The 2025 class is defense heavy, but all of a sudden there’s some legit quarterback prospects rising up the list — one all the way up to the top spot. While we won’t see six first-rounders like we did a year ago, there could very easily be four quarterbacks who come off the board still in round 1.
1. QB Cameron Ward (Miami)
Ward has always had high-level NFL tools and a knack for playmaking, but until he transferred to Miami his ability to work consistently within structure was in question. Now he can beat you any which was and has for the 8-0 Hurricanes.
2. WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)
Hunter took the college football world by storm last year by excelling on both sides of the football for the Buffaloes. While the feat itself was incredible, his tape suffered at times because of it. Incredibly, that has not been the case this year. He’s averaging 95 yards a game as a receiver and giving up only 15 a game at corner, per PFF.
3. DT Mason Graham (Michigan)
Graham is a prototypical three-down defensive tackle. Line him up anywhere between the tackles on any down and he can make an impact. After being a rotational player a year ago, Graham has been able to maintain his dominance averaging nearly 50 snaps a game this season.
4. DE Abdul Carter (Penn State)
Carter was an off-ball linebacker for a couple years before switching to edge this fall. After a bit of a slow start, Carter has come on hot of late. He’s got an elite combination of burst and bend around the edge that makes opposing tackles’ lives a nightmare. If he looks this good already, imagine a few more years of training specifically at edge.
5. CB Will Johnson (Michigan)
Johnson is a physical corner who’s gone toe-to-toe with some of college football’s best in his three years at Michigan. He can win both at the line of scrimmage or in off-coverage. Johnson has been banged up a little this year, but flip on the USC tape earlier this year where he had a pick and a pass breakup then you’ll see why he’s a top-5 player in the class.
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6. OT Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas)
Banks is such an easy mover at tackle with some real-deal power to his game. He’s been starting at left tackle for the Longhorns ever since he was a true freshman in 2022. Banks has allowed all of three pressures on 307 pass-blocking snaps this season, according to PFF.
7. DE Nic Scourton (Texas A&M)
Scourton is a powerful 285-pound defensive end who can rush from the outside or inside at a high-clip. We just saw Scourton go to town for seven pressures against one of the best tackle duos in the country over the weekend against LSU.
8. WR Luther Burden III (Missouri)
Burden is a twitchy wideout who excels with the ball in his hands. He’s got the kind of stop/start suddenness to routinely leave corners in the dust. Burden has already broken 19 tackles on 40 receptions this season.
9. DT Deone Walker (Kentucky)
Walker is a unique specimen on the interior. At 6-foot-6 and 345 pounds, he moves exceedingly well for his size, allowing him to now only win with power, but with quicks, too. That shows up as a pass-rusher, as he can routinely make an impact on third downs.
10. DE James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
Pearce is one heck of an athlete. The 6-foot-5, 243-pounder moves like a rocked up wide receiver on the edge. His first step and lateral agility make him difficult to even get hands on. While he still needs to incorporate more speed to power to be a complete rusher, Pearce has all the tools you could want.
11. OT Will Campbell (LSU)
Campbell is another tackle prospect who’s been starting ever since he was a true freshman. Despite an odd build for the position and middling traits for a top prospect, Campbell routinely gets the job done. He also plays with the kind of nastiness that offensive line coaches at the next level will love.
12. QB Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
Sanders has firmly put his struggles against Nebraska early on in the season and subsequent shots at his own offensive line behind him with lights-out play of late. He’s averaged more than 300 passing yards per game with 16 touchdowns in six games since then.
13. CB Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)
Morrison has looked like a first-rounder from the first day he stepped on a college football field in 2022. He’s allowed a sub-50% completion rate in all three seasons as a starter. Sadly, his 2024 season was cut short already with a hip injury, but with a clean bill of health prior to the draft, he’ll still be a first-rounder.
14. DE Mykel Williams (Georgia)
Williams is the next in a long line of lab-built Georgia defensive linemen. He’s got absurdly long arms on his 6-foot-5, 265-pound frame that he uses to control offensive linemen in the run game with ease. While an early season ankle injury has robbed us of seeing him at his best, Williams is starting to round back into form.
15. S Malaki Starks (Georgia)
While the Alabama game in prime time with multiple missed tackles will stick in people’s minds, it’s a small blip on what has otherwise been a stellar season for the junior safety. He’s been starting for the Bulldogs ever since his true freshman season and always been a very reliable tackler and support defender on the backend.
16. WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
McMillan is a football vacuum on the outside. His catch radius is massive at 6-foot-6 and 212 pounds, and he pairs that with an innate feel for creating after the catch. McMillan already has 979 yards in only eight games this season.
