The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and likely your rookie draft season is heating up. Over the rest of the week, and a couple of pieces, I’m going to be looking at winners and losers from the draft. We’ll start with rookies and continue through veterans whose situations improved, solidified, or crumbled over a wild three days in Green Bay. Today, it’s rookies who were losers at the draft. Each piece will give two at each of the four major positions—quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end. Let’s dive in.
Quarterbacks
Loser: Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
About: Some people thought he would be a Top 5 pick. Most thought he was QB2 in the class. He didn’t end up in either spot after the draft. He was the sixth quarterback taken in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns also took another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, in the third round. Sanders now joins a room that has five quarterbacks, including Deshaun Watson, Kenny Pickett, and Joe Flacco, too. He no doubt has some value in superflex and should be drafted, but he’s no longer a First-Round selection. He’s probably the fourth or fifth quarterback in the class, likely to be more of a third-round selection in rookie drafts.
Loser: Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins
About: Ewers was a hot commodity coming into college, but his time in school didn’t play out as expected. That culminated in an underwhelming showing in the NFL Draft. He ended up going in the seventh round to the Dolphins. Now, his situation could be worse. Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins’ starter, has a checkered injury history. The team also has veteran Zach Wilson as a backup, which gives Ewers some opportunity. Still, he’s little more than a third or fourth-round selection in rookie drafts.
Running Backs
Loser: Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
About: Some had Sampson as a Top 5 or Top 6 back in the Class of 2025. But he had to wait until the fourth round to be selected. When he was taken, it was by the Cleveland Browns, who selected Quinshon Judkins in the second round. He was the 12th back taken in the draft, and while he’s not without value, it’s hard to see a clear path to touches. He’ll be fighting with Jerome Ford for touches as part of a committee. He’s a third-round selection at best.
Loser: Damien Martinez, Seattle Seahawks
About: Martinez, who played for Miami in 2024, was a back I liked coming into the draft. He slipped all the way to the seventh round, where the Seahawks took him. Seattle already has Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Could there be an opportunity in 2026? It’s possible, but hardly a sure thing considering where he was drafted. Martinez is a last-round stash at best.
Wide Receivers
Loser: Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans
About: Noel has his fans heading into the draft process, but his landing spot isn’t ideal. He went in the third round to the Houston Texans, which seems good at first glance. But the Texans took Jaydin Higgins in the second round and already have Nico Collins and Christian Kirk on the roster. The team also has Tank Dell, who is likely to miss 2025 but could return in 2026. All that means there is a crowd in the Texans’ receiver room, and Noel faces an uphill battle at best. The earliest I’d snag him is in the mid-to-late third round.
Loser: Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
About: Like Noel, Johnson was a receiver who intrigued some heading into the draft. But he slipped to the seventh round and went to the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan, and the Buccaneers took Emeka Egbuka in the first round. They also have a good tight end in Cade Otton and a pair of pass-catching running backs in Bucky Irving and Rachaad White. That’s a lot of competition, which leaves Johnson fighting an uphill battle even to make the roster, let alone make a fantasy impact. He’s a last-round stash at best.
Tight Ends
Loser: Elijah Arroyo, Seattle Seahawks
About: In the right situation, Arroyo could have had a shot at making a year-one impact. That spot probably isn’t Seattle, where he landed. The Seahawks already have Noah Fant, which likely leaves Arroyo as the No. 2 option at tight end. The good news is that Fant is in the final year of his contract. Still, Arroyo will likely be a year-one stash for a patient player who takes him in rookie drafts.
Loser: Harold Fannin, Jr., Cleveland Browns
About: The Browns spent much of this draft seemingly doubling or tripling up on players at skill positions. Fannin is an interesting tight end prospect, but he doesn’t have a clear path to immediate touches. The Browns have a quandary at quarterback and have one of the game’s best at tight end in David Njoku. Njoku is aging, so there’s a chance for Fannin to be the eventual successor. But he’s another player who will require patience if you target him in rookie drafts.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
