Every Team's Best-Value Selection in 2025 NFL Draft

Value is a tricky subject when discussing the NFL draft. But it basically falls under the umbrella, "You know it when you see it."

Every NFL team's draft board is different, of course. Each organization has a philosophical approach that will vary, thus creating a prism in how it views prospects. Once team needs, medical reports and interviews are added to the mix, a front office's approach will vary greatly.

When trying to ascertain value, the best way to do is threefold. A third-party draft board—in this case the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's top 300—serves as a baseline, coupled with general consensus and potential fit for specific situations all being factored into the equation.

While looking at some of the biggest value selections of the draft, they can often be found at a devalued positions, specifically running back, which featured a strong position class this year. A couple of other teams benefit from contemporaries not being as high on the quarterback class.

Whatever the case, there's at least one player from each NFL team's draft class who should be expected to outperform their draft slotting.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department graded Michigan cornerback Will Johnson as a top-five prospect in this year's class. It did so without having access to medical records, which is exactly why Johnson fell into the second round.

Throughout the draft cycle, Johnson dealt with a Lisfranc injury. He also tweaked a hamstring during predraft training, and combine medicals raised concerns over a knee issue. Obviously, the culmination of those issues led to a significant draft slide.

The Arizona Cardinals selected the defensive back with the 47th overall pick. If Johnson stays on the field, the Cards may have gotten the steal of the draft since the 2023 national champion was considered the class' best pure cornerback prospect. Johnson could easily be the squad's top corner by the end of the 2025 season.

The Atlanta Falcons were aggressive in addressing their defense during the 2024 draft, starting with two first-round edge defenders in Georgia's Jalon Walker and Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. The franchise's need to add legitimate threats off the edge and up the squad's sack performance is well-documented, thus those selections and the nature in which they were acquired makes total sense.

Yet the addition of Notre Dame's Xavier Watts with the 96th overall pick is easily the team's best value selection.

Watts should pair immediately with Jessie Bates III and give Atlanta an outstanding safety tandem, even with Jordan Fuller on the roster. Watts has tremendous ball skills, with an FBS-leading 13 interceptions over the last two seasons. But he's at his best when triggering and working downhill.

The Baltimore Ravens do what they do, and that's consistently find excellent value in the draft.

Case in point, the team's first-round selection (No. 27 overall) of Georgia's Malaki Starks was a tremendous pick, as teams likely passed on him because they don't value the safety position as much as other positions.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department graded Starks as a top-four talent in this year's class regardless of position. Starks has been a bona fide playmaker since his true freshman campaign and one of the smoothest safeties in recent memory.

The Ravens defense didn't show drastic improvement last season until Kyle Hamilton moved to free safety. He can return to his more natural position as the strong safety while Starks serves as the center fielder, where he should thrive.

The Buffalo Bills chose three cornerbacks in this year's draft class, which provides an excellent indication of where the front office wanted to improve this offseason.

While Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston will be provided with ample opportunity to prove himself as the organization's first-round choice, sixth-round pick Dorian Strong will A) need to make the roster and B) possibly be forced to beat out Ohio State's Jordan Hancock, whom the team selected in the fifth round.

Hancock can be used all over the secondary, though, whereas Strong has solid press-man capabilities to lock on a receiver and not let up in coverage. The latter didn't test as well as many hoped, but his experience and skill set indicate a future starter, whether he sticks with the Bills or elsewhere.

Had Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans stayed healthy in 2023 and then declared for the 2024 draft, he would have heard his name called long before the fifth round. Unfortunately, the tight end suffered a torn ACL eight games into the '23 campaign, which slowed him at the start of his final season on campus.

A fully healthy Evans two seasons removed from the injury could very well develop into the long-term solution the Carolina Panthers have been searching for, even as a fifth-round draft pick.

