NFL Draft media analyze favorite prospects in the 2025 class

This year’s NFL Draft media collaboration features 31 unique analysts from outlets including Bleacher Report, ESPN, PFF, The Athletic, The 33rd Team, and more.

The 2025 NFL Draft is only two weeks away. Arif Hasan is assembling his annual consensus big board, and fans are homing in on the final wish lists for their favorite teams. As many trend toward unanimous opinions about the top of the class, I reached out to some colleagues in the draft space to highlight the best traits of future Day 2 and Day 3 selections.

Today, you’ll hear from 31 analysts, including me, about some of our favorite prospects. This year’s prompt asked media members to share a three-to-five-sentence paragraph on one of “their guys” in the 2025 class. No projected first round prospects were allowed to be chosen. Consider this one of the last times we’ll pound the table for prospects who captured our attention for the past year.

I purposefully didn’t tell invitees who other writers selected. This led to some overlap, but I think the outcome highlights some of the more undervalued prospects. I wanted to avoid directly influencing most of the selections, which led to two players drawing extra attention.

Putting together this annual NFL Draft media collaboration has become one of my favorite parts of the cycle. It’s incredibly rewarding to pick the brains of so many respected and hard-working individuals. Please make sure to show all of them some appreciation by checking out their content. I can’t thank them enough for taking time during the busiest part of the draft cycle to make this a reality.

The individuals who contributed to last year’s collaboration automatically received invitations for 2025.

2025 NFL Draft Prospects on Offense

This is a really fun tight end class, and while much attention has been paid to the star power at the top with Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, the general depth here feels very good. From Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin to South Carolina’s Joshua Simon. My pick here, though, is Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson. Ferguson has quietly been outstanding in an Oregon offense that utilizes his position but is often more known for its explosion outside. A terrific athlete at 6-5, 247 (with length), Ferguson had an outstanding combine and has been one of my favorite true three-down TE prospects for a while now. Don’t be surprised if he creeps up the board this spring. – Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic

The engine of the Wildcats offense during his career, [DJ] Giddens is a versatile runner that can fit in any scheme. He's an instinctive ball carrier with good vision that also has reliable hands out of the backfield. The consistency of Giddens' "make you miss" ability allows him to win on the second and third levels as he's routinely able to make linebackers and safeties miss in short areas. The biggest question that Giddens needed to answer during the pre-draft process was his long speed. Running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash time at the Scouting Combine helped silence that concern and increase his draft stock in a loaded class of RBs. I have Giddens with a strong third round grade, and he's not only one of my favorite RBs in this year’s class, but I believe he has the potential to be a consistent contributor in a committee very early on in his career. – Jordan Reid, ESPN

There seems to be a lack of consensus regarding the second-tier RBs in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Kaleb Johnson is my RB5 and a top-64 prospect on my board. He's built like a true volume back at 6'1", 224 pounds but has a level of vision and spatial instinct that transcends his mold. Combining his size and physicality with his footwork efficiency and feel, he can be an NFL offense's engine for a long time. – Ian Cummings, Pro Football & Sports Network

A lot of focus on this year's running back class is on Boise State's Ashton Jeanty and for good reason. He's a special player. However, if you're looking for an Ashton Jeanty-lite, look no further than Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten brings a similar level of explosiveness and contact balance with 4.3 speed. His short-area burst and build-up speed are elite, and he's more than willing to hold his own in pass protection. Tuten's fumbles are certainly worth mentioning. His reads aren't always clean, but you don’t draft a guy like Tuten to get you four yards on 1st-and-10 — you draft him because he can flip the math in your backfield, take a 3-yard crease and turn it into six points. – Blaine Grisak, SB Nation

