Cam Ward goes No. 1 overall and Shedeur Sanders slides out of the first round of the NFL draft

Here are all the players drafted in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft:

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders attends Big 12 Media Days in July.

The story of the night ended up being a player who wasn’t drafted.

Shedeur Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who starred at Colorado for the last two years, was widely expected to be picked early on, where several quarterback-needy teams were waiting.

Instead, Sanders slid. And slid. And continued to slide. Eventually, he slid all the way out of the first round, stunning experts who had largely expected him to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board.

There were signs that something was up. The first couple times that ESPN cut to Canton, Texas, where Sanders was watching the draft, the set – covered in the player’s own logo – was empty. Eventually, cameras found Sanders watching the draft but he wasn’t exactly looking confident.

The slide echoes that of Aaron Rodgers, when a highly touted college quarterback dropped and kept dropping in the 2005 player draft. Eventually, Rogers was picked No. 24 in the first round by the Packers, but a similar lifeline would not be extended to Sanders.

The Colorado quarterback had once teased being picked by the New York Giants, wearing custom red, white and blue cleats during a game when the G-men were the top candidate for the first overall pick. A few days ago, he was making comments about how he would be throwing passes to receivers in Pittsburgh.

But when the Steelers passed on him with the 21st pick, it suddenly seemed possible that Sanders could drop all the way out of the first round. And then the Giants traded back into the first round with the 25th pick and were reportedly looking for a quarterback.

Instead of Sanders, it was Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart who will be making the trip to the swamps of Jersey to play for the Giants.

It’s possible that Sanders might come off the board with the first pick of the second round as the quarterback-light Cleveland Browns have the 33rd pick of the draft. It seems very unlikely that Sanders makes it too far into the second round before being snatched up.

The Jaguars traded up to No. 2 to take Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.

Some key takeaways from tonight:

Big trade shakes things up: The first headline-grabbing moment of the night came early when Jacksonville traded its No. 5 pick and a slew of other picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up to the No. 2 position. The Jags then used that pick to grab Travis Hunter, a potentially game-changing player who excels on both sides of the ball. The Browns used their No. 5 pick on Mason Graham, a defensive tackle out of Michigan.

Cam Ward ends one stage of an incredible journey: Ward started his career as a zero-star recruit who went to Incarnate Word. Years later, he’s the No. 1 overall draft pick, headed to Nashville to play for the Tennessee Titans. He was left in tears by the selection, saying he was just remembering himself as a “little kid who wanted it.” That kid is now the franchise cornerstone for the Titans.

Players from College Football Playoff teams dominate: Sixteen of the 32 players drafted came from the teams that made the College Football Playoff, including four from national champions Ohio State, three from Georgia and three from Texas. Big-time players from big-time schools who have played in big-time moments are obviously at a premium.

New York Giants have a great night: If it’s a make-or-break year for the New York Giants, they got started on the right foot. First, they took Abdul Carter, an edge rusher out of Penn State, who is probably the best defensive player in the draft this year. Then they traded back into the first round to grab Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. It was a moment that some people thought Shedeur Sanders would be picked, but the Giants instead opted for Dart.

Ohio State offensive lineman Josh Simmons, right, blocks Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson during a game in 2023.

Josh Simmons was the last pick of the first round, but that likely wouldn’t have been the case if not for a season-ending injury early in the 2024 season.

Simmons started the first six games for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was still good enough to be an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection. His torn patellar tendon in his left knee cost him 10 games and he likely would have been a much higher selection if he had been able to play the full season.

He’ll be a solid addition to the protection for Patrick Mahomes and company.

With the final pick of the night, the Kansas City Chiefs pick Josh Simmons, an offensive tackle from Ohio State.

Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston enjoys his moment.

Maxwell Hairston might be small, but his speed is out of this world.

Hairston goes just 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, but he ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine, flashing his speed.

He had five interceptions in 2023 and had a pick-six in 2024, though he missed much of the season with a shoulder injury.

He’ll be expected to bolster a lackluster Buffalo pass defense and provide game-changing turnovers.

“Buffalo is picking the ultimate competitor, the ultimate teammate and they got someone who’s getting Josh Allen the ball back,” he said with a laugh in an interview with ESPN.

Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell hugs Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles are continuing to add young talent to their championship defense after selecting Jihaad Campbell with the No. 31 pick.

The Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker was a first-team All-SEC after leading the team with 117 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.

