NFL Draft 2025: Storylines To Watch

• Which NFL Draft 2025 storylines will emerge before, during, and after the league’s annual spectacle?
• The NFL Draft will begin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Thursday, April 24, at 8 p.m. ET
• Here are some things to consider in the preceding days of the draft

Only the NFL could innovate and turn an event once held in a harshly lit hotel conference room and turn it into a license to print money. Or more money, as it were.

The argument could be made that the draft has reached rarefied air as an event. It is a step or two below the biggest NFL games of the year and garners more attention than the World Series and the NBA Finals.

From 1965 through 2015, the draft was held in New York City, where, for much of that time, the gallery consisted of hard-core fanatics hooting and hollering at the picks. Jets fans shouted, booed, and whined at their sorry state. Now, it is at a different venue every year with…Jets fans needing to travel to shout, boo, and whine at their sorry state.

Independent of that, there are intriguing NFL Draft 2025 storylines to consider.

The Titans Will Do What Is Expected, Whether They Want to or Not

With the number 1 overall pick, the Tennessee Titans are all but guaranteed to select University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

Is he a slam dunk 1-1 (1st overall in the 1st round)?

Not according to most credible analysts who have crafted a list of the best available players. For example, Mel Kiper Jr. has Shedeur Sanders ahead of him. No one, especially the oddsmakers, thinks the Titans will take Sanders or anyone other than Ward.

Until Ward gets to Tennessee and takes the field, we won’t know the wisdom of the selection or if they should have traded down to get a few more picks and still get Ward.

Still, the Titans have a second-year coach, Brian Callahan, who was 3-14 in his first season. They have a new GM, Mike Borgonzi, who came from the Chiefs’ front office. Not taking Ward would be a bigger risk than taking him, even if they’re not fully sold, because they would be surrendering the shield of Ward being the obvious number 1 for a QB-hungry team with the 1st overall pick.

As a relatively late riser to number 1 overall, there’s a chance of Ward becoming Jeff George or, worse, JaMarcus Russell.

What Does the “Belichick Guy” Mike Vrabel Do With the Patriots?

Bill Belichick was a “value” drafter, meaning that he wanted to maximize the value in lieu of taking risks on pure talent. He preferred to trade down to amass more picks in the later rounds. Of course, his Patriots were annually at the bottom of the draft, so there were fewer slam-dunk talents available to him. Now, after a disastrous season under Jerod Mayo, they’re picking 4th overall.

Belichick’s draft results were generally spotty.

New Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has, if not final say in the draft, significant say in the draft. Does he go for a foundational piece or a game-breaking offensive force? A former linebacker, Vrabel understands the value of working inside out meaning the offensive and defensive line take precedence.

If Travis Hunter falls to them, do they take the shutdown corner and occasional wide receiver? Will they take Michigan’s Mason Graham, DT, out of Michigan? How about Jalon Walker, linebacker from Georgia?

Ashton Jeanty is a force at running back, but Belichick never had a prototypical “feature” back except for Corey Dillon, and he got Dillon cheap after the back had fallen out with the Bengals.

What Does Belichick Antagonist Tom Brady Do With the Raiders?

Then there’s another Belichick guy who had a far different philosophy from the coach he’s attached to forever: Tom Brady.

As part-owner of the Raiders, Brady has had a major say in the organization hiring Pete Carroll as the new head coach and trading for Geno Smith to be the new Las Vegas QB.

During his time with the Patriots, he frequently clashed with Belichick over the head coach letting go of Brady’s security blankets, Wes Welker and Deion Branch. He wanted offensive firepower he could trust. Does that impact his strategy? Will they take Jeanty, something Belichick would not have done? Or will he concede to the Raiders’ needs and try to find a plug-in running back? Carroll may want an impact defender if they can get one.

Who Wants Shedeur?

It’s hard to gauge Shedeur Sanders because of his NFL legend and head coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders. Some think he’s an absolute playmaker with personality whose arm, perceived to be limited, will not be a factor if he’s put in the right offense.

Others believe he is being overrated because of his last name and is a late pick in the 1st round.

Which is it?

The Saints desperately need their next QB after Derek Carr’s shoulder injury, which might sideline him for the 2025 season.

There are certainly marketing opportunities with Shedeur, in addition to his abilities. But would rookie head coach Kellen Moore want to deal with a shadow head coach in Deion potentially interfering with how Moore handles Shedeur?

Think About NFL Draft 2025 Storylines When Considering Options

No matter your opinion on the players, team needs, and other aspects of the 2025 NFL Draft, storylines should not be ignored. Teams frequently go against conventional wisdom, and there are more than a few shocks and aftershocks in the draft.

The action starts at 8 p.m. EST on April 26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, aka Titletown.

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