I'd be pretty surprised if that first one is only 2.5. I think 3.5+ would be more likely, but a broadside view of the body would be helpful to age accurately.
My friends and I have sent in a pile of teeth for CA aging for bucks killed in MN, WI and IA that look similar rack wise to the deer in the 1st picture. Based on the results we've had, questionable bucks like that are almost always a year older than we would have assumed prior to sending teeth in for aging. I think there are a lot of older bucks with genes that max out at the smaller antler size that are often mistaken for younger deer.
Hopefully you'll get a crack at the big one, but the first buck is still a really nice deer as well. Good luck-