(NEXSTAR) – The 2025 NFL Draft kicked off Thursday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the Tennessee Titans selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
“I think a lot us prospects had a big dream and we’re accomplishing it right now,” Ward said ahead of the draft. “Not a lot of people get this opportunity and I’m going to make the most of mine.”
The Titans finished the 2024 season with a 3-14 record.
With Ward going first overall, it marks the seventh time in eight years that a quarterback has been selected with the top pick, with the only exception being the Jaguars’ 2022 selection of then-Georgia defensive end Travon Walker.
The rest of the top 5
After trading picks with the Cleveland Browns to move up the draft board, the Jacksonville Jaguars used the second pick in the 2025 draft to select Colorado’s two-way phenom and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Hunter will try to do something that has rarely been done in the modern NFL.
The No. 2 overall pick by Jacksonville will try to play both receiver and cornerback for the Jaguars. Hunter played closed to full-time at both spots at Colorado, something no NFL player has done since the early days in the league when it was more common. Sammy Baugh led the league in interceptions, pass attempts and punting average in 1943.
The New York Giants, who finished 3-14 in 2024, used the third pick of the draft to take Abdul Carter, a premier edge rusher out of Penn State.
Carter was widely considered a top-three draft pick after a standout career at Penn State where he frequently drew comparisons to alumni Micah Parsons.
The edge rusher finished the 2024 season with 68 tackles, a career-high 12 sacks, four pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.
With the fourth pick, The New England Patriots selected 6-foot-6 LSU offensive lineman Will Campbell, widely considered the top offensive lineman in the draft.
Campbell played a major role in keeping LSU’s quarterbacks upright throughout his collegiate campaign, allowing four sacks throughout 2,553 offensive snaps and 38 games.
His arm length measured a respectable 33 inches at the Tigers’ pro day, allaying teams’ only concern.
Rounding out the top five, the Cleveland Browns looked to bolster their pass rush by taking defensive tackle Mason Graham, of famed Ohio State rival Michigan.
“I’m sure we’ll get along pretty well,” new Browns player Mason Graham said in an interview on the broadcast.
Here’s how the rest of the top 10 NFL Draft picks 2025 continued:
6. Las Vegas Raiders — Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, running back
7. New York Jets — Armand Membou, University of Missouri, offensive tackle
8. Carolina Panthers — Tetairoa McMillan, University of Arizona, wide receiver
9. New Orleans Saints — Kelvin Banks Jr., University of Texas, offensive tackle
10. Chicago Bears — Colston Loveland, University of Michigan, tight end
A party in Green Bay
In Green Bay, festivities started earlier in the week with local Leicht Park hosting a celebration that will include a kids zone, fireworks, and live music from the Riverboat Gamblers and De La Soul, Nexstar’s WFRV reports. Considering the host city, it will likely not surprise anyone that cheese carving will also play a role.
Clay Matthews, one of the former Green Bay Packers who joined NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the stage before the start of the draft, delighted the Packers fans in attendance with a quick message before the start of the draft.
Matthews joked that he got a message from President Donald Trump and that, “It says, ‘My fellow Americans, the Bears still suck!’”
Round 1 of the NFL Draft will start at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, with Rounds 2-3 and Rounds 4-7 kicking off at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, respectively.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
