The countdown to the 2025 NFL Draft has moved from months to weeks to days and now to hours. Spherical 1 commences on Thursday evening, placing an finish to all of the mock drafts we have seen over the previous few months.
As you learn your remaining mocks forward of Thursday’s festivities, there may be one factor that stands out: Each single staff nonetheless owns its first-round choose. The truth that no staff has traded its first-round choose within the 2025 NFL Draft is historical past in itself. That is the closest to a draft the place a first-round choose hasn’t been moved within the Frequent Draft Period, which started in 1967.
The 1993 NFL Draft beforehand held the report for the closest period of time to Draft Day earlier than a first-round choose was traded. That yr, the Kansas City Chiefs despatched a first-round choose to the San Francisco 49ers for Joe Montana 5 days earlier than the draft. So, the 2025 draft is the primary the place a first-round choose wasn’t traded earlier than Draft Day within the Frequent Draft Period.
That is a shock contemplating the variety of trades in latest drafts, particularly on the premium positions. In 2024, the Chicago Bears held the No. 1 general choice as a result of the Carolina Panthers traded the choose with a view to draft Bryce Young at No. 1 in 2023. The Houston Texans initially had an additional first-round choose within the 2024 draft as nicely, getting that choice from the Cleveland Browns within the Deshaun Watson commerce. As a part of the Watson deal, Houston additionally acquired Cleveland’s first-round picks within the 2022 and 2023 drafts. The Texans traded the 2024 first-round choose they acquired from the Browns to the Minnesota Vikings forward of Draft Day.
Another notable pre-draft trades that concerned a first-round choose lately embody Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets (swapping of first-round picks), Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos (Seattle Seahawks acquired first-round picks in 2022 and 2023) and Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams (Detroit Lions acquired first-round picks in 2021 and 2022).
Let’s check out another fascinating details and nuggets in regards to the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Cam Ward is anticipated to be the No. 1 general choose within the 2025 NFL Draft, however nobody is aware of what number of different quarterbacks might be chosen within the first spherical. Final yr, six QBs had been chosen on Day 1, tying the report for essentially the most within the Frequent Draft Period. If Ward is the one first-round quarterback, it’s going to mark simply the fifth time since 2000 that has occurred.
- Identical to quarterbacks, vast receivers had been in demand within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft, a lot in order that it matched a report. Seven vast receivers had been chosen, tying the 2004 draft for essentially the most taken within the first spherical of the Frequent Draft Period. FOX Sports activities NFL Draft professional Rob Rang has 4 vast receivers (together with Travis Hunter) being taken in the first round of his final mock draft.
- The Browns maintain the No. 2 general choose within the 2025 NFL Draft. Barring a shock commerce (or two), it will mark the primary time that they’ve made a choose within the first spherical since 2021, because of the aforementioned Deshaun Watson commerce.
- Simply because there hasn’t been a commerce involving a first-round choose but doesn’t suggest there will not be some on draft evening. There have been a mean of 5.6 trades involving first-round picks per yr since 2020, together with Draft Day offers.
- It appears doubtless that not less than two working backs might be drafted within the first spherical on Thursday. Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton have been first-round picks in each FOX Sports activities mock draft this week. Nonetheless, that is nicely brief for essentially the most working backs taken within the first spherical within the Frequent Draft Period. Eight working backs had been chosen within the first spherical of the 1971 NFL Draft.
- Two tight ends additionally appear more likely to be drafted within the first spherical of the 2025 draft, with each Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland considered as high abilities on this yr’s class. If yet one more tight finish joins them on Thursday, that might match the report for essentially the most tight ends chosen within the first spherical within the Frequent Draft Period. There have been 4 events when three tight ends have been picked within the first spherical.
- Getting assist alongside the offensive line additionally appears to be a well-liked development, however the report for essentially the most O-linemen taken does not appear to be unsure. Rang has six offensive linemen being chosen within the first spherical of his newest mock draft, which is in need of the ten drafted within the first spherical in 1968.
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- The report for essentially the most defensive backs chosen within the first spherical within the Frequent Period additionally does not appear more likely to be damaged this yr. That quantity is 9, which was set in 2014. Travis Hunter, Will Johnson, Jahdae Barron, Malaki Starks and Nick Emmanwori have been widespread fixtures within the first spherical of most mock drafts up to now.
- Michigan has an opportunity to make program historical past on Thursday evening. Johnson, Loveland, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant are all projected to be first-round picks. If that holds true, it will be essentially the most first-round picks Michigan has had in a draft in program historical past. Its report at present sits at three, which was set within the 1995 and 2001 drafts.
- Ohio State may make some historical past this weekend as nicely. The defending nationwide champions have a shot at breaking the report for many gamers chosen in a single draft within the Frequent Period. Georgia set the report in 2023 with 15 Bulldogs being chosen. NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board tasks that 15 Buckeyes might be draft picks within the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Because of convention enlargement, the report the SEC set for many first-round picks from a convention in a single draft will doubtless be threatened on Thursday evening. The SEC had 15 first-round picks within the 2020 draft. In his remaining mock draft, Rang has 15 SEC gamers within the first spherical this yr.
- Notre Dame may additionally threaten USC‘s report for essentially the most draft picks ever produced by a single program. Forward of the 2025 draft, the Trojans have had 523 gamers drafted to the Combating Irish’s 520. NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus huge board tasks that seven Notre Dame gamers might be chosen within the 2025 NFL Draft whereas USC will solely have two gamers get drafted.
- Questioning when your staff might be on the clock? Effectively, let’s take just a few issues into consideration. The draft begins at 8 p.m. ET, however there’s sometimes some pomp and circumstance that takes place when Roger Goodell heads to the rostrum to announce that the draft is open. Every staff additionally has as much as 10 minutes to make its first-round choose. It additionally takes a few minutes for the choose to be formally introduced after every staff submits the identify. So, let’s check out what occurred final yr. The No. 1 general choose was introduced at 8:19 p.m. ET. The sixteenth choose was introduced at 10:04 p.m. ET, marking the midway level of the primary spherical. The ultimate collection of the primary spherical was introduced at 11:52 p.m. ET.
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