Everyone obsesses over the first round. The glitz, the suits, the Commissioner hugging giant men—it’s a spectacle. But if you’ve been following the league long enough, you know the NFL draft 2025 2nd round is where GMs actually earn their paychecks. Honestly, Friday night is for the football nerds who know that a "reach" on Thursday becomes a "steal" by 7:00 PM the next day.
The 2025 class is weirdly top-heavy at certain spots like defensive tackle and offensive line, which means some elite talent inevitably tumbled into Day 2. We saw it happen in real-time. Teams like the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears were waiting like sharks in the water.
The Big Names Who Slipped
It happens every year. A player everyone projected as a mid-first-rounder watches 32 picks go by without hearing their name. In the NFL draft 2025 2nd round, the "why did he fall?" crown went to guys like Luther Burden III and Will Johnson.
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Johnson’s slide was mostly medical concerns, which the Las Vegas Raiders eventually stopped at pick 37. But seeing a talent like Burden—the Missouri playmaker with 94th-percentile separation rates—available for the Bears at 39? That’s just robbery. Ryan Poles basically got a first-round wide receiver to pair with Caleb Williams without having to use the 10th overall pick on one.
Then you’ve got the quarterback situation. While Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart dominated the Thursday headlines, the second round became the home for the high-upside projects. The New Orleans Saints grabbed Tyler Shough at 40, betting on his 3,000-yard arm despite a history of injuries that would make a doctor wince.
Position Groups Winning Friday Night
If you needed a running back, Friday was your Christmas. The 2025 class is arguably the deepest we’ve seen at the position since 2017.
Look at the Ohio State duo. TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins both went in the second round. Henderson went to the Patriots at 38, providing a reliable safety valve for a team desperate for offensive consistency. Judkins landed with the Browns at 36. It’s a bit of a "rich get richer" scenario for Cleveland, but when you can get a guy who averaged over 1,000 yards in three straight college seasons in the second round, you don't overthink it.
Beyond the backs, the "thick" part of this draft was the defensive interior. Experts like Daniel Jeremiah were high on this group for months. While the Michigan duo of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant stayed in the first round, the value in the NFL draft 2025 2nd round came from players like:
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- Tyleik Williams (Ohio State): The Buffalo Bills snatched him at 41 to fix their run defense.
- Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona): A massive human being who the Dolphins hope will save their interior line at 37.
- Alfred Collins (Texas): At 6'6" and 330 pounds, he’s exactly the kind of "anchor" Dan Campbell wanted for the Lions' front.
Why Teams Trade Up (And Down) on Day 2
The second round is a game of chicken. Since teams have seven minutes to pick instead of ten, the pace is frantic.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were aggressive this year. After moving around in the first, they were active again on Friday. Why? Because the "sweet spot" of the draft—where the talent grade is basically the same from pick 35 to 60—allows you to get starters at a fraction of the rookie contract cost.
Take the Indianapolis Colts. Chris Ballard is the king of the second round. He pounced on JT Tuimoloau from Ohio State at 45. Is he an elite, 15-sack-a-year rusher? Maybe not yet. But as a second-round pick, he only needs to be a solid rotational starter to provide massive ROI. That’s the secret sauce.
The "One Year Late" Theory
A lot of the guys who went in the NFL draft 2025 2nd round were players who could have been late-first-rounders in 2024 but chose to stay in school for NIL money. This created a logjam.
Carson Schwesinger, the UCLA linebacker, is a perfect example. He’s instinctual and rangy, but because the 2025 first round was so heavy on "premium" positions like Edge and Tackle, a high-level LB like him fell to the Browns at 33.
Quick Look: Key 2nd Round Landing Spots
| Pick | Team | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Browns | Carson Schwesinger | LB |
| 34 | Texans | Jayden Higgins | WR |
| 39 | Bears | Luther Burden III | WR |
| 44 | Cowboys | Donovan Ezeiruaku | DE |
| 54 | Packers | Landon Jackson | DE |
How to Evaluate These Picks
Don't judge these picks by the 2025 season alone. Second-rounders usually need a "redshirt" half-season. Unlike top-5 picks who are expected to save a franchise, these guys are often entering established locker rooms.
The Green Bay Packers taking Landon Jackson at 54 is a classic example. They don't need him to be Reggie White on Day 1. They need him to learn the system and take over a starting role by 2026. This patience is why teams like the Ravens and Packers consistently win—they use the second round to build future depth rather than filling emergency holes.
What This Means for Your Team
If your team didn't have a first-round pick (looking at you, teams that traded for QBs), the NFL draft 2025 2nd round was your real draft.
The Houston Texans used their pick on Jayden Higgins, a big-bodied receiver from Iowa State. It wasn't a flashy "Heisman winner" move, but it was a "help C.J. Stroud" move. Honestly, that's what Friday is all about. It's less about selling jerseys and more about winning in the trenches in December.
Check your team's roster depth now. If they snagged a defensive tackle or a guard in this round, they likely got a player with a first-round grade who just happened to be at a "non-premium" position. Those are the guys who end up being All-Pros in four years while everyone is still arguing about who the best QB was.
To get the most out of your post-draft analysis, look at the "Relative Athletic Score" (RAS) of these second-rounders. Historically, second-rounders with an RAS above 9.0 have a much higher hit rate than those who rely purely on college production. Use tools like Kent Lee Platte's RAS database to see if your team's new second-rounder is an elite athlete or just a good college player.