Welcome to The Athletic’s pick-by-pick grades for Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. If you missed our reactions to all of Thursday night’s action, you can catch up on our Round 1 grades here.
Once again, because it’s impossible to fully judge a prospect before they’ve played an NFL snap, our immediate grades will try to take into account pick value, trade cost, what other prospects were available at the time of the selection and so on. How’d everyone do on Friday night?
(Editor’s note: Scott Dochterman provided grades for odd-numbered picks, Nick Baumgardner for even-numbered picks.)
Round 2
33. Cleveland Browns: Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
The Browns are throwing their best punch on defense, teaming Schwesinger with first-round defensive tackle Mason Graham. Schwesinger began his career as a walk-on and finished it as one of the Big Ten’s most respected defenders — he had 136 tackles last year at UCLA and has elite instincts and character.
Grade: A-minus
34. Houston Texans (from NYG): Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
A big, strong receiver who can play the X or the Z, Higgins is similar to current Texans star Nico Collins, in that he’ll win underneath and over the top. Higgins is also very slippery after the catch, playing with the balance of a basketball player. Collins, Higgins and a healthy Tank Dell could be a lot of fun together.
Grade: A
35. Seattle Seahawks (from TEN): Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
This is the best pick of the draft so far. Few players in this class are as athletic — or, potentially, as impactful — as Emmanwori, a first-team All-American last year. Over three seasons, Emmanwori started 36 games and affected the game in every facet. He’s a physical tackler with impressive speed.
Grade: A-plus
36. Cleveland Browns (from JAX): Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
This certainly fills a need for the Browns, and Judkins won’t have to travel far from where he finished his college career. A much better gap runner than former teammate TreVeyon Henderson, Judkins is a physical hammer with great burst and vision between the tackles.
Grade: B-plus
37. Miami Dolphins (from LV): Jonah Savaiinaea, G, Arizona
The Dolphins had a hole at left guard, Savaiinaea should fill it. He started all 36 games at Arizona — 15 at right guard, 16 at right tackle and five at left tackle. It’s likely he’ll move to guard permanently in the NFL, but with an 82-inch wingspan, some time outside isn’t out of the question. This was a reasonable move for the Dolphins, who traded up 11 spots.
Grade: B-plus
38. New England Patriots: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
New England already took a culture setter at the top of the draft (OT Will Campbell) and added another in Henderson, an elite zone runner/pass catcher/pass protector — and one of the toughest pound-for-pound players in the class. A great fit here, for a team that’s going to pound the rock.
Grade: A
39. Chicago Bears (from CAR): Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
This was a value pick for Chicago. Burden will help the passing game flourish but doesn’t match the Bears’ needs, so this pick shows Chicago clearly is trying to load up on offense under new coach Ben Johnson. Burden was considered a top-five prospect entering the 2024 season, then his numbers fell dramatically — partly because of injuries on Missouri’s offense. He still translates into a potential No. 1 receiver and will help on day one.
Grade: B-minus
40. New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
This is certainly something. Shough is a much better athlete than people realize and has a true cannon of an arm. However, he has dealt with a number of injuries and, despite him being nearly 26, we haven’t seen him on the field all that much. It’s hard to ignore the possibility Shedeur Sanders is falling because teams don’t want to deal with all the attention that’ll come with him.
Grade: B-minus
41. Buffalo Bills (from CHI): T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina
The Bills wanted more push up front, and they traded up with Chicago to get it here. Sanders was incredibly disruptive the past two seasons (8.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss). It may take some time for Sanders to develop into a starter, but he has skills that should be apparent right away.
Grade: B
42. New York Jets: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
The son of Jason Taylor and the nephew of Zach Thomas, Mason Taylor is a smooth and capable route runner with strong hands and great potential as a blocker. This is terrific value for the Jets — Taylor could be an instant-impact three-down weapon who catches a bunch of passes for a long time.
Grade: A-plus
43. San Francisco 49ers: Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
With his girth, incredible wingspan (85 inches) and arm length (35 inches), Collins is the requisite two-gap defensive tackle necessary for San Francisco’s defense. He will be an immediate rotational piece, with starting ability. The 49ers are remaking their defensive front.
