Tonight, the city of Green Bay is likely to contain more human beings within city limits than they ever have in the city’s history, as the 2025 NFL Draft begins tonight at 7 p.m. For the first time in decades, as of this morning, all 32 teams own their own first round picks on draft day. No team has traded up (yet) within this draft nor traded their first round pick for an established player.
Every draft has intrigue, even when the group of prospects isn’t considered necessarily elite. This draft is believed to have around eight to ten exceptional players, and then the next 50 to 60 players are considered on a similar level, with many future starters scattered within that group. The quarterback class is not considered to be a good one, but the first pick is expected to be Miami QB Cam Ward to the Titans.
Heading into Thursday night, here are the four biggest storylines that I’ll be keeping an eye on, as we await the Texans’ picking, for now, at 25th overall. Actually, let’s start there, with the Texans and GM Nick Caserio:
4. When does Nick begin pulling the trigger on trades?
This much we do know — Nick Caserio will not sit still. A majority of the two dozen players he’s drafted since becoming GM of the Texans in 2021 have been selected with a pick that Caserio has acquired in a trade up or trade back. He is constantly maneuvering. Albert Beer of SI.com reports that Caserio is “sniffing around” on a trade up in the first round:
“We have another team that has at least started sniffing around on a trade up, and that’s the Houston Texans. It’s no secret that Houston needs offensive line help, and I’d expect the Texans to target strong-character players as they continue to remake that room.
With the possibility that Campbell, Membou and Banks are all gone inside the top 10, the next group of linemen could get moved up the board a bit. And the Texans have two teams in front of them, the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings, that could take an offensive lineman.
Thanks to the Laremy Tunsil trade, the Texans do have three picks on Day 2 (Nos. 58, 79 and 89) to work with, though they’re without fourth- and sixth-rounders.
I could see where that sets up for a short move up, potentially to try to land someone like Zabel; or, if they’re feeling froggy and include 2026 picks, maybe a more significant move up for Banks. One player I’ve heard the Texans have done plenty of work on is Jackson. Again, right now, this is just sniffing around. But it’s notable because there aren’t a lot of teams looking to climb in the draft order this year, and Houston has a pretty specific reason to at least explore doing it.”
I think at least one of the premium picks they received in the Tunsil trade, either the 2025 3rd rounder or 2026 2nd rounder, will be on the move, at some point, especially if a run on offensive lineman takes place in the first round.
3. What is Travis Hunter?
Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, is the most interesting player to enter the league in at least a decade. Hunter won that honor by shouldering a full workload on both sides of the ball. He is viewed as an elite cornerback and wide receiver prospect, and reportedly, there is no consensus among NFL general managers as to what he SHOULD play at the next level. The Browns are viewed as the favorite to select Hunter, with the second overall pick, right after the Titans select Ward. The Browns reportedly see him as a wide receiver, but rest assured, whichever team takes Hunter will be looking almost immediately into a full time gig one one side of the ball, and at least a cameo role on the other side.
2. Which quarterbacks, if any, sneak into the back part of the first round?
Ward is going first overall to Tennessee. That’s a lock. After that, we may not see another quarterback name called until the early 20s. The big mystery centers around Shedeur Sanders, who could go anywhere from 3rd overall to 21st overall, but we will give him his own paragraph in a minute. The names to watch as the bottom half of the first round unfolds are Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s (and Katy’s) Jalen Milroe, and Louisville’s Tyler Shough.
1. Where does Shedeur Sanders land?
Back to Sanders, who, of course, is the son of NFL legend and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. On the one hand, Sanders showed incredible toughness playing behind bad offensive lines in college, while leading Colorado back to relevance, finishing with a 9-4 record in his final collegiate season. On the other hand, Sanders doesn’t do anything physically at an elite level, and there will always be the specter of his old man looming over whatever team takes Shedeur. Deion Sanders is a lot of things, but quiet is not one of them. The biggest story in this draft, by far, is Shedeur Sanders and where he lands.
Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.
