Football v. Football: The 2025 NFL Draft

With the NFL draft only two weeks away and free agents striking deals, it seemed like a good time to pivot back to the other kind of football. About a month ago, on 12 March, the new league year began, and players with expiring contracts entered free agency. Free agency is a time when players either renew their contracts with the team they played for in the past season or accept a new deal made by a new team. At the same time, all 32 teams are scheming on how to position themselves the best way they can for the up-and-coming draft. The draft, in its base form, allows for teams who performed the worst in the past season to get one of the first choices of new players coming from college football. It has seven rounds, with each team getting one pick in each round. Things are a bit more complicated, though, as other teams are able to trade players for better pick numbers and vice versa. 

This year has seen some interesting moves in the lead-up to the draft, especially since the maximum amount that teams were allowed to pay their players recently went up by $100 million. Because of this, many free agents simply resigned. The Seattle Seahawks have made multiple — frankly, risky — moves in trading their powerhouse wide receiver, DK Metcalf, to the Steelers for a second-round pick and their quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders for a third-round pick. All of this is to build their team around 27-year-old Sam Darnold, who they see as a long-term investment in contrast to 34-year-old Geno Smith. Hopefully, their plan materialises in some good draft picks so that the Seahawks can continue to form a strong team for Darnold. In more general terms, at the time of my writing this, Aaron Rodgers has still yet to be signed by a new team. In full transparency, I believe he should retire, and there are whispers of that, but he's also been offered a contract by the Steelers. If he takes the offer, it would make for an interesting medley of players in Pittsburgh. George Pickens and DK Metcalf on the same team for Pickens’ last season in Pittsburgh will be an entertaining watch by itself; head coach Mike Tomlin will certainly have his hands full. 

In terms of the draft class, there are the obvious players to pay attention to. Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner and cornerback from the University of Colorado, will be one to watch. He also won the Bednark for best defensive player and the Biletnikoff Award for outstanding receiver. In the analysts’ projections, he is drafted in the second or third pick, and most agree it will be to the Cleveland Browns. Running back Ashton Jeanty from Boise State is fifth on the ESPN ‘Best Available’ list, with the most rushing yards in this college football season. There is debate, however, over his ability to perform within the NFL due to the less rigorous competition in the Mountain West Conference. There is a ton of talent in this draft class, and with all the strategy in play for each team, it will be exciting to see where they all end up.

If you are not a fan of either kind of football, hopefully, you learned a little something about the inner workings of a league. Now, you can try to impress your American friends with your knowledge of the draft.

Image from Wikimedia Commons