The 2025 NFL Draft just concluded and brought fireworks to football fans across the world. Trades, surprise picks, emotional gatherings, and many other headlines made for an entertaining three-day weekend from Thursday to Sunday. The NFL Draft was a success, as it averaged a higher viewership than the NBA Finals and saw 600,000 fans show up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the draft.
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One interesting takeaway from the NFL Draft had nothing to do with players, owners, or coaches. But how sports agencies grew their influence on football this year.
Andrew Petcash, the Founder of Profluence, posted a unique graphic of sports agencies and how they did with their clients in the NFL Draft.
Altogether, 15 different agencies had at least one player drafted in the first round of Thursday’s Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft. Some of the top agencies include CAA (Creative Artists Agency), Athletes First, Klutch Sports, and Excel Sports Management.
CAA led the way with seven first-round picks, with Athletes First having six. Klutch Sports, which is a popular representation of basketball players, made its way into the football scene with five first-round picks. Excel Sports Management had four.
Some other notable agencies that had players selected in the first round include: Lil Wayne’s new agency representing Travis Hunter and Disruptive Sports landing Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty. Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, however, was represented by his father, Calvin Ward, and is represented by himself and his family.
Some of the most popular NFL agents include: David Mulugheta, Drew Rosenhaus, Tommy Condon, Todd France, and Erik Burkhardt.
Not every NFL player is represented by an agent
While it is very common and very much suggested for athletes and NFL players to have agents, not everyone does. Some players feel confident enough to represent themselves, or have a family member, such as a father or mother, negotiate with them.
Take, for example, Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was represented by his father and landed a four-year $48.7 million deal. There have been many cases where players have gotten lucrative contracts without having an agent.
Russell Okung negotiated a deal that saw him get paid a lot of money in bitcoin. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been represented by his mother ever since he was drafted. Even Richard Sherman has negotiated a deal representing himself during his NFL career.
It isn’t recommended, but players can negotiate solid deals without an agent representing them.
