2025 NFL Draft - Best player-team fits from Day 2

By Jack Brentnall

While the first round of the NFL Draft captures the most attention, the subsequent days are where teams truly build the depth and strategic components of their rosters.

There are still plenty of needle-movers available at this stage of the draft and both the second and third rounds saw a handful of great player-team fits. Here are a few of my favourites.

Jonah Savaiinaea to the Dolphins (Pick #37)

If you’ve watched even a single game of the Dolphins over the last few years, you’ll have recognised their need to add more physicality. Their decision to lean into a finesse style of offense has backfired and left them looking very one-dimensional.

It seems that after doubling down on that approach last offseason, the Miami front office has come to their senses and recognised that a change of course is required. That is one of the reasons I love the Savaiinaea pick. 

The former Arizona man brings experience at both tackle and guard, the latter likely being his home at the next level. He is a big and physical presence with great competitive toughness, but he is also explosive and capable of playing out in space in the way that Mike McDaniel wants to.

With Savaiinaea joining James Daniels along the interior, we may be seeing a shift towards a more aggressive, downhill style run game in Miami. If that is the case then I’m very interested to see what they cook up.

TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams to the Patriots (Picks #38 and #69)

I couldn’t pick between these two picks so decided to highlight them together. I think the Patriots were major winners on day two and Henderson and Williams were amongst the best selections made by any team.

All of the offseason talk around New England has been about surrounding Drake Maye with talent. After drafting Will Campbell in the first round to shore up their offensive line, Eliot Wolf used day two to provide Maye with a pair of explosive playmaking weapons.

I loved the Henderson pick. The former Buckeye gives the Patriots a home-run threat in a backfield that was sorely lacking any juice last season. He is also arguably the best pass protecting back in the class and can be a useful outlet in the passing game.

With Williams, they get the player with perhaps the best release package in the class. A true three-level receiving threat with the speed to win deep and the short area quickness to separate underneath, he provides exactly the kind of dynamic receiving option that a young quarterback like Maye needs.

Azareye'h Thomas to the Jets (Pick #73)

The arrival of Aaron Glenn in New York signals a shift in the Jets’ defensive identity. Glenn is the type of coach who, in an ideal world, would want to live in man coverage. He wants his defensive backs to be physical and take the fight to opposing receivers.

That preference aligns perfectly with the strengths of a player like Thomas. The former Florida State standout played in a press-heavy scheme and was routinely tasked with operating on an island to blanket the opposing receiver. He excelled in that role in college and comes into the draft with perhaps the most refined press coverage skill set in the class, with clean hand fighting and light feet.

While the signing of Brandon Stephens in free agency may limit Thomas’ path to playing time in the short term, the fact he doesn’t even turn 21 until July means he has time on his side to develop within Glenn’s system.

Kaleb Johnson to the Steelers (Pick #83)

There might not have been a seamless player-team fit in the draft so far. The Steelers entered the draft with an obvious need at running back, and Johnson is the perfect fit for the scheme they run.

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith operates a famously run-heavy scheme that centres around zone runs. He particularly loves wide zone, stretching defenses laterally and asking his backs to exploit cutback opportunities.

Johnson played in a very similar scheme at Iowa, with zone runs accounting for almost 80% of his carries in 2024. His vision and patience are his standout qualities, and he has an innate feel for space and pacing. That ability to quickly process the picture in front of him before cutting and driving north is exactly what a coach like Smith looks for in a back.

My player comp for Johnson is Najee Harris, so it isn’t hard to see how he can fit into this Steelers offense and make an impact as a rookie.

JACK BRENTNALL

HEAD OF NFL DRAFT CONTENT

Previously the founder of The Jet Sweep, Jack joined The Touchdown as head of Draft Content in 2024. A Scouting Academy alumnus, Jack has been Covering the NFL Draft since 2020. Follow him on Twitter @Jack_Brentnall.

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