NFL Draft
1/2/25
9 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Biggest Takeaways From College Football Playoff So Far
There's no better way for NFL scouts to evaluate some of the top talent in the 2025 NFL Draft than getting to watch them play top-tier competition in the College Football Playoff.
The quarterfinals of the CFP featured some much more competitive matchups than the first round while featuring tons of first-round talent over the four games. While some players may have drawn some criticism for weaker performances, others are seeing their draft stock continue to skyrocket by dominating on the sport's biggest stage.
Let's examine some takeaways from each of the four CFP quarterfinal games, with a focus on the NFL draft.
Fiesta Bowl: Penn State 31, Boise State 14
Couple of drops for Tyler Warren tonight, but he makes up for it here. Absolute unit who runs well at 6-foot-6 and nearly 260 lbs. Sheesh 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XxfOiOlezu
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) January 1, 2025
Tyler Warren Has NFL Star Potential
TE1 in this class has been clear for a while now, but Tyler Warren continues to make the kinds of plays that suggest he's going to quickly be a star at the position in the NFL.
Warren hauled in another six passes for 63 yards and two scores, including an impressive 50-50 ball in the end zone in the third quarter. Although he dropped a couple of balls during the game, Warren also came up with a couple of clutch catches through contact to keep Penn State's offense moving.
There isn't anything that Warren can't do as a tight end prospect. He's hauled in 13-of-20 contested catch opportunities this season and is averaging a very efficient 2.77 yards per route run and 6.7 YAC per reception. He's also a dominant run blocker with his movement skills and play strength who has been able to clear the way for his running backs during his two games in the College Football Playoff.
In addition to all of that, Warren has also been Penn State's primary wildcat quarterback and a legitimate ball carrier on designed rushing attempts. He's averaging an impressive 8.6 yards per carry as a runner and has four rushing touchdowns.
Warren has top-tier athleticism and a 6-foot-6 frame that makes him almost impossible to match up against for opposing defenses. NFL defensive coordinators might have better answers for Warren early in his career, but he's such a versatile and dynamic weapon that he could hit the ground running quickly on the right NFL team in 2025.
😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/jmvImtc9l4
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) January 1, 2025
Ashton Jeanty Is Still A First-Round RB
There will be people quick to try to tear Ashton Jeanty down for averaging just 3.5 yards per carry with a couple of fumbles in the Fiesta Bowl. However, everything that Jeanty has done this season (including in Tuesday night's game) shows why he is still a top-tier RB prospect.
Despite the inefficient day running, Jeanty had an absurd 16 forced missed tackles in the loss to Penn State. He faced a loaded box on 20 of his 30 carries but still managed to break off multiple impressive runs that resulted in first downs.
Penn State's entire defensive game plan was to load the box and force Maddux Madsen to win the game through the air. It was an effective strategy, and the talent discrepancy between their front seven and Boise State's offensive line was evident throughout the game.
However, that shouldn't diminish Jeanty's capabilities this year. He finished less than 30 yards shy of Barry Sanders' season rushing record and showcased elite contact balance and impressive top-end play speed throughout the season.
There are few running backs in the NFL who can win by breaking tackles or breaking off explosive runs. Jeanty can do both and has the prospect profile that deserves first-round, if not top-10, consideration.
Peach Bowl Texas 39, Arizona State 31 (2OT)
Matthew Golden is a stud. Keep feeding him pic.twitter.com/72BJp3O6Zl
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) January 1, 2025
Matthew Golden Looks Like a Legit NFL Prospect
Isaiah Bond was supposed to be the top wide receiver prospect on the Texas Longhorns this season. However, an injury-plagued season for Bond has opened the way for Matthew Golden to show NFL scouts what he's capable of.
A transfer from Houston, Golden had a strong season heading into the Peach Bowl, catching 49 passes for 787 yards and eight touchdowns. He was unstoppable in the double overtime win, catching seven passes for 149 yards and a touchdown to go along with a crucial 2-point conversion in the second overtime.
What made Golden's performance so impressive was his ability to do a little bit of everything. His burst and top-end play speed allowed him to draw a pass interference penalty by getting behind the secondary. His body control allowed him to make a tough toe-tap catch on the sideline on a big fourth down. And his deep ball tracking helped him generate an explosive play by getting underneath the ball on a deep shot from Quinn Ewers.
