Offering interesting deals out of the top three in the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants might clear the path for a team eager to acquire a future star.
Teams seeking to trade up—including the Pittsburgh Steelers among their Aaron Rodgers chase—may cause upheaval in the NFL Draft sequence.
Reports surfaced on Tuesday, just two days before the 2025 NFL Draft starts in Green Bay, implying the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants are ready to drop correspondingly from the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks for the appropriate price.
This is the closest to the beginning of a draft to not have any trades involving first-round picks since 1967 therefore a change would throw off the order.
These selections would provide a team the option to draft either Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, or star running back Ashton Jeanty, given the Tennessee Titans likely to select Cam Ward first overall.
Given the brilliance of these talents, any team could persuade itself of rising. However, the Steelers might very well be among them as the AFC North team waits on Rodgers.
Before Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed, Rodgers was allegedly evaluating offers from the Minnesota Vikings in addition to the Steelers and Giants. Additionally considering playing at all in 2025 is the 41-year-old.
Rodgers threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns for the New York Jets, however he fell short of expectations behind a leaky offensive line last season and also had 11 interceptions. The four-time MVP visited the Steelers earlier this offseason to offer hope a deal can be reached; but, nothing has changed since.
Here are three clubs that might rise in the 2025 NFL Draft given word that the Browns and Giants are fielding calls:
Pittsburgh Steelers
Reaching the playoffs last year but failing down the stretch, the Steelers are on the market for a quarterback and have contacts with Rodgers. For a quarterback-needy team, he offers only a temporary solution though.
Mason Rudolph currently ranks highest on the Steelers’ quarterback depth chart after letting Wilson and Justin Fields leave free agency. The Steelers may advance the board and choose either Sanders or Jaxson Dart, therefore providing the franchise with a focal point from which to develop aggressively.
Las Vegas Raiders
Tom Brady and the Raiders from Las Vegas wish to create a stir.
Indeed, upon trading for the quarterback from the Seattle Seahawks, the franchise signed Geno Smith to an extension. The Raiders might, however, truly make news with a trade up to acquire either Sanders, a fan of Brady, or Jeanty, seen to be the missing component of the Las Vegas attack.
Pete Carroll would also not be hesitant about playing Hunter on both sides of the ball; the Heisman Trophy winner would instantly become the Raiders’ best wideout and cornerback.
Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, despises not being the buzz of the town; yet, by trading up and adding either Jeanty or Hunter, America’s Team might stir some feathers.
Not present at No. 12, the Boise State running back would improve the Dallas run game ranked 27th last season.
Hunter, a close friend of the dynamic former Cowboys player Deion Sanders who helped the NFC East team win the Super Bowl, comes next. Jones understands the value of charismatic superstars; Hunter and Jeanty both meet the description.