Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday as all 32 NFL teams begin their selection process. Currently, these teams are making final preparations with draft meetings, preparing their draft board, and final assessments on prospects of interest.
Speaking of draft boards, this is the money maker. Teams will have anywhere from 175 to 100 prospects on their board, whether it’s in a vertical or horizontal fashion. All teams fashion their board based on a range of factors such as play-style, scheme fit, and culture fit among others.
Over the last five months, I have worked on prospect evaluations with grade valuations of over 150 prospects. Each prospect has been carefully watched with objective grading, a minimum of three games watched on every player on the board. This has been a long process but it has paid off with a first and final draft big board.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the Top 50 prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, starting with descriptions of each of the first ten players.
This is a generational prospect– we have never seen a player of Hunter’s caliber who has played both sides of the ball as consistently and as well as he has. He is both the best cornerback and wide receiver in this year’s class with rare athleticism, ball skills, twitch, and instincts and coverage. Hunter should be allowed to play both sides of the ball full-time to start before transitioning to either side of the ball, specifically.
Don’t let the current noise about him fool you: Johnson is still one of the best prospects in the draft and a top CB prospect we’ve seen in recent years. It wasn’t long ago when he was blanketing top receivers in college football with outstanding coverage technique in zone or press-man that pairs with elite ball skills and run support ability pre-2024. Wherever he falls to, that team is getting a No. 1 cornerback almost immediately.
Graham remains one of the top prospects in the entire draft. He might have short arms but that doesn’t stop him from being an absolute terrier with physicality, quickness, active hands, a high-end pass rush ceiling, and an elite get-off to create penetration almost immediately. Anyone that drafts Graham is getting them an immediate upgrade in the defensive trenches.
Carter is not a true generational pass rusher and there are some questions in his game that keep him from earning that tag. Still, he is a blue-chip player who can give you an immediate boost with your pass rush corps. His combination of twitch, elite burst, bend, pass-rush plan, and upside as a run defender make him comfortably the best edge rusher in the draft, rounding out the four blue-chip graded prospects.
I remain a believer in the talent that Starks bestows and it feels like a similar situation that Brian Branch was in two years ago as the No. 5 overall prospect on my board that year. Starks is an explosive safety with excellent range and transitions in coverage. He is capable of coming downhill in run support to make plays while presenting some versatility as an off-ball big nickel defender, making him a system-diverse talent in the secondary.
Jeanty is the best running back to enter the draft since either Bijan Robinson or Saquon Barkley. He offers an incredible combination of vision, power, initial explosiveness, footwork and an adequate pass-catching skill set that many have undervalued– he caught 43 passes for over 500 yards and five touchdowns in his sophomore seasons, showcasing why he is worthy of a potential Top-10 selection at a position that has become greatly devalued.
One of the most versatile playmakers in the draft lands at No. 7 on the board. Warren is an exceptional player with the ball in his hands who is a handful to bring down in space, offering ample contact balance and sustainable burst to generate a ton of yards after contact. On top of that, Warren is only getting better as a route runner and blocker while adding in high-end ball skills to the table. Add him to your offense and prosper.
It’s hard to ignore just how good Campbell is on tape. I love his sideline-to-sideline range, athletic ability, run defense, and coverage skills, and he exemplifies what the modern day linebacker looks like with his versatility as a pass rusher on occasion. Teams looking to add more talent to the second level of their defense will land a difference maker.
There are many varying opinions of Walker as a player. I see him as a pure pass rusher with the ability to move around as a chess piece at the 2nd level, using his outstanding closing speed, burst, flexibility, and violence in the run game to make an immediate impact at the next level. The team that takes Walker should have a lot of fun with an admittedly risky prospect overall.
Sure, there is concern with his torn patellar tendon he suffered last season, but Simmons is the best offensive lineman in the draft when healthy. He offers great technique in his pass sets, great drive and movement skills in the run game, and the right amount of mauling demeanor to dominate on the edge. If he can stay healthy, Simmons could be a franchise left tackle at the next level.
Beginning with Revel, this is a player that when healthy is a Top 15 prospect in the draft and has remained as such since his final evaluation back in December. Egbuka comes in as the top wide receiver prospect on my board, a grain against the consensus due to his sound and complete skill set at the position while Campbell comes in as an interior lineman. Stewart and Williams round out the Top 20 as two project-ish talents who could thrive if the right defensive coach gets their hands on them.
The late-first, early second-round valuations begin and end here with Ezeiruaku and Nolen, two intriguing first round possibilities that could strengthen an NFL defense at their respective positions. Watts is arguably the best ball hawk in the draft class with elite production and aggression at the catch point. McMillan and Burden are two well-known prospects with serious question marks while Green comes in lower on my board due to concerns as a run defender and edge setter.
The top two quarterbacks finally make an appearance in a draft that seems oddly similar to the 2019 class– Ward has the highest ceiling and should go No. 1 overall. Henderson comes in as the No. 2 tailback on my big board, exemplifying a nice combination of explosiveness, vision, and passing down ability.
Schwesinger and Scourton are two defensive prospects being slept on in a deep class on their side of the ball– both could be quality selections for teams with a need for a new MIKE linebacker or potential starting edge rusher, respectively.
Finishing off the Top 50 players with offensive linemen at each end as Zabel is likely the best center in the draft while Ersery is a monster human being with incredible size and movement skills that make him a scheme-diverse talent. Mukuba and Higgins are two of “my guys” in this draft class and both should have significant impacts early in their careers. Alexander is a pinball with quality power and explosiveness that will garner the attention of every team despite being an older prospect.
Parrish was the toughest miss of this group of honorable mentions, offering a skill set that can allow him to play inside out and utlize his short-area explosion and coverage technique to be an effective nickelback at the next level. Taylor and Swinson are two LSU prospects who should carve out nice roles as potential starters. Thomas projects as the best press-man defender in the class while Collins is easily a Top 3 run defender in the draft, overall.
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