuka very quickly became a source of stability in a receiving corps that had to navigate significant injury issues. I don’t see GM Jason Licht turning away from him now, especially with Mike Evans headed for free agency.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Jahdae Barron

Jahdae Barron's rookie season (one pick and five passes defensed in 17 games, with five starts) is nothing to sneeze at. But Watts exploded in Atlanta, snaring five interceptions, second-most among all players, while helping key a defensive turnaround by the Falcons. Knowing their defense will be made more important than ever by Bo Nix's season-ending injury in last week's Divisional Round win, the Broncos jump at the chance to boost the unit with Watts, with the added benefit of buffering the team against the loss of Brandon Jones to a torn pectoral.

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Derrick Harmon

Pittsburgh’s passing offense lacked punch all season long, in large part because, outside of DK Metcalf, it was short on playmakers who could separate and consistently create after the catch. Seemingly every one of Burden's receptions was highlight-reel-worthy, with the first-year wideout boasting the third-highest YAC per catch (7.4) and second-highest passer rating when targeted (123.1 -- behind only Puka Nacua) among ALL receivers with at least 50 targets in 2025, per Next Gen Stats. Although the Bears rookie did struggle with drops (five), I’m sure the Steelers would’ve lived with those miscues if it meant having a true No. 2 option for Aaron Rodgers.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Omarion Hampton

They say the best ability is availability, and in Year 1, Jeanty was much stronger in that department than Omarion Hampton. Hampton missed eight games and only played two snaps in the Chargers’ playoff loss. Meanwhile, Jeanty started every game for one of the league’s worst offenses and still managed to put together a respectable body of work despite having to rack up 88.5% of his rushing yards after contact. He would be even more of a weapon in a Justin Herbert-led offense. So, Jim Harbaugh swaps runners in this redo, but it likely would be a tough call for the loyal ball coach.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Matthew Golden

Green Bay surely didn’t envision Matthew Golden finishing his rookie season with just 29 catches and zero regular-season touchdowns when the franchise made him its first WR selected in Round 1 since 2002. Although Golden showed up in a big way during a heartbreaking playoff loss to the Bears (four catches, 84 yards, one TD), receiver was hardly the Packers’ biggest need this season, with injury issues along the O-line forcing Green Bay to use 11 different five-man combinations in 2025 (tied for eighth-most). Not only would Trapilo have provided the Packers insurance at left tackle during the season -- at least until his patellar tendon tear in the Wild Card Round -- but he would’ve given them added flexibility this offseason, too, with Rasheed Walker ticketed for free agency in March. That they’d be preventing the Bears from landing their starting LT in the process only fans the flames of this renewed rivalry.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Donovan Jackson

The Vikings have a QB conundrum, but they aren't going to solve that here. Whatever happens with J.J. McCarthy going forward, it would be nice to bring in Fannin, who finished with more receiving touchdowns (six) than any Vikings player in 2025 despite, as Gennaro pointed out in his rookie ranking, working with an even more chaotic quarterback situation in Cleveland. Plus, as he did in real life, Fannin would have the chance to emerge as the long-term replacement for a stalwart veteran, with Minnesota's T.J. Hockenson playing the role of David Njoku.

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Traded to Giants (Jaxson Dart)

Nick Chubb and Woody Marks had their moments in 2025, but they combined for just 3.8 yards per carry. Houston’s ground game was light on explosiveness with Joe Mixon missing the entire season. It was the opposite for Henderson, who has four rushing touchdowns of 50+ yards, tied for the most by a rookie in NFL history. Also, he led all rookies in rushing yards over expected (149). Clearly, Houston needs to do everything it can to take pressure off C.J. Stroud. Picking Henderson might not solve every problem, but it would do the offense some good.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Traded to Falcons (James Pearce Jr.)

