The Tennessee Titans selected Miami quarterback Cam Ward as the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, a drama-free move that had been predicted for weeks by football pundits.
In a sign of the importance of the position, Ward becomes the third straight QB to go No. 1 overall, after the Chicago Bears selected USC’s Caleb Williams with the first pick in 2024, and the Carolina Panthers selected Alabama’s Bryce Young in 2023.
The last non-quarterback to go No. 1 was Georgia defensive end Travon Walker in 2022, picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Although Ward was considered a virtual lock to go to the Titans, the rest of the draft was expected to be one of the most unpredictable in years. That unpredictability came to fruition almost immediately when the Jaguars traded the No. 5 pick and a haul of picks to the Browns in order to move up to No. 2 and take two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter, who is hoping to play both cornerback and receiver in the NFL as he did in college.
Unlike 2024’s draft class, considered one of the most talent-laden in decades, 2025 doesn’t have anywhere near as many blue-chip prospects, and forecasts on who might go where have been all over the map.
For the first time ever, the draft is being held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, just outside Lambeau Field, the iconic home of the Packers.
Rounds two and three will take place Friday beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, while rounds four through seven will be held Saturday beginning at noon.
NFL Draft order and picks for the first round
- No. 1: Tennessee Titans — QB Cam Ward, Miami
- No. 2: Jacksonville Jaguars (via trade with Cleveland) — CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
- No. 3: New York Giants — DE Abdul Carter, Penn State
- No. 4: New England Patriots — Will Campbell, LSU
- No. 5: Cleveland Browns (via trade with Jacksonville) — DT Mason Graham, Michigan
- No. 6: Las Vegas Raiders — RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- No. 7: New York Jets
- No. 8: Carolina Panthers
- No. 9: New Orleans Saints
- No. 10: Chicago Bears
- No. 11: San Francisco 49ers
- No. 12: Dallas Cowboys
- No. 13: Miami Dolphins
- No. 14: Indianapolis Colts
- No. 15: Atlanta Falcons
- No. 16: Arizona Cardinals
- No. 17: Cincinnati Bengals
- No. 18: Seattle Seahawks
- No. 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- No. 20: Denver Broncos
- No. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers
- No. 22: Los Angeles Chargers
- No. 23: Green Bay Packers
- No. 24: Minnesota Vikings
- No. 25: Houston Texans
- No. 26: Los Angeles Rams
- No. 27: Baltimore Ravens
- No. 28: Detroit Lions
- No. 29: Washington Commanders
- No. 30: Buffalo Bills
- No. 31: Kansas City Chiefs
- No. 32: Philadelphia Eagles
Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.
The post 2025 NFL Draft: Day 1 recap of first-round picks appeared first on CBS News.
