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The business of the 2025 NFL draft was booming this weekend in, of all places, my old stomping grounds of Green Bay, Wis. The city shined in a draft that will—unfortunately—be known for the fall of a player who wasn’t even attending it. I have insights on these stories and more in my business of football debrief of the 2025 NFL draft.
Best story in sports was shining
Green Bay is one of the great stories in sports, with this little, frigid burgh having a thriving NFL team. I did not appreciate it until I worked there, but the fascination, lore and “bucket list” status for so many thousands of people is real. Shining a light on this true shrine of American football was only a good thing.
To emphasize the unique size of Green Bay, I’ll share a quick story. I was once visited by the commissioner of the Arena Football League; they were placing arena teams in NFL markets at the time. I told him that, yes, we would love to have a team. He then informed me Green Bay was not big enough for an arena team—we would be an Arena 2 market. I said to him, “So let me get this straight, we’re not big enough for an arena team but are big enough for an NFL team?” I passed on Arena 2.
The NFL has come up with a strategic way to reward its members who—let’s be honest—are never going to host a Super Bowl. I remember being at the Super Bowl in Minneapolis in February 2018, where partygoers were slipping on the ice going to Super Bowl parties, and a senior NFL executive told me, “Never again.” Those were the days of rewarding public funding of new stadiums, even in cold-weather markets, and those days are over. But hosting a draft? Sure.
As for the broadcast ratings, it is reported that 13.6 million people watched the first round. To see Roger Goodell read 32 names. The power of the NFL never ceases to amaze.
Sanders slide not a surprise
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a disconnect between the way some draft pundits, even highly respected ones, viewed an NFL prospect compared to the way that actual NFL scouts viewed the same player.
Sanders had been predicted by some major media outlets to perhaps be a top-three pick, and certainly a first-rounder. When he was selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 144th pick, the reaction I heard from some NFL executives was, essentially, “That’s about right.”
From a team standpoint, they may simply have not liked the attention that he will bring. We discussed this with players such as Colin Kaepernick and even Tim Tebow, for obviously different reasons. Teams will put up with a lot of drama and off-field attention for a key starting player, but don’t want to be bothered with that attention for a backup. Lesser talent equals lesser tolerance. There are simply too many other players to worry about.
Speaking of which, I think I saw a note where Deion Sanders said that he wants to be at the first meeting between the Browns and his son. As a former team executive, I can only imagine how much the Browns’ coaches and front office are rolling their eyes at that one.
In the 1998 draft, I represented Matthew Hasselbeck, a quarterback from Boston College who was finally picked in the sixth round by the Packers. He retired a few years ago after a highly successful 18-year career. It’s not where you start; it’s where you finish.
The Browns now have a lot of quarterbacks, but I think they will all be with the team.
I think their opening day depth chart will be:
• Starter: Joe Flacco
• Backup: Kenny Pickett
• Third-string: Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders
• Practice squad: Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel
• Injured reserve: Deshaun Watson
Speaking of the Browns …
An offer they couldn’t refuse
I have been critical of the Browns over the years for their franchise-defining decision to allocate massive draft, cash and cap resources to Watson, a move that can only be described as an abject failure. I will not, however, criticize their trading away the No. 2 pick and passing on Travis Hunter, even if Hunter ends up being a fabulous two-way player for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The return was too good to pass up.
The Browns moved down only three picks in the draft (where they took defensive tackle Mason Graham) and came away with another very high second-round pick in this draft, a fourth-round pick in this draft and—the real prize—the Jaguars’ first-round pick in next year’s draft. After having no first-round pick for years, they have two next year.
I said the Browns would need a “stupid” offer to move that pick. They got one; the Jaguars made an offer they couldn’t refuse. They had to take it.
As to the finances for Hunter in whether he is seen a wide receiver or a cornerback or both: He is on a slotted rookie contract with no chance of renegotiation until at least 2028. We can worry about what position(s) he plays for contract purposes then.
Jeanty is sexy, but low value
I get the excitement around running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 pick going to the Las Vegas Raiders, but from my business of sports vantage point, this makes no sense.
The draft is not just an exercise in picking talent; it is a mechanism to manage the salary cap and control costs. To take a running back that high is a truly poor decision from a contract management angle.
Jeanty will make approximately $32 million guaranteed over four years, the second-highest level of guarantee for a running back, behind only Saquon Barkley, and he has not yet practiced or played a snap for Las Vegas. As for his annual average of $8 million per year, that puts him in the top-five highest-paid at the running back position.
The draft allows teams to gain competitive value in rookie contracts, a value that is undone by paying top-of-market prices. Were a quarterback making $8 million per year, where the top of the quarterback market is $50 million a year, you can see the value there. Were an edge rusher making $8 million per year, where the top of that market is $30 million a year, you can see the value there. Similar advantages are gained with offensive tackles, interior defensive lineman, cornerbacks and even wide receivers. But a running back that high? This makes no sense.
I don’t care how good or exciting Jeanty is or will be, or even that running backs are proving to be more valuable now. Taking a running back at the top of the draft—and paying him more than the vast majority of top veteran running backs—is a seriously low-value proposition for the draft.
As I say all the time, the business of the NFL will eventually win.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Business of Football: Best Story in Sports Thrives at Draft in Green Bay.