The true value of a first-round NFL Draft pick goes way beyond potential. These picks can shift the future of a franchise, raising expectations not just for the player selected but for the entire team. We’ve seen stars like Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, and Russell Wilson all get traded for first-round picks. But as the 2025 NFL Draft gets closer, teams seem a lot more cautious. The usual buzz around big trades just isn’t there.
Could the 2025 NFL Draft Be Tamer Than Years Past?
On a recent episode of the “Scoop City” podcast, Dianna Russini and former NFL QB Chase Daniel dove into the current mindset of NFL front offices and offered insight into what makes this year’s draft different.
“Just based on talking to teams over the last week or os, I’m not predicting a lot of movement up at all. I’m seeing more, if anything, everyone’s trying to get down,” Russini said.
Past drafts have been filled with early trade fireworks.
Based on my conversations, I wouldn't expect to see that type of chaos this year.https://t.co/mHREzB3khS pic.twitter.com/xdyZ5Mj5zk
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 11, 2025
Just because we haven’t seen a lot of trade movement doesn’t mean it’s a “bad” draft class. As Russini puts it, “not a strong” draft class doesn’t mean the players won’t succeed in the league — it just speaks to the perceived gap in the talent across the board.
What she’s saying is that the talent gap isn’t that wide this year. You might get the same type of player with the 12th pick as you would with the 22nd. That’s created a weird dynamic. Teams in the early and middle parts of the round want to trade down, but the teams at the back don’t want to give up future draft picks to move up.
Daniel even went on to say, “Overall, there is not a lot of headliners. I don’t know if you are going to see a ton of trades in the first round where you have to give up a lot of value and equity for players that you can get later in the draft. This draft class, in general, is not great.”
Don’t Mistake Quiet for Inactivity
With the draft less than a month away, the pre-draft fireworks seem to be missing. There’s always a chance that a dark-horse team makes a big move, but according to Russini and Daniel, even the rumor mill is unusually quiet.
Still, that doesn’t mean this draft will be boring. No matter how slow things start, the NFL draft always finds a way to deliver drama.
Yes, this year has felt different. The noise is softer, the headlines are fewer, and the trades are non-existent — for now. But just because teams are being quiet doesn’t mean they’re standing still.
So, if you’re waiting on the chaos, be patient.