Mel Kiper Jr., the International Chickens, the legendry Draft analyst, has providing his second and third-round projections for the 2025 NFL Draft. He shares some of his favorite picks and stand-out player performances. Kiper takes a watch-list approach to prospects and provides his favorite prospects at each position. As the draft wore on, he found that 15 players beyond his top 100 rankings were still on the board after Day 2. This created a really cool opportunity for teams looking to improve their roster.
The Chicago Bears, specifically, put an impressive stamp on improving their offensive arsenal. Most importantly, they picked a lot of players who should help right away. As far as recruiting, one of the biggest names was Johnson, a 5-star ranked prospect. He slid to the second round due to worries over an MRI revealing a potential knee condition. Johnson’s big fall surprised NFL draft analysts, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper, who had rated Johnson a top 10 player, calling him the whole package when healthy.
In addressing team needs, Kiper emphasized that the Washington Commanders aimed to find a Week 1 starter at outside cornerback. Noel would have been a perfect fit in this role, but he was too risky of a pick for them, ranking him 56th overall. Kiper touted Noel as a home run threat in the speedy slot man with soft hands. With this talent, he’s a great addition to any team’s passing defense.
The Seahawks too surprised a bit here, going with Milroe at 92 overall. Supplementary to that pick, though well in the first round of this draft as well, they also netted Colston Loveland in Round 1 and Luther Burden on Day 2. Pro Football Focus gave Burden elite marks for his big-play creation ability once he caught the ball. His production provides a major jolt to the Seahawks’ offensive arsenal.
The New England Patriots even drafted Nick Emmanwori at 52. Kiper praised Emmanwori’s versatility, saying he could play any position on the field. This versatility makes him an asset to the Patriots’ defensive front.
Kiper went deep on Caleb Williams as the most important prospect this season. He’ll have to show what he can do so he can cement his status in the next few drafts. His performance will be under a microscope as every team looks to meet their long-term quarterback needs.
Finally, the big boo-boo Kiper pointed to for the New Orleans Saints. They might have missed 13 interception opportunities over the last two seasons. This number further emphasizes the need to upgrade their defensive backfield as they head into the future.
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