NFL Analysis
9/5/24
13 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Initial Top 50 Rankings Entering Season
With the 2024 college football season's opening bell still echoing, the march toward a new NFL Draft cycle is underway. There will be a flood of new information about the prospects eligible for next April — and it is essential to allow them to redefine your opinions of them as this season unfolds.
But with the opening salvo of NFL games looming this weekend, it is a great time to stop and survey the landscape as we know it.
Who are the best of the best eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft? Here's who I think makes the cut as of today. We'll see what the next few months bring to shift the narrative.
>> READ MORE: Latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Initial 2025 NFL Draft Top 10
1. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan Wolverines 
Will Johnson is the prototype.
With elite length, good straight-line speed, ball skills that rival a wide receiver's, and the physicality to step up and support the run, there isn't much that Johnson can't do. It is easy to be impressed with the fluidity in space, particularly from depth to attack route angles and undercut his receiver.
His football instincts give him more opportunities to attack the ball from zone coverage; he's logged interceptions from clouded coverage in the flat and from deep third/quarter responsibility with his eyes in the backfield. But thanks to his length, he can crowd the catch point and play through the receivers' hands to contest targets through the ground.
This is a rare universal type prospect who projects favorably to any scheme.
2. Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State Nittany Lions 
Carter should be pumped for the upcoming season because it will bring about a significant change compared to his first two years in Happy Valley.
Carter, who played off-ball linebacker amid a gifted edge rusher group for Penn State the past few years, will be an edge rusher this season. The off-ball versatility offers his defensive coaches the chance to move him around and attack protection schemes with twists and stunts inside — Carter has had great success pressing interior gaps and defeating running backs in protection.
Now that he's playing off the edge with a higher frequency, I think we'll see a whole new level in his game. Carter has the build to play on the edge and has explosive speed to power in his arsenal.
3. Mason Graham, IDL, Michigan Wolverines
Graham's teammate, Will Johnson, might be the most direct projection to the NFL in this year's class, but Graham is pretty close behind. He's an ascending player who has been a part of a heavy rotation of talent on the defensive line in Ann Arbor for the past few seasons.
Now, he's "the man" along with teammate Kenneth Grant Jr. for the Wolverines. Graham's growth as a pass rusher from his freshman to sophomore season didn't necessarily yield explosive sack numbers. Still, it illustrated an apparent ability to deconstruct blocks and create chaos in several ways.
Graham plays with the kind of motor that scouts will fall in love with and should be considered a ready-made run defender who can play on all three downs.
4. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado Buffaloes 
Where do you start? The biggest challenge for Hunter is deciding what side of the football he should focus on when he arrives in the pros. He could play wide receiver or cornerback at an elite level.
His movement and ball skills would make him a rare talent at cornerback, where he already shows outstanding instincts in coverage to overlap zones and trigger to drive on the ball. His foot speed and hip mobility are rare and allow him to play with elite transitional quickness and fluidity — now imagine what it could look like if he commits to play there full time.
Of course, the challenge with this is that the NFL money lives on offense, thanks to the rapidly swelling receiver market. Will Hunter be convicted about where he should play? I'm not sure it changes my ranking either way, but I think he's a rare talent at the corner.
5. Malaki Starks, SAF, Georgia Bulldogs 
Starks is, for my money, one of the best overall prospects in the country. The challenge with him as a player is not the evaluation but the valuation.
Safeties and nickel defenders swim upstream in the predraft process due to positional value, as evidenced by players like Brian Branch and Antoine Winfield Jr. falling out of the first round despite elite film in recent years.
I love Starks' versatility. He's a terrific tackler with good speed and dynamic ability at the catch point. Whether he's high-pointing targets for interceptions or carrying eligibles down the field, you see the fluidity of a much smaller player in Starks' 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame. The NFL is a "more you can do" league, and a player that can be as impactful as I see from Starks on film is a player that, from a pure skill perspective, is hard to top.
6. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri Tigers 
Burden III is a creator with the ball in his hands, but you shouldn't sell him short in his ability to create separation. He's illustrated the ability to produce against man and zone coverage, offering an impressive profile as an all-around weapon for Missouri.
