Author: Nathan Hott

Pre-Combine Notes

The NFL Combine is coming up this week and there should be some interesting players that will be weighed and measured, and hopefully they will actually work out.  The top players at the positions rarely work out and it’s a safe assumption that happens again this year.  There are some guys who can really help themselves if they work out and do well.  The flip side is you can hurt yourself if you don’t do well.  I’m going to give you a little primer on who could help themselves (or not) this week at the combine.

Quarterbacks

Jalen Milroe (Alabama)- He has the opportunity to show off his elite athleticism, which is something everyone knows he has but when you do it in front of them, it leaves a lasting impression.  I’m not a Milroe guy because I have a lot of questions about him in the passing game but he could move into the QB3 spot of this draft with an impressive showing in Indy.

Will Howard (Ohio St.)- One of the more intriguing QBs after he led Ohio St. to a National Championship.  Howard is 6’4 236 lbs. and he shows good accuracy. He’s more mobile that he gets credit for because he’s pretty big. He doesn’t want to run with the ball but he can move out of the pocket and throw on the run. 

Tyler Shough (Louisville)- Shough (pronounced like Shuck) will be 26 years old in September, he’s been in college 7 years.  He started at Oregon, went to Texas Tech, and ended up at Louisville.  When he throws at the combine, he’s going to make all the others look bad, he’s got arguably the best arm in the class.  He might scare off a few of the more notable players from throwing because they don’t want to look bad in comparison. 

Kyle McCord (Syracuse)- The guy who left Ohio St. and had a great year at Syracuse could make himself some money if he looks good at the combine.  He didn’t dominate the Shrine Bowl like some expected but he was good and if he carries that momentum into the combine, he could move up the board. 

Running Backs

Quinshon Judkins (Ohio St.) – Judkins transferred to Ohio St. last year after dominating for a couple of years at Ole Miss.  He moved into a timeshare with Treveyon Henderson and while they were both good it didn’t let either really dominate during the season.  Henderson was the speed guy while Judkins was the power back. Judkins showed in the National Championship game that he can be a dominate back.  He’s fallen behind a number of guys in this draft but someone is going to get a great back on day two.  He could really move up too if he shows some of the skills people forgot he had this last season. 

Kyle Monangai (Rutgers) – Monangai is listed at 5’9 209 lbs. but no one who has ever tried to tackle him would believe that.  He’s one of the toughest runners in college football and his game will translate to the pros.  He needs to prove to teams he has some speed and elusiveness that he rarely showed at Rutgers.  He’s a true power runner but he can do a little more than that.  If he can outperform expectations in the 40, the broad jump, or the vertical, just to prove some explosiveness, it will help his draft stock.

Kaleb Johnson (Iowa) – There is no doubt he has everything you want in the run game, speed, power, vision, patience, it’s all there.  The one thing that Iowa didn’t use Johnson for enough was in the pass game.  He has good hands and I believe he’s a complete back but there just isn’t a lot on film showing different aspects of catching the ball.  The pass catching drills for the RBs could be huge for Johnson’s stock. 

Wide Receivers

Luther Burden III (Missouri)– I’m not certain Burden will work out but I think he should.  He had a less than stellar season at Missouri, but it wasn’t his fault.  He can go to the combine and show that he’s still the playmaker he was two years ago.  I’m seeing him fall behind guys like Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden, I like those guys but Burden has the higher upside as a true playmaker. 

Emeka Egbuka (Ohio St.) – Egbuka is the all-time leading WR at Ohio St. in most categories, it helps that he spent five years there.  He was never the #1 guy and he’s not going to be a WR1 in the NFL but he’s an awesome #2.  He can move up the boards by showing off his athleticism, which is an underrated part of his game.  Most see him as a great route runner and steady presence.  He has more agility and body control that make him really good at the route running and gives him an opportunity to make tough catches.

Tez Johnson (Oregon) – He’s going to blaze the 40-yard dash because he has elite speed, but it would help if he does it weighing someone over 160 lbs.  He was 156 at the Senior Bowl and that was all anyone wanted to talk about.  Being fast is great but too many teams will take him off their board if he’s in the 155 lbs. range. 

Tory Horton (Colorado St.) – Horton played at Nevada and Colorado St. and was really productive at each place but he’s been injured lately.  He missed most of this last season and he will need the medical checks to come back clean.  Whoever ends up with Horton later in the draft is going to get very productive player who should outperform his draft slot. 