Ja'Tavion Sanders flashed last season after being a fourth-round pick. He's not much of an in-line option, though. Evans is a legitimate 6'5", 258-pound Y-tight end. As long as he looks a little more explosive in 2025, the rookie could be the team's best option to work the middle of the field.

Prior to the start of the 2025 NFL draft, many projected the Chicago Bears to be a primary suitor for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Obviously, Jeanty was never available to the Bears after being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the sixth overall selection.

The idea behind Jeanty to the Bears remains sound. With head coach/offensive play-caller Ben Johnson taking over, D'Andre Swift's status in Chicago immediately came into question since the Detroit Lions moved on from Swift during Johnson's time as their offensive coordinator.

Rutgers' Kyle Monangai isn't Jahmyr Gibbs. The incoming ball-carrier fell all the way to the seventh round because he lacks explosive traits. Even so, very few prospects in this class were as smooth when it came to identifying the hole, making decisive cuts and winding their way through traffic while also finishing with authority.

The Cincinnati Bengals had two decidedly different approaches they could have taken at the top of this year's draft. Either the team could address a crumbling defense, or it could build upon a strength by addressing the offensive line. The front office began with option A before moving toward option B.

Ultimately, the Bengals added a pair of offensive linemen. Of the two, Miami's Jalen Rivers went later yet gives the team more flexibility.

The third-round selection of Georgia's Dylan Fairchild provides far more upside as a potentially physically dominant guard who still needs plenty of work from a technique perspective. Rivers is the more experienced option, with guard and tackle versatility.

Rivers will likely end up at guard, as the potential replacement to Cordell Volson down the road. In the meantime, the rookie fifth-rounder immediately provides much-needed depth at multiple positions.

No matter how a person feels about Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' highly publicized draft weekend slide, his family and/or his personality, he proved himself as a quality starting quarterback at two different collegiate levels and institutions.

Entering the process, Sanders was a consensus first-round projection. At worst, he was expected to go on Day 2. Instead, he slid all the way until the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns mercifully selected him with the 144th overall pick.

Sanders' situation can go in one of two ways.

If the Browns coaching staff gives the fifth-round rookie a legitimate chance to compete, maybe he does emerge as the starter based on a room that doesn't have much of a legitimate option elsewhere, unless the team somehow recaptures the magic of a 40-year-old Joe Flacco.

Let's also keep in mind that the Browns passed on Sanders six times and even selection fellow quarterback Dillon Gabriel before him—which indicates the organization doesn't see him as a starting option, thus creating what could become an untenable situation.

For now, the thought of what Sanders can do in Cleveland will remain positive. He's arguably more talented than any signal-caller on the roster. In a room with four different quarterbacks all with their own issues, an open competition should ensue. Sanders could very well emerge as the top option behind center.

The Dallas Cowboys brought in four different running backs to rework their entire room this offseason. Clemson's Phil Mafah was a seventh-round draft pick, but a couple of different aspects must be kept in mind when projecting the rookie in this particular lineup.

First, Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders are operating under one-year deals during the 2025 campaign. This year's draft selections of Jaydon Blue and Mafah could easily become the team's one-two punch by the end of this season and over the long haul.

Second, Mafah played through a shoulder injury, which really limited his effectiveness at points. When healthy, he's a hammer between the tackles, which provides a different skill set than anything Dallas' three other backs can claim.

A thunder-and-lighting tandem with Mafah and Blue has legitimate potential to spark the Cowboys' ground game.

It's harder for a first-round selection to be seen as a huge value pick when compared to, say, a seventh-round pick who could have gone in third round. Granted, a top talent could slide from being considered a top-10 selection until the back half of the round to warrant such discussion.

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos often value players significantly differently than the media does, which lead some to say aren't getting good value.

As for Texas' Jahdae Barron, he was viewed as a possible late top-10 option/talent, while he ultimately landed to the Broncos with the 20th overall pick. He'll provide extensive versatility to Denver's secondary and help improve upon last season's third-ranked scoring defense.

