Dreams will come true for 257 NFL hopefuls next week.
With the 2025 NFL Draft set to held from April 24-26 in Green Bay, teams are likely wrapping up their final evaluations of the players they’d like to select.
There’s depth in multiple areas of this class, but who are the top players at each position? What schools are well-represented? And what rounds might these players be drafted in?
Here are the five best prospects for every position:
- Cam Ward, Miami (Florida)
- Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
- Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
- Jalen Milroe, Alabama
- Will Howard, Ohio State
Ward is the overwhelming favorite to be selected at No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans, but there’s uncertainty surrounding every other quarterback. Sanders, Dart and Milroe — likely in that order — could go anywhere in the first or second rounds. Howard, fresh off winning a national championship, is likely a mid-round pick with the potential to sneak into Day 2 (Rounds 2-3).
One other name worth monitoring is 25-year-old Tyler Shough from Louisville, who also projects into a Day 2 pick — making it a half dozen signal callers potentially off the board before the weekend.
Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, shares the best advice he’s received from his dad, the biggest misconceptions about his family and discusses his future life goals.
- Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
- TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
- Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
- Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
One of the most stacked running back classes in recent history comes at the perfect time. The position was prioritized last year, with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry dominating all season long. Jeanty figures to be picked in the top half of the first round, while the other four have varying outcomes. Hampton and Henderson could be first-rounders, while Johnson and Judkins are looking like Day 2 locks.
Ashton Jeanty, a 2025 NFL Draft prospect, discusses the significance of being compared to Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith, and names the running backs who have influenced his game.
- Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- Matthew Golden, Texas
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
- Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Hunter is expected to be the first non-QB off the board, partially due to his two-way abilities (more on that later). McMillan and Golden are the other two receivers who appear to be first-round locks, though their range is still being debated. Egbuka and Higgins could very well join them in the back half of the first round. If not, they’ll be off the board quickly on Day 2.
Either way, the 2025 NFL Draft will not challenge last year’s record-tying first round which saw seven wide receivers hear their names called Thursday evening.
Here are five things to know about 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter Jr.
- Tyler Warren, Penn State
- Colston Loveland, Michigan
- Mason Taylor, LSU
- Elijah Arroyo, Miami (Florida)
- Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green
Warren and Loveland are rocketing up draft boards, and both should be picked in the top-20. The next tier is Taylor and Arroyo, who are likely Day 2 selections. The LSU product is notably the son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. That leaves us with Fannin, who set several FBS and school records last season for Bowling Green — including receiving yards by a tight end (1,555) and receptions by a tight end (117).
- Will Campbell, LSU
- Armand Membou, Missouri
- Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
- Josh Simmons, Ohio State
- Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon
It’s not easy to find reliable NFL tackles, so expect these players to come off the board early. Campbell, despite having questions about his arm length, still projects as the top offensive linemen in this class. Membou and Banks should be drafted shortly after Campbell, followed by Simmons and Conerly later in the first round or early in the second.
- Tyler Booker, Alabama
- Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
- Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
- Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
- Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Guards and centers aren’t as valued as tackles, so these players are likely to be waiting around a little bit longer. All five could be drafted on Day 2, with Booker, Jackson and Zabel having an outside chance to sneak into the bottom of the first round. Savaiinaea and Ratledge are a tier below the other three, but it would be surprising if they weren’t picked before Day 3.
- Mason Graham, Michigan
- Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
- Derrick Harmon, Oregon
- Kenneth Grant, Michigan
- T.J. Sanders, South Carolina
Graham is in a class of his own with this group. The Michigan product will be a top-10 pick, and none of the other are guaranteed to be first-rounders. Nolen and Harmon are projected to go late-first — there’s always a chance someone earlier falls in love, but they could just as easily fall. As for Grant and Sanders, keep on eye on them for Day 2 — especially Grant, who could sneak into the first round if someone gets desperate.
- Abdul Carter, Penn State
- Jalon Walker, Georgia
- Mykel Williams, Georgia
- Mike Green, Marshall
- Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Everyone wants a player who can hit the quarterback, and these guys do just that. Carter is a sure-fire top-five pick, even despite a foot injury that kept him out of the combine and pro day. The Georgia pair — plus Green and Stewart — are all expected to be first-round picks.
- Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
- Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
- Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss
- Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina
- Barrett Carter, Clemson
Like interior offensive linemen and running backs, there isn’t typically a high demand for off-ball linebackers in the draft. Campbell is the only one who will go in the first round, and that’s because of his impressive versatility — 112 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and an interception last season. The other four will be Day 2 or 3 picks, in all likelihood.
- Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Will Johnson, Michigan
- Jahdae Barron, Texas
- Trey Amos, Ole Miss
- Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Oh yeah, Hunter is good enough to be ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver and cornerback. It all depends on how his NFL team utilizes him. Johnson and Barron are close behind, with both expected to go in the top-15 or 20. Amos and Hairston are more likely late-first or second-round selections.
Here is a top-five list of two-way NFL players that Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter could aspire to follow.
- Malaki Starks, Georgia
- Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
- Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
- Andrew Mukuba, Texas
- Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State
None of these five are guaranteed to be first-round picks, but Starks and Emmanwori are the best bets. Watts, Mukuba and Winston all have their own distinct strengths and weaknesses. That should put them firmly in consideration for Day 2 picks.
- Caden Davis, Ole Miss, kicker
- Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State, kicker
- Andres Borregales, Miami (Florida), kicker
- James Burnip, Alabama, punter
- Jeremy Crawshaw, Florida, punter
How early is too early to draft a kicker or punter? That’s the question every year. Davis or Fitzgerald both could be first off the board in 2025, but there’s no standout that should be selected earlier than the fourth or fifth round.