Arian Smith (Georgia) – Speed, speed, and more speed. Smith is going to try to break Xavier Worthy’s combine record in the 40 and he’s sure to run in the 4.2’s.  He’s never been the best WR from a production standpoint but teams won’t be drafting him because he’s a productive player, it’s because his speed is enticing.  I’m not his biggest fan but he’ll be the talk of the combine if he gets close to Worthy’s time. 

Savion Williams (TCU) – He’s also known as the other TCU WR.  Jack Bech was the productive WR at TCU and he should go higher than Williams but Williams is very intriguing.  He’s 6’5 225 lbs. and he has speed and agility all day.  Unfortunately, he’s very underdeveloped from a skill prospective and his hands are inconsistent.  If he looks good catching the ball and running routes, someone might take a flyer on him way earlier than anyone expects. 

Tight Ends

Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green) – This guy as highly productive in college, as a matter of fact, he was so productive some people think he’s a WR not a TE.  He’s undersized for a TE or oversized as WR, not sure which is truer.  At the combine, teams are going to try to figure that out. Can he block well enough to play TE or is he only a receiving TE?  He doesn’t have the size to be a great blocker but technique and willingness can go a long way towards being a competent blocker at TE.      

Luke Lachey (Iowa) – Lachey had a rough year coming off a major injury the year before, having Iowa changing the offense, and having pretty ugly QB play all year. Lachey is a talented athlete with great size and great hands.  It’s a good TE class so he needs to stand out at the combine and make teams go back and watch him before his injury and before Iowa’s offense was a disaster, he was really good back then.

Offensive Line

Will Campbell (LSU) – Campbell’s combine results only matter as far as his arm length.  Teams are concerned he won’t have arms over the minimum 33-inches teams like for offensive tackles.  If he’s at 33 or above, they will largely forget about it.  If it’s under 33, then it becomes a conversation about him becoming a guard.  I don’t care all that much but teams seem to care a lot.  I would take him covering Drake Maye’s blindside for the next decade.   

Charles Grant (William & Mary) – Grant is a small school prospect who’s 6’4 300 lbs. so he’s also a bit small for a LT.  He makes up for his size deficiency with his athleticism.  He’s the perfect fit in zone blocking scheme because of his movement skills.  Not everyone is going to like him but he’s going to be impressive when he works out. 

Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon) – Conerly is another guy who will be quite the athletic specimen at OT but he also has the requisite size to be a legitimate starting LT next season.  Conerly is not a refined player and he’s going to have his growing pains but the combine could be his showcase if he works out. 

Josh Simmons (Ohio St.) – This is all about his medical evaluation.  He had a torn patellar tendon early last season but he looked quite good leading up to that point. He has the size and athleticism everyone wants in LT, there’s just questions about the knee and the fact he doesn’t have a lot of starts at the power 4 level, he transferred into Ohio St. 

Defensive Line

Darius Alexander (Toledo) – Alexander had a really good Senior Bowl week proving he could hang with the big boys after playing at Toledo. He’s an athletic guy for size and while this is a deep defensive line class, Alexander stands out.  If he continues to stand out at the combine, he’ll keep moving up the DT board. 

The Big Boys; Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M), Kenneth Grant (Michigan), Deone Walker (Auburn), Alfred Collins (Texas), Omarr Norman-Lott (Tennessee) – It’s always fun to watch the freaky big guys run the 40 and do the drills and realize just how unbelievably athletic these guys can actually be.  These are the truly scary athletes, Shemar Stewart is a 6’6 290 lbs. DE who could run 4.5 in the 40, that’s incredible.  And I guarantee you one of these guys is going to do something incredible in one the drills or something like the vert or broad jump.  Fun times.

The speed rushers; James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee), Jalon Walker (Georgia), Mike Green (Marshall), Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College), Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss), Landon Jackson (Arkansas), Josiah Stewart (Michigan) – This group is going to need to workout to stand out from each other.  There are so many good edge rushers in this class these guys need to show out to put themselves in position to be drafted before the others.  Abdul Carter is the top edge rusher and that’s not a question but who’s #2 might have a bunch of different answers at the moment and the combine is the chance these guys need to prove it should be them. 

