2025 NFL Draft: Grading fantasy football fits for every relevant Day 2 pick

It’s report card time for Professor Scott Pianowski as he grades the fit of each relevant fantasy football prospect taken in Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

You can also check out Professor Behrens’ Round 1 fantasy grades here

SECOND-ROUND PICKS

WR Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans, 34th overall

Fantasy grade: B-

Reason why: Houston needs reliable receivers to trust after alpha Nico Collins, and Higgins was a versatile player in college. Higgins has a chance to outkick some of the Round 1 wideouts in 2025 based on Houston’s current roster construction, but his initial ceiling has to be tempered with Collins here — it’s also interesting that the Texans took his college teammate Jaylin Noel in Round 3. Kenny Golladay is a clean comp for Higgins, a big body but an ordinary separator.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B-

RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns, No. 36th overall

Fantasy grade: B+

Reason why: Judkins has the skill set and body type to challenge for a featured job right away. Cleveland’s overall offensive octane might be a problem, but so much of fantasy is identifying projectable volume. It’s a good fit with player type (power back, grinder) and team style. Cleveland will love Judkins, and fantasy managers should, too.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B

Quinshon Judkins should get plenty of touches with the Browns, which puts him squarely on the fantasy radar as a rookie.

RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots, 38th overall

Fantasy grade: B

Reason why: The presence of Rhamondre Stevenson caps the upside, not that any NFL club would view Henderson as an instant bell cow. But Henderson is a dynamic receiver and a splash-play candidate for an offense desperate for home runs. Mike Vrabel is seen as a defensive coach, but he let the offense control the first two picks of his first New England draft. Henderson’s pass-blocking tape, for what it’s worth, is too good to be true.

>> Real-life NFL draft grade: B

WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears, 39th overall

Fantasy grade: C

Reason why: Burden comps as a DJ Moore clone, which is cute — the Bears also employ the original DJ Moore. Burden will help Caleb Williams and the Ben Johnson offense more than he’ll initially help fantasy managers in 2025, given the crowd in the Chicago pass-catching room. The dynasty value could be fun.

Real-life NFL draft grade: B

QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints, 40th overall

Fantasy grade: B-

Reason why: Shough turns 26 in the first month of the season, so the Saints should give him every chance to be the Day 1 starter. Shough has ideal measurables and ended his seven-year college wandering with a super year at Louisville. Indoor games and solid skill talent will give Shough a chance to be productive right away, but he was also hurt regularly in college.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: C+

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TE Mason Taylor, New York Jets, 42nd overall

Fantasy grade: C

Reason why: Even after some free agency adds, the New York tight end room needed more fresh paint. Taylor has a strong chance to lead the New York tight ends in targets, but nobody expects Justin Fields to direct a top-12 offense. Keep in mind that while we’ve been spoiled in recent years with Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers, most tight ends need time to develop. Taylor could eventually grow into a TE1 for fantasy, a regular starter. It probably won’t be this year.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: A

TE Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams, 46th overall

Fantasy grade: C+

Reason why: Sean McVay likes to be creative with his tight ends, and he’s never had an option as athletic as Ferguson. The Rams already have target-gobblers at wide receiver and fantasy production is elusive for most rookie tight ends, but Ferguson has a chance to push for 2025 relevance.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B

TE Elijah Arroyo, Seattle Seahawks, 50th overall

Fantasy grade: C-

Reason why: Arroyo was a four-star prospect and had an excellent final year at Miami, so Seattle is excited about the long-term upside. But Arroyo was regularly hurt in college and Noah Fant is still around, so the initial fantasy value should be modest. Look for new OC Klint Kubiak to be proactive with 12 personnel.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B-

WR Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers, 55th overall

Fantasy grade: B-

Reason why: Harris is more athlete than polished product as he enters the NFL, but he goes to an offense desperate for height and speed, so this is a good fit. It’s common to see rookie receivers hold a modest role when the season starts but amp things up down the stretch; that could be the Harris cadence we see in 2025. Even if his stats don’t initially pop, Harris’ ability to attract downfield attention should help the entire offense.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B-

WR Jack Bech, Las Vegas Raiders, 58th overall

Fantasy grade: C+

Reason why: Bech has a lot of Jakobi Meyers feel to him; now the Raiders have both versions at their disposal. Bech joins a Las Vegas offense with playing time available; although Bech doesn’t have an enormous ceiling or college résumé to point to, he might do enough to join the waiver-wire talk in the middle of the 2025 season.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B+

RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos, 60th overall

Fantasy grade: B-

Reason why: Harvey is an older prospect and his pass-blocking might keep him off the field, at least initially. But with the Broncos throwing significant draft capital at Harvey, they’re likely dreaming of a juicy ceiling. Running back is the most plug-and-play of the fantasy positions, so Harvey has an excellent chance to be a proactive pick for us this summer. Denver doesn’t have anyone special blocking his path.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: C-

THIRD-ROUND PICKS

TE Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns, 67th overall

Fantasy grade: C-

Reason why: This is a fun pick for the future — Fannin is athletic and versatile, and he was drafted this high because of his pass-catching, not his blocking. But Fannin also competed against lesser competition and the Browns already have a star tight end, though David Njoku and Fannin will see snaps together. I’m looking forward to grabbing redraft shares of Fannin someday, but it won’t be in 2025.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: A

WR Kyle Williams, New England Patriots, 69th overall

Fantasy grade: B-

Reason why: When you’re undersized and short on length, you need to be exceptional in most other areas. Williams is. The Patriots badly needed to give Drake Maye a fighting chance with his receiver room, and Williams is a key part of the reconstruction. Williams enters the league with polish (five years of college play) and the ability to be a factor in 2025.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B

WR Isaac TeSlaa, Detroit Lions, 70th overall

Fantasy grade: C-

Reason why: TeSlaa didn’t produce much in college but he blew away the clipboards at the combine. He also gets high marks for intelligence and character; this is a Dan Campbell-approved pick. The Lions moved up to draft TeSlaa, so they envision a future. But given the modest college sample, wait a year before you consider drafting him for fantasy.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B-

WR Pat Bryant, Denver Broncos, 74th overall

Fantasy grade: C

Reason why: The Broncos wanted to add playable depth to the receiver room and Bryant’s college résumé (and size) fits the suit. Bryant had an ordinary combine and does not profile as a future star, but there’s room to grow in this passing game. Maybe he’ll nudge into fantasy relevance at some point in his rookie season.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: C+

WR Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans, 79th overall

Fantasy grade: C+

Reason why: The Texans went back to Iowa State for another receiver; it’s curious that Noel and Jayden Higgins had similar stats in 2024, but we have to note that Noel went 45 picks later. Slot-friendly Noel has been comped to Christian Kirk, another player Houston has rostered for 2025. Noel improved every college season and had a decent combine; he has a chance to bump into fantasy value this fall. Houston’s WR room fell apart last season; the Texans won’t let that happen again.

RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers, 83rd overall

Fantasy grade: B+

Reason why: Sometimes the fits are tidy and clean — Johnson is a power zone runner and that’s the jam for Pittsburgh play-caller Arthur Smith. Johnson isn’t a zero in the passing game, either, though obviously Jaylen Warren will have a meaty role as well. The Steelers plucked decent value from a back who wouldn’t have looked misplaced in the second round. Start your own Johnson scouting; he’ll be drafted in a proactive round this summer.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: A+

WR Savion Williams, Green Bay Packers, 87th overall

Fantasy grade: C-

Reason why: He’s going to be more of a gadget player than a straight receiver, which means splash plays will happen but the weekly volume will be difficult to project. The Packers will have fun with this player, but fantasy managers can probably ignore Williams at the summer draft table. The Cordarrelle Patterson comparison tracks.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: C+

QB Jalen Milroe, Seattle Seahawks, 92nd overall

Fantasy grade: C-

Reason why: Milroe wasn’t consistent in college (and had twice as many SEC picks as touchdown passes last year), but so what? This late in the draft, you’re thrilled to add any quarterback who has a plausible path to developing into an eventual starter. Milroe’s always going to be a plus runner and there’s something to start with as the Seahawks begin his molding. If something happens to Sam Darnold in 2025, Milroe will hold some immediate fantasy interest because of his rushing chops.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B+

QB Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns, 94th overall

Fantasy grade: F

Reason why: Gabriel checks a lot of the intangible boxes, but he is an older, undersized prospect with an ordinary arm. He’s also left-handed, which is often seen as a cumbersome trait for NFL teams unless the player in question is a special talent. That’s not Gabriel; he’s likely to be a career backup.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: D

WR Tai Felton, Minnesota Vikings, 102nd overall

Fantasy grade: C-

Reason why: Offers the pluses and minuses that you would expect from a player this late in the draft. Minnesota ideally would love him to percolate to their WR3 slot, but there’s little room for upside given what’s ahead of him on the depth chart. Felton also might see some return work.

>>Real-life NFL draft grade: B-