With the 2025 NFL Draft now over, we can accurately reassess the depth charts of teams around the NFL. In this series, we’ll be taking a look at players who either gained or lost value based on what their team did this off-season and during the draft.
First up, the NFC North!
Minnesota Vikings
Draft Class
- Round One, Pick 24: Donovan Jackson, OL Ohio State
- Round Three, Pick 102: Tai Felton, WR Maryland
- Round Five, Pick 139: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DL Georgia
- Round Six, Pick 201: Kobe King, LB Penn State
- Round Six, Pick 202: Gavin Bartholomew, TE Pitt
Winner: JJ McCarthy, QB
While no one expected the Vikings to draft another QB, this off-season as a whole was a massive win for JJ McCarthy. There was some uncertainty whether Minnesota would bring back Sam Darnold after his renaissance season in 2025, but ultimately they let him walk and handed the keys to McCarthy. Kevin O’Connell then doubled down by stating JJ would be the guy this season.
McCarthy has an offensive-minded coach, incredible weapons, and an offensive line that just got better with the addition of Donovan Jackson. Everything is in place for him to replicate Darnold’s success from 2024.
Loser: Jalen Nailor, WR
With so few picks in the 2025 draft, it was hard for any Vikings player to be a big loser. The addition of Jordan Mason might cap Aaron Jones’s upside, but I believe they fully expect to run him into the ground for one more season so he should still have some fantasy value for this upcoming year.
Instead, the big loser is Nailor. He was an intriguing end-of-the-bench stash candidate that flashed whenever Jordan Addison missed time, but the addition of Tai Felton probably crushed any dream of Nailor being a regular player in this offense.
Detroit Lions
Draft Class
- Round One, Pick 28: Tyleik Williams, DT Ohio State
- Round Two, Pick 57: Tate Ratledge, G Georgia
- Round Three, Pick 70: Isaac TeSlaa, WR Arkansas
- Round Five, Pick 171: Miles Frazier, G LSU
- Round Six, Pick 196: Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE Boise State
- Round Seven, Pick 230: Dan Jackson, S Georgia
- Round Seven, Pick 244: Dominic Lovett, WR Georgia
Winner: David Montgomery, RB
It’s difficult to identify if any player on this offense is really a “winner” with the loss of Ben Johnson. But I’ll give the nod to David Montgomery. Jahmyr Gibbs has finally taken over this backfield, that much is certain, but Montgomery will still have a role.
The Lions reiterated their commitment to the early-down grinder by giving him a two-year extension in October and then didn’t draft any sort of replacement for him in this deep RB class. While not sexy, Montgomery will probably chug along as an RB2 for two or three more seasons with massive upside if Gibbs were to ever miss any time.
Loser: Jameson Williams, WR
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