It’s a stacked running back class, so Delaware running back Marcus Yarns will get naturally pushed down the board. However, few running backs in this class have Yarns’s athleticism and home-run ability. Yarns is a versatile running back with the potential to get actual snaps as a slot receiver, and he can make defenses look silly as he turns minimal gains into big-time plays for an offense. He likely doesn’t have the size or playstyle to be an every-down running back, but Yarns can be a meaningful secondary running back in a committee, which is worth a day 3 pick in any NFL Draft. – Kevin Fielder, EMAW Online on Rivals.com

In a class that is lacking true early-round tackle prospects, Charles Grant is one of the most athletic O-linemen of the bunch, excelling in utilizing his athleticism to cut off backside defenders. He easily pops out of his stance as a pass protector, and if he can continue to harness his power and core strength, I believe he can be a high end tackle at the NFL level. – Devin Jackson, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Tate Ratledge checks the boxes in terms of having the build, weight and play strength to cover up and uproot targets in the run game and the ability to anchor on command in pass protection. He also has above average movement skills on tape to intersect targets on the move and quick processing skills to sort line games and stunts in protection. Ratledge will get set up and strike late when isolated against high-end rushers, which, paired with his adequate length, results in short corners. Overall, Ratledge looks like a long-term solid starting guard that I really like on day two of the draft, especially if he’s available towards the end of round two or later. – Brandon Thorn, Bleacher Report & Trench Warfare

I’m surprised how little buzz there has been about Esa Pole in the draft community. A gifted athlete, Pole’s play strength and competitive toughness pop on film. He only started playing football in 2021, but I found myself surprised at just how far along he was with his technique in pass protection, given his inexperience. With clear leaps every season, Pole’s developmental trajectory is pointed squarely upwards. I think he’s a developmental swing tackle to start as a rookie, but he can be a solid starting tackle at the next level by the end of his rookie deal. – AJ Schulte, A to Z Sports

Texas Tech’s Caleb Rogers is one of the most aggressive offensive linemen in the 2025 class. He projects inside as a guard in a wide zone or gap scheme. Rogers is a tone-setting leader with a sturdy core and stout anchor to grind down speed to power rushes in pass protection and the powerful grip strength to arrest defenders who get too close. He’s a brutal finisher in the run game with the awareness, quickness, and overheating motor to quickly redirect for plays in a phone booth or find targets in space. – Sam Teets, Sports Talk with Sam Teets

One of "my guys" in the 2025 NFL Draft is Utah St. wide receiver Jalen Royals. When healthy, he displayed the dynamic run-after-catch ability needed to stress defenses. Royals' play strength makes him a difficult receiver to press at the LOS. He's a day-two prospect with starting upside. – Damian Parson, Bleacher Report & Locked On NFL Draft

Some players win with physical tools, and others are just great at football. Xavier Restrepo is the latter. His combination of overall savvy, clean route running, and toughness gives him a bright future as an NFL slot receiver. – Dalton Wasserman, PFF

My 49th overall prospect and sixth-best receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft class, Ricky White III is probably my biggest draft crush. An absolute beast against zone coverage, he dominated out wide and in the slot for three seasons with the Rebels. His special teams prowess gives him one of the highest floors of any receiver in this draft class, and I think he has the skill set to immediately step in as a top option. Consensus seems to have him as an early Day 3 option, but I’d take him in the second round. – Will Helms, Prep Redzone North Carolina

Will Howard possesses the physical traits, experience, character, mental processing skills, and competitive toughness necessary for development and to succeed over time. He efficiently processes coverages and blitzes both pre-snap and post-snap, resulting in good decision-making in the pocket. He can differentiate between more velocity or touch on his throws when needed to layer the football over second or third-level defenders. This is a weak quarterback class, and I believe Howard has the potential to be the best out of it. – Colton Edwards, FanSided

