Worst Draft Picks In The First Round of the 2025 NFL Draft

May 1, 2025

Brant's five worst NFL Draft selections from the first round. His worst first round draft picks from the 2025 NFL Draft for 2025 fantasy football.

The 2025 NFL Draft is behind us, and now, we get months of silence in the NFL world prior to OTAs starting up later in the summer. The Hall of Fame Game will kick off on July 31, but prior to that, it is full-blown speculation season.

Criticism occurs frequently in the NFL. There is probably not a single draft pick that has not been criticized by someone out there. 

I’m here to tell you my five least favorite first-round draft selections from this year’s event. This does not mean I dislike the player, but it does mean I think the team should have done something different when they were on the clock. Let’s dig in.

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Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Cincinnati Bengals - Pick 17

People were split on Shemar Stewart heading into the draft due to his elite athletic ability, which was offset by a lack of production in college. Stewart played four seasons at Texas A&M, yet he only had 4.5 career sacks to show for it.

Yes, he is big and athletic, but does it matter if you can’t get to the quarterback? At least the Bengals were attacking a major position of need, but they picked the wrong guy here, in my opinion. There were many better options on the board rather than throwing away a premium first-round pick on a guy who was not productive in college. 

Josh Simmons, OT, Kansas City Chiefs - Pick 32

Josh Simmons has all the physical tools, standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 317 pounds. However, Simmons is a raw prospect, and Kansas City needs immediate help at tackle. Simmons led the NCAA with 17 penalties in 2022 while at San Diego State, and while he did cut that number down to eight at Ohio State in 2023, he was very inconsistent in his play.

From San Diego State where he committed too many penalties to Ohio State where he became a first-round pick, Josh Simmons developed in a major way as a Buckeye. https://t.co/CWR6Lt6FC7

— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) April 25, 2025

He was off to a better start in 2024, but suffered a season-ending injury early in the Oregon game, and had not faced any tough competition up to that point. Chiefs fans could be in for a rude awakening if Simmons is starting from Day 1, and while there is long-term potential here, all it is is potential right now.

Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers - Pick 23

It was no secret that Green Bay needed a go-to wide receiver, as running back Josh Jacobs alluded to earlier in the offseason. However, the guy they opted to draft as their WR1 was not even a WR1 in college until breaking out over the last six games of his career.

Golden rose up draft boards after a combine performance that included a blazing 4.29 40-yard dash. Historically, the receiver who rises up the board due to a stellar combine does not bode well at the NFL level. Golden can fit into Green Bay’s receiver room, but I don’t see him as an upgrade over the likes of Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. He will be another WR2/3 in an offense full of WR2/3s, and may scare Brian Gutekunst away from drafting a Round 1 receiver for another 22 years.

This honestly completely changes my evaluation on Matthew Golden

22 as a WR is a war crime https://t.co/VN2sGAWkb7

— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) April 28, 2025

Speaking of 22, Golden has opted to wear the jersey number 22 in Green Bay. Weird selection for a wide receiver...

Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants - Pick 25

I understand moving up to get your guy, but are we sure that another team was going to move up to grab Dart between picks 25 and 34? Jaxson Dart, to me, is not a franchise-changing quarterback. He did have a good year in 2024, but keep in mind that he did not have to make too many impressive throws in the system Lane Kiffin runs at Ole Miss. The Rebels ran a good amount of quick strikes and screens, artificially inflating Dart's passing statistics.

Dart is very similar to Daniel Jones, as a matter of fact. He has solid athleticism, can scramble well, but is not the most accurate passer. He can prove me wrong, but I don’t see him having any more success in New York than Jones had. His ceiling feels like a few Wild Card wins on a loaded team, with his floor being Zach Wilson.

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders - Pick 6

Before I get slammed for including Ashton Jeanty on this list, let’s make one thing clear. I do think he is a very talented running back, and I agree with most analysts that he is a Bijan Robinson/Saquon Barkley type of talent as a prospect.

That being said, the Raiders were the last team that needed to add an uber-talented running back to their roster. They just let Josh Jacobs walk in free agency, for goodness' sake. When you are a bad team, using a premium pick on a running back is not going to make your team any better. It never has and it never will. Had Jeanty fallen to the Bears at 10, I would have loved the pick. But when you have a bad offensive line, an inconsistent quarterback, holes all over your defense, and a lack of weapons, why would you draft a running back sixth overall, even if it is a generational great running back? Let's call it how it is: as great and effective as Barkley was for Philadelphia last season, he was not helping a bad New York Giants team win any games while he was there.

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