His role in 2023 featured him inside in the slot at a much higher level (in excess of 80 percent of snaps), which could be a turnoff to some. But given the prominence of 11 (one back and tight end) personnel across the league, I don't see his usage as a restriction to snap volume. I also see all the traits that could play at a high level on the perimeter.
Burden III blends blazing speed with reliable hands, excellent contact balance, and field vision — making him one of the most dangerous run-after-catch threats in the country. As teams continue to look to limit explosive plays over the top, guys who can create after the catch should see their value boosted. I think Burden III is a beneficiary of this trend.
7. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona Wildcats 
Wow. When the football gods sat down and crafted a prototypical 'X' receiver, their blueprint looked a bit like McMillan. This is a massive player with ample physicality to win against press coverage and defeat leverage in his routes.
He's got suction cup hands (a career drop rate below four percent entering 2024) and an elite catch radius to attack the football in the air. He isn't a blazer in the open field, but I think he runs fast enough. Thanks to his physicality and length, he should continue his success as a vertical target, both outside the numbers and in the middle of the field.
Offenses who look to isolate a top target in the passing game to the field should see McMillan as a top option for the role.
8. James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee Volunteers 
The name of the game here is explosion.
Pearce Jr. is a dynamic talent with a ton of first-step ability — he'll overwhelm heavy-footed tackles and pass protectors who take poor angles on the edge. Pearce Jr. logged massive pressure numbers thanks mainly to that speed and his flexibility as an edge rusher, which allows him to reduce his surface area and play fast through the strike zone of opposing tackles.
There's so much to build on, but it is a bit of a projection; He came into the 2024 season with just 520 career snaps. He'll need a solid campaign to live up to this ranking, but he has all of the uncoachable skills and has room on his frame to add some muscle mass while maintaining all of that explosive twitch and bend.
9. Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 
If you're looking for proof that life isn't fair sometimes, look no further than Benjamin Morrison not being CB1 in this initial ranking. He's a tremendous player.
Morrison is less physical and long than Will Johnson, nor is he as fluid as Travis Hunter in space. However, he plays the position cleanly and offers excellent polish. I admire his patience in the contact window; he doesn't surrender leverage easily and pairs that with high-end transition speed to trigger and attack the catch point when he's playing from depth.
He's well on his way to maximizing his potential, and he's mature beyond his years with his coverage instincts and technique — making him a sticky defender who might not get a lot of action opposite a first-year starter on the other side for the Irish in 2024.
10. Will Campbell OT, LSU Tigers 
Campbell is an aggressive mauler of an offensive tackle with all the raw power needed to be a people mover in the NFL at the point of attack. A starter since his freshman season with the Tigers, Campbell has excellent grip strength and the needed length to effectively dictate terms in his set on the edge.
He's not the most fleet of foot, but Campbell offers effective pass-set framing against wide-angled rushers and those attacking an inside shoulder. In the run game, Campbell has good urgency off the ball, and his heavy frame allows him to churn for space despite being a taller tackle.
Initial 2025 NFL Draft Rankings 11-20
11. Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas Longhorns
12. Deone Walker, NT, Kentucky Wildcats
13. Nic Scourton, DL, Texas A&M Aggies
14. Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan Wolverines
15. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State Broncos
16. Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota Golden Gophers
17. Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia Bulldogs
18. Kenneth Grant, IDL, Michigan Wolverines
19. Kevin Winston Jr., SAF, Penn State Nittany Lions
20. Harold Perkins, LB, LSU Tigers
The potential depth at the top of this year's class is on full display as we expand into the top 20 preliminary-ranked players.
A combined four offensive and defensive linemen comprised the top 10 overall. Another six reside between No. 11 and No. 20. It's technically seven if you could LSU LB Harold Perkins Jr., one of the most frustrating players in the class, for the disconnect between his apparent ability to rush the passer. LSU's seemingly impossible task is to get him to do so regularly. Perkins Jr. has a freakish first step — he's one of several players in this collection with an elite physical attribute to hang their respective hats on.
Kenneth Grant Jr. is an unbelievable athlete for a 330-pound defensive tackle. The length of Mykel Williams is a gold star attribute. The movement skills of Banks Jr. and Walker are unique, too.
