- We might actually have a “next Brock Purdy” from this year’s class: Kyle McCord seemed to come out of his shell in 2024, leading the Power Four in big-time throws (34).
- Cobee Bryant's feistiness and play style remind of Josh Norman: Both won more with their attitude and confidence than they did with imposing athleticism or size.
- 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF's best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
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Draft Position Rankings
As we break down prospects’ strengths and weaknesses in the 2025 NFL Draft, one exercise people love to see is player comps. Every prospect in every class is different, with varying degrees of uniqueness. But comparisons can be a useful tool to visualize how a player’s strengths (or weaknesses) could play out in the NFL.
Here are five 2025 player comps that I believe help tell the story of who they are and what they could be in the pros.
QB KYLE McCORD, SYRACUSE: BROCK PURDY
McCord seemed hesitant as a first-time full-time starter at Ohio State in 2023, potentially because of the pressure associated with being the Buckeyes' quarterback and having conference title and even national championship expectations. Those are even more magnified when you sit behind a talent like C.J. Stroud for two seasons. But after transferring to Syracuse, McCord seemed to really come out of his shell. He was a much more confident passer, leading the Power Four in big-time throws (34).
McCord’s play from this past season reminded me of Brock Purdy. McCord has a slightly stronger arm than Purdy, but both have a gun-slinger type of mentality without a Tier 1 or 2 arm for the NFL. They both win with anticipation, accuracy and, most of all, confidence. McCord is taller than Purdy (6-foot-3 compared to just under 6-foot-1). Purdy has been able to have a lot of success in a system and with a team that has surrounded him with good talent. McCord could find success in a similar situation with a coach who lets him play freely, as we saw in 2024.
WR ISAAC TESLAA, ARKANSAS: ERIC DECKER
A 6-foot-3, 215-pound big slot receiver, TeSlaa was a major standout at the NFL Scouting Combine. His 39.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad jump both ranked near the 90th percentile for the position, and his 1.51-second 10-yard split and 4.43-second 40-yard dash were above the 75th percentile — and that’s not even weight-adjusted.
He was lightly recruited out of high school since he was a quarterback, and he first attended Hillsdale College, a Division II program where his father played football. TeSlaa was there for three years before transferring to Arkansas, where he became an impact slot receiver in 2024. He didn’t have much production in 2024, with just 545 receiving yards, but his size and style from the slot are very reminiscent of Eric Decker.
T KELVIN BANKS JR., TEXAS: ALIJAH VERA-TUCKER
Banks has been the subject of a hot conversation about the 2025 offensive line class, questioning whether many of the offensive tackle prospects would be better suited at guard at the next level.
The Texas product was listed at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds in college, and his body composition made it look like he might be shorter than that. But at the NFL Scouting Combine, he measured in over 6-foot-5 with a 26th-percentile arm length (33 1/2 inches) but an 82nd-percentile wingspan (84 3/8 inches). That makes his snaps at left tackle over the past two seasons all the more impressive. But I don't think it's out of the question he could be drafted as a guard early on in his career before kicking out to tackle.
Banks' versatility reminds me of Alijah Vera-Tucker, who has primarily been a guard with the Jets, but there have been a handful of times they’ve needed him to step in at tackle — and he has done well in that role. Both also move well in a squatted position, staying loaded to use power while maintaining leverage. Banks' style, size and versatility give me Vera-Tucker vibes, but I will say that I think Banks should and will get more of a chance to be a full-time tackle than Vera-Tucker has.
EDGE MYKEL WILLIAMS, GEORGIA: JERMAINE JOHNSON II
Williams has been a consistent member of the top 30 on PFF's big board throughout this year’s draft process, but some have ranked him much higher. That has always been a bit rich for us. He brings great size for the edge rush spot at over 6-foot-5 with 34-plus-inch arms and a wingspan over 82 inches, all above the 80th percentile for the position. He is also as strong as an ox in the run game.
However, Williams' pass-rush win rate hovered around just 11.0% in each of the past two seasons. That is fine, especially for an edge player who is primarily a versatile run defender, but how early do you draft a player like that if he doesn’t get more explosive in the rush game? In terms of a good outcome for him, Jermaine Johnson feels like a good comparison. Johnson was built similarly with the size and strength to play as a 4i-technique to a stand-up 7-technique as a versatile defensive end who can create value in odd and even fronts. Johnson’s pass-rush win rate at Florida State was similar to that of WIlliams, and he has slightly been able to improve that in the NFL.
CB COBEE BRYANT, KANSAS: JOSH NORMAN
If you still haven’t watched Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant yet, you should. He is as feisty and as confident as they come, which is saying a lot for a position where those two things feel like prerequisites to play at a high level.
Despite being just 180 pounds, Bryant loves to get in a receiver's face at the line as a press-man cornerback, and he’ll be sure to talk some trash before, during and after the play. His attitude and play style remind me of Josh Norman. Norman was a bit bigger, closer to 200 pounds, which is important and not something to brush off, with Bryant not having anything close to some of the career highs Norman did. But both won more with their attitude and confidence than they did with imposing athleticism or size. The real comparison is the size of the dog in both players.
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