The biggest event of American football’s offseason is upon us as the 2025 NFL Draft takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is a time of great hope for fans but one of high stress for those who build NFL rosters.

Hit on a star and it can change the fortunes of your franchise for the next decade or more. Miss and general managers and coaches can find themselves searching for new jobs!

The annual selection of the leading college football players from across the United States is the final significant chance for all 32 teams to add to their rosters and it remains the league’s greatest leveller. We’ve lived through historically-dominant teams such as the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs in recent times, yet the NFL has produced 12 different champions in 17 seasons.

A night and a weekend filled with incredible storylines and high drama awaits. Here are a few things to keep an eye on when the opening round kicks off at 1am Thursday night/Friday morning.

Where will the quarterbacks land?

Last year’s Draft saw quarterbacks taken with the first three picks and there were a record-tying six chosen within the first 12 selections. That rate won’t be matched this time around, but we could see three taken in round one. And if there is a surprise to be unveiled, that number could rise to four.

Cam Ward, of the University of Miami, is heading to the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick. If that does not happen, it would be one of the biggest shocks in recent memory. Ward is a free-wheeling playmaker who should bring an exciting jolt to an attack that has been bogged down in recent years.

But Ward epitomises the hit and miss nature of the NFL Draft, as evidenced by this quote from Pro Football Focus: “Ward’s mentality could one day make him an All-Pro – if his fundamentals don’t drop him from the league entirely.” That is quite the wide range of scenarios as Ward embarks on his NFL career.

Behind Ward, the destination of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders – son of Hall of Fame defensive back Deion – is a major talking point. Could he go to the New York Giants third overall? This feels a bit rich. New Orleans at nine? Pittsburgh at 21? That could impact what happens with a certain future Hall of Famer by the name of Aaron Rodgers. After Pittsburgh, who knows where Sanders might land?

Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart is another likely to hear his name called in round one. And what about Jalen Milroe, of Alabama? He has been described as the most electrifying college football runner since Lamar Jackson. Will that prompt a team to take a chance on him in round one? He certainly believes so as one of 17 players in attendance in Green Bay. But most experts have Milroe going in the second or third round.

There will be intrigue aplenty at the game’s most important position.

Who takes the two-way terror?

Is he a wide receiver? Is he a cornerback? Can he buck a decades-long trend and play both positions full-time at the NFL level? Those are all questions circling around Colorado’s Travis Hunter, who is one of the most intriguing prospects to enter the league in years.

Hunter won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player in 2024. He also won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s best receiver and he was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at cornerback. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding four interceptions. He was on the field for an average of 111.5 snaps per game. A typical offensive or defensive player might be on the field for 50 or 60 plays per week.

Can Hunter keep it up at the game’s highest and most physical level? If not, is he a wide receiver who plays occasionally on defense, or vice versa? The Cleveland Browns – owners of the second pick in this Draft – are the overwhelming favourites to find out. Wherever he plays on Sundays, Hunter appears to have the skills to be an elite star.

Will there be trades?

The opening round of an NFL Draft is usually littered with trades and, quite often, those have occurred before the selection process unfolds. But, as of the time of writing, all 32 teams hold their own first-round pick. That is the first time that has happened since 2014.

But some quarterback-hungry team could get desperate at the top or towards the end of round one. That period from pick 25 to 32 is worth keeping an eye on. If a team trades back into round one, they control the contract of the player for five years instead of four. That’s a big factor.

Stand-out players such as Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter could also tempt teams to part ways with picks to move up the board.

And keep an eye out for veterans on the move. The Atlanta Falcons will still be keen to get quarterback Kirk Cousins off their books, Miami have made it clear that Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey is available and pass rushers such as Kayvon Thibodeaux (New York Giants) and Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals) could be moved on.

Running back relevance

Saquon Barkley’s sensational Super Bowl-winning season with the Philadelphia Eagles, which led to a pretty nice pay rise, signalled a return to power for the running back position. And that is going to be good news for Ashton Jeanty, of Boise State, who is sure to be picked in the top 10.

Jeanty enters the NFL off the back of an incredible final season in college where he rushed for 2,601 yards – second-most in college football history behind the great Barry Sanders. He also rushed for 29 touchdowns in 2024 and was runner up in the Heisman Trophy voting. The two-year starter can break tackles, get out of tight situations and score from anywhere on the field. He has been compared to Hall of Fame great LaDainian Tomlinson and should become the focal point of his team’s attack as a Pro Bowl talent at the next level.

And it is highly likely that Jeanty will not be the only running back chosen in round one. This is a good group that includes North Carolina battering ram Omarion Hampton. He has rushed for more than 1,500 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns in each of his final two seasons in college.

Living on the edge

The power of the pass rush will be on full display in the 2025 NFL Draft and especially in round one. Teams across the league saw what the Philadelphia Eagles were able to do to the great Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl with a deep and fearsome pass rush.

That means we could be looking at five or six edge rushers being chosen in round one. And while many of those who get selected tonight are proven studs, there are some who will get chosen based on their athleticism with very limited college production. So, some risks will be taken.

One very safe pick and the best edge rusher in this class is Penn State’s Abdul Carter, who is ready to take the next step up to the NFL off the back of a 12-sack season for the Nittany Lions. At this time of year, prospects are often compared to existing professionals. It is not an exact science, but it does give fans an idea of the young player heading to their team.

And that’s good news if your team picks Carter, who I don’t expect to fall past either the Cleveland Browns at number two or the New York Giants at number three. He has been compared to game-wrecking greats such as Micah Parsons and Von Miller. Encouraging!

Watch all three days of the 2025 NFL Draft live on Sky Sports Action, beginning with Round One from 1am in the early hours of Friday morning.