The 2025 NFL Draft is here as teams continue analyzing their draft strategies. This year’s draft is at the hallowed grounds of Lambeau Field and will feature picks announced by current and former players.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had their first pick announced by one of their current defensive ends, who happens to be the 2024 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Arik Armstead Joined on Stage by NFL Commissioner
Armstead, 31, comes from the Sacramento, Calif., area, and played three years at Oregon. The Ducks played in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship in his final collegiate season. Armstead posted 46 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries that year.
The San Francisco 49ers selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and he spent the first nine seasons of his career with the team. He was a rotational player in his rookie season, recording 19 tackles, 10 quarterback hits, and two sacks in 16 games.
The next two years were cut short by injuries. Armstead won the starting job in 2016 but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during Week 9. He broke his hand in Week 6 of 2017 and missed the rest of the season. Armstead started a four-year streak of starting every game the following year.
His best season was 2019. Armstead posted 54 tackles, 11 for loss, 18 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, and two fumble recoveries that year. The 49ers fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54, but the defensive end signed a five-year, $85 million extension with San Francisco heading into the 2020 offseason.
He performed well the next two seasons, playing in every game and recording 9.5 sacks and 112 tackles. However, a hairline fracture in his ankle limited Armstead to nine games in 2022, and he suffered a torn meniscus in Week 13 of 2023. He sat out the rest of the regular season and played through the injury during the team’s run to Super Bowl 58.
The 49ers released Armstead following the season, and he signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the list of pick announcers for the 2025 NFL Draft, and Armstead announced Jacksonville’s first-round pick alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
A look at the former and active players now scheduled to announce their teams’ picks next Friday night for rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL draft: pic.twitter.com/HpMkPz5mPY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 17, 2025
Schefter tweeted, “A look at the former and active players now scheduled to announce their teams’ picks next Friday night for rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL draft:” along with a picture of the list.
Goodell joined Armstead to recognize the defensive end as the 2024 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year. The league’s press release regarding the announcer list said, “Additionally, 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide Arik Armstead will join Commissioner Goodell live onstage at the NFL Draft to announce the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick.
“Since joining the Jaguars in 2024, Armstead has emerged as a leader in the Northeast Florida community, building on the philanthropic impact he’s made throughout his 10-year career to improve the educational outcomes of youth across the country.”
The Man of the Year is the NFL’s most prestigious individual honor, and recognizes the player’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact. The award was first given in 1970 and was renamed for the 1977 winner, Walter Payton, who passed away in 1999.