Gaffney's 2025 NFL Draft Winners and Losers (AFC Team Edition)

Honestly, I think the majority of the AFC teams can say they had fine drafts at the bare minimum, but as is the case every year, some teams were a cut above the rest, and others... well, certainly had drafts. To break this up, we're going to split up the two conferences, and I will give you my three winners and losers from the three days of the 2025 NFL Draft out of the American Football Conference.

"Winner" Honorable Mention: Tennessee Titans (Oladejo, Winston Jr., Ayomanor, and Helm were nice adds after day one)

Draft Loser No. 3: Miami Dolphins (Grade: C+)

I can't say I hate the haul that the Dolphins got this year, but the Dante Trader and Jason Marshall picks were huge reaches based on the Arif Hassan consensus board, and I would've liked them to be aggressive with those three fifth-round picks, try to trade up into round four, and bring in another tackle prospect who could compete with Patrick Paul for a left tackle gig or hold down the fort on the right side with Austin Jackson still working back from a knee injury. It's not inherently a bad draft here, not as bad as these next two, anyway, but it certainly could've been better given that things will look bleak in the secondary once Jalen Ramsey is dealt/released.

Draft Winner No. 3: Las Vegas Raiders (B+)

Vegas didn't attack things as I expected, but things turned out very well. Getting three instant impact guys at positions they desperately needed to address in Ashton Jeanty, Jack Bech, and Darrien Porter was some good drafting by new GM Jon Spytek. Bech could certainly be viewed as a slight reach, but what that doesn't factor in is that he can be used as an X receiver (his primary 2024 role), which the Raiders need badly, and can just as easily be used as a slot option at 6'1". He's not a burner, but he can get open, and he'll be a reliable target in an offense that already has a pair of them in Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers.

Iowa State corner Darien Porter is an interesting case as far as others in this class go. A receiver convert with only one year of starting experience, so he certainly fits into that project label. That said, he's got prototype size, speed, and change of direction ability (not too far off from Riq Woolen, which makes a ton of sense given who's now coaching in Vegas), and he's a guy I'd feel good about taking if you were a bit unsure with Shavon Revel's medicals. JJ Pegues, Dont'e Thornton, and Tonka Hemingway (First-Team All-Name) were some other nice grabs on day three, and that Ashton Jeanty guy should be pretty solid. It's just a very good draft here from end to end; the only thing I would've done is try to get another body at linebacker, but I have no complaints otherwise.

Draft Loser No. 2: Cincinnati Bengals (Grade: D+)

The Bengals had one of the league's worst secondaries/pass defenses last year. They lost their slot defender, Mike Hilton, and one of their safeties, Vonn Bell. They only added Marco Wilson through the open market and drafted a whopping zero (0) defensive backs in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sure!!! Shemar Stewart is a day-one plug-and-play option for the now-retired Sam Hubbard, and Demetrius Knight was a justifiable reach in my book, but this class, on the whole, doesn't inspire much confidence.

Draft Winner No. 2: Kansas City Chiefs (Grade: A-)

I was pleasantly surprised by the work of Brett Veach and his staff for the work they did this week. The Josh Simmons gamble does not bother me as much at 32, given that he doesn't have to start at all this year, coming off the patellar tendon injury, but they could get his feet wet in six OL run sets before having him take over at either tackle spot next year. Omar Norman Lott in the second is another risk, given the reported chronic knee issues he has and the fact that he's more of a rotational interior pass-rush piece, but that's something the Chiefs needed with Tershawn Wharton, their top sack-getter in 2024, headed off to Carolina. Anything he can give on pass rush downs working alongside Chris Jones would be massive in year one.

Ashton Gillotte, someone with multiple seasons of notable pass rush production off the edge, is a breath of fresh air for an edge group that underachieved all season long, and then I loved that next three-pick stretch of Cal CB Nohl Williams, Utah State WR Jalen Royals, and Oregon LB Jeffrey Bassa. All very good value gets at that point in the draft.

Draft Loser No. 1: Cleveland Browns (D+)

The Browns don't find themselves here due to their player haul, which was pretty good overall; it was a rather brutal process by Andrew Berry and Co. Deciding at the last possible second to pass on Travis Hunter was nothing short of jarring. Even if you got a first-rounder next year to do so, He was the one guy in this draft I wouldn't have budged on with that kind of offer coming in. Mason Graham is ultimately a great player who fills an immediate need with Dalvin Tomlinson now gone, but what changed with you and Hunter in the final 24 hours before the draft? Not exactly a dime-a-dozen prospect you'd willingly pass up on in this fashion, but good on the Jags for going for it.

Then, there was the jarring course of action with the quarterbacks. If you're plan all along was to take Sheduer Sanders on Day 3 (which was a good pick in my book but felt like a Jimmy Haslam call based on the post-pick reaction, which makes things notably worse; but roll with me here), why would you heavily reach on Dillon Gabriel and pass on a ton of guys who would've filled needs when you only had two picks left after the fact? I simply don't understand.

The running back double dip to me was fine, but I can't wrap my head around not going for another receiver when you only have Jerry Juedy, and then another EDGE to pair with Myles Garrett, and most egregiously, completely skipping out on the offensive line when you have an aging interior group and not the best tackle situation.

Draft Winner No. 1: New England Patriots (Grade: A)

Even beyond the Will Campbell pick at four, the first draft in the Eliot Wolf, Ryan Cowden, and Mike Vrabel regime was a major success. Kyle Farmer and Bradyn Swinson, two consensus top 90 players who were needs, about a half hour into Day 3, were nothing short of highway robbery to add to an already stout defense, and that Jared Wilson selection to close out Day 2 should age really well; wouldn't be stunned if he beats out Garrett Bradbury for that starting center gig this summer.

The hope for Patriots fans is that Washington State wideout Kyle Williams breaks the trend of bad picks at the position for them, but despite being a smaller guy at 5'10", he's got the separation and speed ability that they don't have outside of Pop Douglas and Stefon Diggs. The TreVeyon Henderson pick was a bit of a surprise as well, in that I expected him to be one of those first five picks in R2, and I figured the Pats would wait until day three for another back, but I can't hate that selection if you base things off of best player available. The optimism here is well warranted, a great mix of need-filling and getting some unreal value later on.

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