Damien Martinez is a big, thickly-built back who spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Oregon State, becoming a starter midway through his freshman year. He’s enjoyed success in both zone- and gap-based attacks. He grinds out tough yardage between the tackles or produces on one-cut concepts with advanced vision when it comes to identifying cutback lanes. He loves to punish smaller defenders and has the determination and contact balance to break tackles and finish runs with plenty of yards after contact. Ball security has also been excellent throughout his career, with only three career fumbles on over 500 carries. While he might not be the fastest back or the most dynamic on third-down, he looks like he could earn a rotational power-back/touchdown vulture role on a team. His temperament is similar to previous mid-round gems like the late Marion Barber III. – Matthew Jones, FantasyPros

2025 NFL Draft Prospects on Defense

I have a hard time understanding why Bradyn Swinson doesn’t get more recognition. He’s an athletic and productive pass rusher who led the SEC with 60 pressures and can win with speed and power. With a cross-chop, bull rush, and inside counter, Swinson has a diverse arsenal of moves to threaten blockers in every direction. He didn’t break out until his fifth year of college, but he has the athletic traits and well-rounded skillset that work in the NFL. – James Foster, The 33rd Team

Can’t say enough good things about CJ West. He’s a transfer from Kent State who consistently progressed and popped on tape each week for a much-improved Hoosier roster. While he lacks ideal length, West has no issue doing the dirty work in the ground game with the lateral agility and stack/shed ability to muddy things up along the line of scrimmage. He also has an intriguing profile as a pass rusher, which was put on full display in isolated reps at Shrine. – Ryan Fowler, The Draft Network

Talk about an absolute unit, Jordan Phillips is one of the hardest defensive tackles in the class to dig out of a gap. His eyes might be a bit slow to pick up action in front of him, but Phillips is a stout, explosive freak with heavy hands who can do some absolute damage through the chest of the man across from him. While his pass rush upside is limited at this point and he'll never be a flexible rusher, Phillips is just 20 years old and already provides a high floor as a stout interior run defender. – Cory Kinnan, Daft on Draft & Browns Wire

CJ West from Indiana is one of my favorite defensive tackles in a 2025 NFL Draft class that's deep at the position. He's a sturdy run defender with a strong anchor and low pads, and he has a deep toolbox of moves he can use to stack and shed blocks. He also possesses upside as a pass-rusher, testing incredibly well at the Combine and demonstrating the quickness and motor needed to get into opposing backfields. – Jacob Infante, Pro Football & Sports Network

My guy in this year’s NFL Draft is Boston College EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku. He’s constantly gotten better over the course of his time in college, leading to him exploding onto the scene this season, and he’s got a lot of high quality traits for a pass rusher. I love his sets of counters to his speed on the edge, working a variety of inside stabs. The burst is really good off the ball, and he’s got a mean streak that shows up in the run game. While he can run himself out of plays, his agility and explosiveness give him the traits of a high quality pass rusher. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes round 1. – JP Acosta, SB Nation

One of “my guys” in the 2025 NFL Draft class has to be Bradyn Swinson. It took him a little bit to break out after his transfer, but when he finally did, it was phenomenal. Speed, bend, burst, and elite pass rush rate stats across the board. He boasts prototypical pass rush specialist size, and he improved greatly against the run in his final season. He should be considered a consensus Top 40 or 50 player in this class, but he isn’t. – Travis May, A to Z Sports

Aeneas Peebles won’t be for everyone due to his size, but he’s an explosive three-tech who has been a dominant pass rusher in college football in each of the last two years. His 92.3 pass-rush grade and 18.9% pass-rush win rate since 2023 are each pretty easily the best in the nation. He also showed at the Senior Bowl that he can hold his own against the best of the best. – Max Chadwick, PFF

Darius Alexander is an underrated name in a loaded defensive tackle class that needs way more love. Alexander was dominant in Mobile, AL, for the Senior Bowl, winning many of his pass rush reps. On film, he flashes the great length, flexibility, hand usage, and overall athleticism to become a dominant tackle in the NFL. To me, he has the makings of becoming the next Chris Jones. – Joe DeLeone, A to Z Sports

