kelvin-banks-g.jpg
Getty Images

We no longer have to wonder if stars matter in the science of recruiting and roster management — though, of course, formerly-unrated recruit Cam Ward going No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft is a great story and will give some skeptics pause. 

If you dig deeper, though, the first round of the draft was another reminder that stars are a terrific way of projecting the stars of not just the next level, but the one after that. This was another tour de force from the evaluation experts at 247Sports. Eleven five-stars were selected, including No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner who 247Sports ranked as the No. 1 player in the class of 2022. 

Further, an outstanding 15 four-star prospects went in the first round. 

The record for most five-star prospects selected in the first round was set in 2023, when 13 such players came off the board night one. Last season's draft saw seven five-stars go in the first round (important context here is that draft was fed mostly by the covid-impacted 2021 recruiting class). 

Here's a look at the star rankings for every player selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

NFL TeamPlayerSchoolStarsRank (year)
Tennessee
Cam Ward
Miami
0
N/R (2020)
Jacksonville
Travis Hunter
Colorado
5
No. 1 overall (2022)
N.Y. Giants
Abdul Carter
Penn State
4
No. 33 LB (2022)
New England
Will Campbell
LSU
4
No. 66 overall, No. 9 OT
Cleveland
Mason Graham
Michigan
4
No. 209 overall, No. 25 DL (2022) (
Las Vegas
Ashton Jeanty
Boise State
4
No. 29 RB (2022)
N.Y. Jets
Armand Membou
Missouri
4
No. 14 IOL (2022)
Carolina
Tetairoa McMillan
Arizona
4
No. 37 overall, No. 4 WR (2022)
New Orleans
Kelvin Banks
Texas
5
No. 30 overall, No. 3 OT
Chicago
Colston Loveland
Michigan
4
No. 10 TE (2022)
San Francisco
Mykel Williams
Georgia
5
No. 7 overall, No. 2 DL (2022)
Dallas
Tyler Booker
Alabama
4
No. 60 overall, No. 8 OT
Miami
Kenneth Grant
Michigan
4
No. 47 DL (2022)
Indianapolis
Tyler Warren
Penn State
3
No. 21 TE (2020)
Atlanta
Jalon Walker
Georgia
5
No. 26 overall, No. 3 LB
Arizona
Walter Nolen
Ole Miss
5
No. 2 overall, No. 1 DL (2022)
Cincinnati
Shemar Stewart
Texas A&M
5
No. 9 overall, No. 3 DL (2022)
Seattle
Grey Zabel
North Dakota State
0
N/R (2020)
Tampa Bay
Emeka Egbuka
Ohio State
5
No. 9 overall, No. 1 WR (2021)
Denver
Jahdae Barron
Texas
4
No. 128 overall, No. 10 CB (2020)
Pittsburgh
Derrick Harmon
Oregon
3
No. 98 DL (2021)
L.A. Chargers
Omarion Hampton
North Carolina
4
No. 153 overall, No. 11 RB (2022)
Green Bay
Matthew Golden
Texas
4
No. 150 overall, No. 25 WR (2022)
Minnesota
Donovan Jackson
Ohio State
5
No. 7 overall, No. 1 IOL (2021)
N.Y. Giants
Jaxson Dart
Ole Miss
4
No. 108 overall, No. 13 QB
Atlanta
James Pearce Jr.
Tennessee
4
No. 173 overall, No. 18 EDGE
Baltimore
Malaki Starks
Georgia
5
No. 4 overall, No. 1 ATH
Detroit
Tyleik Williams
Ohio State
4
No. 124 overall, No. 18 DL (2021)
Washington
Josh Conerly Jr.
Oregon
5
No. 8 overall, No. 1 OT (2022)
Buffalo
Maxwell Hairston
Kentucky
3
No. 66 CB (2021)
Philadelphia
Jihaad Campbell
Alabama
5
No. 16 overall, No. 1 EDGE
Kansas City
Josh Simmons
Ohio State
3
No. 25 IOL