Louis RiddickApr 19, 2025, 06:20 AM ET
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- ESPN NFL Analyst
- 12-year NFL scout and Director of Professional Team of workers
- Performed within the NFL for 6 years
- Graduated from College of Pittsburgh
Making ready for the NFL draft is a exertions of affection. It is a grind to check a whole magnificence, however it is also considered one of my favourite instances of the yr. The lengthy procedure for 2025 is in spite of everything coming to an finish, as Spherical 1 is April 24 — not up to one week away.
I sought after to pick out a couple of potentialities who jumped out to me on tape. The primary 5 are names — true can’t-miss first-rounders who’re going to be stars. The second one 5 are Day 2 sleepers I in point of fact like. Those are guys I might goal if I had been operating an NFL group, and I may see they all outperforming their eventual draft slots.
My 2023 checklist had C.J. Stroud and Jayden Reed, and my 2024 checklist referred to as out Jayden Daniels, Edgerrin Cooper and Quinyon Mitchell. This yr’s checklist starts with the quarterback anticipated to head No. 1 general and ends with a security who may have to attend till later in Day 2 to get picked; I attempted to hit a bit little bit of the whole lot. Let’s get to it.
Bounce to:
First-rounders that I really like
Sleepers who might be stars
5 can’t-miss Day 1 potentialities
Ward has long gone from zero-star recruit to Incarnate Phrase (FCS) to Washington State to Miami. And now he turns out destined to be the No. 1 select after throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns final season. It is an unbelievable adventure, and it is a testomony to his choice and resilience.
Editor’s Selections
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He’s utterly deserving of being the highest variety for the Titans. Ward blends competitiveness, excessive soccer IQ, management characteristics and bold bodily abilities. I really like his command on the line of scrimmage and the best way he acknowledges policy rotations after the snap. His general arm energy and lightning-quick free up make fighters protect each blade of grass. There may be such a lot horsepower in his proper arm. And Ward (6-foot-2, 219 kilos) is cell sufficient to throw at the transfer from other platforms and artistic sufficient to let it fly from other arm angles.
I simply do not see many boundaries. Ward has the entire characteristics you need in a contemporary NFL quarterback.
Assume Emmitt Smith with breakaway home-run velocity. That is Jeanty. He has all of it:
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Nice imaginative and prescient and instincts to seek out speeding lanes
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A low heart of gravity and supernatural energy in his decrease frame and core to damage arm tackles comfortably
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Spectacular foot quickness and versatility at 5-foot-9, 211 kilos to leap minimize, boost up and get to the 3rd stage
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A large-play mentality and competitiveness that screams, “I am a danger to head the gap at any time”
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Excellent palms out of the backfield as a receiver and a willingness to step up as a blocker
Jeanty shall be a famous person the second one he touches the sphere within the NFL. He ran for two,601 yards and 29 touchdowns final season. He compelled 126 overlooked tackles. He even stuck 23 passes. The prospective are compatible with the Raiders at No. 6 could be improbable; Las Vegas had a coarse floor recreation final season. However he would even be super with the Bears at No. 10.
Hunter is among the highest athletes to ever play faculty soccer. If you do not imagine me, move ask his trainer, Deion Sanders — who has his personal case for that difference. Hunter performed an unbelievable 1,458 snaps final season, and he ruled on each side of the ball. Imagine that he used to be 5th in receiving yards (1,258) and tied for moment in receiving TDs (15) within the FBS final season on offense, and he additionally had 4 interceptions and 10 move breakups on protection.
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Travis Hunter in a position to take the NFL by way of typhoon
Take a look at the the explanation why Travis Hunter could be a famous person within the NFL.
I initially believed Hunter will have to start his NFL profession as a cornerback — the place he might be an All Professional in Yr 1 — and progressively build up his position as a receiver. However I may well be converting my thoughts. He has one of the crucial maximum herbal palms and ball-tracking abilities I’ve ever noticed. Hunter is easy and as fluid as water in the best way he glides via routes. And he’s at all times beneath regulate and will modify his 6-foot, 188-pound frame to make extremely tricky catches glance regimen.
Hunter is hard and higher conditioned than somebody on this magnificence. He needs to be nice, and he has the talent set to do it. He’s the very definition of a unicorn prospect. I really like the opportunity of him in Cleveland, the place he may support that offense and assist raise the protection.
Campbell has easy and environment friendly motion characteristics which enable him to maintain velocity (and speed-to-power) off the brink. He’s 6-foot-6, 319 kilos, however he strikes like a 255-pound defensive finish. I see flexibility, quickness and fluidity on tape, and he can get out in area to make blocks on monitors.
However Campbell additionally presentations brute energy and an uncongenial play mentality. He has the leverage and energy to be a pressure within the power-run recreation.
I imagine Campbell — who has 38 begins of revel in — is among the most sensible gamers on this magnificence, without reference to place. A lot has been product of his loss of preferrred arm period (32⅝ inches), however I do not see it as a topic. This man has sledgehammers for palms when he lands his punches, and he can sink and anchor to regulate any more or less move rusher that fighters ship his means. If New England selections him at No. 4, he’d in an instant assist the move coverage in entrance of Drake Maye.