CJ West is a smaller defensive tackle, but he's quick enough off the snap to present a small target to opposing linemen. An underrecruited player out of the Chicago area, West has also only had access to Power 4-level facilities for one season after playing his first four years at lowly Kent State. The overall athleticism pops off the page, and the right staff and environment could unlock a high-level starter that I think makes him worthy of a top 100 pick. – Alex Katson, Huskies Wire, Chargers Wire, & Two Gap

UCLA’s Oluwafemi “Femi” Oladejo is one of “my guys” for the 2025 NFL Draft because he’s a dynamic edge rusher who combines power, versatility, and relentless effort into disruption in the trenches. His ability to out-leverage linemen with his low center of gravity and heavy hands makes him a nightmare for blockers, and his linebacker background gives him an edge in run defense and the flexibility to fit multiple schemes. What really seals it is his motor—Oladejo’s hustle and high-energy playstyle set the tone for the entire defense. Add in his leadership and football IQ, and he’s the kind of prospect I’d bet on to exceed expectations at the next level. While Oladejo might not be a first-year stud because he has only half a season’s worth of experience as an edge rusher, his developmental ceiling is as high as any prospect in the class. – Zack Patraw, Faceoff Sports Network

Bradyn Swinson is a fringe first-round prospect on my board, in the same discussion as prospects like James Pearce Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Princely Umanmielen. Swinson has one of the most complete physical frameworks in the class. At 6'3", 255 pounds, with over 33" arms, he has explosiveness, bend, power, and a burgeoning hand usage arsenal. He's also shown he can be sturdy in run support. – Ian Cummings, Pro Football & Sports Network

There’s plenty of underdiscussed value in the 2025 nose tackle class. Many people gravitate toward Tyleik Williams in the second round, but I’d argue Jamaree Caldwell in the third round or Cam'Ron Jackson or Jay Toia on early Day 3 are more cost-effective. Caldwell, in particular, is one of my guys. He’s an explosive athlete with a low but thick 332 lb. frame. He channels knockback power through his upper body to put centers on skates and easily stack, peak, and shed one-on-one blocks. Caldwell stays low to muscle through double teams before unleashing his surprising closing burst. He offers just enough as a pass rusher to complement his excellent work against the run. – Sam Teets, Sports Talk with Sam Teets

My guy in this class is Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley. While smaller in stature, he plays bigger and is a very fluid athlete. His ball production, paired with his patience and ability to play inside and out, earned him a very high second round grade when the industry has him with a late day two/day three grade. Just like his teammate Jarvis Brownlee Jr. did last year with the Tennessee Titans, Riley is set to be the next guy to show the world. – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports

Finding elite size, athleticism, and ball skills at cornerback rarely comes with a Day 2 price tag, but Darien Porter appears to fit the bill. With limited experience at cornerback as a main caveat to Porter’s projection, the former receiver showed off the instincts and feel in zone coverage you want to see when drafting a playmaker. He reminds me a lot of Tariq Woolen as someone who needs more grace to adjust to the position but has the upside worth investing in because of his unprecedented traits. – Ian Valentino, A to Z Sports & The 33rd Team

Don't judge Upton Stout by his size. He has the potential to become a Jedi Master at playing nickel corner. Yes, the Western Kentucky defensive back is diminutive. He measured under 5'9" and weighed 181 pounds, with 30-inch arms, but a person will be hard-pressed to find a more fluid or competitive cornerback in the class. Stout can get handsy when working downfield. However, he should thrive in the short-area and muddled zones where nickels need to play big. He's a ready-made prospect for an often-overlooked position. Bonus: Stout started his own clothing line called "Lazy Wayz." – Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report

Although Caleb Ransaw's slot-mostly deployment at Tulane kept him too close to the line of scrimmage too often in underneath zone coverage responsibilities, he quelled any athletic concerns at the Senior Bowl and at the NFL Combine. The Tulane defensive back slings into run fits from the slot and as the end man on the line like his life depends on it, often giving up nearly 100 pounds to the man across from him. That diverse skill set and occasional half-field deployment show his potential diversity at the NFL level. The NFL slot defender is a very scheme-specific role, but Ransaw's well-rounded nature should make him a seamless fit into many coaches’ defensive looks. – Dalton Miller, Daft on Draft

