2025 NFL Draft: Winners and Losers on Day 1
It’s draft season, which means it’s ECG season. The first day and first round of the 2025 NFL Draft has passed, and we will continue to stream our live reactions to YouTube. Be sure to donate to our St. Jude’s fund, as we seek to raise money for a good cause. With that being said, let’s dive into our winners and losers from the first round of the draft.
Dante’s Winners and Losers:
Winners - Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons secured two of the best defensive players in the entire draft. Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee and linebacker Jalon Walker out of Georgia will form a formidable duo in a front seven that needed help. The only downside? The cost to move up. The Falcons forfeited their 2026 first round selection in order to move up and draft Pearce. Now, time will tell if their move will pay off.
Losers - Pittsburgh Steelers
While the story around defensive tackle Derrick Harmon telling his mother that he got drafted shortly before she passed is sweet, this was a bit of a reach for the Steelers. Harmon had a solid season at Oregon and showed flashes, but was inconsistent against top competition. On some plays he looked unblockable, on others it appeared as if he was playing patty-cake.
Kelii’s Winners and Losers:
Winners - Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert just got an X-factor in the backfield with the selection of running back Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina. Hampton lands in an excellent situation, with a fantastic offensive line filled with Pro Bowlers and All-Pros, along with an effective passing game to empty the box. The Chargers will now field a balanced offense with a budding star in their backfield, and can invest heavily in their defense moving forward.
Losers - Washington Commanders
Look, I like the player. Offensive tackle Josh Conerly out of Oregon is an excellent talent at left tackle, where Conerly played for his entire career. However, with the addition of Laremy Tunsil from Houston via trade, the Commanders may look to slide Conerly to the right side of the offensive line. Conerly lined up at right tackle once at the Senior Bowl against Mike Green and the rep did not end well for Conerly. I like the player, but it’s not easy for a lot of guys to switch from one tackle position to the opposite side.
Don’s Winners and Losers:
Winners - Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons added two future studs on the defense in Pearce and Walker, as mentioned before by Dante’. Both selections will fit perfectly in Atlanta’s 3-4 defense, which sees their outside linebackers drop into coverage at one of the highest rates in the league. The Falcons filled two glaring needs with their pair of first round picks, at the cost of a future first round pick. If both players pan out, the cost will be well worth the move.
Losers - Washington Commanders
Conerly himself is a talented offensive tackle, however the Commanders had more glaring needs on defense that were not addressed. Instead, the Commanders added another left tackle to their offseason haul, and will likely move him to the right tackle spot. Even if Conerly pans out at right tackle, there were more pressing needs at the end of the first round for Washington.
Sora’s Winners and Losers:
Winners - Denver Broncos
The rich get richer in the secondary, with the Broncos pairing reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Patrick Surtain II, with defensive back Jahdae Barron out of Texas, who is the reigning Jim Thorpe award winner, awarded to the nation’s best defensive back. Barron and Surtain will form one of the league’s top cornerback duos and lock down the back end of Sean Payton’s second year defense. With the Chiefs on the schedule twice a year, the addition of Barron was a much-needed insurance policy to take down their division rival.
Losers - Miami Dolphins
Plain and simple, defensive lineman Kenneth Grant was not worth a first round selection. While it fills a need for the Dolphins on defense, the Michigan product was not nearly as impressive on film in 2024 as he was in 2023. If Grant wants to justify his selection he needs to return to his 2023 form and prove that this past year was a fluke. The Dolphins needed help on defense but there were more sure-things available outside of Grant.
