• There is a real chance we get a non-QB at No. 1 overall: Kelvin Banks Jr., Will Campbell and Mason Graham have strong cases to be the top pick, and that's before we've scouted the edge defender class.
• Speed is the theme of this year’s wide receiver class: Isaiah Bond, Evan Stewart, Travis Hunter, Elic Ayomanor and J.Michael Sturdivant all hit 21 mph at least once in the 2023 season, and each had more than 100 plays where they reached at least 15 mph.
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Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Summer scouting for the 2025 NFL Draft is in full swing, so let's check in on some of the top prospects.
I've watched all offensive players and interior defensive linemen thus far. Here are 10 takeaways from that group.
WE MAY GET A NON-QB AT NO. 1 OVERALL
Four of the five players with the best odds to go No. 1 overall at FanDuel are quarterbacks: Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders, Conner Weigman and Quinn Ewers. But after watching that quartet, as well as the rest of the offensive positions, I believe the door is open for a non-quarterback to be the top pick in 2025.
The race likely won't be as wide open as it was in 2022, when Kenny Pickett was the first quarterback off the board at No. 20. However, there are some stud offensive and defensive linemen, including Kelvin Banks Jr., Will Campbell and Mason Graham, who have as good a case as any to be the top choice as things stand.
THIS IS THE YEAR TO DRAFT A RUNNING BACK
It's sacrilegious for PFF to endorse the drafting of running backs, but this class is shaping up to be special. Ollie Gordon, Omarion Hampton, Ashton Jeanty and Quinshon Judkins get talked about the most as potential first-round selections, and for good reason. All four have recorded elite PFF grades at different points throughout their college careers, and all are just true juniors.
The 2020 running back class had five players drafted in the top 55, and the top of this class could mirror or exceed that. Talent-wise, it feels more like the Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb class of 2018, which featured seven backs in the first two rounds.
RB ASHTON JEANTY BRINGS FIRST-ROUND VALUE
While multiple running backs may go in the first round, not all of them will be worth that pick slot. I have the most confidence in Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
A running back's passing-game ability dictates much of their ceiling, and Jeanty contributes in that regard in a big way. He averaged 0.55 missed tackles forced per reception in 2023, a 97th-percentile figure, and his 3.19 yards per route run placed in the 99th percentile. To paint an even clearer picture of value, Jeanty’s 0.55 PFF Wins Above Average was the fifth-highest single-season score for a running back in PFF history. Throw in his elite rushing grades behind zone- and man-blocking concepts, and you have a first-round weapon.
WE MIGHT HAVE A MIKE EVANS COMP AT WIDE RECEIVER
Listen, I grew up just south of Tampa, Florida, as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. And as an NFL draft enthusiast, I have watched people unfairly try to compare incoming wide receivers to Mike Evans since he came into the league in 2014. Evans' talent, size, uniqueness and work ethic have produced unprecedented consistency. However, we might actually have someone worthy of a “shade of Mike Evans” comparison this year in Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan.
McMillan, a former five-star recruit, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds — about 20 pounds lighter than Evans' listed weight, but stay with me. McMillan’s catch radius is insanely impressive, as is his catch strength through contact with his long arms. His route tree isn’t as smooth, but such was the case for Evans coming out of Texas A&M. Evans managed to improve on it within his physical limitations. McMillan has rare potential, as did Evans.
THERE IS ELITE SPEED IN THIS WIDE RECEIVER CLASS
We have some track stars in the potential 2025 wide receiver class: Isaiah Bond, Evan Stewart, Travis Hunter, Elic Ayomanor and J.Michael Sturdivant, to name a few. Each has an impressive track background and brings that speed to the football field.
According to PFF’s in-game athleticism data, all five receivers hit 21 mph at least once in the 2023 season, and each had more than 100 plays where they reached at least 15 mph. Throw in Colorado State's Tory Horton, who hit a top speed of 23.1 mph in 2023, and you have some serious speed to choose from in this class.
THE 2025 TIGHT END CLASS COULD LOOK A LOT LIKE THE 2023 GROUP
Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta, Michael Mayer, Luke Musgrave and Luke Schoonmaker were all drafted in the top 60 in 2023. There is a chance we could see a similar emphasis on the position in 2025. It starts with Michigan's Colston Loveland, who could go in the range Kincaid did at No. 25 as the TE1 that year. Also in the mix to be picked in the top 75 are Oscar Delp, Mitchell Evans, Luke Lachey, Terrance Ferguson and Tyler Warren.
WILL CAMPBELL HAS NO. 1-OVERALL-PICK ABILITY
LSU's Will Campbell squatting 616 LBS🤯
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 19, 2024
Watch the video above.
Forget the weight for a second. The wink before he absolutely smoked 600-plus pounds? Yeah, I’m in.
Beyond being strong, Campbell is an all-around offensive tackle talent. He has started as LSU’s left tackle since his true freshman season and brings ideal NFL size, with his height and weight ranking between the 60th and 70th percentiles.
Campbell's PFF grades have also been solid across the board, all in the high 70s. The current state of the 2025 quarterback class leaves the door open for players at the top of premium positions to go No. 1 overall, and Campbell is a prime candidate.
IT’S A GOOD YEAR TO NEED AN INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
The 2025 NFL Draft will have interior offensive line-needy teams covered. Do you like offensive tackles who could kick inside to guard at the next level? We have Emery Jones Jr., Jonah Savaiinaea and Earnest Greene III. Do you like maulers? We have Tyler Booker, Jaeden Roberts and Dylan Fairchild. How about a smooth-moving pass protector inside? Luke Kandra, Tate Ratledge and Donovan Smith have you covered.
They might not all be first-rounders, but there’s a lot to like about the 2025 interior class.
MASON GRAHAM HAS A CHANCE TO BE THE FIRST DEFENSIVE TACKLE IN 30 YEARS TO BE DRAFTED AT NO. 1
I have yet to scout the edge defender class, but Michigan interior defender Mason Graham has the potential to be the top choice in the draft. The 6-foot-3, 318-pound true junior was dominant last season. His hand speed and violence made him so tough to stay in front of. He has a variety of pass-rush moves and counters, and he recorded a 98th-percentile 16.4% pass-rush win percentage and an elite run-defense grade.
We haven’t seen a defensive tackle drafted No. 1 overall since Dan Wilkinson in 1994.
Mason Graham | 2023 PFF Grades
THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF INTRIGUING SIZE OUTLIERS
Tank Dell, Calijah Kancey, Emmanuel Forbes, Nolan Smith and Bryce Young are some recent examples of size outliers whom teams took a chance on early in drafts.
Wide receiver Tez Johnson, listed at 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, certainly fits that mold in the 2025 class. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita has shown a lot of moxie and a bigger game than his size suggests at 5-foot-10 1/2 and 195 pounds. Finally, there’s Parker Brailsford, the center from Washington who transferred to Alabama this spring. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds, a weight that puts him in the last percentile for the position (meaning there are no centers in the league who play at that low of a weight). However, Brailsford makes up for it in just about every way while shining with his quickness and leverage.
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