2025 NFL Draft: Players With Most At Stake

The NFL Draft is a stressful time for many NFL rookies who need to sweat out whether they’ll get drafted or not. The NFL Draft is also a stressful time for veterans who have a lot at stake, whether they’ll be a starter, traded away, or get support around them. We’ll be breaking down 5 players with the most at stake during the 2025 NFL Draft.

Players With Most At Stake During the 2025 NFL Draft

Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans

It’s not a secret that the Tennessee Titans are trying to trade away Will Levis. They have the #1 overall pick in the draft, and all signs are pointing to Cam Ward being the future of the franchise. With Ward in the picture, the Titans do not need Levis. We expect the Titans to make a draft-night trade involving Levis to a team that missed out on one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. What matters most for the future of Will Levis is where he lands.

The ideal situation would be landing on a team like New Orleans, where he would have the chance to prove he’s still a starter and be the #1 option on the team. This is what’s ideal for both Tennessee in trade value and for Levis, but is less likely to happen. What’s more likely is a team like Minnesota or the Browns, where they don’t have a proven guy to be the future. The Vikings have J.J. McCarthy, but he hasn’t played a game yet. Levis can bring in some competition.

For the Browns, Levis can compete with Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco for the job, with a true toss-up situation. The other worst-case scenario for Levis is that he stays in Tennessee or gets traded to a team where it’s apparent he’s just a backup and nothing more. It’s a coin flip on how things will play out with Levis. We’re on the more conservative side of the fence and would prefer to offload Levis from our dynasty teams now, if we have him with the greater risk of him not being a starter. We’d take a 3rd rounder in Superflex leagues or a 4th rounder / late 2026 pick in single QB leagues for Levis.

Mason Rudolph, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

After a couple of weeks of “will they or won’t they” sign Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers gave up and brought back Mason Rudolph. The Steelers have gone on record stating they are comfortable with starting Mason Rudolph and he’s their guy. Teams have done this routine before and replaced them in the draft. Take the Atlanta Falcons with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr last year. If they truly believed in Kirk, they wouldn’t have drafted Penix Jr.

The Steelers don’t pick until pick #21 unless they move up via trade. They’ll likely miss out on Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, but if Jaxson Dart is available, it’ll be very tempting to pull the trigger. Rudolph will be sweating it out on draft night to see how much confidence the Steelers truly have in him. If the Steelers don’t draft a quarterback in the first 3 rounds, Mason Rudolph will be the starter next year. If Rudolph is the starter, he’s worth rostering in Superflex formats as an average QB #2. He hasn’t been solid in fantasy in the past, but with a wide receiver room consisting of D.K. Metcalf and George Pickens, it’ll be the best group he’s worked with thus far.

Bo Nix & Drake Maye, QBs, Denver Broncos & New England Patriots

Bo Nix

Both Bo Nix and Drake Maye are in very similar situations on offense. They both are entering year 2 without a true #1 wideout, both have running backs with turnover issues, and their offensive lines need some work. They both were the bright spot on their respective team’s offense in 2024. Bo Nix finished as Fantasy QB7 due to the use of his legs, and Drake Maye finished as Fantasy QB23, with him being a one-man show.

The Broncos desperately need an every-down running back, and that would take a lot of pressure off of Nix to try to make a play happen and risk costly turnovers. If the Broncos can land Omarion Hampton at pick No. 20, this would be the perfect situation. If the Broncos get Hampton in the 1st, they could double down on the offense and get Nix his go-to guy in round 2. The day 2 talent in receivers is plentiful. A couple of options we like around this mark are Jaylin Noel and Jack Bech. Both fit the mold to replace an aging Courtland Sutton as the #1 receiver in Denver. We see Nix as being a big climber in year 2 and starting to hit his stride.

Drake Maye

Unlike the Broncos, the Patriots need to work on both sides of the ball. Where their priorities lie could impact how much Drake Maye’s value can rise. The Patriots have the #4 overall pick and don’t need a quarterback. If they don’t trade down and Abdul Carter is off the board, their priority should be getting Maye some protection. The O-Line needs a complete overhaul, and landing a top tackle is the first step in fixing the offense.

The next step is what they do on day 2. The Patriots have 3 day 2 picks, and at least one of those needs to be a receiver if they don’t use them to trade up. They have a shot at getting Emeka Egbuka with the 37th overall pick or using that to move up late in the 1st to get Egbuka. If they whiff out on him, using one of their 3rd rounders on Jaylin Noel or Kyle Williams, if they are available, would be the smart decision. In the post-Belichick era in New England, it’s a coin flip on what direction they will go in. If the Patriots invest in building around Maye, he’ll be a top-15 quarterback in the league.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase Brown made a huge leap in his sophomore campaign. Brown went from under 400 all-purpose yards and 1 touchdown in 2023 to over 1,300 and 11 touchdowns in 2024. This was good enough to have him finish as fantasy RB12 on the year. Brown also benefited from fellow teammate Zack Moss landing on the injured reserve. Brown is someone we’re already fading with the anticipated return of Moss back into the lineup. If the Bengals decide to draft a running back, Brown goes from a potential RB2 to a low-flex option.

If the Bengals forgo drafting a running back in the first 3 rounds, we like Brown as an RB2 and Moss as a middle-of-the-road flex. In the weeks when the two played together, Brown was RB26 and Moss was RB32. To Brown’s credit, the Bengals had a sluggish start to the year, where everyone played poorly. A lot is at stake for the Bengals’ running back room coming out of the draft.