If we were allowing new trades in this re-draft, we’d probably have L.A. moving out of this spot (and round) like the team did in real life last April. But in this more restrictive alternate reality, the Rams bolster their already-loaded roster by adding depth and versatility to the secondary. Parrish -- a physical, loves-to-tackle corner who can play in the slot and outside -- would have filled in nicely for an injured Quentin Lake during the back half of the campaign. Shoot, he would have been a solid overall contributor for a defense that used dime personnel at the second-highest rate (30.4%) during 2025, per Next Gen Stats. Of course, L.A. had its share of special-teams issues this year, too, but we're pretty sure Les Snead and Sean McVay wouldn’t have tried to address them in Round 1. Plus, the Thiccer Kicker seems to have stabilized the field-goal operation since joining the team at midseason.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Malaki Starks

The Ravens underachieved across the board this year, so it’s unlikely a single prospect from the 2025 class would’ve tipped the scales enough in their favor to have enabled a deep postseason run. However, if they had Williams during the first half of the season (he tore his ACL in Week 9), they might’ve been able to generate just enough pressure to swing one of those early losses -- like Week 1’s fourth-quarter collapse at Buffalo -- the other way. Per PFF, the explosive defender ranked eighth in run stops (12) and QB hurries (16) among all rookie edge players this season, despite suiting up for just nine games. And Next Gen Stats had him facing the highest percentage of double teams (25.9) among that group, which I’m sure would’ve endeared him to the Ravens’ pass-rushing unit.

-- Ali Bhanpuri

Original pick: Tyleik Williams

The Lions can’t afford to let the offensive line slip even further, so they strike earlier than they did last April to keep Ratledge in the fold. He certainly wasn’t perfect as a rookie, especially in pass protection, but he improved in that area as the season progressed and was one of the better run-blocking guards in the league. With chatter about Ratledge potentially moving to center in 2026 after starting every game at right guard in his first season, he’s quickly become a very important piece in Detroit’s offense.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Josh Conerly Jr.

It made plenty of sense to try to bolster the O-line heading into Jayden Daniels' second season. Unfortunately, Josh Conerly Jr. didn't exactly hit the ground running, allowing a team-high 8.5 sacks, per NGS. And the defense (31st in EPA per play, 30th in EPA per dropback) proved to be a bigger problem than even the Daniels-less Commanders offense. Instead of waiting until Round 2 to add some youthful talent to the secondary (61st overall pick Trey Amos' promising debut was shortened by a fractured fibula in November), Washington scoops up Stout, the 100th overall pick in real life who earned PFF's fifth-highest grade among rookie CBs while stepping up in San Francisco -- and perhaps as a bonus, he allows Mike Sainristil to permanently move outside, where he's performed better through two NFL seasons.

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Maxwell Hairston

If you think Brandin Cooks' late resurgence in Buffalo was fun, wait till you see what happens when Josh Allen gets a full season with Higgins. Don't be distracted by the modest yardage total (525). Higgins' per-catch mark (12.8) ranked fifth among rookies and would have placed third among Bills players with 30-plus targets; he also scored more receiving TDs (six) than anyone in Buffalo. Passing on Maxwell Hairston -- who was limited by injuries to 11 games -- is worth it for the chance to hit on a Round 1 receiver for the first time since EJ Manuel was starting at QB (2014, when Buffalo drafted Sammy Watkins fourth overall).

-- Tom Blair

Original pick: Josh Simmons, No. 32 overall (traded with Eagles)

Nothing seemed to go according to plan for the Chiefs this season, but they do have a chance to cure at least one thing that ails them with this redo. Why not pluck the bell-cow back Patrick Mahomes has sorely lacked for more than a year now? Hampton ranked fourth in missed tackle rate (29.8%) among backs with at least 100 carries in 2025. He has the potential to breathe life into an offense that grew stale. Isiah Pacheco hasn’t been the same ferocious ball-carrier the last two seasons. Plus, Pacheco and Kareem Hunt -- Kansas City’s leading rusher in each of the last two seasons -- are headed for free agency this offseason. Now the Chiefs don’t have to wonder about who will line up in the backfield.

-- Dan Parr

Original pick: Jihaad Campbell, No. 31 overall (traded with Chiefs)

How did Campbell last this long? Well, in part because our puppeteering of the teams above led them to meet key needs at other positions, and in part out of deference to an increasingly well-worn NFL draft trope: Howie Roseman gets what he wants. In April, he had to wheel and deal to snare Campbell. But in our re-draft, he doesn't have to do a lick of fancy GM-ing to keep Gennaro's 17th-ranked rookie, who is coming off an 80-tackle debut for the NFL's fifth-best scoring defense.

-- Tom Blair