Tag: nfl

2025 OT Draft Prospect Top 5

Every year when I’m doing my draft prep there are always some guys who are “my guys” and this is a common thing amongst the draft community. There’s always a few prospects you like more than others. LSU OT Will Campbell is one of my guys this year. He’s not flashy, he’s just good. I would bet on him at LT. This OT is good but all the guys come with some questions. Whether it’s their length (Campbell), strange build (Membou), heavy feet (Cameron Williams), injury issue (Simmons) or whatever someone wants to pick on, none of them are perfect prospects. There are starting LTs available in this draft, don’t overthink it.

Offensive Tackles

1. Will Campbell (LSU):  There are a lot of differing opinions on the top OT in this draft but I’m sticking with Will Campbell.  I don’t care if his arms are not the standard length, he’s just good.  He’s smart, he’s experienced, and he’s just consistently good.  In this class, I just want the guy I can depend on. This guy stepped in as a starter at LSU as s true freshman and started at LT for three years, don’t try to convince me he can’t handle starting in the NFL.  He’s not going to be Jonathan Ogden but there are a lot of good starting LTs in the NFL who will never be Jonathan Ogden.   

2. Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas):  Banks is a mammoth dude at 6’4 324 lbs. and is probably best suited for the interior but I think he could be a LT and someone is going to give him a shot there.  He’s a talented guy with legitimate size and has been good at LT for the Longhorns.  There are guys with higher ceilings at LT but Banks has been good against good competition.  He may end up an elite OG but I’m still ranking him as an OT until a team takes him and we know they plan to use him at guard.  

3. Josh Simmons (Ohio St.):  Simmons was on his way to being a top 15 draft pick with the way he was playing to start the year before he got hurt.  He could still end up a top 15 pick but others may have passed him since he was out of sight, out of mind during Ohio St.’s run to the title.  Simmons has all the characteristics of a starting LT in the NFL so someone could get a good one at a discount later in round one. 

4. Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon):  Conerly is an elite athlete at LT who is still getting better as he develops his skills at the position.  He was great for Oregon this year and a team will bet on his skills fairly early in round one.  He could keep climbing the boards as his athleticism shows through in the pre-draft process.  As teams decide if they like Campbell and Banks inside or outside, Conerly can move up. 

5. Armand Membou (Missouri):  Missouri’s RT all season, Membou doesn’t fit the profile of an OT but he plays like one.  He’s 6’3 and nearly 330 lbs. so he looks like a guard but he is powerful blocker at RT with more athleticism than you think.  If teams can look past his height and body style, they will find a damn good RT. 

*Other player to note: Cameron Williams (Texas):  Williams is the opposite of most of these guys, he has the size and length you want at OT.  He’s only been a starter for a year and he’s probably only a RT, but he’s a beast at 6’5 335 lbs.  He is probably going to get drafted higher than he should and maybe start too soon but someone is going to take the chance because they don’t make a lot of guys his size with his athletic profile. 

2025 TE Prospect Top 5

This is a pretty good TE class, there isn’t a Brock Bowers type but Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland are going to be first round picks. The WR class isn’t all that great and I could see a few teams grabbing a playmaking TE like Harold Fannin Jr. instead of a WR they aren’t crazy about. There should be some depth here and that will make this class interesting.

Tight Ends

1. Tyler Warren (Penn St.):  Warren had a breakout season with Penn St.  He became Drew Allar’s go-to receiver as Penn St. wasn’t great at WR.  He’s a big target at almost 6’6 and 260 lbs. He has the size and athleticism to be a great receiving TE and still has the strength and bulk to be a blocker.  He’s tough and versatile.  He was a QB at one time and Penn St. used him in the running game, he’s a jack of all trades. 

2. Colston Loveland (Michigan):  Loveland came into the season as the TE1 but Michigan’s less than stellar offense didn’t help him at all.  He also missed a couple of games with an injury and he was simply less productive than he was last year.  However, at 6’5 245 lbs. with the athleticism he has and the production he showed last year, he’s still an elite TE prospect.  Someone is going to get a very good TE in the latter half of round one.  Loveland is going to be a productive NFL TE. 

3. Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green):  Fannin is one of the most unique prospects in the draft.  He’s a 6’4 230 lbs. TE who is basically just a big WR.  He was ridiculously productive at Bowling Green with 117 catches this year but he just won’t fit the typical TE spot.  If you have a plan to use Fannin than feel free to draft him, if you think he’s going to fit into a typical TE role, stay away and draft someone else. 

4. Mason Taylor (LSU):  Taylor is the son of former Dolphins Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and while he’s not the superstar athlete his father was, he’s a pretty good TE.  Taylor was productive for the most part and at 6’5 255 lbs. he has the size to be a good NFL TE.  He’s not going to be an All-Pro but he can be a starting NFL TE for a long time.

5. Elijah Arroyo (Miami):  Arroyo had a breakout season becoming one of Cam Ward’s most dangerous targets.  He’s not the biggest player and he’s not a major blocker at 6’4 245 lbs. but he’s a really terrific athlete and catches the ball well.  He won’t fit every team’s needs but someone will find a way to use him. 

*Other player to mention: Luke Lachey (Iowa):  Lachey has fallen down the draft boards after a tough year.  Coming off a season ending injury the year before, Lachey didn’t look like the player he was before the injury.  It didn’t help that Iowa’s passing game was, once again, terrible.  I would still bet on his talent and his size and the training he had at Iowa and he will outplay his draft slot. 

2025 WR Prospect Top 5

First of all, I’m ranking Travis Hunter as a CB not a WR. He can and will play WR in the NFL but I think his primary position should be CB. Just for argument’s sake, he would maybe be #2 in these rankings, I have a hard time slotting him in. McMillan is the only guy who would have competed for a spot amongst last year’s top 4 guys (Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, and Brian Thomas Jr.). This group is nowhere near as good at the top as last year’s but there are some good mid-round picks here.

Wide Receivers

1. Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona):  McMillan is a physical freak in terms of his elite size, he’s 6’5 210 lbs. and uses all of it to dominate at the catch point.  He has enough speed to be a deep threat down the field in the mold of Tee Higgins or Mike Evans.  The only worry I have about McMillan is sometimes these big WRs don’t translate to the NFL.  I’m not sure McMillan will ever be Higgins or Evans, those are lofty expectations.  However, he’s not going to be a bust like N’Keal Harry or Laquan Treadwell, he’s a better receiver than those guys. 

2. Luther Burden III (Missouri):  It is absolutely true that Burden had a down year at Missouri as their offense simply wasn’t as good as it had been.  QB Brady Cook had a nagging injury all season and that had an effect.  Burden is still an elite playmaker.  He’s short but well built and his run after the catch ability is elite.  There’s some DJ Moore to his game and maybe some Deebo Samuel after the catch ability. 

3. Emeka Egbuka (Ohio St.): Yep, another Ohio St. guy.  Egbuka has been a prospect for a few years.  Two years ago, he was really good when OSU had Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, he came back to be the #2 guy to Marvin Harrison Jr. and was banged up that year.  Then he returned and ended up being the #2 guy to Jeremiah Smith and he had a really good year.  Egbuka is a #2 WR in the NFL and that shouldn’t be a problem for him, he’s used to that role.  He’s efficient, effective, and just excellent at everything. 

4. Matthew Golden (Texas):  It was supposed to be Isaiah Bond who had the breakout season at Texas as a WR after he transferred in from Alabama but Golden stole his spotlight.  It’s not a great WR group and Golden isn’t a superstar receiver at this point.  He’s steady and reliable but he’s not going to wow you athletically or with his size.  He’s just a dependable guy who runs his routes well and plays with some passion and fire and will get things done. 