The Detroit Lions weren't content with simply fielding one of the game's best offensive lines. General manager Brad Holmes continued to reload and improve the unit with a pair of draft picks in this year's class.

The second-round selection of Georgia's Tate Ratledge should answer any questions at right guard after veteran Kevin Zeitler left in free agency to join the Tennessee Titans.

The fifth-round selection of LSU's Miles Frazier is arguably a better value. Second-rounders should compete for a starting job relatively early in their careers.

Frazier also brings a starting-caliber skill set at a much lower price. He could realistically challenge the soon-to-be 33-year-old Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahogany to eventually take over left guard after starting at both guard spots and left tackle throughout his collegiate career.

The Green Bay Packers love to invest in collegiate left tackles and move them elsewhere as part of their offensive line construction. Case in point, Cincinnati's John Williams started 27 games at left tackle during his collegiate career and zero elsewhere. Yet the Packers announced the seventh-round selection as a guard.

Earlier in the draft, Green Bay chose North Carolina State's Anthony Belton in the second round and designated him as a tackle, where he should push Rasheed Walker to become the team's blindside protector.

But the 6'4", 322-pound Williams will move inside to challenge or possibly replace Sean Rhyan, who is on the last year of his current deal. Williams should thrive on the inside since he has good initial quickness but lacks the top-end athleticism needed to play on the island at the highest level.

The Iowa State Cyclones had their top two wide receivers selected in this year's NFL draft. The Houston Texans grabbed both before the end of the third round. Yet, the one who produced more receiving yards in 2024 was picked second.

Last year, Jaylin Noel had just 11 more yards than Jayden Higgins, and the previous season, Higgins had 163 more yards.

Houston grabbed Higgins first with the 34th overall pick because he is a big-bodied wide receiver with outstanding physical traits. Noel, with his 4.39-second 40-yard-dash speed, joined the team 45 picks later.

Higgins can immediately enter the lineup as Nico Collins' bookend among the outside receivers. Meanwhile, Noel can be the real steal by filling the void left by Tank Dell, who has suffered major leg injuries in back-to-back-seasons, even over the likes of Christian Kirk and John Metchie III.

The Indianapolis Colts' 2025 NFL draft was all about building around developmental quarterback Anthony Richardson. In doing so, more offensive pieces were added, with fifth-round running back DJ Giddens being a fascinating addition.

Obviously, first-round tight end Tyler Warren will be absolutely vital in whatever direction the Colts offense ultimately takes.

In Giddens' case, Indianapolis now has a second running back with legitimate big-play potential—the position won't necessarily experience a massive downshift once Jonathan Taylor leaves the field to take a breather.

Considering the scheme is built around Taylor's capabilities, another explosive runner with 4.43-second 40-yard dash speed (at 212 pounds) to slash through opposing defenses won't make the offense as predictable when he's not on the field. The 21-year-old back ran for 2,569 combined yards over the last two seasons.

Kudos to the Jacksonville Jaguars organization for being bold and trying to change the team's trajectory by trading up and acquiring the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2025 class, Colorado's Travis Hunter. The Jaguars did something else interesting that could help change the team's fortunes as well. New general manager James Gladstone drafted a pair of running backs in Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten and Syracuse's LeQuint Allen.

Travis Etienne Jr. is entering the last year of his rookie contract, and the current regime has no ties to the former first-round pick. The trio of Tank Bigsby, Tuten and Allen could really drive Liam Coen's new ground game after the Jaguars finished among the bottom 10 in rushing offense last season.

Bigsby is the physical downhill runner. Tuten, whom the team chose with this year's 104th overall pick, has the speed to create chunk plays. Finally, Allen makes this list even as Jacksonville's final draft choice because he has a defined role from Day 1 as a third-down back. He's a capable receiver and a quality pass protector. He can slot into the rotation as a result.