Linebackers

Demetrius Knight Jr. (South Carolina) – Knight is a 6’2 245 lbs. run stuffer who is a little stiff and doesn’t move great laterally.  He lacks pass coverage instincts and shouldn’t be counted on to do that to much.  His workout is about showing he’s improved his agility and fluidity. 

Carson Schwesinger (UCLA) – He’s the opposite of Knight, he’s speedy, fluid, and sometimes looks like he was shot out of a cannon.  He’s got good coverage ability because of those traits and he’s pretty good at blitzing even though he lacks size.  At 6’2 226 lbs. he can get overwhelmed in the run game but he can be a good player if used correctly.

Defensive Backs

Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) – Emmanwori is going to dominate at the combine, that’s what elite athletes do.  For me, it’s the position drills that will be interesting.  Is he fluid enough and comfortable enough to play safety full-time or is he a tweener, between a safety and LB.  His athletic testing scores are going to impress everyone, can he be a useful football player and not just a great athlete. 

Jahdae Barron (Texas) – Here’s the opposite of Emmanwori, Barron is an awesome football player no matter where you put him but his testing numbers and measurements aren’t going to impress.  He won’t be the tallest, strongest, fastest, or the longest DB prospect but he’s going to be really good anyway.  If he can show some of the athleticism teams want to see, it will help him immensely. 

Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame) and Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina) – These two need their medical checks to go well.  If Morrison’s hip injury is a question, he falls from round one pretty easily.  Revel had a less worrisome knee injury but teams can be scared off when a guy has any leg injury as a DB. 

Trey Amos (Ole Miss) and Azareye’h Thomas (Florida St.) – These are the two guys most likely to benefit if Morrison and Revel fall due to injury concerns.  They can help themselves by having good workouts in Indy.  Both have good size and coverage ability and if one out performs the other, he could move up draft boards significantly. 

Off season QB Carousel

The QB Carousel Spins

This off season is going to be quite interesting when it comes to the QB carousel.  There are 11 or 12 teams with QB questions heading into this off season that need to be addressed soon.  They break down into different groups depending on their level of need and how soon they have to deal with the question.  The good news is there are some answers out there, the bad news is not everyone is going to find one to their liking.  Some team could end up in a situation similar to the Raiders this last season with Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, and Desmond Ridder as their options, the Raiders hope it isn’t them again. 

Tier 1- (teams not bringing back their main starter from 2024): Cleveland, New York Giants, New York Jets, Las Vegas, and probably Pittsburgh.

Tier 2- (teams that don’t want to bring back their starter from 2024 but might have to): Tennessee and New Orleans

Tier 3- (teams that may be looking for a change but it has to be an upgrade): Miami, Seattle, Minnesota, Indianapolis

Tier 4- (team that might not want to move on but might move on): LA Rams 

The way this all shakes out will be determined by the players and where they end up wanting to go.  Everyone has a reason for wanting to end up somewhere.  A better contract, a new location, a coaching staff, a chance to start, a new beginning, not every player’s motivations are the same.  QB moves will happen in three phases.  Phase one is free agency and trades that happen in the new league year that starts in March.  Phase two is the draft, that’s where teams that missed on their free agent targets will try to find a young solution so they can sell hope, to the fan base or the ownership, depending on their circumstances. And phase three is when you strike out on the first two phases and you have to decide if you want Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph  These things tend to happen like dominoes.  The biggest domino generally has to fall first (or not fall at all) before everything else happens.  The first domino is Matthew Stafford and the Rams.  I’m going to break this down in steps and try to go in order of how things fall, it’s not a perfect sequence as some things don’t affect others as much but I’ll point out if there are effects. 

The first and second dominos could be linked. The Rams have to figure out if they are sticking with Stafford and how long they want him around.  Stafford has to figure out how long he plans on playing, he’s 37 and while he’s staying relatively healthy the last couple of years, it doesn’t get easier.  The Rams may feel this is a good time to move on while they can still get draft capital from a team hoping to win now with Stafford at QB and while they may have a solution available to them.  I see three viable options, the Giants, who need to win now for their coach and GM, the Steelers, who need a real QB solution, and the Vikings, who need a bridge to JJ McCarthy.  I think the Steelers and Giants need longer-term solutions.  Stafford maybe has two years left before it may be over.  That’s not great for Mike Tomlin or Brian Daboll because that means they are back in the same boat they are currently in pretty quickly.  The Steelers have been trying band-aids since Big Ben, they need an real plan.  The Giants would be putting Stafford behind a suspect offensive line, he may say no thanks to that.

