The 2025 NFL Draft gets underway this Thursday, and it’s very hard to pinpoint exactly what to expect after the Tennessee Titans presumably take quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick.
However, every first round of the NFL Draft features at least a couple of surprises you can’t totally see coming with how cautions teams are about information leaking out of the draft room.
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We’ve decided to predict a couple of surprises we could see unfolding in this year’s draft, including a big quarterback slide and a big trade involving last year’s NFL sack leader.
None of these may happen, of course, but if one does, don’t say we didn’t warn you first!
QB Shedeur Sanders could fall to the second half of the first round
Sanders has long been tabbed as a top-5 draft talent, but his draft status has been slipping in recent weeks. Is it possible that the Colorado quarterback falls out of the first round’s first half altogether?
It’d be a surprise considering the hype around Sanders for so long, but we can’t count it out with how the winds are blowing around this draft cycle. Perhaps a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers lands him at selection No. 21?
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The Rams could take a quarterback… like QB Jalen Milroe
The Rams always feel like a wild card in the draft, and can you imagine Sean McVay getting a guy like Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the building and developing him behind Matthew Stafford?
We’re not counting Los Angeles out of taking a quarterback in the first round and letting that player prepare himself for a job after Stafford’s days with the franchise come to a close. Los Angeles doesn’t have many glaring needs, and McVay might see a raw talent like Milroe as the perfect candidate to morph into a future starter.
The Falcons could take an offensive tackle instead of a defender
The Falcons recently put Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. through a private workout and hosted Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. on a top 30 visit. Despite having two rock-solid veteran starters in Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary, could the Falcons draft-and-stash an offensive player for the second straight year?
Well, McGary will be a free agent in 2026, so it’s definitely a possibility. Starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is a lefty, so the Falcons might want to get a jumpstart on finding right tackle McGary’s replacement. Don’t rule it out.
Yes, the team hasn’t drafted a defensive player in the first round since 2020 and cornerback A.J. Terrell. The Falcons probably should (and desperately needs to) take a defender, but Atlanta hasn’t been afraid to defy conventional thinking in the past.
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QB Tyler Shough could go in the first round
Who is Shough, you might ask? Well, he might be the next quarterback for your favorite team.
Shough has gathered steam as a possible option for quarterback-needy teams in this year’s draft, and it’s not impossible that he goes as early as the first round. The former Louisville starter will be 26 in September and has plenty of college experience under his belt. He’s definitely a possible surprise first-round pick in this draft.
The Bengals draft a pass-rusher and trade Trey Hendrickson
Just watch this and tell us this doesn’t get your brain going.
“If [the Bengals] take Shemar Stewart, … that suddenly makes Trey Hendrickson a lot more easy to get rid of.” 👀@PSchrags on updates surrounding Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals.
(via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/xyXI2JtYhY— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 22, 2025
The Bengals taking a pass-rusher to replace, not compliment, Hendrickson would be a genuine shock, but that’s what draft night is for! We’re not counting out the possibility of this all unfolding for Cincinnati.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: 2025 NFL Draft: 5 possible surprises in the first round