5. Jayden Higgins (Iowa St):  As much as I loathe giving Iowa St. any credit, Higgins is a really talented WR with great size and can line up anywhere.  He has the size and speed you want outside but he’s also good as a big slot receiver if you line him up there.  He will be an affective WR for some team and should go in round two of this draft. 

*Other player to mention: Tez Johnson (Oregon):  Johnson is an extremely small WR who measured in at on 156 lbs. at the Senior Bowl.  That’s tough as he’s even smaller than Tank Dell was coming into the league and Dell was a major outlier.  That would be a huge problem if Johnson did show the elite separation skills, his ridiculous speed, and his natural ability to catch the football.  It’s hard to imagine a guy this small succeeding in the NFL but it’s harder to imagine Tez Johnson not being an awesome slot receiver in the NFL. 

2025 RB Prospects Top 5

This is a deep group of RB prospects and I actually think there are quite a few guys who will become starters or co-starters (for lack of a better term) pretty quickly. I have 6 guys listed here but I didn’t include Dylan Sampson (Tennessee), Cam Skattebo (Arizona St.), Ollie Gordon (Oklahoma St.), RJ Harvey (UCF), or a number of others. It’s a very good RB class. There’s going to be a 5th or 6th round RB in this draft that plays an important role for his team next season.

Running Backs

1. Ashton Jeanty (Boise St.):  I’ll give Jeanty his due as an excellent running back and he earned the distinction as the top RB in this class, but it’s not as big of a gap as a prospect between him and the next two guys as you might think.  Jeanty is on the shorter side being about 5’9 but that gives him his low center of gravity and makes him really hard to take down.  He bounces off of tacklers because he has great contact balance and then can break away.  He has great vision and does pretty much everything you want a RB to do very well.  My biggest concern is the sheer amount of carries he has taken in his college career and if that might come back to haunt him. 

2. Kaleb Johnson (Iowa):  Patience, vision, and speed.  Kaleb Johnson’s calling cards.  He’s about 6’1 and 225 lbs. and yet he can run away from almost everyone.  Johnson’s upright running style seems like it would make him an easy target to take down in traffic but unless you get to him behind the line of scrimmage, his upper body strength and elite stiff arm make him a terror in traffic.  He also has elite and deceptive speed and absolutely crushes pursuit angles making him hard to catch if he gets the corner on an outside run. If he goes to a zone blocking team in the NFL, his patience to let his blocks set up, his vision to find the right hole, and then his elite speed to the edge are going to make him a dangerous weapon. 

3. Omarion Hampton (North Carolina):  Hampton is ranked ahead of Johnson for a lot of people and it’s understandable.  He’s 6’0 220 lbs. and he has speed and plenty of power.  He was a bit of a forgotten man as North Carolina didn’t have a great year and he didn’t have quite as many big plays like Johnson had.  Hampton is going to be a starting RB in the league for quite a long time.  His contact balance is excellent and he is a really tough runner.  He’s got the speed to make you pay if you let him get the corner. 

4. TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio St.):  Speedy, big play weapon.  Henderson isn’t the guy you’re going to hand the ball off to 25 times in a game, but you want him to touch the ball at least 15.  He has electric speed that can change the game for you.  He is at his best in space with the ball in his hands.  He’s going to be compared to Jahmyr Gibbs a thousand times between now and the draft and the team that takes him is hoping he’s exactly that guy. 

5. Quinshon Judkins (Ohio St.): Is there any wonder Ohio St. won the National Championship.  Judkins transferred in this season from Ole Miss to be the power complement to Henderson’s speed demon.  Go watch the National Championship game and you’ll see what it looks like when Judkins takes over.  He’s 5’11 210 lbs. and uses every last ounce of that size to punish teams, oh, and he’s not slow, he has speed too.  He’s quite the consolation prize if you  miss out on one of the top fours players here. 

