2025 NFL Draft Top 100 Selections: Predicting a few Surprises

Here are 11 players who could become surprise top 100 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft

NFL teams love to get crazy toward the back end of the top 100 selections of the NFL Draft. There are roughly a dozen prospects in this year’s class who stand out as potential late third round picks who otherwise might fall to the mid-fourth round or later. Here are some of my favorite Day 3 prospects who have the potential to go in the top 100 tonight.

You can view my final top 400 big board for the 2025 NFL Draft here.

Surprise Top 100 Selections

Jalen Travis, OT Iowa State

Big Board Rank: 104

Travis is a mammoth at 6'7 3/4", 339 lbs. but he moves surprisingly well. He’s stiff in space but uses an explosive kick step to cover significant ground and protect his outside shoulder. His massive frame limits his fluidity and agility, but his body control and tempo to mirror pass rushers pop on tape.

Travis doesn’t create much displacement in the run game but excels in pass protection behind his 34 7/8" arms and heavy hands. He has all of the physical tools to be a brick house attached to either the right or left side of the offensive line (he played both positions in college).

Chase Lundt, OL Connecticut

Big Board Rank: 106

Lundt is a lean 6'7 1/2", 304 lb. college right tackle with short 32 5/8" arms. I prefer him at guard because of his lack of length and mass, but the league seems interested in playing him outside. Lundt lacks an ideal anchor, but he’s a quick processor and excellent overall athlete.

Lundt’s footspeed and range make him the perfect fit for a wide zone scheme. He can establish reach blocks or lead the play in space. Charles Grant and Caleb Rogers are two of the only other linemen in this class with the range to make the crazy blocks Lundt does.

Vernon Broughton, IDL Texas

Big Board Rank: 118

Broughton sat behind elite Longhorns defensive tackles before finally getting his chance in 2024. He didn’t disappoint. The redshirt senior is 6'5", 311 lbs. with 35" arms, which rank in the 94th percentile for defensive tackles since 1999. Broughton is high-hipped and a little lean, but he’s an explosive and nimble athlete who suddenly exchanges gaps to beat guards in a phone booth.

Broughton needs to refine his pass rush plan, but you can count the number of defensive tackles ranked ahead of him with better physical tools on one hand.

Caleb Rogers, OL Texas Tech

Big Board Rank: 120

Can you go to war with Rogers? Yes, yes you can. He battles through the whistle and seeks out pancakes. His on-field intensity and leadership are legendary at Texas Tech. Rogers is a fun, high-character lineman with excellent range and mobility in the run game, stifling grip strength, and explosive footwork.

Rogers primarily played left and right tackle in college but also started games at both guard spots, which is where he’ll play in the NFL. He lacks the arm length and mass to play outside.

Lathan Ransom, S Ohio State

Big Board Rank: 125

Ransom is a densely built 6'0 1/4", 206 lb. safety with the play strength to operate in the box and the downhill striking power to fit the run and destroy screens while playing from depth. His quick recognition and trigger, pursuit angles, run fits, and explosive hits make him one of the top forward flowing safeties in the class.

Ransom offers limited versatility in coverage, but he tracks the ball well and is a nice last line of protection who doesn’t allow anything over his head.

Cam'Ron Jackson, NT Florida

Big Board Rank: 138

Football is still a game that pits massive humans against each other. Jackson is one of the largest at 6'6 1/4", 328 lbs. with 34 1/8" arms. He had an excellent week at the Senior Bowl and popped on tape several times against SEC opponents. Jackson doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher, but he dominates one-on-one blocks with heavy hands and a violent, powerful upper body.

Jaylin Lane, WR Virginia Tech

Big Board Rank: 141

Luke McCaffrey and Tre Tucker both went at pick No. 100 in the last two drafts, and Lane might be a better playmaker than both. He’s undersized but densely built at 5'9 3/4", 191 lbs. Lane offers special teams upside and is an explosive athlete who either threatens defenses vertically or turns short schemed touches into big gains with his blazing speed and elusiveness.

Cody Simon, LB Ohio State

Big Board Rank: 147

Watching Simon reminded me of a more athletic Ivan Pace. He flies to the football with impressive burst and defeats blockers with combinations of swipes and swims. Simon shoots gaps and has the range to hunt down ball carriers outside the numbers. His athletic traits hint at a decent ceiling in coverage, but he’s inexperienced in this area and primarily thrives playing downhill with his hair on fire.

Jay Toia, NT UCLA

Big Board Rank: 158

An injury prevented Toia from participating in the pre-draft process, and I think we might be talking about him as a top 130 guy if he had played at the Shrine Bowl. The squatty 6'2", 342 lb. nose tackle delivers jarring power through his hands to reset the line of scrimmage. His linear burst is impressive for a player his size, and he offers more rushing the passer than many nose tackles in this class, including first round pick Tyleik Williams.

(Que) Quandarrius Robinson, Edge Alabama

Big Board Rank: 186

Robinson is on the leaner side at 6'4 1/4", 243 lbs. but drives impressive power through his long-arm move. He explodes off the line and quickly accelerates to beat offensive tackles with his speed rush. His flashy moments hint at him developing twitchy hand counters and some speed to power capacity, but his overall pass rush plan and physical frame are underdeveloped.

Carson Vinson, OT Alabama A&M

Big Board Rank: 210

I mentioned going to war with Caleb Rogers earlier in this article. Vinson falls into the same bucket. At 6'7 1/8 ", 314 lbs., and 34 1/2" arms, he’s mentally and physically built for the NFL. Vinson is a loose and fluid athlete who moves well in space and delivers impressive power through his hands. He’s just not technically developed at all. Vinson is a toolsy, multi-year project.