Answering biggest NFL Draft questions before bowl season: QB1, biggest riser, most to prove, sleepers and more

The college football regular season is complete and the 2025 NFL Draft is less than five months away.  All-star invitations are going out, draft declarations are being made and CBSSports.com’s prospect rankings will be updated in the coming weeks. 

With bowl games kicking off this weekend, I rallied our draft analysts to discuss a variety of NFL Draft-related topics with the the college football regular season complete.

1. Who has been the biggest riser throughout the season?

Ryan Wilson: QB Cam Ward, Miami. “Cam Ward came into the season as a late Day 2/Day 3 pick on several NFL team boards. After leading the U to an 11-2 record and overcoming a suspect Miami defense almost every week, Ward has worked himself into the QB1 conversation. As the season progressed, he got better getting through his reads, and playing on time and from the pocket–– which complements his athleticism in space and big arm.”

Chris Trapasso: QB Cam Ward, Miami. “He had a respectable season at Washington State in 2023 but wasn’t on the first-round draft radar by any stretch of the imagination. Now he absolutely is after a dazzling season for the Hurricanes.”

Mike Renner: DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon. “He went from Day 3 defensive tackle to potential top-10 pick. He fits in any scheme at the next level.”

Josh Edwards: OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State. “There were several candidates, but Simmons was impressive before sustaining his season-ending injury. I knew of him out of high school, but had not followed his career at San Diego State. When available for the Buckeyes, he was playing as well as any left tackle prospect.”

2. Which player did not perform up to your expectations?

Wilson: QB Carson Beck, Georgia. “Carson Beck and it’s not particularly close. There are other players who underperformed at times, at least based on summer expectations, but Beck had enough forgettable performances to not only knock him firmly out of the QB1 conversation but likely Day 1 altogether. He did play better down the stretch, but an NFL team is really going to have to believe in him to take him in Round 1.”

Trapasso: RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State. “After an awesome 2023 at Ole Miss, on a loaded Ohio State team, I thought Judkins would battle with Ashton Jeanty for RB1 honors this season. While he didn’t completely flop for the Buckeyes, the same level of elusiveness was simply not there.”

Renner: QB Quinn Ewers, Texas. “I was very encouraged by what I saw early on, but the same injury issues and inconsistency reared their head. I don’t know how you draft a quarterback highly who can’t stay healthy.”

Edwards: LB Harold Perkins, LSU. “Perkins has always been somewhat of a vision given his exposure to off-ball linebacker and edge rusher. Talent evaluators were hoping to get some questions answered about his future this season, but a season-ending injury in September rendered that impossible.”

3. How does the top of this draft (projected first-round picks) compare to years past? 

Wilson: “This is the weakest QB class since 2022, when only Kenny Pickett went in the first round, and that was pick No. 20. (Pickett is now a backup in Philly after not working out in Pittsburgh.) It looks like only two QBs could be first-rounders, and the last time that happened was 2015, when Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota went No. 1 and No. 2. This class is also light at offensive tackle and wide receiver, but if you need defensive line or pass rusher help, or a running back, then you’re in luck because this class is loaded at those positions.”

Trapasso: “The EDGE class is rock-solid. Plenty of first-round talent. And it’s one of the better running back classes in a while. The quarterback and receiver classes are down, especially with the infusion of high-level talent we’ve seen at those positions the past five years.”

Renner: “It’s weaker at the positions that traditionally go highly: quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver. It’s a great running back class, though, and has a ton of depth on the edge.”

Edwards: “The 2025 NFL Draft class reminds a bit of 2022 when Travon Walker was taken No. 1 overall. There are some very athletic players with immense potential, but it lacks the bonafide blue-chip prospects seen in most draft classes. The defensive tackle class has more talent and depth than seen in recent years.”

4. Who is QB1 as of now and why? 

Wilson: Cam Ward, Miami. “Ward by a hair over Shedeur Sanders because in today’s NFL, where QBs have to be big-armed athletes, Ward is a little taller, a little more athletic, and has a bigger arm than Sanders. Both are incredibly tough, both are first-rounders, and both likely are the first two players off the board in April.”

Trapasso: Cam Ward, Miami. “He has the best combination of arm talent, improvisational skill and accuracy of any quarterback in the class. He’s not far ahead of Shedeur Sanders, but he’s a more dynamic athlete and has similar arm strength.”

Renner: Cam Ward, Miami. “Arm talent, creativity, playmaking — he’s got high-end traits to develop.”

Edwards: Cam Ward, Miami. “It has been a tale of two seasons for Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Ward. Sanders was more confident and efficient in the first half of the season, but Ward had flipped the switch and been the more consistent player in the second half of the season.”

5. Who is QB3 behind Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward?

Wilson: Drew Allar, Penn State. “Right now it might be Drew Allar, whom I think should return to school. He looks the part because of his size and arm strength, and he’s a good athlete in space. But he needs more experience. Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers both have warts that make me wary of taking them before Day 2, maybe even mid-to-late Day 2 at this point.”

