NFL Draft
3/17/25
10 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Ranking This Year's Biggest Home Run Hitters
The 2025 NFL Draft is about six weeks away, and the league's landscape is clearer now than it was before free agency began. Team needs are more known after the first wave of signings, and pro days are the only thing remaining for evaluators to attend. Big boards are being set after all of the 2025 Combine data has been gathered and put into fancy models.
The combine certainly clarified how some playmakers were viewed. Whether the 40 times reassured what we saw on film or made us go back to the tape to see what we missed, there's not much left to question about the 2025 NFL Draft class. We know who the biggest home run threats are on each play.
These 10 home run hitters can effortlessly create a chunk play out of a sliver of an opportunity. Using a mixture of on-field production and combine data, they've separated themselves from the field as the most explosive stars to watch for.
Biggest Home Run Hitters in 2025 NFL Draft
10. Ja'Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville
2024 stats: 61 receptions, 1,013 yards, 9 TDs
A former Alabama top recruit, only three draft-eligible receivers had a higher yards per catch rate and more receptions than Ja'Corey Brooks did in 2024. Kyle Williams and Jack Bech are two of those individuals, so it's a small company for Brooks to compete with for this spot. Brooks gets the nod because he threatens defenses as both a route-runner and after the catch, whereas his two peers are less versatile.
Brooks' long strides as a 6-foot-2, 184-pounder make him an ideal threat on intermediate routes where he eats up cushion from defenders. But his acceleration to top speed also works on screens and quick throws where he gets a clean release.
9. DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
2024 stats: 205 carries, 1,343 yards, 7 TDs; 20 receptions, 258 yards, TD
A taller but fairly lean back at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, DJ Giddens left zero doubt at the combine as to whether he was just a smooth mover who made explosive plays look easy or if he was an elite athlete. Giddens improved his manipulation of defenders in Year 2 as a starter in 2024, increasing his yards created after contact by almost a full yard and nearly doubling his explosive run rate. He's elusive, fast, and nuanced as a threat.
Though he doesn't have the fastest acceleration or top-end speed, he's safely above average or better in those testing metrics. Running a 4.43 40 with a 1.53-second 10-yard split and posting jumps right behind the best marks in the class have boosted his stock considerably.
8. Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
2024 stats: 60 receptions, 1,030 yards, 7 TDs
Tre Harris has the best analytical argument for being a first-round pick in the entire class. Standing over 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Harris is incredibly efficient, lapping the Power 5 field in yards after the catch per reception (7.7), yards per route run (5.12), drop rate (7.7 percent), and passer rating when targeted (149.5). While Harris benefits from a wide-open offensive scheme, he's maximized every opportunity and has dominated the competition.
His ability to create after the catch is unique for his size and build. Most taller, filled-out receivers, including many of the names on this list, can't move as fluidly as Harris does. NFL teams won't be getting someone as limited as DK Metcalf is in his movement ability, opening up more potential for play-callers to work with. Removing personnel-based weaknesses allows the offense to go above and beyond base concepts in key situations.
Functionally, Harris passed the test of being a force each week he played. He's strong, accelerates off the line well enough for his size to put defensive backs on their heels, and has long strides that create separation. With NFL schemes prioritizing creation after the catch as much as at the catch point, Harris offers a higher upside than smaller playmakers who can't rely on their power and frame as much.
7. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
2024 stats: 144 carries, 1,016 yards, 10 TDs; 27 receptions, 284 yards, 1 TD
Some of the stars on this list weren't on evaluators' radars for long as they were backups or needed to transfer to find a new home before getting on a bigger platform. TreVeyon Henderson isn't in that boat, as he was a star from Day 1 at Ohio State. He was immediately the fastest player on the field at all times, and his game-breaking potential was only derailed by a porous offensive line and some durability issues.
However, the last two years brought about a different version of Henderson, where his availability and explosiveness improved. Thriving in Chip Kelly's mixed-run scheme, Henderson plays like he's shot out of a cannon the moment there's space for him to get up to top speed.
He's also arguably the best receiving and blocking back on this list, so he'll get plenty of opportunities in the NFL to show his impact potential.
6. Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami (FL)
2024 stats: 35 receptions, 590 yards, 7 TDs
Elijah Arroyo didn't work out at the combine because he didn't need to show anything more after the Senior Bowl. He was the most dominant playmaker at the event, showing off rare speed, separation ability, and catch radius while in team and individual drills. Arroyo was a late bloomer at Miami because of injuries, but the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder is now a top-50 prospect.
