Is The League Ready For New Stars — Like Cam Ward, Abdul Carter And Travis Hunter?

The NFL Draft 2025 isn’t just about selecting talent — I’d say it’s about redefining a brand. Hosted in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the highly-anticipated event should seize this opportunity to reshape its identity in front of millions.

It’s a moment of truth: what does the NFL want to stand for now?

If you’ve followed my perspective on the NFL brand over the years, you know I’ve been saying the NFL needs a rebrand. From its initially lenient responses to high-profile domestic violence cases to its marginalization of Colin Kaepernick for his peaceful protests, the league has repeatedly chosen optics over authenticity.

It was Nike — not the NFL — that stepped up, launching the “Dream Crazy” campaign, which, as reported, was inspired by the branding rules of The Kim Kardashian Principle.

Now, the NFL faces another critical inflection point. The 2025 draft class, led by star college football players Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Cam Ward, amongst others, is the most media-savvy, brand-conscious generation the league has ever seen.

Here’s how the NFL can get it right.

Lesson 1: Quarterback Or Content Creator? The New Dual Threat

As mock drafts from NFL Network to ESPN have debated, Cam Ward is widely expected to go first. His strong arm, poise under pressure and record-setting season at Miami make him the most NFL-ready quarterback on paper, but with nearly 200,000 followers and a jewel-encrusted football in hand at the NFL Combine — a key event where top prospects showcase their skills for NFL scouts, Shedeur Sanders isn’t just vying for a spot, he’s vying for the spotlight.

There’s no question: Sanders is part player appearance schedule, part prime-time event, and fully in charge of his draft profile.

Modern college football players like Sanders and Travis Hunter aren’t just athletes—they’re content ecosystems driving conversation, shaping narratives, and delivering cultural currency. And the savviest teams—yes, even the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs — know that today, what happens off the field often drives the real ROI.

The NFL would do well to recognize that players like Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter aren’t just assets—they’re built-in content ecosystems. According to PwC, 68% of sports industry executives now identify content creation as a key growth driver — proof that athletes who can build and distribute their own narratives are fast becoming the league’s most valuable platforms.

Lesson 2: The Metrics Have Changed

Gone are the days when a 40-yard dash and a clean stat sheet were enough to secure top draft picks. Today’s most valuable athletes should be evaluated with an evolved NFL Draft Guide — one that prioritizes emotional resonance, cultural relevance, and storytelling power.

Take Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who turned down lucrative endorsement deals based on his growing social media influence and transfer opportunities to stay loyal to his team, after leading a record-breaking 2,600-yard season. Or Penn State’s Abdul Carter, who transformed from an overlooked high school recruit during COVID into a unanimous All-American by sheer force of will and adaptability. These are stories of grit, loyalty and purpose.

And then there’s Mason Graham, the breakout defensive tackle from Michigan — he didn’t just dominate on the field, he connected off it. Known for his no-flash, raw, behind-the-scenes training videos, Graham has built a fanbase that sees him as more than a player — they see him as a symbol of work ethic and authenticity.

If you’re a defensive coordinator, you’re watching tape but if you’re a brand leader, you’re watching influence — who’s capturing attention, sparking connection, and turning plays into presence. Because today, I’d say, the smartest franchises—and the savviest marketers — shouldn’t just be scouting for strength, they should scout for story.

McKinsey would agree, reporting that the most successful brands are now shifting away from legacy metrics, focusing instead on platforms and people who spark community-driven engagement and cultural relevance.

Lesson 3: Playing It Safe Isn’t A Strategy. It’s A Setback.

In the NFL — and in brand leadership in general, the instinct to protect the system often outweighs the courage to disrupt it. For decades, draft day decisions have revealed a clear preference: safe bets, sanitized narratives, and talent that can be molded quietly into existing frameworks.

But as I’ve said before, in today’s world and among a new Gen Z audience, safety is often more stagnation than strategy.