Golden's dynamic skill set could make him a complete wide receiver at the next level. At 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds, he has the frame to play inside-out, but he also has the athletic ability and body control to win with speed or route-running ability to create separation.
The junior wide receiver could still go back to Texas, but his draft stock will skyrocket if he keeps playing like this in the Playoff.
CAM SKATTEBO BREAKS FREE 😤
— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2025
Tough run from No. 4 💪 pic.twitter.com/s63S4D8tvT
Cam Skattebo Can Play a Key Role on NFL Offenses
In a loaded class of running backs, it's unlikely that Cam Skattebo will be one of the first players taken at the position in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the Arizona State star has done more than enough to prove he can carve out a role at the next level.
Skattebo has been the engine of Arizona State's offense all season, running for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns before the College Football Playoff. He poured every ounce of himself into the overtime loss to Texas, carrying the ball 29 times for 141 yards and two touchdowns while leading the team in receiving with seven catches for 86 yards. He even turned the game on its head with a 42-yard passing touchdown on a trick play.
Skattebo's contact balance and excellent play strength continued to stand out in the loss, but it was his competitive toughness that will have NFL scouts falling in love with him. Sideline reports during the broadcast shared that Skattebo was "profusely vomiting" on the sideline during the game and looked visibly exhausted throughout.
Instead of wilting, Skattebo continued to fight through whatever he was dealing with until the final whistle. It's heartbreaking for ASU fans that the Sun Devils couldn't pull it off, but Skattebo's competitive toughness was on full display.
Skattebo isn't a perfect prospect, struggling with breakaway play speed and elusiveness. However, NFL teams in need of a power back will take a long look at him in the later rounds of the draft.
ROSE BOWL: Ohio State 41, Oregon 21
LATHAN RANSOM #RAMTRUCKED#PMSCFPESPN2 pic.twitter.com/z3P2utlDxs
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 1, 2025
Ohio State's Defense is Loaded with NFL Talent
The Ducks didn't stand a change in the Rose Bowl, with the Buckeyes defense shutting everything down until it was too late for Oregon to come back.
That doesn't happen without an NFL-caliber defense dominating in all three levels.
Jack Sawyer continues to make a case for being a first-round prospect as one of the most consistent EDGEs in the country. He came away with another two sacks, consistent pressure on Dillon Gabriel, and even some batted passes at the line of scrimmage. He's a powerful 260-pound EDGE who can dominate the point of attack and looks like a three-down player who can rush the passer and stop the run with consistency.
Safety Lathan Ransom also shined on Wednesday night. Along with a sack of his own, Ransom delivered a punishing hit on Ducks RB Jordan James in the first half, flying downhill to meet him inside the box and stop him in his tracks. Ransom's film shows an aggressive downhill safety who can play multiple roles, and that could help him move up boards in a wide-open safety class behind Malaki Starks.
Tyleik Williams has all the tools to be a first-round pick. He was so dominant in the trenches all day against Oregon that it opened up opportunities for his teammates to make plays. He's an imposing presence as a 327-pound defensive tackle who can drive blockers backward into the pocket with great play strength, extension, and technique.
That's not even all of Ohio State's NFL-caliber defenders. Cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun will be drafted in the later rounds, while JT Tuimoloau is another legitimate pass rusher.
It's a stacked defense that shut down one of the best offenses in the country, and that could be enough to make them the top national title contender.
Stock Down for Oregon's Offensive Tackles
There was a lot of buzz surrounding Oregon's pair of talented and athletic offensive tackles heading into the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately, a game like this one will be a rough blemish on their respective resumes going into the pre-draft process.
While it wasn't all on Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius, the two were a big reason why Gabriel was sacked eight times and pressured even more in the loss to the Buckeyes. It was a clear mismatch between the two tackles and Ohio State's EDGEs in Sawyer and Tuimoloau, who consistently collapsed the pocket with power and speed rushes.
While Conerly will have a chance to stay another year at Oregon to continue developing if he decides to take that route, Cornelius is set to graduate after a five-year college career at Oregon and Rhode Island. There will be questions about Cornelius after taking a step backward in pass protection compared to the 2023 season, allowing 23 pressures and two sacks this year compared to zero sacks and 11 pressures last season.
It's not the way either offensive tackle wants to be remembered by NFL scouts, but the pre-draft process could help them bounce back with their respective draft stocks.
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