2025 Draft Results Analysis


The TFL 2025 draft is complete, and what a draft it was. Nobody did anything egregiously stupid with their teams, so that's pretty amazing as it's own fact this year.


We’ve got some analysis from the results that includes interesting facts and trends, as well as individual grades for each manager’s results. Specific instructions for grading were fed into an AI assistant, so hopefully no managers will come after their dear-old commissioner if they don't like the results.


Let's start with the interesting notes from the draft and then move to the grades at the bottom of the page.


GENERAL TRENDS ANALYSIS

  • Drafted a higher than average number of players for a particular position
    • Billy and Steve - 6 Wide Recievers
    • Greg and Keith - 6 Running Backs
    • Charles - 2 Kickers
  • Drafted a higher than average number of players from a single team
    • Greg - 3 players from the Eagles
    • Mike - 3 players from the Chiefs
    • Patrick - 3 players from the Eagles
  • Stacked a QB with WR or TE from the same team
    • Andrew - Bengals - Burrow/Chase
    • Anthony - Buccaneers - Mayfield/Evans
    • Charles - Ravens - Jackson/Andrews
    • Mike - Chiefs - Mahomes/Rice
    • Patrick - Eagles - Hurts/Brown
  • First off the board for player positions other than WR or RB
    • Charles - first QB (Lamar Jackson) with pick 19
    • Steve - first TE (Trey McBride) with pick 28
    • Greg - first DEF (Eagles) with pick 80
    • Charles - first K (Brandon Aubrey) with pick 102
  • Last manager to take player position other than WR or RB
    • Anthony - last with a QB (Baker Mayfield) with pick 87
    • Anthony - last with a TE (Evan Engram) with pick 94
    • Billy - last with a DEF (Rams) with pick 130
    • Keith - last with a K (Harrison Butler) with pick 136
  • Notable “start styles” styles from the first three rounds
    • Billy - “Zero RB”, no RB selected until 4th round
    • Steve and Mike - “Elite TE”, both selected a TE in the 3rd round
  • NFL teams drafted last and least
    • Round 6 - first players from Broncos, Steelers, or Titans selected
    • Round 7 - first player from the Bears
    • Round 8 - first player from the Browns

INDIVIDUAL TEAM ANALYSIS


Andrew - Grade: B
In this draft Andrew fielded a well rounded team, going for a backup tight end and running back depth. His roster leans on stability and adds smart correlation. Chase with Burrow raises both ceiling and predictability. Achane with Taylor spreads his running back bets across two explosive but very different usage profiles. Kelce in the sixth is pragmatic. Even with age risk the target funnel is intact and a steady tight end matters in standard scoring. Pacheco keeps a foothold in the same red zone ecosystem without overexposing the lineup to one script. The early defense in round nine is where value probably slipped. Later shots on Jerry Jeudy and J K Dobbins are portfolio plays, one route runner who needs consistent quarterbacking and one veteran back who needs health, so he has multiple paths to a flex starter. Best decision: taking Kelce at a sane price and letting tight end be solved while others chase. Most questionable: defense in round nine over another wide receiver swing when volume was still on the board. Grade: B.


Andy - Grade: B+
This year Andy spread his bench across positions, carrying a backup quarterback and tight end. He built a real edge at wide receiver by design. Lamb, London, Higgins, and Waddle can carry scoring without touchdown luck. Hockenson in the sixth steadies tight end while he waits for the receiver room to separate. Kamara with Jaylen Warren gives him two different paths through low scoring weeks, reception volume and tackle breaking in tight games. Bo Nix in the seventh is a conviction call and Kyler Murray later provides a practical hedge without overpaying. Rome Odunze is a patient bet on talent over immediate role. Best decision: leaning into elite receiver depth early and trusting running back committees to sort themselves out. Most questionable: spending a seventh round pick at quarterback before the last high floor receiver tier was gone. Grade: B plus.


Anthony - Grade: B+
Anthony went heavy on running back and wide receiver early, alternating those positions until round nine. His plan is to rely on Derrick Henry and Kyren Williams for rushing equity while a young receiver room finds its spikes. Brian Thomas Jr. and Tetairoa McMillan will not be target alphas every week but their splash plays pair well with a ground heavy core. The Mayfield and Evans stack is a fair nod to concentrated production without overspending. Engram in the tenth settles tight end. Aaron Jones Sr. and TreVeyon Henderson give him two different outs at running back, veteran reliability and rookie runway. If one hits, his flex stabilizes quickly. Best decision: balancing youth at receiver with veteran backs so the offense is not dependent on rookie consistency. Most questionable: defense in round eleven probably cost one more wide receiver bet who could become his weekly WR3. Grade: B plus.


Billy - Grade: B
Receivers were the focus of Billy’s early rounds and he went heavy on them for depth, carrying six wide receivers. He did not take a running back until the fourth, focusing on wide receiver and tight end for four of the first five selections. Nico Collins, Malik Nabers, Davante Adams, Emeka Egbuka, and Ricky Pearsall give five distinct routes to weekly wins. Kittle settles tight end and avoids streaming. The backfield lacks big names but has real outcomes. Omarion Hampton, RJ Harvey, Braelon Allen, and Zach Charbonnet all have a path to twelve to fifteen touches if camp battles break right. Prescott in the seventh is a fair price for a veteran who rarely sinks a week. The trade off with this receiver depth is variance early while rookie target shares settle. His bench suggests he is betting that at least one Day Two rookie sticks quickly. Best decision: committing to receiver strength in both quality and quantity so bye weeks do not force thin plays. Most questionable: passing on one more established back in the single digit rounds. If none of the rookies consolidate work the flex can be streaky. Grade: B plus.