Sooner than the 2024 season started, Carter requested the Penn State training group of workers to be moved from off-ball linebacker to the brink. It certain turns out love it used to be a extremely smart factor to do. Carter ruled final season with 12 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and 61 pressures. The ones numbers all ranked within the most sensible 10 within the FBS.
His Von Miller-like get-off quickness and bend as a natural velocity rusher in point of fact stand out. NFL groups will drool over his pass-rush equipment — the cat-like quickness to counter within with a spin transfer, or the facility to win with an up-and-under transfer. At 6-foot-3, 250 kilos, Carter additionally has a speed-to-power transfer that can get well as he will get more potent, and he’s going to proceed to support in environment the brink within the run recreation and getting off blocks. Once more, he simply moved to the brink full-time final season; there may be nonetheless untapped doable.
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See why Abdul Carter is an elite NFL prospect
Take a look at highlights from Penn State DE Abdul Carter forward of the 2025 NFL draft.
That positional versatility is the cherry on most sensible of his analysis, and the group that drafts him may deploy him like Micah Parsons in Dallas. The Giants have a robust pass-rush intensity chart, however I stay considering Carter could be nice on that protection at No. 3.
5 sleepers out of doors Spherical 1
If you need explosive performs, that is your man. Harvey is lightning in a bottle at 5-foot-8 and 205 kilos, with 4.4 velocity within the 40 and in point of fact cast imaginative and prescient and instincts as a runner. He has immediate juice, in a position to head 0 to complete velocity within the blink of a watch. His 54 rushes for 10 or extra yards tied for moment within the country at the back of Jeanty final season. In all, he had 1,577 yards and 22 touchdowns at the floor. Harvey displays persistence and decisiveness to take advantage of any creases, and he runs throughout arm tackles. He could make more than one defenders pass over in a telephone sales space.
Harvey additionally has just right palms out of the backfield, with 3 TD catches final season. He’ll compete in move professional, too, with making improvements to method and toughness. Groups can use him on all 3 downs, and anyone may get an affect rusher early in Spherical 3.
TeSlaa goes to be an issue for fighters as a slot receiver on the subsequent stage. His dimension (6-foot-3, 214 kilos), velocity (4.43) and explosive motion characteristics make him a matchup nightmare in the course of the sphere. Regardless of his larger body, he can get off the road with just right foot quickness, hits some other equipment when he will get to the 3rd stage and tracks the deep ball smartly. TeSlaa additionally displays the frame regulate within the brief/intermediate move recreation to get separation towards guy policy, together with the instincts to discover when going through zone.
He in the end completed final season with 28 catches for 546 yards and 3 ratings. However with dimension, velocity, palms, after-the-catch upside and the facility to place defenders at the floor as a blocker, the loss of big-time manufacturing does not segment me. I love his talent set so much, and I am gazing for TeSlaa to come back off the board by way of the tip of Spherical 2.
What to understand for the 2025 NFL draft
• Mocks: Kiper | Miller | Reid | Yates
• Scores: Kiper | Miller | Reid | Yates
• 13 sleepers | Preferrred plans for each group
• Newest buzz | Crew wishes | QB Board
• Pick out order | Scouting evals | Extra
His measureables would possibly not blow you away, at 6-foot-3 and 241 kilos with 4.71 velocity. However Fannin’s basics, manufacturing and competitiveness are remarkable. He stuck 117 passes for 1,555 yards final season — each No. 1 within the FBS — and scored 11 scrimmage touchdowns.
Fannin can align as a Y or flex out within the slot, appearing just right free up quickness, vertical push and frame regulate. And I see outstanding braveness and focus when catching in visitors. Fannin is as tricky as they arrive after the catch as a runner, and he is efficient in that division. His imaginative and prescient, elusiveness and play velocity led to very large beneficial properties and an FBS-high 882 yards after the catch final season.
For those who like natural soccer gamers, you’ll love this prospect. I’ve him turned around close to the highest of Spherical 3.
There’s a top class put on turnovers within the NFL, and Riley has a knack for generating them. He has 15 interceptions over his 55 profession video games at Heart Tennessee and Louisville. He additionally added 39 move breakups and a compelled fumble over that point.
Riley is a former highschool state champion within the 100- and 200-meter observe occasions, and he ran a 4.48-second 40-yard sprint on the mix. At 5-foot-11, 194 kilos, he has the bodily equipment to play any place — out of doors at the perimeter or within within the slot, and in guy, zone, press or off-coverage. You title it, he can do it. The exclamation level on his analysis is that he’s tricky and can set the brink towards the run in Duvet 2, which we all know is rare for gamers at his place. Riley could be a just right select on the backside of Spherical 2.
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Pound for pound, play for play, Mukuba is the hardest participant on this magnificence. He has an unbelievable aggressive spirit. He landed probably the most toughest hits that I’ve ever noticed in faculty soccer, knocking Georgia QB Gunner Stockton’s helmet off within the SEC Championship. He’s a heat-seeking missile with 4.45 velocity.
Mukuba additionally has very good guy duvet abilities, positional versatility and vary. He has the instincts to make performs within the deep center a part of the sphere or in half-field zone appears, as noticed by way of his 5 interceptions final season. All he lacks is perfect dimension — he is 5-foot-11,186 kilos — which can come into play if his tackling method isn’t sound towards larger operating backs and tight ends.
I might need this man on my group. Definitely. He might be an incredible select on the backside of Spherical 3.