On top of excellent movement ability, Arroyo has one of the most efficient catch rates and the second-highest yards after the catch mark in the class. Only three tight ends have a higher average depth of target, but Arroyo's overall profile is more impressive. Plus, teams will love that Arroyo was credited with only one drop this season.
5. Dont'e Thornton, WR, Tennessee
2024 stats: 26 receptions, 661, 6 TDs
The biggest surprise of the 2025 Combine was Dont'e Thornton. With a tiny sample size in Tennessee's unique vertical passing attack, Thornton wasn't really on the radar beyond his stats and raw measurements. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder proceeded to run a 4.3 40-yard dash and leap 10-feet-6-inches in the broad jump, and now he's a top developmental option for teams.
While Thornton's toughness and experience running anything other than slants and go routes are valid concerns for scouts, no one in the class can touch his verticality and efficiency. He produced a nation-leading 10.7 yards after the catch, only two drops, and averaged an insane 25.5 yards per catch. No defender will want to go toe-to-toe with Thornton 1-on-1.
4. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
2024 stats: 183 carries, 1,159 yards, 15 TDs; 23 receptions, 81 yards, 2 TDs
Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten looks like a super-sub back who needs a power option to complement him, but the 5-foot-9, 206-pounder is such a superb athlete that he's too good to take off the field often. He effortlessly dominated his competition in the ACC after transferring from North Carolina A&T and actually became more explosive despite the jump in opponent quality.
Even in a standout group of rushers, Tuten's movement ability is remarkable. He blazed a 4.32 40 to go with an elite 40.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-10-inch broad jump. Combining his elite measurables with his sixth-best yards after-contact per carry rate and breakaway rate reveals a high-end prospect who is being undervalued through this draft process.
3. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
2024 stats: 2,844 passing yards, 16 TDs; 726 rushing yards, 20 TDs
The NFL draft process thus far has not been as kind to Jalen Milroe as it could've been, but it's hard to completely lose sight of the dominant run threat and deep-throwing abilities he brings to the table. His time with Kalen DeBoer in 2024 wasn't as fruitful for his development in the pocket as hoped either, but one team will take Milroe with hopes of unleashing him in subpackages while the rest of his game comes together. He's too good of an athlete not to utilize.
At 225 pounds and lightning fast, evaluators were hoping to see Milroe run the 40-yard dash at the combine. He opted out of it, but the speculation he could log a time in the high 4.3s seems justified based on his film. That combination of size and speed is valuable even if Milroe never figures out how to consistently convert opportunities as a passer.
That said, Milroe is in a rare class of small-handed quarterbacks with a howitzer for arm strength. Much like Michael Vick, Milroe creates unique torque on the ball despite having sub-9-inch hands. This contributes to his inaccuracy and fumbling issues, but no one can deny his effectiveness in throwing downfield.
2. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
2024 stats: 240 carries, 1,537 yards, 21 TDs; 22 receptions, 188 yards, 2 TDs
One of the big breakout stars from last season was the big, booming back from Iowa, Kaleb Johnson. Standing 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, Johnson fits the prototypical mold of a powering presence who bulldozes secondary defenders who dare to step into a run lane. However, Johnson's real superpower is the burst he quickly utilizes to recover from contact and explode upfield.
An elite zone rusher who utilizes sharp cuts to erase tackling angles and avoid direct hits, it was easy to think he weighed 30 pounds less on his biggest plays. The combination of speed, power, and agility created a monstrous threat for defenses to worry about. UCLA and Nebraska were the only defenses to keep Johnson under 4.7 yards a carry.
No other back could match his explosiveness per carry with the volume he received. Ranking ninth in carries and fourth in breakaway yard rate, Johnson did everything possible to prove he would be a star-level back in the NFL who creates big plays.
1. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
2024 stats: 374 carries, 2,601 yards, 29 TDs; 23 receptions, 138 yards, TD
There's a reason why Ashton Jeanty is projected to be only the third running back to be selected in the top 10 picks since 2018. He's a unicorn in every sense, boasting top-end explosiveness while also being able to handle a workhorse's volume of touches. Jeanty is the offensive engine and creates opportunities with his gravity, which is incredibly rare at every position, especially at running back.
His advanced stats are better than what most people could produce in College Football 25 on Freshman difficulty. Jeanty had 49 more forced missed tackles than the second-place finisher, and his total "breakaway" yards (1,366) would've landed him as the class' ninth-leading rusher overall. No one makes defenders whiff like Jeanty, and no one else creates after-contact like he does.
The other major positive he brings is as a receiver. While his numbers dipped in 2024, Jeanty racked up 578 yards on 44 catches in 2023, proving to be an elite threat from the backfield.
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