Grade: A
44. Dallas Cowboys: Donovan Ezeiruaku, edge, Boston College
Arguably the pass rusher with the deepest move set in this class, Ezeiruaku blends agility, bend, outstanding hand usage and high football IQ to overcome some physical size limitations on the edge. He’s already a professional pass rusher, in terms of his technique. This is a great pick for Dallas.
Grade: A
45. Indianapolis Colts: JT Tuimoloau, edge, Ohio State
The Colts really needed a bookend edge, and they picked one up. Tuimoloau was the best defensive player in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff last season (6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 23 tackles in four games, while playing with a lower-leg injury). Opponents slanted their protections toward him all season.
Grade: A
46. Los Angeles Rams (from ATL): Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon
One of the steadiest and most dependable tight ends in a terrific tight end class, Ferguson is a great run-after-catch receiver and can win in the air. He could be a total beast in Sean McVay’s offense before too long, although the Rams will need more from him as a blocker.
Grade: A-minus
47. Arizona Cardinals: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Injuries robbed Johnson of what might have been an All-America senior season and initiated his draft slide. If he overcomes a lingering knee injury to play like he did at Michigan, this could be the steal of the draft. Johnson has Pro Bowl potential as a rookie, provided he’s healthy.
Grade: A
48. Houston Texans (from MIA via LV): Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
Ersery plays with a ton of power at the point of attack and has enough length to survive as an NFL tackle — possibly more on the right side than the left. Grades were all over the place for Ersery, though, because he plays pretty stiff and has trouble with speed. This could be a bit of a project and Houston needs O-line help right now.
Grade: B
49. Cincinnati Bengals: Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina
Knight has taken a fascinating path to the NFL. After seeing limited action through three-plus seasons at Georgia Tech, Knight transferred to Charlotte in 2023 and reinvigorated his career. Last year at South Carolina, he had 82 tackles, including eight for loss. He brings toughness to a defense that needs it.
Grade: B
50. Seattle Seahawks: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
An elite athlete with terrific size and a crazy catch radius, Arroyo runs, cuts and moves like a 200-pounder. A move tight end who should remind many in Seattle of Noah Fant, Arroyo is also a willing blocker with enough speed to win over the top. But he also missed a ton of time in 2022 and 2023 because of an ACL injury.
Grade: A-minus
51. Carolina Panthers (from DEN): Nic Scourton, edge, Texas A&M
The Panthers needed an edge rusher, and they picked up a versatile and productive one. Scourton played two seasons at Purdue (10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2023), then transferred to Texas A&M last year and bulked up to 285 pounds. He has plenty of upside.
Grade: A
52. Tennessee Titans (from PIT via SEA): Oluwafemi Oladejo, edge, UCLA
A former linebacker who moved into an edge role late in his college career, Oladejo is a super-explosive athlete who will give Tennessee’s defense a variety of options. A better edge player than a space linebacker, Oladejo is still a work in progress but has the potential to turn into a big-time contributor.
Grade: B
53. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Morrison missed the Irish’s final 10 games after undergoing hip surgery. When it comes to physical gifts, though, perhaps only Travis Hunter and Johnson are in Morrison’s category at cornerback in this class. If he’s healthy, he’s a steal. (This selection should retroactively turn the Bucs’ first-round selection of Emeka Egbuka into an A grade, too).
Grade: A
54. Green Bay Packers: Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
Belton is a gigantic thumper with great length and the ability to move people at the point of attack. However, this feels like a bit of a reach, as I’m not sure Belton will be fast enough to handle NFL speed off the edge in the NFL. He could be a better fit at guard. We’ll see if he can win a job right away.
Grade: C-plus
55. Los Angeles Chargers: Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
This was a move the Chargers needed to make, although you might be a little surprised they actually did with Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Harris gives Justin Herbert a quality threat and further improves the overall offense. He missed five games last year (groin) but still led Ole Miss with 60 catches for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns. The only question: Was he a better choice than Jaylin Noel at this spot?
