The 2025 NFL Draft is a little over three weeks away. It serves as the culmination of a year’s worth of work for media and even longer for talent evaluators. Throughout the process, it is natural to form convictions on a prospect’s chances of success at the next level, which can translate to being higher on that prospect than the consensus. It does not, however, mean that these are the best players in the draft.
In years past, some of those prospects, for me, have been the likes of Packers offensive lineman Zach Tom, Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas and Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Every person in the draft landscape has hits and misses; the latter outnumber the former, but everyone should have their prospects for whom they are willing to stand on a soap box.
Here are some of “my guys” from the 2025 NFL Draft class:
Elijhah Badger began his collegiate career at Arizona State with Jayden Daniels and has had good production in each of the past three years. He has exposure playing both the slot and out wide. When the ball is in his hands, he is elusive in open space and has the long speed to turn singles into doubles and beyond. The wide receiver is likely to land somewhere on Day 3.
Dillon Gabriel (5-foot-11, 205) does not have prototypical size, and that is the biggest reason the prospect rankings do not shine on him more favorably. The top of the 2025 draft quarterback class is not one known for its accuracy and exposure in a pro-style offensive system, so Gabriel occupies a unique space. Day 3 is the most out likely outcome for the Oklahoma and UCF transfer.
Power is the way to win as an NFL pass rusher as reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse proved in 2024. Jared Ivey meets that threshold and has good movement skills at 6-foot-6 and 274 pounds. He is not often mentioned among the top-50 overall, but he should garner more consideration in that regard. Ivey has gotten better every year, and there is no reason to believe that will not continue in the NFL.
Similar to Ivey, Sai’vion Jones is a pass rusher who wins with power. At 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, he has the size to offer positional flexibility situationally. The Louisiana native has not had a lot of production to his name but possesses a high floor as someone who can set the edge in the run game. His 82 ⅜ inch wingspan gives him the ability to dictate action at the point of attack. Jones will probably land somewhere on Day 2.
Damien Martinez has the size to be a feature back in the NFL and showed improvement in pass protection this season. There were concerns about his long speed, but his 4.51-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine is respectable. The Oregon State transfer has good vision to find clear run lanes. It is a deep draft at the running back position, but teams should not have to drill down far to find Martinez.
When a UCLA linebacker is mentioned, it is often Carson Schwesinger, but Kain Medrano was equally impressive. He was a team captain for the Bruins last fall and showed good awareness in zone coverage. At the NFL Scouting Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and had explosive jumps as well. When watching him play, that speed translates, but sometimes he looks like Luis Mendoza from “The Mighty Ducks” in the sense that he does not come to balance in space and occasionally overruns the play. If a team is able to harness that energy, he could be a productive NFL player. As a floor, he offers valuable special teams experience. It is a weak class of linebackers, so there is the possibility that Medrano climbs into Day 2.
Jalen Rivers played left tackle for the Hurricanes and may not have the foot speed to stick on the edge, but there is confidence projecting his transition inside. Rivers has a solid foundation and good technique to eventually be a starter at the next level. There have been a number of college left tackles transition to guard, including Joel Bitonio and Zack Martin. Late Day 2 and early Day 3 is probably the range for Rivers. Kansas‘ Logan Brown and Arizona‘s Jonah Savaiinaea are a few other offensive linemen who just missed the cut for this list.
Ty Robinson has the pedigree as a once-touted high school recruit. He is a strong defensive lineman who has a lot of athletic tools with which to work, but they are unrefined. At 6-foot-5 and 288 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.83 seconds in addition to having the positional flexibility to be moved around the defensive front. He plays the game with a high motor. Robinson could still be available into Day 3.
Kyle Williams is gaining a bit of steam among draft media, but he is an incredibly smooth player. When watching him play, it is not difficult to imagine him being utilized in even more ways than he was at Washington State. He does a good job getting open underneath but also has the long speed to separate vertically — a thought that was validated when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds. His game reminds me of Randall Cobb, and that could lead to a Day 2 selection of his own.
Defensive backs have as high or a higher success rate than any other position on Day 3. Reaction time is incredibly important in that role, so good instincts, based on preparation, are one way to off-set limited athleticism. Craig Woodson is a smart player with good instincts, and his NFL Scouting Combine performance was better than personally anticipated. If looking for a contributor in the secondary on Day 3, Woodson is one deserving of a flyer.
The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
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Author: Josh Edwards
March 31, 2025 | 3:05 pm