*Other player of note: Damien Martinez (Miami) transferred to Miami after having a pretty good career going at Oregon St.  He’s 6’0 230 lbs. and moves really well for a man that size, actually he moves well for a guy 30 lbs. lighter than that.  He didn’t get off to a great start at Miami as he struggled early but he came on later in the season.  He’s big, powerful, and has enough speed to hurt you.  He went to the Senior Bowl and while there weren’t a lot of standout moments for the RBs down there, Martinez looked good.  One thing he did very well that catches the eye is his pass blocking improvement during practice at the Senior Bowl.  If you’re going to be a mid-round RB with the size Martinez has, teams are going to want you to be a good pass blocker.  Martinez looked good doing that. 

2025 QB Prospects Top 5

I don’t usually do this but this draft is so weird it’s hard to do mock drafts right now.  There are six teams in the top 10 that need a QB and it’s a stretch in my mind to put two in the first round.  I thought I’d do a prospect board with my Top 5 guys at each position and then maybe someone outside the Top 5 worth mentioning.  Let’s take a look at the QB position. 

Quarterbacks

1. Cam Ward (Miami):  Ward is my top player at QB.  He’s a good athlete, great arm, and has mobility in the pocket that comes in quite handy.  His game feels a bit chaotic at times but he’s always in control.  He’s not the tallest guy but it doesn’t hinder him.  He isn’t an elite prospect and he should probably be a mid-first round pick but he’s going in the top three because there are teams desperate for QBs in the top three.  I like Ward, I don’t love Ward.  

2. Shedeur Sanders (Colorado): He’s a good player, he’s not a great one.  He is somewhere between Brock Purdy and Jared Goff as a player.  He’s not a great athlete and his arm is good but nowhere near elite.  He’s started for five years so he has plenty of reps under his belt.  He has the confidence and leadership ability of a starting QB but if he goes to a team with a lesser supporting cast, he isn’t going to raise the play of the guys around him.  His success is completely dependent on fit.  

3. Quinn Ewers (Texas):  I might be the only guy out on this island right now but if I have to take a shot on a QB in this draft not named Cam Ward, I’m taking a day two (round two or three) shot on Ewers.  From a physical talent standpoint, he’s as good as anyone in this class.  When he’s on, he’s awesome, unfortunately, he’s not always on.  His inconsistency is maddening but his upside is tantalizing.  I would much prefer Ewers on day two than taking Sanders in round one, it’s a question of opportunity cost.  He’s falling behind guys like Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart in the eyes of a lot of scouts but I’m not sold on those guys either. 

4. Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss):  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Dart does some good things but there is something lacking in his game.  Lane Kiffin’s offense makes it pretty simple for the QB so I’m not sure Dart reads the field very well.  He’s a really good athlete but is sometimes too quick to pull the ball down and run when his first read isn’t there.  This may also be because he doesn’t really read much beyond the first or second read.  He does have an accurate arm but he doesn’t have elite arm strength. 

5. Jalen Milroe (Alabama):  I have never been overly impressed with him as a QB.  As an athlete, he’s awesome but at this point he’s a lesser man’s Anthony Richardson, and that is not a complement.  Milroe has a rocket for an arm but has absolutely no touch on any of his passes under 20 yards.  There is a big difference between arm strength and arm talent.  Milroe has arm strength, he can throw it a mile, but he doesn’t have the arm talent to put the ball where it needs to be with the right velocity to get it there and make the pass catchable.  He had a rough last season at Alabama and then his Senior Bowl week was not helpful, he was essentially invisible. 

*Other player to note: Will Howard (Ohio St.): Strange to say Will Howard is a little under the radar since he just led Ohio St. to a National Championship but it really wasn’t until the college football playoffs that his draft stock started to tick up.  He has great size at around 6’4 235 lbs. and he’s got some mobility to him.  Howard has a strong arm that needs a little work on the touch passes but he knows how to play QB.  If the choice is taking Quinn Ewers, Jaxson Dart, or Jalen Milroe on day two or taking Howard on day three, I would seriously consider waiting and taking Howard.  The odds of Howard becoming a legitimate starting QB vs. those three doing it, is not that different.