Grade: B-plus
56. Chicago Bears (from MIN via HOU/BUF): Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College
One of the tallest players in the draft and a three-year starting right tackle inside a dynamic Boston College run game at Boston College, Trapilo might have a tougher time with speed on the left side than the right. However, he’s a consistent technician who finds ways to eat space and maintain protection off the edge.
Grade: B-plus
57. Detroit Lions (from LAR via CAR/DEN): Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia
This is a Dan Campbell pick, which is why the Lions moved up three spots to make it. A prototypical interior power performer, Ratledge fought through injuries to start 37 games at Georgia. He’s a sneaky athletic, plug-and-play guard and will fit seamlessly with the Lions.
Grade: A
58. Las Vegas Raiders (from HOU): Jack Bech, WR, TCU
The Raiders have made some savvy trades the last two days, and now they land one of the most underrated players in the 2025 NFL Draft. A big-time competitor and a hammer of a blocker, Bech was the best WR at the Senior Bowl after a highly productive season at TCU.
Grade: A
59. Baltimore Ravens: Mike Green, edge, Marshall
If the Ravens are comfortable with Green’s character, then they might have landed a top-10 prospect at No. 59. But it’s a risk. Green was uber-productive and a first-team All-American at Marshall last year (17 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss), but sexual assault allegations led to Green’s dismissal from Virginia in 2022 and sent him tumbling down the draft board. (Green was not charged and has denied the allegations.)
On the field, Baltimore picked up another weapon.
Grade: A* (with an asterisk)
60. Denver Broncos (from DET): RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
Sean Payton loves his “Joker” players. Harvey gives up size, but he was an extremely productive player at UCF — as a rusher and pass catcher. Think of him as a slightly bigger version of Darren Sproles. He might not be able to handle a huge workload in the NFL, but this is a very nice fit.
Grade: B-plus
61. Washington Commanders: Trey Amos, CB, UCF
The Commanders met their biggest need with one of the best players available at this point. After three seasons at Louisiana and one at Alabama, Amos transferred to Ole Miss, where he recorded 16 passes defensed and three interceptions and earned first-team All-SEC honors last fall. He should start right away, either at corner or nickel.
Grade: A
62. Chicago Bears (from BUF): Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M
Turner had some dominant flashes against the run and as a pocket pusher, while lining up all over the Aggies’ defensive line last season. He needs to be more gap sound but eventually could be a very disruptive three-tech for Chicago. The Bears are having a solid draft.
Grade: B
63. Kansas City Chiefs: Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
Norman-Lott is this draft’s ultimate boom-or-bust defensive lineman. He flashes plenty of athletic ability and potential to make big plays (combined 9.5 sacks the last two seasons), but he make a single start in 2024 and averaged just 17.3 snaps per game. Based on athletic ability, Norman-Lott could start for a decade; based on precedent, he could be out of the league in three years. This is a little high for that type of risk.
Grade: C-minus
64. Philadelphia Eagles: Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas
Mukuba had one great season at Texas after being a bit up and down throughout the latter half of his Clemson career. He flashed as an explosive run fitter with great coverage range last season, finally living up to his elite recruiting profile. This feels a touch high for him, but Howie Roseman rarely misses.
Grade: B
Round 3
65. New York Giants: Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
The Giants already took the draft’s best pass rusher, Abdul Carter, and now grab Alexander, who has incredible physical ability. Overlooked at Toledo, Alexander flashed during the Senior Bowl practice, where he was named the National Team’s top defensive lineman. Great value selection.
Grade: A
66. Kansas City Chiefs (from TEN): Ashton Gillotte, edge, Louisville
A relentless worker who uses his motor to overcome a lack of ideal length and speed, Gillotte had a combined 24 1/2 tackles for loss the last two seasons and will be a great culture fit in Kansas City. He’ll be disruptive in the NFL, but does he have the traits to be a high-level finisher? It’s hard to bet against him — he’s one of the fiercest competitors in the draft.
Grade: B
(Top photo of Tyler Shough: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