 I think the smart move is for the Rams to deal Stafford to the Vikings.  The Vikings showed they are ready to win right now the way they played with Sam Darnold but they need an upgrade from Darnold.  Stafford is the upgraded version of Darnold but he’s older and isn’t a long-term impediment to JJ McCarthy.  The Vikings can pay Stafford for a couple of years while McCarthy comes back from injury and learns from a veteran.  Stafford had Kevin O’Connell as his coach in LA before O’Connell got the Vikings job so there’s a familiarity to the offense.  Stafford makes the Vikings a much tougher playoff team than Darnold did. 

Where does that leave the Rams?  Well, Sam Darnold will be a free agent and he’ll be 28 next season.  He’s a similar player physically to Stafford and showed he could run the McVay style offense that O’Connell runs in Minnesota.  Could McVay, the teacher, develop Darnold in a way that O’Connell, his student, couldn’t quite do?  McVay once got the Rams to the Super Bowl with Jared Goff, then won a Super Bowl with Stafford.  From a talent standpoint, Darnold is somewhere in between but probably closer to the Stafford ceiling than the Goff floor.  He would give the Rams a little more long-term stability if they were to sign him to a four- or five-year contract.  Stafford and Darnold might get similar yearly salaries but not the same amount of years. 

Stafford is the domino that has to fall to get a few things started because some teams aren’t going to make a move until they know where Stafford ends up.  It’s completely possible he goes nowhere but it’s feeling like the Rams want to make a move for some stability moving forward. He’s also important because I think if Darnold has his choice of places to go, LA would be the top of his list.  Playing for McVay in the system he just excelled in is the best possible outcome for his career.  Darnold will have plenty of suitors but the Rams situation is better than all of them except maybe staying in Minnesota and I don’t think the Vikings want to commit to him.

If Stafford and Darnold go off the board that doesn’t leave a lot for the teams that need immediate help.  The immediate true starter level veteran QBs will be Kirk Cousins, the Falcons have to cut him after already replacing him and no one is trading for that contract.  Derek Carr, if someone is desperate and is dumb enough to take on that contract.  The Saints need to trade Carr because they can’t take the salary cap hit they would incur if they cut him.  Russell Wilson, for the teams that get really desperate, and then Aaron Rodgers, for the teams that have lost their minds.  Justin Fields, Jameis Winston, and maybe Jacoby Brissett could be your starter if you’re just looking to punt on the year and wait for the 2026 NFL draft, which should be better at QB than this draft. 

It’s sad to say but Kirk Cousins is probably the next domino in the sequence.  He was not good for Atlanta last season but he was a 36-year-old guy coming off an Achilles tear, thinking he would be good was foolish.  Another year of rehab will certainly help but he has to be in the right system and he knows that.  Cousins is going to cash in on his contract from Atlanta when they cut him so he can play for a low salary for one year to rehab his game so he can try to cash in one last time next off season.  The Steelers feel like a team that should go get him, they are a win-now team but I don’t see the fit for them.  The best fit for Cousins is Cleveland where his former coach Kevin Stefanski is running the offense and Stefanski needs Cousins as much as Cousins needs Stefanski.  Stefanski needs a guy he can win with because he needs to win.  With Deshaun Watson likely out for the year and careening towards the end of his career, Stefanski gets his QB who can run his offense.  Cousins takes a low paying deal and plays in an offense he knows he can be good in.  If the Browns can get a veteran QB on the cheap they can spend draft capital and free agent money to fix their offensive line too.  Win-Win for everyone. 

The Giants might make a play for Cousins if Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen think they are one year from unemployment but I think if they strike out on a Stafford trade and don’t get Darnold, they are more likely to pivot to the draft and set their sights on Cam Ward at three overall.  The only other scenario I could see happening is they take a flyer on Russell Wilson for a year and then double back and take a QB in round two to develop for a year, someone like Jalen Milroe. 

The Steelers are the other team looking to win while they still have guys like TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick in their prime on defense.  They could go hard after Stafford or Darnold but it doesn’t feel like their style.  They should go get a real QB for the future but in this draft that’s hard to do.  I think they bring Justin Fields back and maybe grab a lottery ticket QB in the middle rounds of the draft like Quinn Ewers, Tyler Shough, or Will Howard.  It would give Fields competition, it would give the team some cover if Fields flops, and the investment wouldn’t preclude them from making a move in the 2026 draft to go after a guy like Drew Allar.  Smart teams look ahead and their coach and GM aren’t afraid of getting fired for a subpar year. 