Certain NFL franchises know what they're doing, and the best compliment you can give them during draft weekend is shaking your head after seeing each selection and stating, "Yep, that's a [insert team here] pick."

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of those organizations, and general manager Brett Veach did a stupendous job checking off need areas while adding quality talent in nearly every round.

Among another strong draft class, Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa stands out the most. As the team's fifth-round draft pick, Bassa brings something different to a table as a fluid linebacker who's at his best when working in space. His skill set aligns well and complements fellow Kansas City linebackers Nick Bolton, Drue Tranquill, who turns 30 before the start of the season, and Leo Chenal.

The Las Vegas Raiders' current linebacker setup is tenuous at best, with Elandon Roberts and Devin White working under one-year deals this year.

Even as the team's final selection as part of this year's seventh round, Minnesota's Cody Lindenberg has the potential to enter and stay in the lineup. Granted, Lindeberg has some of the same inadequacies in his game as Roberts and White since all three are better working downhill rather than playing in space.

However, Lindenberg has proved to be a productive option when given the opportunity. He did battle a couple of injuries during his collegiate career, which likely drove him into the latter portions of the draft's third day. Considering the circumstances and overall skill set, Lindenberg has the makings of a future starter in the Raiders lineup, as long as he stays healthy.

In 2024, the Los Angeles Chargers desperately needed a wide receiver to offset the losses of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. They waited until the second round to address the issue and a star was born with that selection in Ladd McConkey.

The Chargers might have done it again.

The team waited until the second round and chose Ole Miss' Tre Harris with the 55th overall pick.

Throughout the predraft process, the Bleacher Report Scouting Department graded Harris as a first-round prospect because he has traits as a legitimate X-receiver. Had it not been for a groin injury during the season, Harris could have continued to torch defenses and likely wouldn't have been available as late as he was.

The Los Angeles Rams flawlessly executed the top of last year's draft class, with the selections of defensive end Jared Verse, who went on to become the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and defensive tackle Braden Fiske, who led all rookies with 8.5 sacks. As promising as that front is, the Rams lacked the connective tissue at linebacker to field a cohesive defense.

Their top linebacker in snaps played last season, Christian Rozeboom, is no longer with the team. Omar Speights entered the starting lineup as the season progressed and should man one spot. From there, the 30-year-old Troy Reeder, who's never been a full-time starter, will likely fill the other slot.

However, the fifth-round selection of Ole Miss' Pooh Paul gives the Rams an alternative. Paul is a reliable tackler and a linebacker who looks comfortable working in space. He emerged as a legit prospect as a Butkus Award finalist during his final season on campus. His upward trajectory just may place him in the Rams' starting lineup.

The Miami Dolphins emphasized getting bigger and tougher along the defensive line during the 2025 NFL draft. But they also did the latter at safety with the selection of Maryland's Dante Trader Jr. in the fifth round.

Since last year's starting duo of Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer are no longer with the team, the Dolphins had to also address the back line. Ifeatu Melifonwu and Ashtyn Davis both joined as free agents, though the tandem has limited starting experience. Furthermore, both veterans signed one-year deals.

The situation is ripe for Trader to make a strong argument for playing time. Trader, who also played some lacrosse at Maryland, started 35 games for the Terrapins. He's at his best when he's triggering downhill and playing the run game, though he has good instincts in zone coverage.

On a Minnesota Vikings roster that already features a fantastic group of offensive weapons in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson, it's easy to gloss over the draft selection of another wide receiver in Maryland's Tai Felton.

In a small class that includes only five total prospects, Felton has a good chance to overdeliver after being the last pick on Day 2 of the NFL draft.

On a roster that featured another NFL wide receiver in Kaden Prather, whom the Buffalo Bills chose in the seventh round, Felton asserted himself as the top target. During the 2024 campaign, the first-team All-Big Ten selection led the squad by a significant margin with 96 receptions—which tied for second among FBS wide receivers—for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns.

Felton will battle Jalen Nailor to be the Vikings' third wide receiver.

