• James Pearce Jr. is the top 2025 prospect: The Tennessee edge defender is the name to know in next year’s class.
• Caleb Downs leads the way for 2026: The Ohio State safety is currently the top prospect to know for the 2026 class.
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The NFL is unique to other professional sports leagues in that players must be at least three years removed from high school.
What if that rule changed? Here’s how the first round would shake out if everyone in college football was eligible.
Click here to view our all-eligible position rankings and here for our all-eligible mock draft.
Editor's Note: Only players eligible for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 NFL Drafts were considered. Incoming true freshmen were not considered.
1. QB Caleb Williams, USC, 2024
Even with every quarterback in college football being eligible, Williams would easily be the first signal-caller off the board.
He earned 90.0-plus PFF grades in all three of his college seasons and has top-tier traits for the NFL level, especially in terms of creation ability. While he might not be an Andrew Luck- or Trevor Lawrence-level of prospect, he’s likely in that next tier of the best quarterback prospects over the past decade-plus.
Highest-Graded Power Five QBs | PFF College Era (Since 2014)
| Name | School(s) | Career PFF Grade |
| Baker Mayfield | Texas Tech, Oklahoma | 95.9 |
| Mac Jones | Alabama | 94.6 |
| Justin Fields | Georgia, Ohio State | 94.2 |
| Caleb Williams | Oklahoma, USC | 93.6 |
| Trevor Lawrence | Clemson | 93.3 |
| Bryce Young | Alabama | 93.3 |
| Joe Burrow | Ohio State, LSU | 93.2 |
| Kyler Murray | Texas A&M, Oklahoma | 93.2 |
| Marcus Mariota | Oregon | 93.2 |
2. QB Drake Maye, North Carolina, 2024
Like Williams, Maye has been elite since he became a starter. His 91.6 passing grade since 2022 leads all FBS quarterbacks, as do his 80 big-time throws. His fantastic arm talent combined with his two years of elite production would make him a No. 1 pick in most drafts.
3. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State, 2024
Harrison is as complete of a wide receiver prospect as you’ll find. To start, he’s a physical marvel at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds who has hit nearly 22 miles per hour in GPS tracking. He’s also technically advanced for the position, which shouldn’t be surprising, considering his father is one of football's greatest receivers.
Harrison is a once-in-a-decade talent who will likely become an elite NFL wideout sooner rather than later.
4. T Joe Alt, Notre Dame, 2024
Alt has everything you’d want in an offensive tackle prospect. He brings absurd size for the position at 6-foot-9 and 321 pounds with 34 1/4-inch arms. He is also a fantastic athlete at that size, testing above the 99th percentile, according to Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic Score. Then there’s the multiple years of elite production that he put on tape. His 93.1 grade since 2022 leads all FBS offensive tackles.
Alt is one of the better tackle prospects in recent memory, and the best since Penei Sewell in 2021.
5. WR Malik Nabers, LSU, 2024
After reading Marvin Harrison Jr.’s write-up, it may come as a surprise that there’s a real debate in the draft community between Harrison and Nabers as the top wideout in the 2024 class. While I still have Harrison at No. 1, there’s no denying that Nabers is also special.
He has ridiculous movement skills between his acceleration and change-of-direction ability. Not to mention, he was the best receiver in college football this past season. He led all FBS wideouts in PFF grade (93.0) and ranked second in receiving yards (1,568) to the next player on this list.
6. TE Brock Bowers, Georgia, 2024
As the greatest tight end in college football history, Bowers is the clear choice to be the top tight end on this list. There’s even an argument to be made that he’s the greatest tight end prospect in NFL Draft history.
The three-time All-American and two-time John Mackey Award winner has no real weaknesses in his game, outside of below-average size for the position. He’s a versatile chess piece with elite after-the-catch ability, strong hands and reliable blocking.
7. WR Rome Odunze, Washington, 2024
Odunze paced the nation with 1,639 receiving yards in 2023. At the NFL scouting combine, he said that 50-50 jump balls were actually “100-0.” And, honestly, he’s not too far off. He caught 75% of his contested targets this past season, and his 21 contested catches were four more than any other receiver in college football.
Odunze is an elite athlete and would be the No. 1 wide receiver in many drafts. It just so happens that he’s in a class with two of the best receiver prospects in recent memory.
8. QB Jayden Daniels, LSU, 2024
The top three quarterback prospects in this year’s draft remain the top three in the all-eligible version. That means two things:
- The 2024 quarterback class is loaded.
- The next few quarterback classes are more uncertain.
By all accounts, Daniels was the best signal-caller college football had to offer this past season. His 94.7 PFF grade paced the position, he ranked third in big-time throw rate (8.4%) and he led the way in rushing yards (1,250). He’s an elite runner and drastically improved as a passer throughout his five-year college career.
9. EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 2025
Pearce became one of the most fearsome pass rushers in college football this past season. The sophomore’s 21.3% pressure rate ranked third among all edge defenders, as did his 92.4 pass-rush grade. Pearce ended the season as the fourth-most valuable Power Five edge defender, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.