Tennessee is in an interesting place.  They have the number one pick in a draft where taking a QB first overall looks like a decision that gets you fired.  They will be in play for Darnold, Cousins, and maybe Aaron Rodgers but that’s suicidal for Brian Callahan’s coaching career.  This feels like maybe a Russell Wilson spot with them still giving Will Levis a chance to compete with him.  If they pull off a move for Darnold I think they ship Levis to anyone who will give them a pick and if I were them in that scenario, I’m calling Sean McVay and seeing what the Rams might offer for Levis. 

The Raiders could be a real spoiler here for my whole theory on Stafford or Darnold if they make a major move for either one.  This felt like a Shadeur Sanders spot for sure in the draft until they hired 73-year-old Pete Carroll to coach the team.  Is Carroll going to wait around for Sanders to figure it all out?  That seems unlikely.  This is also a Russell Wilson spot if Carroll doesn’t want to wait for a draft pick.  Those two had a rough ending in Seattle but it ended up costing them both pretty heavily and perhaps they see they were better off together than apart. 

The Saints have to either trade Derek Carr, possible but unlikely, or they are stuck with him. They owe him too much money to cut him and they don’t have the ability to restructure enough money to fit his dead money on their cap even if they wanted to cut him.  If they trade him, it’s probably a year of Spencer Rattler before they can reset and draft a QB.  The good news is a first-year head coach Kellen Moore with Spencer Rattler as his QB means they are probably picking in the top three of the 2026 draft.  Of course, starting Carr probably means they are still picking in the top five.

The New York Jets have a new head coach and a new GM and they already told Aaron Rodgers to take a hike, smart move.  Now they need a QB but there aren’t any that really fit for them.  Cousins is an old QB coming off an Achilles tear, they already did that.  Sam Darnold, nope, they did that too.  They could try Russell Wilson but that feels like a strange pick.  They brought in Tanner Engstrand from the Lions to be their offensive coordinator.  I have a name that no one is talking about that I think could make some sense.  Engstrand worked in Detroit with Jared Goff who was pretty down in his career when he went there and Ben Johnson resurrected him.  There’s a guy who hasn’t been a starter in for years because he sucked the last couple times but he may still have something to prove.  He’s only 32 so he still has some time to resurrect his career, think Geno Smith in Seattle style.  Carson Wentz.  He just spent this last year as Patrick Mahomes’ backup playing for Andy Reid.  He’s taken his time as a back up and from a talent standpoint he was once a pretty good QB in Philly.  I could see him being a stopgap QB for a team like the Jets who are looking to reset.  Or they could start Tyrod Taylor, their current backup, and draft a second or third round QB who will replace Taylor by week 7, he’s used to that. 

Seattle has Geno Smith but I’m not sure a desperate team like the Steelers couldn’t talk Mike McDonald and John Schneider into trading him.  They would probably just start Sam Howell this season and draft a QB next year if they do that.  The Dolphins have to sign at least a better backup than they have had at any time in Tua’s tenure.  Oh, and they absolutely should draft Dillon Gabriel in round five or six, he’s Tua 2.0 but in a good way.  The Colts are going to roll into the season telling everyone how much they believe in Anthony Richardson going into year three with a full healthy off season but they better sign someone like Jacoby Brissett or Jamies Winston as the backup or their season could go off the rails really quickly. 

My predictions for what teams will do this off season at QB.

Minnesota- Trade for Matt Stafford, sign him to a two-year deal, let McCarthy learn.

LA Ram- Sign Sam Darnold (or trade Stafford for him if the Vikings franchise tag him), sign Darnold to a three-year deal like Baker Mayfield’s deal.

New York Giants- Strike out on all the veterans and settle for drafting Cam Ward #3 overall when the Titans and Browns pass on QBs.

Pittsburgh- Keep Justin Fields and draft a guy in the middle rounds.  Maybe they end up with Jalen Milroe, similar skillset to Fields, at least their QBs would be of the same mold.  This might be the sneaky Derek Carr team though.

