Dillon Gabriel, Isaac TeSlaa and the biggest reaches of the 2025 NFL Draft
No one, from NFL executives to the most experienced expert, gets their NFL Draft board completely right. Few people, for example, could have predicted Shedeur Sanders' slide from potential top three selection to unwanted man for three straight rounds.
But a massive tide of pre-draft data does help us better understand how scouts value players and who is likely to have a bigger NFL impact than others. So when a player with a seventh round grade winds up hearing his name called in Round 3, it's a rogue wave crashing across an already unpredictable sea.
Thanks to the NFL Mock Draft Database, we've got a dense tome of player rankings and ratings from experts across the draft landscape. That's enough to help us understand which players may have only been valued by the teams that rose up to pick them. So who were, per expert evaluations, the biggest reaches of the 2025 NFL Draft?
There's still time to add to the list, but these six players stood out on Day 2.
6. QB Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
Pick selected: Round 3, 94th overall
Consensus big board rank: 178th
After being linked to Shedeur Sanders in the pre-draft process, the Browns passed on the Colorado star early in rounds two and three. Then they finally dialed up a young, development quarterback… and it was Gabriel. That gave Cleveland a prolific NCAA quarterback (63 starts!) who is also 5-foot-11 and struggles to generate big plays downfield. Gabriel is a fine quarterback, but he's also 25 years old and may already have hit his peak as a gunslinger.
5. WR Pat Bryant, Cleveland Browns
Pick selected: Round 3, 74th overall
Consensus big board rank: 162nd
Bryant went off the board before Iowa State's Jaylin Noel or Utah State's Jalen Royals, two similarly efficient college wideouts who had higher pre-draft grades than the Illinois star. But Bryant's size (6-foot-2) and continued improvement was enough to convince Cleveland his peak was still well in the future. The All-Big 10 wideout rose up to the moment in Champaign, hauling in three different game-winning touchdowns – and that clutchness helped blast him into Day 2.
4. LB Nick Martin, San Francisco 49ers
Pick selected: Round 3, 75th overall
Consensus big board rank: 170th
Martin wasn't the best linebacker available when the Niners made their third round pick Friday night. He wasn't even the best linebacker available from the state of Tennessee. But Martin's lack of size didn't stop the Oklahoma State Cowboy from being drafted ahead of Nick Stutsman as part of San Francisco's defensive overhaul.
At 6-feet and 221 pounds, he'll have to fill a hybrid role between LB and safety in Kyle Shanahan's lineup. That tweener body type makes him a risk – but one the 49ers were happy to take early.
3. WR Isaac TeSlaa, Detroit Lions
Pick selected: Round 3, 70th overallConsensus big board rank: 168The Lions dealt away two third round picks to move up and target a player many expected to linger into Day 3. TeSlaa has the athletic traits of a solid NFL starter:
But those numbers haven't led to big performances against top competition. He spent two seasons at Arkansas after transferring from Division II Hillsdale. He had 62 catches and 897 receiving yards total in 25 games as a Razorback.
2. CB Justin Walley, Indianapolis Colts
Pick selected: Round 3, 80th overall
Consensus big board rank: 186th
Walley brings oodles of experience to the Colts line after starting 40-plus games for Minnesota in four seasons. But his average size (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) and aggressive style painted him as a player who excelled in college but could struggle in the pros. After starting his draft with two solid value picks (Tyler Warren and JT Tuimaloau), general manager Chris Ballard cashed in some of his house money to pick a player with a solid resume but, potentially, limited capacity for growth.
1. CB Jaylin Smith, Houston Texans
Pick selected: Round 3, 97th overall
Consensus big board rank: 220th
Credit to the Texans; they've done a great job identifying and developing defensive back talent lately. But guys like Derek Stingley, Jalen Pitre and Kamari Lassiter are all Day 1 or 2 draft picks who were pegged to go early. Smith, despite a solid resume, was in danger of waiting until the final round.
