The 5 Main Shockers from the 2025 NFL Draft
Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State)
Sep 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) makes a fair catch on a Toledo punt during Saturday's NCAA Division I football game at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barbara Perenic/Columbus Dispatch Ncaa Football Toledo Rockets At Ohio State Buckeyes. © Barbara Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK.
The 2025 NFL Draft wrapped up last weekend, with over 250 rookies joining the pros, and hundreds more via undrafted free agency.
The 5 Main Shockers from the 2025 NFL Draft
The event did not disappoint, renowned for its alleged unpredictability before it even kicked off.
And to put a bow on the draft, these were the five main shockers, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most shocking development).
5. Packers End “The Streak”
It took the Green Bay Packers 23 years to get with the times — a pass-happy NFL — and pick a wide receiver in Round 1.
That last man was Javon Walker in 2002, and that worked out quite well.
Wide Receiver Matthew Golden of Texas poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers Mark Murphy after being selected twenty-third overall pick by the Green Bay Packers during the first round of the 2025 ND at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay.
When Matthew Golden of Texas was revealed as the pick, it almost felt surreal or like a troll job. Green Bay’s front office wanted to save the moment for the home crowd and all the cheese.
The Packers are off the schneid with Round 1 receivers. Two decades of requests from fans have been fulfilled.
4. Shavon Revel Jr.’s Fall to Round 3
East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr. has the talent of a 1st-Rounder. Full stop.
He doesn’t have a Round 1 ACL, however, and he’s already 24 years old.
Nov 18, 2023; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen wide receiver Regis Velez (84) runs the ball against East Carolina Pirates defensive back Shavon Revel (28) during the second quarter at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports
Age and injury history sank his draft stock to the Dallas Cowboys in Round 3. As recently as last Wednesday, some mock-draft heads believed Revel Jr. could shimmy into the bottom of Round 1.
But nope. One of this class’ most talented defenders fell into the Cowboys’ lap late Friday night.
3. Buccaneers Swerve, Get Rich at WR
Virtually everyone pegged the Buccaneers for an off-ball linebacker — probably Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell — or a fancy new EDGE rusher in the 1st Round.
Tampa Bay defiantly revealed other plans.
Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
While showcasing Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan at wide receiver, the Buccaneers leaned into their version of “best player available” and drafted Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka.
Egbuka even flirted with early-Round-2 draft stock. Instead, a team that didn’t need a wide receiver selected a fringe 2nd-Rounder in Round 1.
2. The Will Johnson Slide Was Real
Medical concerns sullied Will Johnson’s Thursday night, and he didn’t learn his draft fate until Friday.
He’s an Arizona Cardinal.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson on the red carpet before the 2025 rookie event at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
For three months, Johnson represented a for-sure Top 15 pick, but when the rubber hit the road in draft week, some claimed he’d slide way the hell down the board.
Those folks were right.
1. The Draft Community Messing up Shedeur Sanders’ Scouting Report
An exercise in groupthink, national media and websites like this one commonly agreed that Shedeur Sanders’ name — that alone — warranted a Top 3 pick.
It was a foregone conclusion for three months.
But nearly three days of draft coverage shook out, and Sanders didn’t find a new team until late in Round 5 with the Cleveland Browns.
Everyone not working in an NFL war room flagrantly misvalued Sanders’ draft profile.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the Minnesota Vikings, with 4-7 episodes per week. His NFL obsession dates back to 1989. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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