Trapasso: Jalen Milroe, Alabama. “He’s reasonably raw, but we saw glimpses of his development in spurts in 2024. He’s a tremendous athlete who has demonstrated a better understanding of coverages and quickly reacting to them along with improved accuracy.”

Renner: Drew Allar, Penn State. “He should probably come back to school, but his arm talent is insane.”

Edwards: Drew Allar, Penn State. “It is a complicated question. If the 2025 NFL Draft were held today, Allar would probably be the third quarterback off the board. At times, the answer may have been Georgia’s Carson Beck, Texas’ Quinn Ewers or LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier. The problem with all of those players has been a lack of consistency. If forced to stake a claim on a quarterback who will find success in the NFL, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel would probably be the choice.”

6. Ashton Jeanty is the best RB prospect since _____?

Wilson: “Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs went No. 8 and No. 12 back in the 2023 draft. You could argue that Robinson and Gibbs were luxury picks given the position they play, but good luck finding two more impactful players regardless of their position. Jeanty has that type of ability with the ball in his hands, but he’s not as seasoned a pass-catcher, mostly because Boise St. doesn’t feature him that way. If you watch his receiving reps, however, it’s clear he can be a difference-maker there, too.”

Trapasso: “While Saquon Barkley was stockier and had a more classic feature RB frame, Jeanty looks to be close to as fast as Barkley and might have better contact balance, which is vital at the running back position.”

Renner: “I think he even has a higher floor than Saquon Barkley, even if he doesn’t offer quite the same game-breaking traits. Dude’s got it.”

Edwards: “Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs carried first-round grades the entirety of the draft process for me. The same is true of Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty is a better runner than Gibbs had been, but I’d give Robinson a slight advantage overall.”

7. Which prospect(s) are you most excited to watch during bowl season?

Wilson: TE Tyler Warren, Penn State. “I’m always excited to see Tyler Warren play because he is the Penn State offense. A high school basketball player who played primarily power forward and center, those skills show up every week on the field for the Nittany Lions. Warren has gone from a late Day 2/Day 3 pick over the summer to not only a first-round prospect, but conceivably the first TE off the board.”

Trapasso: EDGE James Pearce Jr.. “It feels like he’s criminally underrated at this juncture. He burst onto the scene as a 20-year-old a year ago and has been even more efficient getting after the quarterback in 2024. He’s long, explosive, bendy, plays with supreme power, and has an ascending arsenal of pass-rushing moves.”

Renner: EDGEs Abdul Carter (Penn State), James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee) and Mykel Williams (Georgia). “They’re three of the most physically gifted edge-rushers you’ll ever see. They could all play their way into the top-5/10.”

Edwards: EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia. “I am and have been a big advocate of Williams throughout this process. He is raw, but has the size and athletic profile to be a productive pass rusher at the next level. If he can take over in the College Football Playoff, then that will create a lot of positive momentum going into the pre-draft process.”

8. Which prospect would benefit the most from having a big bowl game?

Wilson: QB Quinn Ewers, Texas. “The elbow injury suffered in the SEC title game might keep Carson Beck out of the playoffs, which means he may have had his last best chance to improve his draft stock on the field. Quinn Ewers, meanwhile, needs to string together a solid effort from start to finish. A year ago, everyone wanted to ding Michael Penix Jr. for struggling against a lights-out Michigan defense in the title game, but that was after he took it to Texas in the semifinals. Neither Beck nor Ewers has had a Penix Jr.-type effort recently (though Ewers did take it to Michigan earlier this season).”

Trapasso: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State. “While he hasn’t had a brutal season, many, including myself, were expecting Egbuka to build on his 2023 statistics, and that hasn’t happened to date.”

Renner: QB Drew Allar, Penn State. “The league is desperate for quarterbacks. If he can tantalize against top competition, then someone just might reach for him in Round 1.”

Edwards: QB Quinn Ewers, Texas. “C.J. Stroud rose because he showed more mobility in the College Football Playoff against Georgia. It was a flaw presumed of him, but not based on anything that he had shown on film to that point. There is not really anything for Ewers to answer, but if he can rise to the occasion and show his ability to take over in big-game situations, that will help his stock overall.”

9. Who will play in the College Football Playoff national championship and who will win?

Wilson: Oregon over Georgia

Trapasso: Oregon. “This is harder than ever before, given the absence of a truly great team this season. I’ll go with Oregon. Dillon Gabriel has his limitations, but he’s extraordinarily experienced, and the Oregon defense is ferocious.”

Renner: Oregon over Georgia

Edwards: Oregon over Georgia. “Oregon was ripped off as the No. 1 seed. Texas and Ohio State are the two teams I would consider the most difficult opponents if Carson Beck is going to miss time, and both are in Oregon’s part of the bracket.”

10. Who will have the No. 1 pick and what will they do with it?

Wilson: “The Giants, who may struggle to win another game. They should take Cam Ward.”

Trapasso: “Giants. Pick Cam Ward from Miami, or trade down.”

Renner: “The Las Vegas Raiders and they’ll take Shedeur Sanders”

Edwards: “The Raiders and Giants are the only two teams with two wins. New York has a more difficult remaining strength of schedule, so I’ll go with them. They select Cam Ward.”

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.