Cleveland- Sign Kirk Cousins, he can play in Stefanski’s offense

New Orleans- they are stuck with Carr unless someone gets really desperate and then it’s Rattler

Las Vegas- Sign Russell Wilson and they draft Shadeur Sanders, it’s a two-fer.  Wilson is the bridge to Sanders who isn’t ready just yet. 

Tennessee- I’m running out of options.  They pass on QBs in the draft and settle on signing Drew Lock and keeping Will Levis and hoping those two can suck enough for them to have a high pick again next season.  Solid bet.  Poor Brian Callahan, he never had a chance, the new GM gets a new coach to go with a new QB next year.  It’s a vicious cycle in Tennessee.

New York Jets- Sign Carson Wentz and keep Tyrod Taylor, draft a guy like Tyler Shough in the middle rounds unless they really love Jordan Travis who sat out last season doing rehab as a rookie.

Seattle- Keep Geno Smith for this year but they draft a guy like Jaxson Dart fairly early. 

Indianapolis- signs Jacoby Brissett or Jameis Winston and one of them has to start because Richardson is either bad or injured, they regret taking Richardson 4th overall in that draft.

Miami- Saved this one for last.  Tua starts the year and by week three he is injured.  The team drafted Dillon Gabriel in round six but the owner wants to “win now” so they sign Aaron Rodgers who no one else wanted and is in forced retirement doing the McAfee show three times a week.  Rodgers gets hurt within two games and Gabriel has to start anyway and he’s running Mike McDaniel’s offense like a pro.  Tua returns so they reluctantly go back to Tua because he’s making so much money.  The Dolphins miss the playoffs and Mike McDaniel gets fired but is immediately hired by the Browns who fired Kevin Stefanski after the Kirk Cousins thing didn’t work out.  The new Browns GM is some former 49ers exec like Ran Carthon who knows McDaniel.  McDaniel immediately trades for Dillon Gabriel because the Browns are still extricating themselves from the Watson contract.  The Browns owners demand the new GM trade for soon-to-be 32-year-old Tyreek Hill because they just can’t stop themselves.  Not sure that offense is going to work in the Cleveland weather…wait…I’m certain it won’t.  Sorry, was that too much detail, this is how my mind works. 

The QB Carousel starts to spin in a few weeks when free agency starts and we can look back at these predictions and laugh…or cry if your team signs Aaron Rodgers. 

2025 CB Prospects Top 5

This class has some questions to it even if it does have a bunch of talented guys. Is Travis Hunter going to reach his absolute apex as a CB? Is Will Johnson the guy he was in 2023 or the guy he was in 2024? Will Benjamin Morrison or Shavon Revel Jr. return to their pre-injury forms? What is Jadhae Barron’s best position in the secondary? Does Azareye’h Thomas become the best CB from this class? Such an interesting group.

Cornerback

1. Travis Hunter (Colorado):  I’m ranking Hunter as a CB, I think it’s his best position eventually.  It would be much simpler for him to be a full-time CB and then play WR some of the time, instead of being a full-time WR and a part-time CB.  His upside as a CB is being an All-Pro.  He’s a one of one athlete and once he concentrates on one position, he’s going to be elite, and I’m not talking about by college standards.  His body control is crazy and his ball skills are fantastic.  He has the size and skills to be the best CB in the league.  Let him moonlight as a WR, don’t waste a CB talent like him. 

2. Will Johnson (Michigan):  Johnson had a down year at Michigan and that only means he should go somewhere between 7-15 in round one instead of the top 5, that’s how good he actually is.  He’s 6’2 202 lbs. so he looks a little slender but he’s tough as nails.  His footwork can get a little messy but he can recover and he just needs to tighten it up.  He wasn’t healthy all year and yet he was still better than most.  He doesn’t have elite speed but he’s excellent overall, don’t over think it. 

3. Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame): This is a tough one.  From a talent standpoint Morrison should be right here but he’s coming off a hip injury that scares me.  CBs have to be able to flip their hips to run with WRs and Morrison’s transitions weren’t the smoothest before the injury.  What is he now?  If he’s healthy, he’s a stud who can play outside CB or in the slot and he has great CB size.  If his health is compromised, I just don’t know. 

4. Jahdae Barron (Texas):  Barron’s biggest strength might also be his biggest weakness as a draft prospect.  He was a slot corner in 2023 and was really good playing inside.  Then this year he moved outside and showed he was really good there.  He also sometimes plays like a safety, so the question is, where do you play him.  He’s going to help someone’s defense for sure but what’s his best spot.  Two things working against him, he’s already 23, so has he reached his ceiling? Also, he’s maybe 5’11 so he doesn’t have elite height to be an outside CB. 

5. Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina): Another guy coming off an injury but his is a little more straight forward.  He tore his ACL back in September so as long as he hasn’t had any set backs in recovery, that shouldn’t be an issue.  He has elite CB potential with his length, speed, and coverage skills.  He’s a legit 6’2 (he might actually be 6’3) and while he’s a little slight at 188 lbs., it hasn’t hindered him at all.  He’s feisty and plays with an attitude. 

*Other player to note: Azareye’h Thomas (Florida St.): Thomas was a forgotten man with Florida St.’s terrible season.  He also had a couple of guys a head of him last season who got drafted.  He showed up at the Senior Bowl and made everyone take notice. He’s 6’2 198 lbs. and plays with physicality you want to see out of a guy that size. He’s got some things to work on but he’s only 20 years old and they don’t make that many guys built like him to play CB. 

2025 LB and S Prospects-Top 3

I couldn’t get to five LB or safety prospects to talk about at this point so I’m dropping both of the positions at the same time. There are some other LBs like Carson Schwesinger (UCLA), Smael Mondon Jr. (Georgia), or Demetrius Knight Jr. (South Carolina) that will be ranked by different people but I haven’t spent enough time on them to get a great feel. LB isn’t a high priority position for most teams so these are mid-round guys. LBs matter but teams just don’t invest high draft capital unless a guy really stands out. Here’s the guys I have.

Linebacker

1. Jalon Walker (Georgia): Walker is a bit of an enigma.  Georgia lined him up as an off-ball LB but his best plays come when he’s a pass rusher.  Unfortunately for him, he 6’2 245 lbs. and is a little small to be a full time pass rusher. He also lacks the top end athleticism that a guy like Abdul Carter has.  In the right defense, he’s a monster, in the wrong defense, he’s a complete bust. Some people have him rated as an edge rusher but I’m just unsure that’s his full-time position, he’s a polarizing prospect for sure.   

2. Jihad Campbell (Alabama):  He’s still a young, developing player, he doesn’t turn 21 until late February.  He’s 6’4 244 lbs. and moves very well for a guy that size.  His combination of speed and size at his age makes his ceiling quite high.  He can work on some technique things like lowing his pad level when he tackles and fighting off blocks but those are coachable skills.  Could play multiple LB positions so that helps too. 

3. Barrett Carter (Clemson):  Carter is undersized but he’s been a solid prospect for a couple of years.  He’s definitely a guy who should be used in a subpackage and not as an every down LB to start.  He can work on his coverage skills but he’s a good athlete and he can play in the NFL.

*Others player to note: Jay Higgins (Iowa): I’m not going to pretend I’ve been finding a lot of hidden gems in the LB class.  It’s not a great group.  I wanted to mention Higgins but it’s not the best report.  Higgins went to the Shrine Bowl and his measurements are not going to help him. He was barely 6’0 225 lbs. and he’s short-armed and runs a little stiff.  He doesn’t have the lateral quickness you would hope from a guy that small.  That also means he’s probably only a middle LB prospect. Those things are not going to help him get drafted.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is he has better LB instincts than half the guy in the NFL.  His ability to diagnose a play is uncanny and it gives him an edge.  Higgins is going to have to make a team as a special team’s demon to start and hope someone gives him a shot at LB.  It’s going to be hard to be a run thumping MLB at his size but there have been small guys who have done it.  If he gets drafted, it won’t be high, but once he gets to a team, I’m not betting against him. 

Top 3 Safety Prospects

A lot like the LB spot, I just don’t have a lot of these guys I’m really high on and I haven’t gotten deep enough to really like guys like Kevin Winston Jr (Penn St) or Andrew Mukuba (Texas). Starks is the only safety prospect I like near the top of the draft. I’m seeing mock drafts with Nick Emmanwori from South Carolina in round one and that seems too rich for my blood. He’s a hell of a physical specimen but I’ve seen too many tweeners suck because teams don’t know what to do with them. In five years is he playing LB on is third team and trying to figure it out? If you think that can’t happen go look at Kyzir White’s career. He may be having a nice career for himself but ti’s not something you want to see if you spent a first round pick on that guy. Someone should just play it smart and take Sebastian Castro later in the draft, you can thank me later.

