Without a plethora of clear-cut superstar prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, you are in for a treat this draft season. Why’s that? Because there’s bound to be drastically differing opinions of most of the early-round talents, and that diversity always makes this process more fun than if everyone agrees on, say, the Top 20 prospects.
I cannot say I’ve watched every draft-eligible prospect. Far from. But at this reasonably early stage of the 2025 pre-draft process, here’s my Top 50 prospects after the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
1. James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee
Pearce could add some weight to his lanky-ish frame. But even despite being somewhat tall and skinny in the SEC, he pieced together back-to-back seasons with elite-level productivity that came from supreme burst, bend, and speed-to-power conversion. He has an ascending collection of pass-rush moves too. Pearce can win in a hurry and in a variety of ways … and I think his best football is in front of him.
2. Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Hunter combines magnificent physical traits with the polish needed to be the second-highest-graded player on my board at cornerback and receiver. I graded him individually at both positions, and that’s where he landed. He can be silky smooth, ultra-explosive, and his ridiculously ball-tracking talent is an asset on offense and defense.
3. Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
Graham is a ready-to-go interior rusher with tenacity, athleticism, powerful hands, and a nonstop motor that revs against the run too. High floor, high ceiling.
4. Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Just when I thought it was silly to throw a Micah Parsons comparison on Carter, he fully transitioned to an EDGE role in 2024 and was almost as dynamic around the corner as Parsons was for the Nittany Lions a few years ago. Carter has tremendous flexibility and pop in his hands.
5. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
I get that McMillan isn’t going to be a trendy separator. And he may not test through the roof in Indy. But I saw Tee Higgins, Drake London on film, and he’s every bit as nasty as London with the football after the catch.
6. Will Campbell, OT, LSU
You know how it’s cheesy to just label offensive tackles as “safe” prospects in the first round? Well, Campbell bucks that trend. He’ll be the prudent selection for some team in Round 1 and rock at left tackle right away. Young, experienced, balanced, and powerful. Good athlete too.
7. Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina
Now I have no idea how Revel will return from his ACL tear early in the 2024 season. But in his early 20s, I’m assuming he’ll be just fine. On the field for the Pirates, this was a huge play waiting to happen, and he looked effortlessly fast on film.
8. Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
In a relatively weaker safety class, Starks is clearly the No. 1 at his position with a translatable blend of range, tackling reliability and body control to disrupt passes downfield. Super-smart player too.
Johnson looks the part of a lockdown outside cornerback. And he has three outstanding seasons at Michigan. He’s fluid, displayed awesome football IQ reading coverages, and flashes plus suddenness. I have some questions about his speed and even more about his willingness in run support.
10. Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
This is a Derwin James-esque safety prospect with highlight-reel reps all over his film in the SEC this past season. He’s primed to be a combine monster and has the intimidating and versatile game to quickly transition to the NFL.
11. Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Another injured cornerback prospect who put together tremendous film before his 2024 injury. I was hard-pressed to remember a cornerback with as natural mirroring skills as Morrison.
12. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
I got some D.J. Moore vibes with Burden on film. He’s a compact wideout with a YAC specialty who also will surprise tracking the football deep and with his long speed.
13. Tyler Warren, TE Penn State
Warren could take some time to learn how to uncover in the NFL because much of his production was schemed open at Penn State, yet he is a physical freak among some impressive specimens at the position. Thunderous gallops after the catch, serious speed, and crazy body-contorting grabs for a large tight end prospect.
14. Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss
Umanmielen is a rocked-up edge rusher with an NFL frame and fantastic splash-play ability because of his power, surprising bend at his size, and hand work at the point of attack. He’s looked like a first-round pick the past three seasons in the SEC.
15. Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Bech isn’t going to separate like smaller receivers. That’s true of almost every wideout north of 6-foot and heavier than 200-pounds. He’s excellent after the catch in every way possible, snags everything thrown his way thanks to awesome body control and natural hands, and plays with good suddenness in his routes.
16. Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Nolen is a young and explosive on the inside. He’s the rare defensive tackle who can win with first-step quicks and sustained speed to the quarterback alone. As he learns to deploy his hands in a more methodical way, he can be an All-Pro type.
17. Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
Walker has one of the most unique frames we’ve ever seen at the defensive tackle spot at 6-7 and 340 pounds. Don’t tell him that though. He plays like an upfield three-technique with impressive hand work and the burst of someone significantly smaller.
18. Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Campbell is a sleek, dynamic mover at the linebacker spot with the athletic chops to star as a three-down player in the NFL. As he learns the nuances of dropping in coverage and making plays on the football, he can be a game-changer on defense as a professional. He’s already a durable tackler.
19. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
As someone with positional value part of my grading system, this is close to as high a running back can conceivably rank. While I don’t believe running backs should be first-round picks, I have “softened” a bit on their overall value, as a tremendous youthful back on a rookie contract can add a dynamic element to the right team.
20. Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
Schwesinger is a highly capable athlete with zero hesitation at the second level. Because of how athletic he is and his smarts, he’s typically the first person to the football.
21. Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Ward takes the QB1 spot for me because of superior arm strength and improvisational talent of any quarterback in this class. He’s not a spectacular specimen. He does have enough skill to become a quality passer in the NFL.
22. Bradyn Swinson, EDGE, LSU
Swinson is an older prospect, yet steadily improved on the edge in each of his seasons at LSU. He boasts a long, angular frame, plays with urgency and power setting the edge and was clearly well coached on deploying pass-rush plans en route to the quarterback.
23. Mykel Williams, EDGE/DL, Georgia
A few years ago, Williams looked like he could be a future No. 1 overall pick type on Georgia’s perpetually loaded defensive line. Then he never really improved his game. Be prepared for insane measurements and a freaky combine performance from him.
24. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Milroe is my QB2 thanks to his athletic and quarterbacking upside. We saw him improve as a passer the more he played for the Crimson Tide. Yes, his lows can be bad, and he doesn’t always ID coverage as rapidly as he needs to. As he learns those intricacies early, he can lean on his athleticism as a runner to move the chains on first down. He will instantly be a serious running threat in the NFL.
25. Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
Simmons will enter the NFL off an early season injury, yet before he went down, he was playing clean football as Ohio State’s left tackle. He has prototypical left tackle smoothness as an athlete, balance, and he possesses close to an NFL frame already.
26. Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
Amos is a speedster on the outside with the requisite length needed to be a first-round pick. At least historically, that is. He also is a ferocious tackler and makes no mistake about tracking the football when it’s in his coverage area.
27. Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
Thomas is more of a project than Amos but has a very comparable game and a similar body type. He’s not quite as reliable as a tackler either.
28. Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
Ersery is built like an oversized guard at tackle and it’s nearly impossible to shake his equilibrium in pass protection or when he’s climbing to the second level on a combo. Ersery’s feet aren’t spectacular. His anchor is.
29. Josh Cornerly, OT, Oregon
Cornerly is built like an oversized edge rusher playing offensive tackle and moves like one. He can snap his hips into defenders and plays with a discernible mean streak on every rep. There’s surprising power to his game because of his disposition.
30. Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
Norman-Lott is a flexible, plus athlete inside without a true trademark to his game — just the well-roundedness to transition quickly to the NFL with some technical room for his coaches to get more out of him once he’s a professional.
31. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Sanders can get into a rhythm. When he does, his accuracy is a clear strength. It’s just that he’s not always in rhythm, and he doesn’t have above-average athletic traits to be a consistent sack-avoider in the NFL. I do like how well he reads the field, and his quick delivery. His arm is passable, yet not an element of his game he’ll be able to lean on in the league.
32. Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Scourton needs to be utilized as a true inside and outside rusher in the NFL if the team that drafts him wants the most of him. He has a wide frame with deceptive burst and change-of-direction skill and isn’t shy about using his hands at the point of attack.
33. Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama
Booker is your classic Alabama masher inside. He actually has some room to add to his already enormous, sculpted frame. He has
34. Josaiah Stewart, EDGE, Michigan
Stewart may have the best combination of low-center-of-gravity power and burst and bend in what is a loaded edge-rusher group.
35. Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Hairston doesn’t carry much weight, and at under 180 pounds, you need to fly at the cornerback spot. Hairston does. And he has stunning length. The Kentucky product doesn’t add much to run-support though.
36. Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
Membou is a conventional right tackle with a mean streak once he latches on and just enough athleticism to handle some speedy rushers on the perimeter. Awesome balance too. He’s ready to go.
37. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
What Egbuka doesn’t provide after the catch or even as a super-nifty route runner he makes up for with pure speed, ball-tracking prowess, and ferocity as a blocker.
38. Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
Banks is a great not elite athletic at left tackle who’s built like an oversized guard. He’s further ahead as a pass protector than run blocker — which isn’t a bad thing — and plays with fundamentally sound hand work. I’d like to see more methodical play in space on screens and blocking for the run at the second level.
39. Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Golden is a crafty route runner with quality speed who demonstrated keen ball skills near the sideline, especially late in the season at Texas. There’s some bounce to his skill set after the catch too. He should be a solid pro for a long time.
40. C.J. West, DT, Indiana
West is a no-nonsense nose tackle with demeanor of an upfield rusher at three technique. He deploys heavy hands at the point of attack and on many reps he reminds everyone he’s a dancing bear athletically.
41. Donovan Jackson, IOL, Ohio State
Jackson has a built-in-a-football-lab frame for the guard position. He’s wide with long arms, and his athleticism jumps off the screen. I’d like to see more drive as a finisher as a run-blocker, yet that’s nitpicking. Plug-and-play starter.
42. Jalon Walker, LB/EDGE, Georgia
Walker is a bit of an enigma for me because his reps on the edge were borderline tremendous, yet he’s small for that spot and mostly played off the ball in 2024. He has the burst, bend, and pop to live on the edge in the NFL but could get dominated in run situations. There’s range to his game as an off-ball linebacker but nonexistent ball skills.
43. T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina
Sanders rushes are high. Didn’t matter in the SEC, as he was a steady disruptive force for multiple seasons for the Gamecocks. I love how methodically he uses his hands and how strongly he holds up against the run.
44. Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Green could rise with the combine ahead, because he looks like one of the most purely gifted edge rushers in this class. At 6-3 and 251 pounds at the Senior Bowl, he has reasonably size to play defensive end in the NFL. His acceleration off the bend, coupled with his ability to dip the corner and flatten create his true speciality as a prospect.
45. Ashton Gillotte, EDGE, Louisville
Gillotte is one of those sizable edge rushers who plays like he’s drastically lighter as a rusher. His feet are light and explosive. There fun suddenness to his skill set too. His hands could be more effective, and he’s not ultra-bendy. Gillotte did convert speed to plenty of power over two prolific seasons at Louisville in 2023 and 2024.
46. Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Dart is an assertive passer with plus mobility and an unafraid style down the field. His ball placement could use work, and is arm is good, not amazing. Also, he’s entering the the NFL from a gimmicky offense. Then again, the NFL is getting more RPO/screen/go route based, which should help Dart’s transition to the league.
47. Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
Sawyer is one of the more reliable albeit unspectacular defenders in the entire class. You’re getting 100% effort from him every game and he’s not simply an overachiever. There are legitimate tools to his pass-rushing skill set, like a few go-to moves at the point of attack and an occasionally awesome bull rush.
48. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
Harmon is a lot like Sanders, a tall, upfield rusher who was able to thrive as a pass rusher the past two seasons despite rarely winning the leverage battle inside.
49. Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
Ezeiruaku is your classic stand-up edge rusher who has ridiculously long arms for his size and battles like heck on every snap. While not a sensational athlete, he’s a wily veteran with his hands, which is the main reason he’s a really challenging defender to block.
50. Terrance Ferguson, TE, LSU
Ferguson is my favorite sleeper tight end in what is amounting to an underrated class at the position. He demonstrated plus speed down the seam, was reliable in traffic, and specializes after the catch thanks to deceptive power and awesome contact balance. Ferguson brings it as a blocker too.
Just missed: Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia, Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan, Jah Joyner, EDGE, Minnesota, Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas, Emery Jones, OT, LSU
The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
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