17. DT Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)
Nolen’s game has taken a significant leap after transferring from Texas A&M last fall. You see his five-star pedigree repeatedly with his ability to unlock his hips into contact and send guards backwards. He already has a career high for pressures (24) in only eight games.
18. QB Drew Allar (Penn State)
Allar has looked like a completely different quarterback in Andy Kotelnicki’s scheme this season. The 6-foot-5, 238-pounder always had big-time arm talent, but now he looks like a complete passer. His ability to work the middle of the field has really stood out on tape with numerous impressive throws in that regard.
19. RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
Jeanty is a true do-it-all back with some of the best vision and contact balance I’ve ever seen from a prospect. His tape this fall at Boise State shows a level of dominance you see in high school, not the FBS. He’s racked up 1,376 yards and 18 scores in 7 games while averaging 8.7 yards per carry.
20. IOL Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)
The top interior line prospect on my board, Jackson has everything you could want physically to be a perennial All-Pro. He’s got easy power with feet to mirror even the quickest of defensive tackles. He’s a three-year starter who’s shown improvement every single year.
21. DE/LB Jalon Walker (Georgia)
Walker is an undersized edge-rusher who’s split time between edge and off-ball over the course of his career. While he could play either at the next level, Walker is getting drafted because of his ability to rush the passer. The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder has natural leverage that he uses to his advantage to forklift linemen en route to quarterbacks.
22. DT Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
Grant is yet another defensive tackle in this draft class with nose tackle size, but the movement skills of a much smaller man. At 339 pounds, he lines up anywhere on the Michigan interior while still making plays. Everyone is looking for that kind of player at the NFL level.
23. QB Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)
Nussmeier has been the talk of the scouting world in his first season as a starter. He does so many things at an NFL starter level already — the most impressive of which has been how he’s handled pressure with only three sacks taken all season long. If he can cut back on the turnovers down the stretch, Nussmeier could end up as a top-10 pick.
24. DT Derrick Harmon (Oregon)
Harmon has been a breakout prospect after transferring from Michigan State to Oregon this year. He’s a long-limbed defensive tackle who can not only two-gap in the run game, but also penetrate into the backfield. The fourth-year defensive tackle has already racked up 32 pressures on the season, per PFF.
25. WR Isaiah Bond (Texas)
Bond is the kind of jitter-bug deep threat who is thriving around the NFL. He’s a chore to stick with down the field with a blend of explosiveness and agility that leaves corners grasping at air. While his numbers have been a tad disappointing this season with only 380 yards, the tape still shows NFL ability.
26. DE Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College)
Ezeiruaku has looked like the most polished pass-rusher in the country on tape so far this season. He’s got a whole bag of tricks to get to the edge and affect opposing quarterbacks. After 34 pressures a year ago, Ezeiruaku already has 34 pressures this season.
27. DT Tyleik Williams (Ohio State)
Williams is a heavy-handed defensive tackle who can collapse the pocket just enough to make opposing offenses respect it. He’s as good as it gets in the class taking double teams and holding the point.
28. TE Colston Loveland (Michigan)
Loveland is a graceful athlete at tight end who looks as comfortable inline as he does split wide. He was the second-leading receiver on Michigan’s national title team a year ago and already has 42 catches for 411 yards with four scores this year despite Michigan’s passing game woes.
29. DT LT Overton (Alabama)
Overton is a versatile defensive lineman who’s looked as comfortable playing out wide for Alabama’s defense as he has operating inside. He’s got the kind of wiggle to regularly shed blocks on the interior and close to ball-carriers.
30. WR Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State)
Egbuka is a tough and savvy wideout. He’s not an elite separator, but he’s a precise route-runner who will finish at the catch point. He has 546 yards and six scores on the season.
31. CB Shavon Revel (East Carolina)
Revel was on a star trajectory early in the season before a torn ACL abruptly ended his season. He’s a massive corner with easy fluidity at his size. In only three games this season, Revel had two picks and two pass-breakups.
32. IOL Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona)
Savaiinaea has started all three years of his collegiate career, starting at guard before playing tackle the past two seasons. That being said, his massive 6-foot-5, 336-pound frame screams guard at the next level. His hand usage and feet in pass pro are tremendous as he’s been tested consistently in one of the pass-happiest offenses in America.
33. CB Tacario Davis (Arizona)
Davis is a pterodactyl-esque corner at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. He’s not going to be for every scheme, but ones that use their corners at the line a lot will love his wingspan.
