6 best NFL Draft value picks in 2025

These are our favorite value picks from the 2025 NFL Draft.

When it comes to the idea of “value picks” in the NFL Draft, it is often a hard concept to pin down. After all, those of us in the media space are not privy to all the information that teams have available, and when players “slide” in the draft in comparison to their spots on consensus draft boards and in mock drafts, it is often a case of water finding its level.

Still, there are players who still represent great value, given their landing spot, situation, and potential scheme fit. To that end here are the six biggest value picks from the 2025 NFL Draft.

Shedeur Sanders, QB: Cleveland Browns
Round 5, No. 144 Overall

Shedeur Sanders’ fall to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, and the reasons for that fall, has been discussed and debated at length.

But he might have fallen to the perfect spot.

He was not the first quarterback taken in the draft. He was not the first quarterback taken by the Browns! But Sanders will enter his rookie season with minimal expectations, and while there are things he absolutely needs to fix on film, there are also things he does very well, such as throwing with accuracy and anticipation.

Those are critical aspects to playing quarterback in the NFL general, and playing in a Kevin Stefanski offense.

Will it be enough for Sanders to win the starting job in Cleveland outright? Time will tell on that front, but the fact that it is an open question involving a fifth-round pick speaks to the value added in this spot by the Browns.

Shavon Revel Jr., CB: Dallas Cowboys
Round 3, No. 76 Overall

The only sign you need to see that the Dallas Cowboys perhaps found a steal in the third round?

This video of Jerry Jones dancing after the pick:

First-round buzz surrounded the East Carolina cornerback in the weeks leading up to the draft. Revel was listed as the 35th-ranked player on the Consensus Draft Board from Arif Hasan, with some very knowledgeable evaluators ranking him even higher. Nate Tice from Yahoo Sports had him at No. 24 on his board, while our own JP Acosta listed the ECU cornerback at No. 28.

With the departure of Jourdan Lewis in free agency, the Cowboys had a need at cornerback. They added a long and strong cornerback that can step into their starting lineup and function at a high level in both man and zone coverages. Yes, there is concern over an ACL tear that probably contributed to his slide down boards, but given that Dr. Dan Cooper, the Cowboys’ team doctor, performed the surgery there is likely a high comfort level with his recovery.

Trey Amos, CB: Washington Commanders
Round 2, No. 61 Overall

Amos was number 41 on my final big board, a player that I thought would go much higher than he actually did. However, falling to Dan Quinn and the Commanders at 61 might be the best fit for his skills. He wants to beat people up at the line of scrimmage, with the ability to make breaks on the ball in Cover 2 and Quarters alignments. Quinn and the Commanders played a lot more two-high shells in 2024, and despite trading for CB Marshon Lattimore, they still needed some punch in the CB room.

Amos is the picture perfect Dan Quinn cornerback, someone who could start from Day 1.

Malaki Starks, S: Baltimore Ravens
Round 1, No. 27 Overall

It might seem a bit odd at first glance to list a first-round player as a “value” selection, but the pick of Malaki Starks at the end of the first round is a classic Eric DeCosta move.

Similar to recent selections of Tyler Linderbaum and Kyle Hamilton — both of whom DeCosta drafted in the first round in 2022 — the Ravens took advantage of a player sliding perhaps because of low “positional value,” and pounced when they were on the clock, adding one of the best players in the entire draft. According to the Consensus Draft Board assembled by Arif Hasan, Starks was the top safety in the class and the 16th player on the board according to the “evaluators.” Our own JP Acosta had Starks as the fifth-ranked player in the class.

The Ravens drafted him at No. 27, and get to pair him with Hamilton, giving Baltimore a tandem that may likely be the best safety duo in the league at some point soon.

Marcus Mbow, OL: New York Giants
Round 5, No. 154 Overall

I’m actually very surprised that Mbow fell this far. He was number 32 on my big board, and I thought that he would be a Day 2 lock. However, the Giants got him at incredible value in the 5th round. Mbow is a fantastic athlete for the position, who makes up for his lack of play strength with positional versatility and technical prowess. It’s hard to truly call him a guard or a tackle at the NFL level, because he could do both, or even play center. In New York, he gives you the chance to get the best five linemen out on the field, and Mbow can be a part of that at guard or tackle. His movement skills make him a threat in space, and he’s constantly varying his sets and angles of attack.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see him start right away.

Elic Ayomanor, WR: Tennessee Titans
Round 4, No. 136 Overall

The Day 3 crop of receiver talent had some really interesting names that fell down the board, but the one I was most surprised by was Ayomanor. Given his size/speed profile and ability to block, I figured he would be one of the receivers gone on Day 2 to a Shanahan or McVay style of offense. However, he slid to 136, to the Titans’ gain. The Tennessee receiving core is Calvin Ridley and an island of misfit toys and aging vets, needing a shot of energy on the outside. Ayomanor can win in the intermediate areas and do the dirty work for the Titans’ offense, being the connective tissue that allows Ridley to do true WR1 stuff.