GREEN BAY, Wis. (WCMH) — For the first time since 2016, four Ohio State players were drafted in the first round of an NFL Draft.
NFL fans from across the country gathered at Lambeau Field Thursday night to see the opening night of the draft as well over 120,000 were in attendance.
Ohio State has 15 players from its national championship winning team in the draft pool and four were selected in the first round. It started with receiver Emeka Egbuka, who was taken 19th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Egbuka’s selection marks four straight NFL drafts an Ohio State receiver was a first round selection.
A few picks later, offensive guard Donovan Jackson was taken with the 24th pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He became the second OSU offensive lineman taken in the first round in the last three years. Staying in the NFC, the Detroit Lions added defensive tackle Tyleik Williams with the 28th pick. The night ends with offensive tackle Josh Simmons going 32nd to the Kansas City Chiefs.
This leaves 11 Buckeyes available over the next two days with the draft set to resume Friday at 7 p.m. with the second and third rounds.
2025 NFL draft first round
Elsewhere, the Cleveland Browns traded the No. 2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. The Browns received the No. 5 pick in the trade and took Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham.
Only two quarterbacks were taken on Thursday night with Miami’s Cam Ward going No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans and Jaxson Dart going No. 25 to the New York Giants, who traded up to select him. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders, was not selected and could be an early pick on Friday.
See below for an archived live thread of the opening round of the 2025 NFL Draft
No. 5: Browns take Michigan’s Mason Graham
Cleveland is going Big Ten with its first selection in this year’s draft as they select Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.
The California native won the national championship in 2023 with the Wolverines and was the Rose Bowl defensive MVP in 2024 in the win over Alabama. Graham is the first Michigan player taken by the Browns in the first round since Jabrill Peppers in 2017.
No. 4: Patriots select LSU tackle Will Campbell
All signs pointed to New England’s latest head coach Mike Vrabel trying to get more protection for quarterback Drake Maye. He has addressed that by selecting left tackle Will Campbell from LSU.
Named college football’s best blocker last year, Campbell was also a unanimous All-American and first-team All-SEC in 2024. It’s the first time the Patriots have taken an LSU player in the first round of a draft.
Now on the clock: The Cleveland Browns at No. 5
No. 3: Giants take Penn State’s Abdul Carter
The best pass rusher in this year’s draft class is heading to the Big Apple! The New York Giants have selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick in the hopes he can become the next Michael Strahan.
Carter was a unanimous All-American last season and considered one of the best defensive prospects in recent years. It’s the earliest the Giants have taken a defensive end since Kayvon Thibodeaux was taken No. 5 in 2022.
No. 2: Jaguars select Heisman winner Travis Hunter
The Jaguars gave up a haul of draft picks to claim the No. 2 spot from Cleveland and have decided to take last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter from Colorado. There is no doubt many think Jacksonville have picked the best player in this year’s class.
Jacksonville will hope that Hunter can become the “Shohei Ohtani” of the NFL as he aims to play both as a wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL. Hunter joins Bo Matthews as the earliest Colorado Buffaloes player taken in an NFL Draft.
Browns trade No. 2 pick to Jacksonville Jaguars
Within seconds of the Titans picking Cam Ward No. 1 overall, the Cleveland Browns have agreed to trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to give them the No. 2 pick in exchange to the No. 5 picks.
The Jaguars are on the clock while the Browns move back to No. 5. Jacksonville gets the Browns’ fourth and sixth round picks this year while Cleveland acquires Jacksonville’s second and fourth round picks this year and a 2026 first round pick.
No. 1: Titans select QB Cam Ward
For the fifth time in the last six NFL Drafts, the first overall selection is a quarterback. The Titans will hope that Miami’s Cam Ward, the NCAA D-I leader in career TD passes, can become the next franchise quarterback in Nashville and lead them back to the playoffs.
Ward earned the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards last year and is the first QB the Titans have taken in the first round since Marcus Mariota in 2015. He will join a young group of QBs in the AFC South, featuring former Buckeye and current Houston Texans starter C.J. Stroud.
2025 NFL Draft is open!
With well over 125,000 spectators in Green Bay, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has opened the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Tennessee Titans are on the clock and are expected to take its next franchise quarterback. All signs point to that being Miami’s Cam Ward.
What to watch on Night 1
The first round of this year’s Draft should see multiple surprises in store as analysts have predicted all kinds of possibilities for the selections, including if any Buckeyes are taken tonight. Here is what to look for during the first round:
Which Buckeyes could get picked: Most agree that tackle Josh Simmons will be the first Ohio State player taken but where he is picked varies from mid first round to early second round. Offensive lineman Donovan Jackson and receiver Emeka Egbuka could go late in the first round. If not, they will be early picks on Friday.
What will Cleveland do at No. 2?: After what we expect to be the Titans selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward as the first overall pick, the Browns will start the mystery in earnest with the second pick. They could select Heisman winner Travis Hunter, decide to trade down, or go an entirely different direction.
Bengals desperate for defense: The story of Cincinnati’s 2024 season was a defense that couldn’t help its potent offense, costing them a postseason spot. With the 17th pick tonight, its likely the Bengals will address defense and take a defensive back.
What about the quarterbacks?: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders, and Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart stand behind Ward in the QB rankings. But where will they end up? Analysts are looking at the New Orleans Saints (No. 9) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21) to draft a QB tonight. Will they go that direction with those two guys?
Welcome to the NFL Draft!
Hello and welcome to the start of NBC4i’s live coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft. Over the next three days, over 250 college football players will be selected by NFL teams and realize a lifelong dream as the event is in Green Bay, Wisconsin for the first time.
Fans are at historic Lambeau Field tonight for the first round of the draft, where all 32 teams hold their initial first round pick. We will be updating throughout the next three days to see when the Buckeyes will be selected, what the Browns and Bengals do, and much more!
We are a little less than one hour from the draft opening and the Tennessee Titans will be on the clock.
