The Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, while two-position star Travis Hunter landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the opening day of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Miami quarterback Ward had long been projected to become the first player off the board, and there were no late surprises on Thursday night when his name was announced by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to kick off proceedings in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It marks the 40th time NFL teams have used the No. 1 pick on a quarterback since the first Draft in 1936.

Heisman Trophy winner Hunter followed closely behind at No. 2, as the Jaguars traded with the Cleveland Browns to move up from No. 5 and select the Colorado star. In addition to the second overall pick, Jacksonville also received fourth- and sixth-round picks in the deal.

Hunter served as one of the most fascinating case studies in Draft history after excelling at both wide receiver and cornerback in high school and college. He registered over 700 snaps on both offense and defense during the 2024 season at Colorado, and he aims to continue playing both sides of the ball in the NFL—a feat not accomplished regularly in over 60 years.

The Browns used their newly acquired No. 5 pick to select Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Cleveland also gained second- and fourth-round picks this year and a first-rounder in 2026.

At No. 3, the New York Giants selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. They later moved back into the first round via a trade with the Houston Texans to take Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25.

The New England Patriots followed through on a promise to upgrade the offensive line in front of 2024 No. 3 pick Drake Maye, selecting LSU left tackle Will Campbell at No. 4.

Despite speculation that other teams might leapfrog them, the Las Vegas Raiders held onto the No. 6 pick and selected Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. The Raiders ranked last in the NFL in rushing last season, totaling just 1,357 yards with no individual surpassing 420 yards.

The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles traded up one spot from No. 32 with the Kansas City Chiefs and included a fifth-round pick to select Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell.

By drafting Ward, the Titans renew their search for a long-term quarterback just two years after selecting Will Levis out of Kentucky in the second round.

Ward’s journey to the No. 1 pick was far from conventional. He began his college career at Incarnate Word—the only program to offer him a scholarship—after going unrated out of high school. Despite a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ward threw for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions as a sophomore, prompting a transfer to Washington State.

During two seasons at WSU, Ward completed 643 of 982 passes for 6,966 yards and 48 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions. Though he initially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, he opted to transfer to Miami for his senior year. There, he threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions, while adding 204 rushing yards and four scores. He was named ACC Player of the Year and won the Manning Award as the top quarterback in college football.

Ward brings a dynamic skill set: tremendous poise in the pocket, aggressiveness downfield, a feather touch on layered throws, and the athleticism to extend plays and create off-script.

“Ward is a thick, compact quarterback with outstanding arm strength and playmaking ability,” said NFL Network Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
“He plays a very free-wheeling brand of football. He drifts in his drop, throws from a variety of arm angles, and often falls away from the target upon release. He can really power the ball into tight windows, but his aggressive nature can put points on both sides of the scoreboard.
He has very quick hands in the RPO game and can navigate around free rushers by dropping his arm angle. Overall, Ward will need to be reined in, but he’s a very gifted thrower of the football. If he can learn to better manage the game, he has a very high ceiling.”

Sky Sports’ Neil Reynolds believes Ward's aggressiveness will inject life into a struggling Titans offense.

“Cam Ward was the poorly kept secret. He was going to the Tennessee Titans. They needed a quarterback,” Reynolds told Sky Sports News.
“They’ve averaged about 19 points per game the last three years, the third-worst in the NFL, and Ward is a playmaker.
You’re gambling on these players becoming stars. They’re young. They can be hits and misses. Ward likes to be aggressive. He will take chances, but I think he’s going to take Tennessee’s attack to the next level.
He had a zero-star rating—nobody in college football rated him coming out of high school—and he only had one offer. Now he’s the first pick in the Draft and he’s heading to the NFL.”

Two-position star Hunter joins the Jaguars, where he will link up with quarterback Trevor Lawrence—himself entering a make-or-break season.

“Travis Hunter has been described as a unicorn. He was the best wide receiver and cornerback in the Draft,” Reynolds added.
“It’s a fantastic move because Jacksonville needs difference makers. They’ve got a new general manager, a new head coach, and a new regime, and this guy could alter the NFL.
We haven’t had a regular two-way player in the NFL for more than 60 years, and they’re intent on using Hunter that way. For Lawrence, this really is the last year for him to prove himself.”

While Shedeur Sanders, son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was not selected in the first round, Reynolds believes he won’t have to wait long.

“It was a surprise, and I don’t know if the whole Deion Sanders persona and spotlight has damaged the quarterback because, yes, he’s not the most gifted in terms of arm talent, but he makes good decisions, he’s tough, and accurate with the football.
I do think you’ll hear his name called early in Round Two.”