Charles - Grade: C+
Having a top quarterback prospect was important to Charles, so he went for a quarterback in the second round and alternated running back and wide receiver selections through the seventh. The Lamar and Andrews stack gives him a rare weekly ceiling combo at quarterback and tight end, and it pairs well with Bijan’s steady workload. Harrison and Tyreek offer two distinct paths to a WR1 outcome, rookie target growth versus explosive efficiency, so he is not betting on the same profile twice. The risk is structural. After Walker and Bijan he is leaning on Kaleb Johnson and later Javonte to provide reliable running back snaps. He also paid early for both defense in round ten and kicker in round eleven. Those choices trimmed the mid round oxygen that usually turns into flex depth. Jakobi Meyers in the eighth is the kind of stabilizer this roster will need during bye clusters. Best decision: pairing Lamar with Andrews to simplify lineup calls and keep spike week potential. Most questionable: spending two mid to late picks on defense and kicker instead of protecting running back depth. Grade: C plus.


Greg - Grade: B-
Greg ended up with an auto-draft, though the results were not poor, and there is some evidence he may have intervened in the middle rounds. LaPorta in the fourth quietly anchors the build, locking a difference maker at tight end while still allowing multiple swings at running back and wide receiver. The early running back trio of Barkley, Irving, and Hubbard leans into volume, and adding DeVonta Smith gives him weekly stability at wide receiver without requiring a target hog to break out. The concern is concentration: Barkley, DeVonta, and the Philadelphia defense tie a lot of weekly variance to one offense. When the Eagles draw a low total or windy December game, his floor can sag across three slots. Purdy in the ninth is a solid answer at quarterback, efficient and easy to live with, while Pitts as his second tight end is a luxury that only pays off if he truly reclaims red zone work. If one of the mid round backs Swift or Hubbard stalls, the room becomes thin fast. Best decision: securing LaPorta early and resisting the temptation to chase a second tier tight end later. Most questionable: defense in round eight likely cost a sturdier wide receiver three or a higher upside running back bench piece. Grade: B minus.


Keith - Grade: B+
For Keith it was wide receiver and quarterback early, then running back depth on the bench. Jefferson sets his weekly baseline and pairing him with Josh Allen in round three puts a premium on ceiling. The backfield is built for attrition rather than fireworks. Hall and Montgomery bring volume and the bench mix of Bigsby, Stevenson, and Brian Robinson Jr. gives him contingency paths if injuries create roles. Njoku in the eighth is a practical choice, enough targets to avoid tight end streaming without paying for a brand name. Chris Olave in the ninth reads like a calm market call. If the usage holds that is a WR2 at a WR3 price. The real risk is rookie volatility with Ashton Jeanty, and his running back depth suggests he planned for that. Best decision: insulating Breece Hall with multiple playable RB2 and RB3 types so one injury does not derail the plan. Most questionable: passing on a mid round wide receiver tier for an extra bench back when the board hinted at receiver value. Grade: B plus.


Mike - Grade: A-
In this year’s draft Mike went for a tight end early in the third round and waited until the late rounds for a quarterback, defense, and kicker. St Brown provides weekly consistency, Jacobs provides dependable volume, and Bowers offers mismatch potential at tight end. Mahomes in the fifth sets the weekly ceiling and pairing him with Rashee Rice later concentrates red zone equity without forcing a reach. James Cook and Calvin Ridley keep the middle rounds productive while he takes a measured swing on Jacory Croskey Merritt. The Chiefs defense in the twelfth keeps the theme intact without giving up mid round skill players and Tyler Warren gives him a functional second tight end in case Bowers’ rookie usage ramps slowly. Best decision: building around the Mahomes and Rice connection while still getting value at every stop. Most questionable: taking a second tight end by round ten may end up being a luxury rather than a need. Grade: A minus.


Patrick - Grade: B
Patrick went for a quarterback in round three and a tight end in round five, locking in upper tier players at both positions. Hurts with A J Brown is a clear play for weekly ceiling, and it fits a core anchored by Gibbs’ burst and Garrett Wilson’s route skill. Conner and Etienne give him two different safety valves, bankable volume versus breakaway potential. Tucker Kraft at tight end is a bet on role rather than a brand name, which is reasonable once the top tier is gone. Carrying Caleb Williams behind Hurts is a luxury that can pay off late if Chicago’s offense takes off, but it does cost a bench dart at running back or wide receiver. Baltimore’s defense in round nine comes earlier than ideal, often the slot for a glue guy who starts half the season. Tyrone Tracy is the type of back who can change a season if he wins passing down work. Best decision: the Hurts and Brown pairing, clean correlation without overcommitting to one team. Most questionable: spending a single digit round on defense that likely clipped flex depth. Grade: B.


Steve - Grade: B
Steve wanted wide receiver depth after some early round choices at running back, tight end, and quarterback. He ended up with six wide receivers, giving him options as the season progresses. Christian McCaffrey and Puka Nacua define his floor with volume and yards after catch. Trey McBride in the third fits his philosophy of securing predictable volume at a scarce position and then letting the rest of the board fall. Jayden Daniels in the fourth leans into rushing upside at quarterback and that pairs well with Tony Pollard’s uncertain but explosive workload in a new setting. Xavier Worthy opens a boom path that Puka already covers with volume, so he is protected against both low total and high total games. The recurring friction is defense in round nine, which nudged out one more receiver swing from that flexible pocket. Courtland Sutton and Jameson Williams give two different looks so he can play matchups. Best decision: committing early to tight end and a rushing quarterback to lock in two scarce advantages. Most questionable: the round nine defense over a back or receiver with a clearer path to twelve touches. Grade: B.