2025 NFL draft team grades | Round 1 grades | Rounds 2-3 grades | 2026 QB prospect preview | 2026 Way-Too-Early mock draft | Round 1 impact rookies
Day 2 of the NFL draft is less of a spectacle than Day 1. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t announce every pick. There aren’t as many mock drafts done ahead of time, nor much evaluating or predicting when each pick is made.
But that doesn’t detract from the significance of the second and third rounds, when teams usually get multiple chances to add impact players.
Here are the 12 picks from the second day of the draft with the best opportunity to make the biggest difference on their squads in 2025.
ROUND 2
34. Jayden Higgins, WR, Houston Texans
At 6' 4" and 214 pounds, Higgins is big, strong and physical, adding a quality athletic background. Higgins has quick feet, and is sudden and elusive after the catch. With his length and ball skills, Higgins is tremendous at the catch point and offers above-average results in contested situations. The Texans, who lost Stefon Diggs in free agency and are facing the unknowns of Tank Dell’s major knee rehabilitation, added a player with starter-ready tools.
36. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns
The Browns had the fourth-worst rushing offense in the NFL in 2024 and haven’t yet reunited with free agent Nick Chubb. Judkins joins a running back room led by Jerome Ford, though Judkins has the vision, burst and power to be Cleveland’s top ball carrier. Judkins is physical and competitive—two prerequisites to thrive in the AFC North—and has a track record in efficiency. He should give the Browns’ ground game an early boost.
38. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
New England has Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson in its backfield, but Henderson is a three-down weapon who should form a formidable duo with quarterback Drake Maye. Henderson is smart, fleet-footed and powerful. He may be the best all-around third-down running back in this draft class due to his natural hands, route versatility and blocking proficiency. Henderson is in line for heavy usage early in his professional career.
40. Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
While the Saints figure out the best avenue for quarterback Derek Carr’s shoulder injury, Shough has a legitimate chance to start in Week 1—he’s due to battle 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler for the job. Shough’s arm talent, pocket mobility and intangibles vaulted him into the early part of the second round. While his decision making and processing need to improve, the Saints’ quarterback situation may dictate Shough’s development—and push him into the starting role early in his rookie season.
41. T.J. Sanders, DT, Buffalo Bills
The Bills made their priorities abundantly clear in the predraft process: Buffalo wanted a corner, which it accomplished with first-round pick Maxwell Hairston, and a defensive tackle, a box Sanders checks. The Bills traded up 15 spots to select Sanders, who wins with quickness, power and a deep arsenal of moves as a pass rusher. While he’s still growing as a run defender, Sanders has the pass-rush tools to see the field early in Buffalo.
42. Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets
Taylor arrives in Florham Park already perched atop the pecking order in the Jets’ tight end room. The LSU product is an athletic, smooth-moving pass catcher who can stretch defenses vertically and be a friendly target for quarterback Justin Fields at the short and intermediate levels. Taylor is a quality player in an advantageous situation, and should produce as a rookie.
47. Will Johnson, CB, Arizona Cardinals
Amid questions about his medicals and speed, Johnson fell from potential top-15 pick to the middle of the second round. Johnson is big, fluid, has quality ball skills and is a talented cover corner. He should step into a starting corner spot in Arizona, and Johnson, who tied a Michigan record with two-pick sixes in 2024 despite missing half the season due to a foot injury, projects as an instant playmaker.
60. RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos
The Broncos were widely expected to address running back in the first round, but they couldn’t pass on cornerback Jahdae Barron. Denver chose Harvey over several ball carriers I had rated higher, but it’s easy to like the former UCF running back’s skill set. Harvey has the vision and footwork to hit holes and the contact balance and elusiveness to create his own yards. He should play a significant role in Denver’s backfield.
63. Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Kansas City Chiefs
Norman-Lott was one of the best interior pass rushers in the 2025 class, and should have several advantageous matchups playing next to six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones. Norman-Lott is explosive and has powerful, active hands and a nonstop motor. It’s difficult for rookie defensive linemen to find success rushing the passer, but Norman-Lott has the tools and depth chart opportunity to do it.
THIRD ROUND
75. Nick Martin, LB, San Francisco 49ers
Martin is undersized at 5' 11½" and 221 pounds, but plays an explosive brand of football. From his sideline-to-sideline speed to his blitz proficiency, Martin has the athletic tools to clean up the trash at the second level of San Francisco’s defense while also making plays in pursuit. Martin struggles taking on blockers and is still progressing as a read-and-react player against the run. Still, Martin is a viable replacement for free agent departure Dre Greenlaw in the middle of the 49ers’ defense.
81. Dylan Fairchild, OG, Cincinnati Bengals
For as much was–rightfully–made of the Bengals’ defensive holes, Cincinnati also desperately needed help on the interior of its offensive line. Fairchild, a two-year starter at left guard for Georgia, projects to fill the same role on the Bengals’ line. He’s athletic and pro-ready as a run blocker and pass protector, and should give Cincinnati quality play early.
96. Xavier Watts, S, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons signed veteran safety Jordan Fuller to a one-year, $2 million deal this spring, but Watts has a real chance to overtake Fuller as the starter next to Jessie Bates III. With his range, ball skills and versatility, Watts has the skill set to not only play, but be an impactful, difference-making rookie on the back end.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NFL Draft: Rounds 2-3 Impact Rookies Led By Tyler Shough and Will Johnson.