FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — With just a couple of weeks remaining until the 2025 NFL Draft, we've reached the part of the cycle where the same opinions have become old hat.
Shemar Stewart's enticing combination of size and athleticism paired with his limited college production — heard about it. Mike Green's ascent as a small-school standout into a certified draft darling — we know the story. Are Will Johnson's arms too small? Which quarterback is actually QB2 in this class?
By this point, we know all of the topics and questions plastered on the lower third of television screens. So let's talk about the takes that don't line up with popular opinion. As Heath Ledger's Joker once implored, let's introduce a little anarchy.
For today's question, Tori McElhaney, Will McFadden and Terrin Waack present their zags for the 2025 NFL Draft.
McELHANEY: I'm probably going to need to duck and cover when I write this, but here it goes: I don't think a quarterback outside of Cam Ward is going to be taken in the first round. I know. Shocking that I am not as high on Shedeur Sanders as others seem to be, especially recently.
So far, Sanders is the only QB I think has a shot at joining Ward in the first round. Technically speaking, there are more than two teams that could use a quarterback. However, I don't think more than one team will pull the proverbial trigger on one early. Particularly when QB2 is as polarizing amongst draft experts as Sanders. Some people have him as a top-10 pick. Others have him falling into the second round. He’s the one player mock drafts can’t seem to agree on.
Recently, Sanders has been linked to the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and even the Pittsburgh Steelers, to name a few teams in the Sanders news cycle. It only takes one team to be convicted about Sanders to draft him. But I don't know if the conviction would be strong enough in the first round. The second round? Sure, of course. That makes more sense to me, with Sanders joining someone like Jalen Milroe. But Sanders to the Saints at No. 9 overall (which is a prevailing theory)? That feels like a smokescreen.
So, yeah, that's my NFL Draft zag.
That despite teams needing quarterbacks, there won't be many — if more than one — taken in the first round.
McFADDEN: I've written a lot about the various approaches the Falcons could take to this draft, and I don't think it's a spoiler to say I don't believe there is a zag for Atlanta. This is a straightforward draft setup for the Falcons, and I think they should approach it that way.
So, my zag isn't Falcons-specific, and it involves the side of the ball we've barely talked about this draft cycle. I believe Iowa State's Jaydin Higgins will have the best career of all the wide receivers in this draft. Now, I'm fully aware that "best" is a subjective term, so I'll just say that I believe Higgins will be the most consistently productive receiver from this class, and I also expect him to be the top rookie receiver next year.
Given that he's currently ranked the No. 3 receiver by ESPN, No. 5 by the Athletic and No. 6 by Pro Football Focus, I'd say that qualifies this as a proper zag. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Higgins has perfect size to be an X receiver in the NFL, and his 4.47-second time in the 40-yard dash is a testament to his athleticism. At the Senior Bowl, Higgins showcased really nice route running and made some difficult catches.
When he reaches the league, I think Higgins will immediately find a role as trusted possession receiver who can create separation for himself and win in contested catch situations. His toughness and size as a blocker will only help him carve out a job. He's a very different player than Brian Thomas Jr., but Higgins is my pick to be that kind of breakout rookie in 2025.
WAACK: I had full intentions of taking a "quality over quantity" stance here. Don't trade back, even if for capital. Only trade up, like package multiple seventh-round picks for even just one in a higher round.
But the more I typed, or at least tried to, the less confident I felt about that overall claim. It was the last sentence that I kept coming back to. I can't fully get behind scrapping seventh-round picks. Because then the sports world wouldn't have seen players like Donald Driver, Julian Edelman or Marques Colston – among many others who aren't wide receivers – rise from the seventh round to the Super Bowl. And that's part of the draft fun: finding a diamond in the rough.
What's interesting is the Falcons have only brought in two seventh-round picks since general manager Terry Fontenot joined the fold in 2021 – and they were both in the same 2023 class and remain rostered: safety DeMarcco Hellams and offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn. I'll be curious how each take on 2025, since Hellams will be returning from an injury that stalled momentum last preseason and Gwyn may see more opportunity with former starting center Drew Dalman gone to the Chicago Bears.
Maybe that's my zag. Believe in the seventh-rounders more. It's great when they surprise you.
