The final day of the NFL draft typically doesn’t carry over the attention that the first two nights commanded. But this was no ordinary year for the annual event.
While there were several intriguing subplots throughout the seven rounds of action in Green Bay, Wisconsin, nothing could measure up to Shedeur Sanders’ stunning stumble out of Day 1 – and then Day 2. The star quarterback finally heard his name called Saturday and celebrated by hopping into the pool. But that was far from the only big splash on Saturday.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from the final day of the 2025 NFL draft:
NFL draft winners of Day 3
Shedeur Sanders
Is it actually possible to consider the Colorado signal-caller a winner the day after his precipitous fall finally met its end? In a twisted sort of way, yes. Though this is hardly the outcome Sanders or those around him could have envisioned heading into the draft, landing with the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round doesn’t fully extinguish his hopes of seeing the field anytime soon. He now joins a quarterback room that figures to be a free-for-all with Deshaun Watson’s status in doubt as he recovers from a second surgery on his torn Achilles. It certainly will be difficult for him to make his way to the top of the depth chart, but there’s no figure here who looks like a sure thing to outrace him on the climb. No matter how narrow it is, there’s at least a path for him to get a shot next season, during which the Browns likely will explore several options as they look ahead to a true turning of the page in 2026.
Cam Skattebo
Though his distinct running style proved immensely difficult to stop last season at Arizona State, some wondered whether Skattebo would turn teams off with a bowling ball approach. Any notion of a steep slide was quickly put to bed, however, as the New York Giants picked the 5-10, 219-pound back with the third selection of the fourth round. Big Blue seems to have bought into his hard-charging mentality, which should make him a fitting complement to promising second-year option Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Bhayshul Tuten
What running back wouldn’t want to operate under Liam Coen after the Jacksonville Jaguars’ new head coach revived the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rushing attack in his single season as offensive coordinator? The Jaguars already have Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby in the backfield, but the fourth-round price tag could reflect how highly general manager James Gladstone prioritizes explosiveness in his new attack. The 5-9, 206-pound Tuten can break away from an entire defense with the 4.32-second speed that was the best of any back at the NFL Scouting Combine, so he should be afforded plenty of opportunities under Coen, who made impressive use of his last fourth-round back in Bucky Irving.
Javonte Williams
After signing with the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year, $3 million contract this offseason, Williams was on uncertain ground heading into a draft that could have yielded a lead ball carrier for the team. But Jerry Jones didn’t take action at the position until the fifth-round, where he went with Jaydon Blue. The Texas speedster could see some early third-down work, but Williams figures to handle a bulk of the action in the ground game.
Sam Howell
The Seattle Seahawks’ selection of Jalen Milroe in the third round cemented that Howell would be pushed out the door. For a young quarterback, there aren’t many better landing spots than with Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings. Howell shouldn’t pose any sort of threat to J.J. McCarthy as the 2024 first-rounder ascends to the starting role, but he can learn from some of the league’s best minds at the position in O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.
Mike Vrabel
After New England focused its early draft efforts on equipping Drake Maye with more stability and explosiveness, the Patriots turned their attention to their defense on Day 3. Safety Craig Woodson and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer both could ascend to starting spots over time, but the one to watch could be Bradyn Swinson. The fifth-round edge rusher can create a serious spark for a pass rush that tallied a league-worst 28 sacks.
Eagles-Georgia pipeline
Howie Roseman just can’t resist adding another Bulldog to his defense. Despite having a solid look at linebacker after re-signing Zack Baun and trading up to take Jihaad Campbell in the first round, Roseman opted for Smael Mondon Jr. in the fourth round. A supreme athlete with underdeveloped instincts but extensive playmaking range, Mondon hits a lot of the same marks as Campbell. But Roseman saw enough to add him to a unit that already featured several other former Georgia standouts. Maybe the architect of the defending champs already has his eyes on Christen Miller, the team’s latest standout, for next year’s draft.
HBCU breakthrough
Hats off to Alabama A&M offensive tackle Carson Vinson, who becomes just the third player since 2020 from a Historically Black College and University to be selected in the fourth rounds. There’s still plenty of more work to do on the here, as no other players from the HBCU ranks joined him through three days. But it’s good to see a prospect of his caliber get his proper due.
NFL draft losers of Day 3
Quinn Ewers
Sanders wasn’t the only highly touted passer to be dealt a humbling setback in the draft. Ewers, the former No. 1 overall recruit who started three years for Texas and led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, lasted all the way to the end of the seventh round, when he was scooped up by the Miami Dolphins. It was a stunning turn for a talented thrower known for uncorking off-platform shots downfield. While teams clearly ruled his arm talent clearly wasn’t enough to compensate for his lack of development, it was still surprising to see the likes of Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard, Florida’s Graham Mertz and North Dakota State’s Cam Miller all find their landing spots before he did. With Ewers looking like a long shot to make Miami’s roster, there will be inevitable second-guessing of his decision to turn pro rather than transfer and cash in on a considerable NIL deal.
Carolina Panthers
Let’s recap all the moves that the Panthers have made in their backfield since selecting running back Jonathon Brooks in the second round last year. In November, the team handed Chuba Hubbard a four-year, $33.2 million extension that included $15 million in new, fully guaranteed money. In March, Carolina inked Rico Dowdle to a one-year, $2.75 million deal. And on Saturday, the organization burned a fourth-round pick on Georgia running back Trevor Etienne. With Brooks in December tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the second time in 13 months, the Panthers now have some insurance with their ground game. But this is a glut of ball carriers for a team that should be focusing on options elsewhere.
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Justin Tucker
The Ravens didn’t make sixth-rounder Tyler Loop the first kicker ever to be drafted by the franchise only to have him keep Tucker company throughout the spring and summer. While it’s too early to cement the ouster of the player with the highest career field goal conversion rate in NFL history, Baltimore certainly set itself to move on if it chooses to do so as the league continues to investigate sexual misconduct allegations levied by a number of massage therapists. And with the off-field firestorm coinciding with a season in which Tucker missed a career-high eight field goals, the Ravens might see sufficient reason to move on.
Specialists
Loop and fellow kicker Andres Borregales (New England Patriots) both heard their names called on Day 3, with punter Jeremy Crawshaw closing out the sixth round. But for the first time since 2014, neither a kicker nor punter was taken in the first five rounds of the draft. Given the dicey records of Jake Moody, Cade York and some other early selections, it’s easy to understand why teams might have wanted to exhibit a little more restraint this year.