Instead, Houston used 2025's first compensatory pick for a cornerback with three career interceptions in 43 games. He's small-but-effective… but also plays a position where the Texans are already loaded with young talent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Commanders Trade for T.J. Watt Listed Among Five 'Likely' Calls
Commanders Trade for T.J. Watt Listed Among Five 'Likely' Calls originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Can the Washington Commanders trade for T.J. Watt without trading away their own contract-dispute star Terry McLaurin? Advertisement The wide receiver is coming off the best season of his six-year career in the nation's capital and it was also the team's most successful year in over three decades. McLaurin was an integral part of Washington's high-powered offense, led by electrifying rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. As much as they would want to keep him, McLaurin could demand a top-of-the-market contract value that the Commanders may not feel comfortable with, especially as tensions have been high with the two parties for months. This had led to endless speculation about McLaurin's trade potential. His value is as high as it's ever been, and Washington could scrape together much-needed financial flexibility to help the rest of the roster if they move on from McLaurin. The pass rush is a major concern with the loss of a double-digit sack total in Dante Fowler Jr. Over in the AFC North, there's a notable edge rusher that has also been the center of holdout and trade discussions. Advertisement FOX Sports' David Helman linked the Commanders to potentially trade McLaurin to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for disgruntled edge rusher T.J. Watt, the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year. "Why not indulge one delusional fantasy with another? If Washington were to trade Terry McLaurin, they'd be opening some financial wiggle room to add another lucrative player," Helman said. "They could get at least two, if not three, years of play out of Watt before they have to worry about extending Jayden Daniels. They definitely need the pass rush help. Watt would give Dan Quinn a blue chip player, which he doesn't really have right now, on his Commanders' defense." We say let's leave dealing Terry out of this ... because adding one great player while subtracting another really doesn't elevate Washington. Advertisement But ... A move that allows the Commanders to add a cornerstone piece to the defense? That works. CBS Sports is suggesting that Washington should be on the five-team list of bidders for Watt, who is unhappy with his contract extension stall. They write, "You can bet coach Dan Quinn would find a way to unleash Watt just as he did Micah Parsons with the Dallas Cowboys. This is a franchise focused on winning now, as evidenced by other offseason trades, and why not fork over big bucks to Watt while you have Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal? The pass rushing unit could still use a headliner, and Washington has plenty of cap space to use in 2026-2027.'' Advertisement Except for the part about the Steelers having shown no indication about wanting to move on from a pillar of their franchise ... Washington calling the Steelers makes sense on Watt. Right up until the time the Steelers ask for McLaurin. Related: Commanders' Terry McLaurin $37 Million Contract Demand Called 'Outrageous' By Insider This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
2025 Arizona Cardinals training camp roster preview: QB Kyler Murray
We will preview every player on the Cardinals roster leading up to training camp. This is about QB Kyler Murray. The Arizona Cardinals report to training camp on July 22 and begin the process of preparing for the regular season, forming the roster and determining starting jobs and roles on the team. Leading up to the start of camp, we will take a look at every player on the offseason roster, their background, their contract, their play in 2024, questions they face and their roster outlook. This focuses on quarterback Kyler Murray. Kyler Murray background, 2024 season Murray enters his seventh season with the Cardinals. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL draft and has been the starter since the beginning. He was Offensive Rookie of the Year and has been a two-time Pro Bowler. He led the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021. While inconsistent from game to game, he has stretches looking like one of the best in the game and others were he is league average. He did not miss a game last season for the first time since 2020. He completed 68.8% of his passes for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 572 yards and five touchdowns. He led three fourth-quarter comebacks and had three game-winning drives. Twice he led the Cardinals to a victory after they were trailing by more than a score in the second half. Kyler Murray 2025 contract details, cap hit Murray is signed through 2028. He will make $18 million in fully guaranteed salary and received a $11.9 million roster bonus earlier this year. His cap hit of $43.3 million is the largest on the team. Questions he faces The 2025 season is a critical one for Murray. He is over a year past his ACL surgery. He is in Year 3 in the same offensive system. He has a dynamic tight end in Trey McBride, a promising No. 1 receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr. and a great rushing attack. This year as well, the defense has been bolstered. Can he return to the level of play he flashes and look like the 2021 first-half version of himself when he was MVP favorite? Many feel this is the year the Cardinals will decide whether to move on from Murray or to continue to ride with him, as he has seen late-season drops in production. Can he finish a season playing well? Can he lead this team to the playoffs like he did in 2021? 2025 roster outlook Murray is a lock for the roster. He is the unquestioned starting quarterback. His spot on the roster is set. The Cardinals wouldn't cut him with all the guaranteed money still on his contract and he would be very difficult to trade at this point. Additionally, they don't have a plan behind him as Jacoby Brissett is not the answer to replace Murray, unless they want to be bad enough to draft a top quarterback prospect next year. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Sophie Cunningham is no fan of WNBA's plans to add teams in Cleveland and Detroit
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — On Monday, the WNBA announced its plans to add three more expansion teams by 2030. On Tuesday, a prominent player questioned the league's choice of markets. Indiana guard Sophie Cunningham raised her concerns during the shootaround before the Fever's 74-59 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final. The league already had plans to add franchises in Toronto and Portland next season. The three new teams will play in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030), giving the league 18 teams. Cunningham, a seven-year veteran who spent her first six years in Phoenix, expressed skepticism over the latest choices, two of which — Cleveland and Detroit — have already seen WNBA franchises come and go. 'You want to listen to your players, too. Where do they want to play? Where are they going to get excited to play and draw fans? I do think that Miami would have been a great (location). Nashville is an amazing city. Kansas City, amazing opportunity,' said Cunningham, who played in college at Missouri. 'I'm not so sure what the thought process is there, but at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you're not expanding our league too fast. I think that that's also another thing. It's kind of a hard decision-making situation. But man, I don't know how excited people are to be going to Detroit or (Cleveland).' Cunningham scored 13 points to help the Fever, who were missing star Caitlin Clark because of a groin injury, beat the league-best Lynx. She did not speak to reporters after the game. All five expansion franchises will play in markets with NBA teams, and Fever coach Stephanie White said she sees that as an advantage. 'I think it's a positive thing,' White said. 'Having built-in fan bases, shared expenses ... and the way that we're filling NBA arenas. We are at a point where we're outgrowing some of the smaller, independent ones, and opportunities to play in those arenas is big-time.' ___ AP WNBA:
