2025 NFL draft: How to watch and everything you need to know about the top prospects
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — A new NFL season is fast approaching and, after a hectic free agency period, the next crop of college talent will find where they will be playing at this year’s draft.
The 2025 edition holds plenty of intrigue, with some headline quarterbacks predicted to go near the top of the first round and plenty of other high-end prospects hoping to find a NFL home.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s NFL draft.
How to watch
The first round of the 2025 NFL draft will be held on Thursday, April 24, with the second and third rounds taking place on Friday and the remaining four rounds happening on Saturday.
Like years prior, the draft is set to be a huge event with fans from all across the US traveling to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to watch names being read out by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and others, with the event being held outside the famous Lambeau Field, home of the Packers.
Fans at home can watch all the picks on NFL Network and ESPN, with the first pick of the first round being made at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. Friday’s action begins at 7 p.m. ET and Saturday kicks off at noon ET.
CNN Sports is also offering live digital coverage of the event beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Intrigue at top of first round
Although there is a consensus No. 1 overall pick in many people’s eyes, lots of questions still remain about the other selections in the first round.
Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is widely expected to be drafted by the Tennessee Titans with the first pick as the clear cut best quarterback in the class and with the franchise in dire need of a difference-maker at the position.
While he still has room to grow, NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah says that Ward could have a “very high ceiling” if he can be “reined in” from his gunslinging nature.
Outside of Ward, draft analysts have no consensus on who will go where at the top of the first round.
The second and third picks – held by the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants respectively – are predicted by many to be filled by the two highest-rated players in the entire draft: Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter.
Hunter, who could become the first full-time two-way player in NFL history having excelled at both wide receiver and cornerback with the Colorado Buffaloes, is coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning season.
Under head coach Deion Sanders, Hunter blossomed into a superstar with 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense as well as 15 passes defended, four interceptions and a game-winning forced fumble on defense.
There are still question marks over whether Hunter’s two-way game will translate to the NFL or whether his coaches will prefer to have him specialize on one side of the ball, but the 21-year-old has shown he possesses all the skills to be a game-changer wherever he is deployed. In fact, Browns general manager Andrew Berry called Hunter a “unicorn” player in a pre-draft press conference.
Carter is also expected to be picked near the top of the draft having had a stellar 2024 season with Penn State; the pass rusher led the FBS with 23.5 tackles for loss and ranked seventh with 12 sacks as he went on to be named a First-Team AP All-American.
At one point, the 21-year-old was slated to go first overall, but Ward’s rise has dropped Carter down mock drafts. Carter didn’t workout during the pre-draft process due to a shoulder injury, but he is widely expected to be an impactful defensive lineman from the get-go.
The other high-profile name who will be selected near the top of the first round is running back Ashton Jeanty after a historic season at Boise State.
Jeanty’s skillset of vision, speed, ability to break tackles and powerful blocking makes him the perfect all-round running back. In his final season at Boise State, he led the NCAA with 2,601 rushing yards – finishing just 28 yards short of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record set in 1988 – and scored 29 rushing touchdowns as he finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Jeanty to LaDainian Tomlinson during the draft process, high praise with the former San Diego Charger’s standing as an all-time NFL great, MVP and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Despite being seen as a prospective generational running back talent, Jeanty will be selected lower than Hunter and Carter due to the devaluation of the position, but could have a greater impact in the league.
Other big names to watch out for
Outside of those four, there are plenty of other college stars to keep an eye on.
Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is a well-rounded prospect who will be picked near the top of the first round.
Graham was awarded the Outland Trophy – given to the best offensive or defensive lineman in college – last year having blossomed into a player with all the aspects needed to succeed in the NFL. He possesses the speed to evade blocks, the strength to overpower offensive linemen and the motor to outlast his opponents.
A polarizing prospect in the draft process has been quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.
While he has plenty of attributes necessary for NFL success – accuracy and poise in the pocket – experts say Sanders has several things to improve upon for him to be a top-level star.
His name-brand alone means he’s had plenty of attention and, with plenty of quarterback-needy teams near the top of the first round, Sanders will still likely go inside the top 10 picks.
Another big name to keep an eye on near the top of the first round is Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.
Standing at six-foot-five, Warren possesses the size to dominate defenders trying to cover him while also having the quickness to break away into space.
He plays with “best player on the field energy,” according to Zierlein, who also predicts that Warren could “become one of the best tight ends in the league.”
Warren was given the John Mackey Award last season for the best TE in the country and left Penn State having set school records for a tight end in almost all categories with 153 receptions, 1,839 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns.
First round draft order
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Las Vegas Raiders
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Chicago Bears
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Denver Broncos
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Green Bay Packers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Houston Texans
26. Los Angeles Rams
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. Detroit Lions
29. Washington Commanders
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles
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