The New England Patriots deserve a lot of credit for massively upgrading the roster's overall talent pool this offseason, which continued deep into this year's NFL draft.

The team should get contributions from basically every round. Fourth-round pick Joshua Farmer may be a fascinating choice here considering the Patriots added Milton Williams this offseason to play alongside Christian Barmore.

However, Farmer has enormous upside if he can play with better pad level and overall consistency. He has significant power and some upside as a pass-rusher, with nine sacks over the last two seasons.

The Patriots could easily find ways to get Farmer onto the field in sub-packages alongside Williams and Barmore to keep the beef on the field yet have a group to get into the backfield.

The New Orleans Saints already have a relatively solid group of corners in Alontae Taylor, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Ugo Amadi. However, two of the three are scheduled to be free agents after this season.

Louisville's Quincy Riley was quietly one of college football's best cover corners over the last two seasons. He finished second among all cornerbacks with 23 forced incompletions during that stretch, according to Pro Football Focus. He plays and looks much faster on the field than how he tests.

Initially, this year's 131st overall pick can be serve as a dime option or challenge Amadi to become the primary slot. A year from now, the Saints could be relying on this year's second fourth-round pick to replace Taylor and play opposite McKinstry.

The New York Giants are still searching for the right combination along their offensive line. Purdue's Marcus Mbow has the potential to significantly help the group.

For whatever reason, the Giants waited until the fifth round to finally select a blocker despite an aging and unremarkable right side. Maybe Evan Neal finds new life at right guard and finally gets his career on track.

Until it's proven otherwise, New York's coaching staff must look at all of its options to place the best five on the field.

The coaches plan to begin Mbow's professional career where it ended in college at right tackle. Many projected a move inside, though Big Blue could benefit greatly if the rookie can settle at right tackle and possible displace Jermaine Eluemunor, who is on the last year of his deal.

The New York Jets beefed up their secondary this offseason, which should come as no surprise under the direction of former NFL cornerback-turned-head coach Aaron Glenn.

The organization started in free agency with the additions of cornerback Brandon Stephens and safety Andre Cisco. New York's front office repeated the approach in the draft with the third-round selection of Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas and fourth-round pickup of Alabama safety Malachi Moore.

While Thomas' draft status was built upon his immense upside as a 20-year-old man-cover corner, Moore became one of those prospects who may have been over-scouted instead of appreciating what he did over five seasons while starting 46 games for a premier collegiate program.

Moore didn't test particularly well. Yet he can play either safety spot and not look out of place while showing good ball skills and secure tackling. Reliability is a huge factor along the back line, which creates value in Moore's addition to the lineup, either as the team's third safety or possibly as a starting option.

It's exciting when a prospect lands in the right situation with the right coach. The Philadelphia Eagles' selection of Texas' Cameron Williams with the 207th overall pick is a prime example.

"Overall, Williams is a green, inexperienced right tackle with the frame, length and grip strength to anchor against power, lengthen the corner and blot out targets on the move in the run game, but has shaky footwork and balance at the top of the QB's drop that will require a quick-trigger QB and help on an island," B/R scouting Brandon Thorn wrote.

Basically, Williams has starting-caliber traits. He technique needs a lot of work, though. Who's better to learn from than the game's best offensive line coach in Jeff Stoutland?

After some developmental time behind all-world right tackle Lane Johnson, Williams has the upside to become the All-Pro's heir apparent.

The Pittsburgh Steelers waited all the way until the sixth round to address the quarterback position.

The approach netted the team a quality addition in Ohio State's Will Howard. Yet an argument could and should be made that the selection is built on bad process.

Howard has all the makings of a Steelers quarterback. He's 6'4" and 236 pounds with good movement skills and a winning pedigree. No one would have blinked had the team selected him three rounds earlier.

But Pittsburgh didn't, which indicates how it feels about him as a prospect. Does Howard have starting potential? Yes. Will he get the opportunity to actually prove himself? [Insert shrug emoji.]