34. DE Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M)
Stewart is a jumbo defensive end who’s more than athletic enough to stick on the edge at the next level. Despite three years of playing time, he’s still more of a work in progress than you’d like. That being said, we’ve seen improvement in each of his three seasons.
35. CB Will Lee III (Texas A&M)
Will Lee III is a long 6-foot-3 cornerback with exceptional feet for a corner that tall. His ability to break on the football and impact the catch point shines through consistently on tape. He’s already broken up seven passes and picked off another for the Aggies this season.
36. DE David Walker (Central Arkansas)
Walker’s tape is comical given his level of competition. He doesn’t lose. That being said, his power and smooth hips shine regardless of who he’s playing. He’s a bowling ball of a pass-rusher at 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds who consistently wins leverage battles. Expect him to rise up boards at the Senior Bowl.
37. CB Jahdae Barron (Texas)
Barron is well versed in both the slot (where he starred the past two seasons) and out wide (where he’s played this fall). His competitiveness shines on tape anytime you watch him, as he doesn’t back down from a challenge. In eight games, Barron has three interceptions, three pass-breakups and only 109 yards allowed, per PFF.
38. DT T.J. Sanders (South Carolina)
Sanders is a long and twitchy defensive tackle. His ability to shoot gaps is such a nightmare for opposing guards. He’s taken big steps forward in using his length better this season to control blocks on a consistent basis.
39. WR Tre Harris (Ole Miss)
Harris has been the most productive major college wide receiver in college football this season, although he has Lane Kiffin’s simplistic offense to thank for that. His screen and stick heavy receiving profile won’t all translate to the NFL, but he’s a loose athlete for someone 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds with highlight-reel ability at the catch point.
40. S Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)
Emmanwori is a specimen of a safety. At 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds, he not only can cover serious ground on the back end, but he can also do damage in the box. He already has four picks on the season for the Gamecocks defense.
41. DT Zane Durant (Penn State)
Durant is an undersized and ascending defensive tackle. At 6-foot-1 and 288 pounds, Durant will never be much more than a 3-technique at the next level. In that role, though, he flashes tremendous power in his lower half for a sub-290 pounder and can get into the backfield with relative ease.
42. LB Nick Martin (Oklahoma State)
Martin may be undersized, but he plays linebacker more physically than players who have 30 pounds on him across the college football landscape. The 6-foot, 220-pounder moves more like a corner than a linebacker and is a legit threat to run in the 4.4s based off his tape. He’s also a tackling machine with 188 tackles in 19 games since the start of last year.
43. DE Kyle Kennard (South Carolina)
Yet another top-50 player from the vaunted Gamecocks defense. Kennard was unheralded during his four years at Georgia Tech prior to transferring, but the proverbial light switch has flipped for him this fall. His bend around the edge for a 6-foot-5 defender is exactly what you want when translating to the NFL.
44. OT Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota)
Ersery has a powerful tackle frame at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds. His pop on contact in pass protection is tremendous, and he has made great strides in that regard over his three years as a starter.
45. IOL Tyler Booker (Alabama)
Booker has been starting for the Tide ever since his freshman year in 2022. He’s got an incredibly lean frame for a 325-pounder, as he carries much of his weight in muscle. That’s evident in pass protection with his easy anchoring ability.
46. TE Tyler Warren (Penn State)
Warren has such good body control for a massive target at the tight end position. It’s no wonder the 6-foot-6, 261-pounder is the focal point of the Nittany Lions offense. The senior has 47 catches for 559 yards in seven games this fall.
47. DE Anthony Lucas (USC)
Lucas is a breakout player for the Trojans defense this fall. His explosiveness at 275 pounds jumps out on tape immediately when you watch him. This season, though, he has far more moves at his disposal. While he may still be a year away, everything is there for him to make his way up even further on this list.
48. DT Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati)
Corleone is a quintessential 0-tech nose tackle. Plop him down over opposing centers, and you can feel confident that the heart of your run defense will hold the point at the line of scrimmage. Unlike most nose tackles, though, Corleone can range sideline to sideline to make plays.
49. IOL Armand Membou (Missouri)
Membou plays right tackle for the Tigers, but has a classic guard build. He’s explosive off the line of scrimmage and into contact. While he could stand to use his hands better in the run game, Membou is already excellent with them in pass protection.
50. DE Josiah Stewart (Michigan)
Stewart is an undersized rusher who plays like he’s the biggest dude on the field. He initiates contact with no fear and wants to go through blockers whenever possible. He won’t be everyone’s cup of tea at 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds, but if you like undersized edge rushers, you’ll love Stewart.
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Author: Mike Renner
October 29, 2024 | 11:50 am