The two foes who met in the Super Bowl earlier this year have swapped first round picks as the first round comes to a close.

The Philadelphia Eagles are now on the clock after moving up one spot following a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. Chiefs will now select at No. 32 and received a fifth round pick as well.

At No. 30, the Buffalo Bills take Maxwell Hairston out of Kentucky, adding to their defensive backfield.

The pick was announced by Tommy, the second Make-A-Wish foundation honoree to make a draft announcement on Thursday.

Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams makes a call during a game against Maryland.

While that one fan in Green Bay may have mocked the Lions for selecting Tyleik Williams, he’ll fill a role at which they sorely need depth.

The Lions defensive line was devastated by injury last year, including tackle Alim McNeill, who was having a stellar season before tearing his ACL.

Williams is a big run-stopper in the middle of the defensive line, going 6-foot-3, 334 pounds. In the run-heavy NFC North, he’ll play a massive role in containing the ground games of Detroit’s opponenets.

He tallied 46 tackles, including eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks for the Ohio State Buckeyes as they ran to a national championship last year.

Oregon's Josh Conerly Jr. tries to keep the pocket clean during the Fiesta Bowl matchup against Liberty in January 2024.

Jayden Daniels is getting himself more protection as the Washington Commanders selected offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. with the 29th overall pick.

Out of the University of Oregon, Conerly was a third-team Associated Press All-American and a finalist for the Joe Moore Award (nation’s top OL).

Washington is coming off a surprising season that saw them make it to the NFC championship game and will look to get back there by building in the trenches.

The Detroit Lions selected Tyleik Williams, a defensive tackle out of Ohio State, with the 28th pick.

The pick was much to the chagrin of a fan who was seated next to one of ESPN’s mics in Green Bay, who laughed loudly and said, “You guys are crazy” a few times.

Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. sacks UTEP Miners quarterback JP Pickles.

James Pearce Jr. is a big, fast prospect for the Falcons.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Pearce ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine and uses that explosive speed to make quarterbacks’ lives difficult. He had 7.5 sacks last year for the Volunteers after having 10 sacks as a sophomore in 2023.

If he can be consistent and evolve his technique, Pearce might be a fixture in NFL backfields very soon.

Georgia safety Malaki Starks poses with Commissioner Roger Goodell after being taken by the Ravens.

Another Bulldog is off the board as the Baltimore Ravens selected Malaki Starks with the 27th overall pick.

The Georgia safety led the team in tackles last year with 77 and was named a second-team Associated Press All-American. He was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award for the second consecutive year.

Starks will join All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton in John Harbaugh’s defense this upcoming season in Charm City.

James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee is the 26th pick, heading to the Atlanta Falcons.

The trade between the Rams and Falcons almost certainly means Shedeur Sanders is going to fall all the way out of the first round unless one of the teams selecting in the final six picks makes a shocking choice.

Baltimore chooses next, followed by Detroit, Washington, Buffalo, Kansas City and Philadelphia.

Well, another trade!

The Atlanta Falcons are on the clock after trading back into the first round with the Los Angeles Rams.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart scrambles against Duke in the Gator Bowl.

Just like everyone thought, er, um, Jaxson Dart is now the second quarterback off the board.

The 21-year-old – who started three years in Oxford under head coach Lane Kiffin – is coming off an impressive season, throwing for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions.

He joins a crowded New York QB room, who signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason.

Dart will follow the path of another Rebels QB – Eli Manning, who was under center for the Giants for a long time, leading them to two Super Bowl wins.

Welp… The Giants have passed on Shedeur Sanders but selected another signal caller with the 25th pick.

New York has taken Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Sanders, who once sported custom Giants cleats in game, continues his draft day slide.

We got our second trade of the night and this time it sees the New York Giants trade with the Houston Texans to get back into the first round.

Is this where Shedeur Sanders gets selected?

Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson plays in the national championship game against Notre Dame.

The love fest in Green Bay is over.

After massive cheers for Golden, the boos rain down on the Minnesota Vikings, who select Donovan Jackson, a guard from Ohio State.

Jackson was a three-year starter for the national champion Buckeyes. He was named to the all-Big Ten first team twice and was second team all-Big Ten as a sophomore.

He was drafted as an offensive guard but he also started nine games at left tackle – a crucial position for protecting the quarterback – for OSU this year.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Jackson was described by NFL.com as the “guard prototype.” He’ll play a big role in protecting JJ McCarthy as he embarks on his first season starting for the Vikings.