Currently, the Steelers continue to wait for Aaron Rodgers. Even with Rodgers in the lineup, the Steelers did more of the same by drafting the way they always do and not moving the needle in any way that will elevate the team to its previous Super Bowl standard.

Maybe, just maybe, Howard ends up being a pleasant surprise and does find his way into the lineup.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan loves to take fliers on running backs in the draft.

Isaac Guerendo. Tyrion Davis-Price. Trey Sermon. Elijah Mitchell. All four were selected by the Niners among the last four draft classes. In each instance, those selections were viewed as a positives entering Shanahan's running back friendly scheme.

It mostly didn't work out for them. Yet somehow people continue to delude themselves into thinking it might, but...but it might work for Jordan James.

In all seriousness, this year's fifth-round selection brings some promise as a 21-year-old prospect who produced 2,026 rushing yards at 6.0 yards per carry over the last two seasons.

James is a middling athlete for the position, but he can excel in the Niners' run scheme because of good contact balance and the feet to find holes and cut quickly.

The Seattle Seahawks haven't gotten exactly what they needed out of running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. The Seahawks just may have found a better option in this year's seventh round.

Walker has been dinged throughout his first three seasons, with his production declining in each. Charbonnet hasn't really stepped up to take control of the starting role, either.

Miami's Damien Martinez inexplicably fell to the 223rd overall pick. To be fair, he's mostly a between-the-tackles banger, but he has some wiggle that led him to 3,169 yards over three seasons between two programs. He'll be 21 throughout his rookie campaign, too.

Martinez isn't the ideal fit in Klint Kubiak's zone-stretch scheme. However, an argument can be made that he'll be decisive in where he chooses to cut and then get downhill in a hurry.

A torn hip labrum held Notre Dame corner Benjamin Morrison back from being a first-round pick. Instead, he fell to the 53rd overall slot, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers awaited.

Morrison tried to show he was healthy by putting on a personal workout only days before the start of the NFL draft.

"Both of them [tears] are bilateral. There's no problems with either of them ... so the hips aren't an issue," Morrison told reporters after the workout. "I wanted to answer that question before the draft because I don't want to leave it up to them."

The performance didn't work in the corner's favor because the turnaround time was too short. However, there's a good chance Tampa Bay ended up with a steal on Day 2. Morrison has starter traits as an outside corner.

Put on the the 2023 tape of the Stanford Cardinal versus the Colorado Buffalos, and wide receiver Elic Ayomanor looks like a surefire first-round pick terrorizing the future Heisman Trophy-winning cornerback/WR Travis Hunter.

On that day, Ayomanor caught 13 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns. To understand how inconsistent Stanford's offense was over the last two seasons, 16 percent of the wide receiver's production came during that game.

With Cam Ward now throwing to Ayomanor in Tennessee for the Titans, the situation is looking up for the rookie wide receiver.

Ayomanor wasn't even the first wide receiver that Tennessee drafted this year. Florida's Chimere Dike was. Yet Ayomanor, who fell to the fourth round, has the size (6'3", 206 lbs) and body control to do the things the team always wanted from Treylon Burks but never got.

As a rookie, Mike Sainristil played out of position as one of the Washington Commanders' starting outside corners. He performed well considering the circumstances, yet he's far more dangerous when operating out of the slot.

The Commanders did bring in veteran Jonathan Jones as a free agent. Jones isn't the best option out on a island, though.

Enter Ole Miss' Trey Amos. This year's 61st overall draft pick is a physical 6'1", 195-pound man-press corner who can immediately slot into the starting lineup.

Plenty of buzz existed prior to the draft that identified Amos as a late first-round possibility. Obviously, that scenario didn't come to fruition. But the Commanders should be thrilled he was still on the board during the latter portion of the second frame because he fits nicely opposite Marshon Lattimore.