The charged atmosphere surrounding the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft brings a wave of nostalgia—and shock. For NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah, it stirs a mix of both emotions.
In a recent sit-down with Kay Adams on the Up & Adams show, Jeremiah shared the most shocking NFL draft picks he’s witnessed over the 12 drafts he’s analyzed.
Raiders Trade Up for Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 in 2019 NFL Draft
Jeremiah pointed out one of the two shocking NFL trades: the Raiders drafting Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 overall.
The most stunned Daniel Jeremiah has ever been on draft night:
1. ??
2. Raiders 1st-round pick, 4th overall: DE Clelin Ferrell in 2019@heykayadams | @MoveTheSticks pic.twitter.com/24Z4UDbBIA— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 7, 2025
Ferrell was considered a mid-to-late Round One pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. His college career at Clemson was outstanding, highlighted by two National Championship wins and individual honors like the Ted Hendricks Award and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
The surprise came when the Oakland Raiders selected Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick. This move sparked a backlash, as many felt it was an overreach, especially with players like Josh Allen and Brian Burns—considered superior prospects—still available.
Moreover, Ferrell’s career tally of 27 sacks and 50.5 tackles for loss was seen as underwhelming for a player drafted so high, raising doubts about his status as a top-tier prospect.
Bears Draft Mitch Trubisky at No. 2 Overall in 2017 Draft
“The Mitch Trubisky trade-up. We thought at the time, if I’m not mistaken, we thought they would be taking Solomon Thomas. And then they took Trubisky, and we were kind of just stunned, like one of those moments where you are just speechless,” Jeremiah explained how much the Chicago Bears trade-up for just one spot stunned the entire NFL world.
Agreed that he had a stellar collegiate career with UNC, where he set program single-season record with 3,748 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns. One of the main reasons why Tribusky’s pick was criticized was his lack of experience as a starter, as he had only started 13 games in his college career.
Another, and the main reason, for the criticism was the unbelievably hefty price that the Bears paid for moving up just one spot to draft Trubisky. The Bears already had the 3rd overall pick, but they decided to trade with the San Francisco 49ers for their 2nd overall pick.
In exchange, the Bears traded their original Round One [No. 3 overall] pick, their Round Three [No. 67 overall] pick, one of their picks in Round Four [No. 111 overall], and a Round Three [No. 70 overall] pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.