Safeties

1. Malaki Starks (Georgia):  Starks is the best safety in the class and I don’t think it’s particularly close.  He’s great coming downhill to stop the run and he’s athletic enough to play deep.  He has good awareness and hands to make plays in the passing game.  He doesn’t have the best technique if you want him to run with a smaller, faster player but his pluses far outweigh his minuses.  He’s the only safety I would take in round one.

2. Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina): This is a big safety at 6’3 227 lbs. but he doesn’t always play like it.  At times he looks like a freak who can dominate any game at any time.  Other times, he vanishes a bit.  He might be too much of a tweener where teams aren’t sure if he’s a safety or a LB.  Some guys excel at the position but others never find their way.  A team with a plan on how best to use him will be best. 

3. Xavier Watts (Notre Dame):  Watts isn’t the most fluid athlete and can be beat by speed but he brings it every play.  He won’t be outworked on the field and he’s just a ball player.  There are more athletic safeties, there are faster safeties, there are bigger safeties, but there aren’t many better safeties.  If you’re going to bet on a day two safety, take Watts. 

*Other player to note:  Sebastian Castro (Iowa):  This is a bit of a homer pick but there just aren’t a lot of safeties in this class that I like.  Castro played the Cash position at Iowa which is a hybrid LB/S position and he played in the slot as the nickel corner which is probably where teams will look to use him.  He has the size to play the safety spot and the coverage ability to be a real asset for a defense.  He’s a high character, high IQ guy and those guys tend to stick in the NFL.  Like Jay Higgins, he may have to initially make his living on special teams, but he did that at Iowa before he got the chance to start on defense so it won’t be a problem. Like so many other Iowa DBs before him, Castro will outplay his draft slot, that’s what Phil Parker trained guys do. 

2025 DT Prospects Top 5

There are some dudes in this group. Guys who are the size of these men should not be able to move like these guys do. Mason Graham is the cream of the crop but you don’t have to mortgage your future to move up to get him to get a good DT. There are different types too. Need a disruptive force who can get into the backfield? No problem, Walter Nolan and Derrick Harmon got you covered. How about a space eater in the middle? Kenneth Grant, Tyliek Williams and Deone Walker are waiting for you.

Defensive Tackle

1. Mason Graham (Michigan):  Graham is 6’3 313 lbs. of sheer terror on the interior.  He’s quick and immovable at the same time.  He’s barrel-chested and it makes him hard to handle.  He’s equally adept at stopping the run and getting penetration and he’s been known to slide outside a bit and rush the passer just in case you thought he was a one-trick pony.  He’s relentless too. He’s a top five talent in the draft. 

2. Walter Nolan (Ole Miss):  Nolan is a 6’3 300 lbs. twitched up athlete with an quick first step.  He has some holes in his game but there aren’t a lot of guys who are his size who move like he does.  He gets on the offensive linemen fast and wins quickly.  He’s disruptive and he’ll be a starter early.  He’s one of the most disruptive defensive players in this draft.   

3. Kenneth Grant (Michigan):  Surprisingly Graham isn’t the “big” DT from Michigan, that would be Grant.  He’s 6’3 339 lbs. and seems as tall as he is wide.  He’s the anchor in the middle of any defense and while he’s not flashy, he’s an important piece to a defense.  Graham was an awesome player at Michigan but his job was a lot easier because he played next to Grant.  If a team needs a space eater in the middle, Grant is your guy. 

4. Derrick Harmon (Oregon):  Harmon is 6’5 310 lbs. and moves really well on the interior.  He’s on the taller side for a DT so he has to remember to keep his pad level low, otherwise, he’s an easy target.  He’s a major disruptive force when he stays low and uses his athleticism.  He can be a problem.

5. Tyliek Williams (Ohio St.):  He’s the next giant anchor in the middle of the defensive line.  At 6’3 327 lbs. he’s hard to move and allows others around him to flourish.  He’s not flashy, he’s just solid as a rock.  He made it much easier for his linemates JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer to be playmakers on the edge.  He will do that for his NFL linemates too. 

*Other player to note: Deone Walker (Kentucky):  Walker is the biggest of the big men.  He’s 6’6 345 lbs. and he will ruin your day.  When he’s on, he’s awesome.  He needs more consistency but someone is going to bet on a guy that size.