He has freakish explosiveness at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds and converts speed to power at an elite level. With the 2025 NFL Draft looking like it’ll have a weaker quarterback class, there’s a real chance that Pearce could be the No. 1 overall pick.
10. T Will Campbell, LSU, 2025
Campbell started at left tackle for LSU as a true freshman in 2022 and has been nothing but a star across his two years there. His 85.6 pass-blocking grade on true pass sets in 2022 trailed only Peter Skoronski among Power Five tackles. This past season, Campbell ranked fifth among FBS offensive tackles in PFF run-blocking grade (84.9).
Campbell is the fifth-most valuable Power Five tackle since 2022, according to PFF's Wins Above Average metric. Three of the players above him are projected first-round picks in 2024: Joe Alt, Taliese Fuaga and JC Latham.
11. CB Will Johnson, Michigan, 2025
Johnson immediately lived up to his five-star recruiting label, posting a 91.1 grade in man coverage as a true freshman to lead all Power Five cornerbacks.
He followed that up by allowing just a 29.1 passer rating into his coverage as a sophomore, which ranked fifth among cornerbacks. On six targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze this past season, Johnson allowed just three catches while also coming down with an interception.
He has all the physical traits you want in a cornerback, at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds with excellent speed, footwork and ball skills for the position. If Johnson was eligible to be selected in 2024, he’d be the first cornerback off the board. In fact, he would’ve been the first one taken in 2023, as well. Johnson has the makings of a special prospect who will likely be a top-five pick next April.
12. EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA, 2024
Latu’s 96.3 grade in 2023 wasn’t just the best by any player in the country this past season; it was the highest mark by a Power Five player since PFF began charting college football in 2014.
Highest-Graded Power Five Seasons | PFF College Era (Since 2014)
| Name | Position | School | Season | PFF Grade |
| Laiatu Latu | EDGE | UCLA | 2023 | 96.3 |
| Blake Corum | RB | Michigan | 2022 | 96.2 |
| Kyle Pitts | TE | Florida | 2020 | 96.0 |
| Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State | 2019 | 96.0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DI | Alabama | 2018 | 96.0 |
He’s one of the most NFL-ready pass rushers in recent memory, with excellent hand usage and a bevy of pass-rushing moves in his tool box.
13. DI Mason Graham, Michigan, 2025
Graham was excellent in his first year in Ann Arbor, leading all FBS true freshmen interior defensive linemen in PFF grade (80.3). He took his game to a new level as a sophomore, finishing as the fourth-most valuable defensive tackle in college football, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. Graham was one of only two college interior defensive linemen to finish with top-10 grades as both a pass rusher and run defender. The other was Texas’ T'Vondre Sweat.
The rising junior has a relentless motor and ridiculous agility that makes him nearly unblockable. Even if an offensive lineman gets a clean shot on him, he has great power at 6-foot-3 and 318 pounds to shed the block and find the ball carrier. Graham is a nearly complete defensive tackle who will continue to terrorize Big Ten offenses on his way to likely becoming an early selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
14. DI Deone Walker, Kentucky, 2025
At 6-foot-6 and 348 pounds, Walker dwarfs nearly every offensive lineman he lines up against. Most defensive tackles that size end up serving as run stuffers who eat double teams while adding little to nothing as pass rushers. While Walker can certainly do the first part (81.7 run-defense grade in 2023), the latter couldn’t be further from the truth.
The sophomore’s 51 pressures this past season led all interior defensive linemen in college football, while his eight sacks were tied for the most among Power Five players. He is the second-most valuable returning Power Five defensive tackle since 2022, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. While Walker has the sheer strength to overpower offensive linemen, he often wins with his outstanding agility and finesse. Like Mason Graham, expect Walker to be an early pick in the 2025 draft for just how much of a unicorn he is.
15. WR Luther Burden III, Missouri, 2025
If you’re searching for the next Deebo Samuel, look no further. Burden is similar in size to the star NFL receiver, and the two are at their best with the ball in their hands. The sophomore’s 725 yards after the catch ranked third among FBS receivers this past season, and his 314 receiving yards after contact were the fourth most.
Burden also displayed impressive hands and body control this past season, dropping just four of his 94 catchable targets while coming down with 56.5% of his contested targets. The former five-star recruit was targeted on 32.7% of his receiving snaps this past season, the highest rate among Power Five receivers. If Burden can clean up some route-running issues, he can overtake the three above him. For now, he’ll have to settle for being the early WR1 favorite in the 2025 draft.
16. CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame, 2025
While Will Johnson’s first two seasons were special, Morrison’s weren’t too far behind. As a true freshman in 2022, he tied for the Power Five lead with six interceptions and his 29.2 passer rating allowed ranked third. In 2023, he tied for eighth with 13 forced incompletions.
Morrison owns an 86.8 single-coverage grade since 2022, which paces all returning Power Five cornerbacks. On seven targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. over the past two years, he forced more incompletions (three) than he allowed catches (two). While Morrison has work to do as a tackler, he has elite ball skills for the position. Both he and Johnson could be top-10 picks in 2025 and would likely be the first cornerbacks off the board this year if eligible.
17. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 2025
McMillan presents a massive target to throw to at 6-foot-5, giving him a larger catch radius than anyone on this list. His 17 contested catches in 2023 were the second most among FBS receivers to only Rome Odunze. He also has excellent hands, finishing with the lowest drop rate among Power Five receivers with at least 100 targets this past season (2.1%).
Only Malik Nabers and Odunze finished with more receiving yards than McMillan this year in the Power Five (1,396), and those two were the only FBS wideouts who had more receiving first downs plus touchdowns than the Arizona sophomore (63). Nabers and Odunze are projected top-10 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, a feat McMillan should accomplish in 2025 if he maintains this pace.
18. T Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 2025
Banks started for Texas at left tackle as a true freshman in 2022 and instantly excelled as a pass protector. The former five-star recruit allowed pressure on only 3.5% of his true pass sets, ranking fifth among Power Five tackles.
The sophomore’s 86.8 pass-blocking grade this past season stands second among returning Power Five tackles. Banks surrendered pressure on just 2.3% of his pass-blocking snaps, which also placed second among returning Power Five tackles. He finished 2023 as the sixth-most valuable offensive tackle in college football, according to PFF's Wins Above Average metric. While not always a consistent run blocker, Banks recorded 12 big-time blocks (PFF’s highest-graded blocks) in 2023, ranking second to only Taliese Fuaga among FBS tackles.
The 2024 offensive tackle class is loaded, but the duo of Campbell and Banks would still be ranked ahead of anyone not named Joe Alt.
19. DI Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois, 2024
Newton places third among interior defensive linemen but is still a top-10 prospect on PFF’s 2024 NFL Draft big board, showing how ridiculous the duo of Mason Graham and Deone Walker could be next year. Newton is still a worthy DT1 this year for his dominance over the past few seasons.
Since 2022, he leads all FBS interior defensive linemen in pressures (102) and run-defense stops (55). Newton was named to PFF’s All-America team in each of those years, the second team in 2022 and the first team this past season. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with elite tape and technique.
20. CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado, 2025
There’s versatile, and then there’s Travis Hunter. Not only did he serve as Colorado’s top cornerback in 2023, but he was also second on the team in receiving yards. Hunter played 1,044 snaps in nine games, which was the most in college football.
Even though he practically never came off the field and was routinely matched up with the opposition’s best receiver, Hunter impressed with three interceptions.
He has the best ball skills of any cornerback in college football and is a freak athlete. While focusing on one position full time may allow him to excel even more, the Buffaloes will happily settle with their marathon man being a well above-average player at two incredibly valuable positions.
21. S Caleb Downs, Ohio State, 2026
Downs is the only 2026 prospect who leads one of these all-eligible position rankings.
He entered Tuscaloosa as the highest-rated safety recruit since Derwin James Jr. in 2015 and immediately showed why. The true freshman was named a first-team PFF All-American and ranked second among Power Five safeties with 16 coverage stops. His 88.9 coverage grade placed third among that same group.
Downs has no glaring weaknesses in his game, which is hard to believe for a freshman. He’ll surely be joining his older brother, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, in the NFL in a couple of years. He would likely be the first safety off the board next month if he was in this year’s class.
22. QB Carson Beck, Georgia, 2025
Beckis the first non-2024 quarterback listed in this exercise. He finished as the fourth-most valuable quarterback in 2023, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. The three above him were all Heisman finalists who are now heading to the NFL (Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels).
Beck’s 91.5 overall grade and 90.8 passing grade also placed fourth among FBS signal-callers. The rising redshirt senior is a supremely accurate quarterback with precise timing. While he hasn’t quite reached the levels of the three above him, Beck is still the early favorite to be QB1 in 2025.
23. T Olu Fashanu, Penn State, 2024
Fashanu’s calling card is his pass blocking. His 89.2 pass-blocking grade since 2022 ranks fifth among FBS tackles. He didn’t surrender a sack and gave up only one hit on 697 career pass-blocking snaps.
While he needs to get stronger as a run blocker, Fashanu brings elite athleticism and pass-blocking chops as a potential franchise left tackle.
24. T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State, 2024
Fuaga's 90.9 run-blocking grade this past season was more than four points higher than any other tackle. He’s no slouch as a pass protector, either, placing in the 85th percentile for FBS tackles in pass-blocking grade on true pass sets.
Fuaga is a powerful player who brings a mentality to the offensive line that many coaches will fall in love with.
25. DI Peter Woods, Clemson, 2026
Even though the former five-star recruit had to compete for playing time with two interior defensive linemen who will get drafted in 2024, Ruke Orhorhoro and Tyler Davis, the true freshman still shined.
Woods ranked third among FBS defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate (17.1%) and seventh in run-defense grade (88.6). His 87.6 PFF grade was the third-best mark by a true freshman interior defensive lineman since PFF began charting college football in 2014. The only two above him were Dexter Lawrence and Ed Oliver in 2016, each of whom currently makes more than $15 million a year in the NFL.
Expect Woods to become a household name as a full-time starter in 2024.
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