Whether it’s the Green Bay Packers opting for a well-behaved pass-rusher or the San Francisco 49ers prioritizing positional polish over public profile, the Draft has too often rewarded conformity. But charisma, individuality, and unpredictability aren’t distractions amongst today’s younger demographic that prize marching to their own drumbeat—they’re increasingly necessary brand differentiators.

Kayvon Thibodeaux entered the league not just as a top edge rusher but as an entrepreneur and cultural commentator — launching a crypto literacy initiative during his draft campaign and openly challenging narratives around Black athletes and intellectualism. Or Patrick Mahomes, whose natural ease with the media, sharp commercial instincts, and role in the Kansas City Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl runs made him one of the most bankable faces in sports. Mahomes didn’t just lead a team — he built a transmedia brand presence that extended from the field to State Farm ads, gaming platforms and international fan bases.

What these players prove is this: When leaders bet on charisma, they can unlock compound value, not just in ratings, but in relevance.

And as McKinsey research shows, brands that embrace bold, creative strategies significantly outperform their risk-averse competitors. And that’s the lesson for the NFL: Playing not to lose is exactly how you fall behind.

Lesson 4: Co-Creation Beats Control

What makes this generation opportunity different isn’t just that athletes like Jaxson Dart, Matthew Golden and Derrick Harmon — whose bold style and NIL endorsement deals are already resonating with Gen Z — and who show up with pre-built loyal fanbases. It’s that they expect a seat at the table, and increasingly, so do the people who follow them.

Fueled by entrepreneurial instinct, today’s prospects aren’t looking to be “developed,” they’re looking to collaborate. And yet too many legacy organizations still treat influence like it’s a risk to be mitigated rather than an engine to be ignited.

I believe, the winning brands — and leagues — of tomorrow will aim to co-create, not control. That means involving athletes in content, strategy, and even product innovation — from docuseries and branded merch drops to shared IP deals and social storytelling. It’s not about slapping a logo on a jersey more about building the story with the jersey.

As Deloitte notes, today’s consumers expect to co-author brand narratives. When players are treated as creative partners, not just spokespeople, it’s a signal: this brand doesn’t just get culture. It trusts it.

Lesson 5: Brand Relevance Is Earned Through Alignment, Not Ads

The NFL has tried to patch its image with everything from ceremonial football handoffs to nonprofit fundraising events. But today, amongst the savviest audience till date with highly tuned authenticity detectors, you can’t rebrand with optics; You must rebuild with alignment.

If the league wants to be seen as more than entertainment, it needs to stand behind its most resonant voices — players like Tetairoa McMillan, whose performance and off-field maturity make him as valuable in the locker room as in a content campaign, alongside Abdul Carter — not because they’re safe, but because they’re true to themselves. Because they represent not just talent, but values.

Because relevance today isn’t about airtime, it’s about emotional resonance. Audiences no longer just watch — they judge. And they’re judging whether your brand actually believes what it says.

Interestingly, Accenture reports that 62% of consumers want brands to take a stand on issues that matter. And 42% will walk away if they sense a disconnect between message and action. In this era, authenticity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a non-negotiable.

Final Whistle: This Isn’t Just a Draft. It’s A Brand Reckoning.

The NFL Draft Theater may be the center of the action, but what’s really on display is the league’s identity. With interactive exhibits, event site maps, and curated Draft Experience installations taking over Green Bay, this weekend isn’t just a celebration of football—it’s a broadcast of what the NFL wants the world to believe it stands for. And the world is watching closely.

Because tomorrow’s most valuable players won’t just perform on Sundays, they’ll own the moment and shape culture in real time—and expect the brands they represent to do the same.

If the NFL wants to regain its relevance—it must stop trying to manage the culture and start backing the people who are shaping it. The old model of control is quickly collapsing and the new one demands collaboration, conviction, and clarity.

So the real question isn’t who goes first in the Draft.

I believe it’s this: Will the NFL finally pick itself?

Named Esquire’s Influencer of the Year, Jeetendr Sehdev is a media personality and leading voice in fashion, entertainment, and influence, and author of the New York Times bestselling phenomenon The Kim Kardashian Principle: Why Shameless Sells (and How to Do It Right).