Friday welcomed the second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft after an eventful opening round on Thursday evening. Day two began with the Cleveland Browns utilizing the No. 33 overall selection on former UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who was a borderline first-round talent who went unselected during the opening 32 picks.
Elite talent is found during the first round, but the NFL Draft is often won via value selections in the second and third rounds. Using our Mock Draft Machine prior to Friday’s festivities, there were a ton of high-end prospects available. Shockingly, Shedeur Sanders remains on the board heading into day three.
Some organizations navigated the updated draft board better than others. We’ve identified Friday’s winners and losers.
Winner: Cleveland Browns
The Browns shockingly traded out of the Travis Hunter selection on Thursday, moving down for Mason Graham. That decision led to some short-lived pain, but Cleveland reaped the benefits on Friday, making two selections within the opening four choices (Nos. 33 and 36).
First, general manager Andrew Berry doubled down on defense by going with an off-ball linebacker in Schwesinger. At No. 36, the Browns added a three-down back in Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins to replace Nick Chubb. Keeping Judkins in-state should prove to be a fantastic decision for the Browns. A potential high-volume pass-catching weapon arrived in the third round via former Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. A gamble was taken at quarterback in Dillon Gabriel.
Loser: Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers entered the draft desperately needing to add an instant-impact edge rusher. Despite many of them being available at No. 8, the Panthers understandably couldn't resist the temptation to select wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. On Friday, GM Dan Morgan traded up to No. 51 to nab Nic Scourton.
The Panthers executed another aggressive move to No. 77 to select Princely Umanmielen. Morgan moved all over the board, forfeiting capital out of desperation. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero may also be overly reliant on rookie pass rushers in 2025. Umanmielen represented quality value, but Scourton has something to prove after recording half the sacks in 2024 (five) that he had in 2023 (10.0).
Winner: Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills landed an instant starter at cornerback in Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston on Thursday. Head coach Sean McDermott and GM Joe Schoen used their two second-round picks to maneuver the board in a trade up with the Chicago Bears. Moving up to No. 41, the Bills shifted attention to the trenches by selecting South Carolina defensive linemen T.J. Sanders.
Buffalo doubled down on d-line defenders by nabbing Landon Jackson at the top of the third round. Jackson is an outstanding scheme fit in McDermott’s defense as a potential three-down defender. It started with Hairston, and the Bills are loading up on defenders in the 2025 NFL Draft in preparation for another postseason showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Loser: Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals took a risk during the first round by drafting the raw Shemar Stewart. The second and third rounds welcomed more questions. At No. 49 overall, the Bengals selected a 25-year-old off-ball linebacker in Demetrius Knight Jr. Knight Jr. impressed at the NFL Combine, but the value is questionable.
The Bengals later selected former Georgia Bulldogs interior offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild in the third round. It was surprising to see Fairchild selected ahead of his teammate Jared Wilson.
Winner: Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks entered Friday with a draft-high four selections as a result of the Geno Smith and DK Metcalf trades earlier this offseason. Long-time general manager John Schneider expertly put that capital to good use on Friday. He used his abundance of picks to move up to No. 35 in order to select safety Nick Emmanwori. The athletic, versatile Emmanwori projects as an excellent fit in Mike Macdonald’s defense.
Still holding onto the 50th selection, Schneider landed a big-time pass catcher for his new starting quarterback Sam Darnold in Miami Hurricanes tight end Elijah Arroyo. Arroyo was Seattle’s second pick on offense after taking interior offensive lineman Grey Zabel on Thursday, who will be plug-and-play at left guard.
And finally, Schneider concluded his third round with a bombshell by selecting former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. Milroe is a high-upside quarterback. The Seahawks will try to develop him into Darnold’s successor.
