Which Teams Blew The 2025 NFL Draft?
These are the teams who I thought did a poor job over the weekend.
Draft grades are inherently a fool’s exercise. Trying to predict where players get drafted is hard enough, but making sweeping claims about their career mere hours or days after they’re drafted is even harder.
Still, debating which teams drafted well and which didn’t is fun. After all, there are winners and losers from every draft. Instead of doing straight-up grades, I covered my favorite classes yesterday, and I’ll cover my least favorite classes in this post.
This list will be a little bit shorter because I actually like most team’s hauls or, at worst, I’m indifferent about them. However, these three stood out among the worst.
Ranking Worst 2025 Draft Classes
3. Los Angeles Rams
Biggest Reach: Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon
Most Confusing: Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon
So, if you couldn’t tell, I’m not a Terrance Ferguson guy. He was my 144th-ranked player, so the Rams selecting him at pick 46 is the biggest reach made by any team with their first pick against my board.
In the Rams’ defense, they did get a great haul from the Atlanta Falcons to move back from the first round. However, I don’t view Ferguson as a long-term starter, so it’s hard for me to get on board with this class.
I will say that I liked the Josiah Stewart and Chris Paul Jr. selections. I had Stewart 96th overall, and the Rams took him at pick 90. Paul Jr. was 134th on my board, but Los Angeles got him at pick 172.
Still, Stewart is just an appropriate value, and Paul is a small positive value play on Day 3. I don’t know that I’d call this class “bad,” and lord knows Les Snead is a great general manager, but I’m skeptical of the impact this class will have.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
Biggest Reach: Dylan Fairchild, OG, Georgia
Most Confusing: Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina
Putting the Bengals on this list pains me because Shemar Stewart, who they selected at pick 17, was a top-10 player for me. Plus, Demetrius Knight Jr. (selected at pick 49) was a member of the All-Hollywood team.
I really like those two players, but they don’t make a lot of sense for the Bengals. Stewart has a ton of potential, but the Bengals need pass-rush help now, especially considering that Trey Hendrickson might get traded.
Stewart can help against the run, but counting on him to be a high-impact Year 1 pass rusher isn’t ideal. Also, the Bengals’ track record with developing defensive line talent in recent seasons is rough.
As for Knight Jr., I like the player. However, 49 was a pretty big reach against my board, and I’m not even sure he will start this season. Logan Wilson is still a quality player at MIKE, and I would tell you the closest NFL comparison for Knight Jr. is Germaine Pratt, who is still on the Bengals’ roster.
The Fairchild pick was the final nail in the coffin for me. I do not view him as a Year 1 contributor, and he wasn’t even close to my top-rated interior offensive linemen on the board when Cincinnati picked him 81st overall.
There’s an argument that the Bengals are worse on the offensive line than at this time last year, and that’s just unacceptable. Perhaps Stewart reaches his ceiling and saves this class, but I don’t have high hopes.
1. Denver Broncos
Biggest Reach: RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
Most Confusing: Sai'vion Jones, EDGE, LSU
Outside of taking Jahdae Barron 20th overall, the Broncos managed to fill out their entire draft class with players I was lower on than the consensus.
Barron getting to line up either opposite or next to Patrick Surain II is awesome, and the Broncos defense has all the talent to be one of the league’s best units again this season. Heck, I’d even tell you the Broncos can compete with Kansas City in the AFC West this season if some things break their way.
But outside of Barron, I don’t like a single other selection the Broncos made. Here’s how their next three picks ranked against my board.
RJ Harvey: 60 vs. 165
Pat Bryant: 74 vs. 123
Sai'vion Jones: 101 vs. 195
They got Alabama Edge Que Robinson as a slight value against my board, but then they drafted a punter later on, which basically cancels that out.
I do acknowledge that Harvey has an opportunity to be productive behind a good offensive line, and that Bryant is absolutely Sean Payton’s type at receiver. So there’s a chance those players thrive in good environments, but I just wasn’t a huge fan of their tape from this past season.