NFL Draft
1/14/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Most Important Senior Bowl Roster Takeaways
The Senior Bowl roster has been released, and there are some big takeaways about the entire 2025 NFL Draft class based on what we'll see in Mobile.
The 2025 NFL Draft is 100 away, which means that the pre-draft process is about to ramp up in a very real way. The Senior Bowl, other All-Star games, the NFL Scouting Combine, top-30 visits, and reports/rumors will continue seeing players moving up and down draft boards across the media landscape.
While there's a lot that has to happen before the three-day event in Green Bay, there will be some real takeaways from this year's Senior Bowl roster.
The Most Talented Senior Bowl Ever?
Underclassmen have been allowed to attend the Senior Bowl for a couple of seasons, leading to an explosion of talent at the event.
This year's class might be the most talented in the history of the Senior Bowl.
That starts with the quarterback class, which features a potential first-round passer in Jalen Milroe and multiple prospects with tons of college experience in Dillon Gabriel, Will Howard, Riley Leonard, and Jaxson Dart. That's some unprecedented experience coming to Mobile, with all of these prospects looking to stand out from the rest of a crowded group.
Along with exciting quarterback talent, this year's Senior Bowl features multiple prospects who are in the mix as top-10 picks. Players like Josh Conerly Jr., Shemar Stewart, and Nic Scourton are all top-tier draft prospects who will be facing top competition in front of NFL scouts to boost their stock.
It's a huge testament to Jim Nagy and his staff for assembling such a loaded roster, which will have the entire NFL world flocking to Alabama to get a peak at so many top prospects.
Ranking Senior Bowl's Top Prospects
The Trenches Are Loaded
If your team needs an offensive lineman or pass rusher, then the Senior Bowl will feature plenty of players in the trenches to keep an eye on.
In addition to the guys who could be top-10 picks, there are potentially double-digit first-round picks in Mobile at OT and EDGE alone. The group includes some tackles with high upside in Aireontae Ersery, Armand Membou, and Wyatt Milum, along with dangerous pass rushers in Princely Umanmielen, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Landon Jackson, and Jared Ivey.
Even a small-school stud in Mike Green could vault himself into the first round with a dominant showing against all of these top OL prospects during the week. The Marshall EDGE led the FBS with 17 sacks this season, even showing up in big games against Ohio State and Virginia Tech with burst, bend, and a bag of pass-rush moves to get after the quarterback.
Wanted to turn on the Ohio State film first for Mike Green (EDGE, Marshall) to see how he handled top-tier talent.
— Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) December 16, 2024
Lmao. pic.twitter.com/lHMgmpssne
The Senior Bowl game itself will be interesting, but hardcore draft fans will be paying close attention to the 1-on-1 drills between these offensive linemen and pass rushers.
Who Will Ascend Into the Second Tier of RB Prospects?
Ashton Jeanty is in a tier of his own at the running back position in the 2025 draft. However, there's still plenty of time for a handful of running backs to fight their way into that second tier to be Day 2 draft picks.
The Senior Bowl features a handful of those prospects. Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II looked like a potential RB1 in this class before a disastrous 2024 season, but his top-end speed and elusiveness on a 211-pound frame could make him a legitimate workhorse at the next level.
Don't sleep on UCF's RJ Harvey sneaking into that second tier of RBs, either. The compact back ran for nearly 3,000 yards with 43 total touchdowns over the last two seasons. He has good contact balance but is also shifty and explosive to make defenders whiff before taking off and breaking away at the second level.
Don't overlook #UCF RB RJ Harvey in this draft class. Over the last two years, he and Ashton Jeanty rank 1st and 2nd in several stats:
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 3, 2024
Carries of 10+ yds: Harvey (97), Jeanty (92)
Carries of 20+ yds: Harvey (35), Jeanty (35)
Rushing TDs: Jeanty (42), Harvey (38) pic.twitter.com/80CKVYJiHj
Other names to monitor include Damien Martinez, Jarquez Hunter, Devin Neal, and a handful of other exciting RB prospects who will be competing down in Mobile.
Top Sleepers for This Year's Senior Bowl
Texas Players Might Shoot Up Draft Boards
The Texas Longhorns came away disappointed with a semifinal exit in the College Football Playoff. However, you'll see a handful of Longhorns players at the Senior Bowl who could skyrocket up draft boards as prospects who are currently being slept on.
Gunnar Helm has a chance to solidify his draft stock in a strong tight end class. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound TE prospect was a key part of Texas' pass game this year, catching 60 passes for 786 yards and seven touchdowns. He's not the most polished blocker, but he's a terrific pass-catching tight end with an impressive catch radius and reliable hands.
Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton are two prospects on the defensive front who could also improve their draft stock as pass rushers and run stoppers. However, the most exciting prospect from this Longhorns team with a chance to skyrocket up draft boards is Andrew Mukuba.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) December 16, 2024
While he's a smaller safety at 190 pounds, Mukuba is a fiery competitor with great explosiveness and fearlessness to fly all over the field. He's not a thumper, but he does a good job of flying into run support to wrap up ball carriers at the hamstrings. His instincts and movement skills in coverage make him a massive asset against the pass as well.
There was a ton of talent on that Texas defense, but Mukuba has a good chance of being the second Longhorns defender drafted after Jahdae Barron.
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