The non-trench players in this collection? Elite prospects at traditionally devalued positions: Colston Loveland, Ashton Jeanty, and Kevin Winston Jr. should all be considered plug-and-play starters at the next level when their time comes.
Initial 2025 NFL Draft Rankings 21-30
21. Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas Longhorns
22. Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona Wildcats
23. Emery Jones, OT, LSU Tigers
24. Carson Beck, QB, Georgia Bulldogs
25. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Buffaloes
26. Tyleik Williams, IDL, Ohio State Buckeyes
27. Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona Wildcats
28. JT Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State Buckeyes
29. Cam Ward, QB, Miami Hurricanes
30. Walter Nolen, IDL, Mississippi Rebels
Welcome to the party, quarterbacks of 2025! Three signal callers check-in within the first "tier" of passers eligible for this year's class.
Carson Beck is the traditional fit, sporting a prototypical build, an effective arm, and a firm sense of timing to attack the middle of the field. Shedeur Sanders is more of a home run-hitting quarterback who is fearless in the pocket to stand and deliver and offers a little bit more of a live arm than Beck.
You do need to take the good with the bad, however — as Sanders invites some more negative plays with his style and approach. And then there's the biggest boom or bust of the trio in Miami's Cam Ward. I've been a massive fan of his game for several seasons going back to his initial arrival at Washington State in 2022. Ward affirmed his arrival with the Hurricanes in a dominant performance against Florida in Gainesville. I suspect there's a lot more where that came from, and he may have the best raw throwing ability of the trio.
Elsewhere in this group? Don't sleep on Isaiah Bond and Tacario Davis. Bond has an easy accelerator and dynamic wiggle to create loads of separation. He should be a favorite for Texas HC Steve Sarkisian all year after transferring from Alabama. Davis is among the longest corners in the country. He's a supersized corner listed at 6-foot-4 with unbelievable mobility for a player of his stature. Guys like this are rare on the perimeter.
Initial 2025 NFL Draft Rankings 31-40
31. Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina Pirates
32. Landon Jackson, DL, Arkansas Razorbacks
33. Denzel Burke CB, Ohio State Buckeyes
34. Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State Cowboys
35. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State Buckeyes
36. Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon Ducks
37. Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State Buckeyes
38. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU Tigers
39. Patrick Payton, EDGE, Florida State Seminoles
40. Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama Crimson Tide
There is a strong representation of skill players in this tier. WR Emeka Egbuka has ample potential as the next member of the Ohio State wide receiver factory.
I'm excited about what this season could bring for Evan Stewart in Eugene after starting his career at Texas A&M. I'm also eager to see what this season has in store for talented DLs like Landon Jackson and Jack Sawyer.
Both are physical players who offer heavy hands and length on the edge. There's a high floor for players like them in the NFL, but can they prove they have the ceiling to impact players in all phases? I'm hopeful this season provides clarity for both.
Also, count me "in" on LSU's Garrett Nussmeier. The arm talent was quickly evident in the Tigers' season opener against USC. He has plenty of talent around him, and I expect him to realize his potential after a long journey at LSU.
Initial 2025 NFL Draft Rankings 41-50
41. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State Buckeyes
42. Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky Wildcats
43. Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson Tigers
44. Sebastian Castro, CB, Iowa Hawkeyes
45. Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Mississippi Rebels
46. Lander Barton, LB, Utah Utes
47. Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina Tar Heels
48. Billy Bowman, SAF, Oklahoma Sooners
49. Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia Bulldogs
50. Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas Longhorns
If you like bell cow backs, the odds are high that you'll be a fan of North Carolina's Omarion Hampton. He's hard to tackle in more ways than one — surprisingly swift and slippery for a player of his stature at 220 pounds.
I love how Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman flies around the field, too. Bowman has some of the more impressive ball skills in the country — sporting nine interceptions between 2022 and 2023. This group is a fun blend of potential and high-effort players.
Perhaps the most interesting? Texas QB Quinn Ewers, who has a gifted arm. Ewers flashed some added comfort in the system during Texas's win against Colorado State. I felt at times last year that Ewers was carried by his supporting cast. Can he flip the script this year and be the one who does the heavy lifting more consistently? If so, he'll move up these rankings.
