NFL Draft Goes Off the Rails: Jaguars Shock, Giants Gamble, and a Star-Studded Scramble

The 2025 NFL Draft's first round was the football equivalent of a fireworks show in a thunderstorm—chaotic, explosive, and impossible to look away from.

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked things off with a blockbuster move that had jaws on the floor, trading a haul of picks to the Cleveland Browns in order to scoop up Heisman winner Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall. For a team desperate for some star wattage, Hunter’s arrival is a high-wire bet on instant impact.

And the drama didn’t stop there. The New York Giants, never ones to shy away from a headline, worked the phones for a deal with the Houston Texans to snatch quarterback Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss. The Giants handed over their second and third-round picks this year, plus a third-rounder next year, to make sure they got their man at No. 25. Sorry, Shedeur Sanders fans—he’s still waiting for his big moment.

Just as everyone caught their breath, the Atlanta Falcons dove back into the action, sending off a bundle of picks to the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 26 spot and a fresh third-rounder. The Falcons’ front office clearly wanted to keep things spicy.

The final trade of the night was a little Super Bowl reunion: the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs swapped spots at the tail end of the round, with Philly leaping up to get linebacker Jihaad Campbell at No. 31. The Chiefs, never shy about wheeling and dealing, picked up No. 32 and a fifth-rounder in the process.

Here’s how the rest of the first round shaped up:

• Tennessee Titans, No. 1: Cam Ward (QB, Miami)
• Jacksonville Jaguars, No. 2: Travis Hunter (CB/WR, Colorado)
• New York Giants, No. 3: Abdul Carter (Edge, Penn State)
• New England Patriots, No. 4: Will Campbell (LT, LSU)
• Cleveland Browns, No. 5: Mason Graham (DT, Michigan)
• Las Vegas Raiders, No. 6: Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State)
• New York Jets, No. 7: Armand Membou (LT, Mizzou)
• Carolina Panthers, No. 8: Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona)
• New Orleans Saints, No. 9: Kelvin Banks Jr. (LT, Texas)
• Chicago Bears, No. 10: Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)
• San Francisco 49ers, No. 11: Mykel Williams (Edge, Georgia)
• Dallas Cowboys, No. 12: Tyler Booker (G, Alabama)
• Miami Dolphins, No. 13: Kenneth Grant (DT, Michigan)
• Indianapolis Colts, No. 14: Tyler Warren (TE, Penn State)
• Atlanta Falcons, No. 15: Jalon Walker (Edge, Georgia)
• Arizona Cardinals, No. 16: Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss)
• Cincinnati Bengals, No. 17: Shemar Stewart (Edge, Texas A&M)
• Seattle Seahawks, No. 18: Grey Zabel (G, NDSU)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers, No. 19: Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State)
• Denver Broncos, No. 20: Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)
• Pittsburgh Steelers, No. 21: Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
• Los Angeles Chargers, No. 22: Omarion Hampton (RB, UNC)
• Green Bay Packers, No. 23: Matthew Golden (WR, Texas)
• Minnesota Vikings, No. 24: Donovan Jackson (G, Ohio State)
• New York Giants, No. 25: Jaxson Dart (QB, Ole Miss)
• Atlanta Falcons, No. 26: James Pearce Jr. (Edge, Tennessee)
• Baltimore Ravens, No. 27: Malaki Starks (S, Georgia)
• Detroit Lions, No. 28: Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State)
• Washington Commanders, No. 29: Josh Conerly Jr. (OT, Oregon)
• Buffalo Bills, No. 30: Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky)
• Philadelphia Eagles, No. 31: Jihaad Campbell (LB, Alabama)
• Kansas City Chiefs, No. 32: Josh Simmons (OT, Ohio State)

With so many trades and shakeups, this year’s draft felt more like a season finale than a standard Thursday night. If you’re a fan of strategy, suspense, or just pure NFL chaos, this draft definitely delivered.