Jonas Sanker is a three-year starter for Virginia who played all across the defense, collecting experience in several alignments, coverages, and responsibilities. Although not a flashy player, Sanker projects as a useful third safety or possibly long-term starter at strong safety in a two-high or Cover-6-heavy defense. His ability to defend the run, combined with his natural physicality, should give him a high floor. He's also created consistent plays on the ball the past two seasons despite not having elite range on the backend. This is a well-rounded player who gets after it in every phase, making him a fit for just about any team in some capacity. – Dante Collinelli, The 33rd Team & Sports Illustrated

Kansas State’s Marques Sigle is a smart and athletic chess piece who diagnoses quickly and erases distance from multiple alignments. He tracks the ball well at depth and shows quicks in the short area to play the ball. Sigle is a tough low wrap tackler who effectively finishes in space and the box. His top 4 finish in the 40, quickness, and explosive drills at the combine should give teams added confidence in his ability to impact games at his size. – Noah K.M. Chang, One Sports Global

It’s very stereotypical of an Oklahoma writer to write about an Oklahoma player, but it’s hard not to be enamored by Billy Bowman’s talent. In my mind, he is one of the best pure coverage safeties I have graded over my decade of scouting, as there’s nothing he can’t do on the field. Oklahoma asked him to play virtually everywhere, from lining up to the field, playing deep as the post safety, in the box, and even running some press coverage reps on an island. While he’s small, he plays with much better play strength than one might expect. Add onto that his quality intangibles, and it’s hard not to see Bowman working out at the next level. – AJ Schulte, A to Z Sports

Shaun Dolac is a decorated collegiate player who only surpasses his long list of accomplishments with the innate leadership and character he brings to a locker room. On the field, he is instinctual and intelligent, putting himself in place to produce and impact the game on every drive. His history as a walk-on turned MAC superstar shows that he is willing to grind and do what he has to do to make a team better at the next level. His level of competition and discussion around measurables will be proven as nothing more than crutches for those looking to discredit what is clearly and obviously a future NFL linebacker. – Owen McCullor, The Weekly Huddle Podcast

His teammate, UNLV WR Ricky White III, is getting a lot of attention, but Jackson Woodard is a linebacker with special teams production and starter upside in the NFL. He’s a little older, but Woodard had two seasons of eye-popping production as a starter, and his film backs up the box score. Woodard plays the game at 110 miles per hour, and his coverage skills are NFL-ready out of the box. He can be a little slow to diagnose things, and he’ll need to get more consistent as a run defender, but Woodard can be a day 3 pick that sees immediate playing time as a rotational linebacker. – Kevin Fielder, EMAW Online on Rivals.com

In a league that has moved away from the prototypical "thumper" at linebacker, Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa is the epitome of the modern NFL. He's a former safety, and that shows when he matches running backs and tight ends in space and tracks sideline to sideline. This is a player who makes leading a defense personal. He puts in the work Monday through Friday so that he understands every single check and knows where everybody on his defense is supposed to be on any given play. Bassa is currently projected to go in the fourth round, but he'd be a good pickup for most teams on day two. Right now, he’s the kind of player you draft in the 4th and he’s covering kicks Week 1. By November, he’s stealing nickel reps on 3rd-and-6 against 11 personnel. – Blaine Grisak, SB Nation

Cody Simon started games in 2021 and 2023 before becoming a full-time starter and Buckeyes team captain this past season. He might not be the rangiest linebacker in the class, but he plays with discipline, square shoulders, and solid grit between the tackles, taking on blocks better than his size would indicate, bending his knees and getting good extension. Polished with good instincts, he’s a reliable tackler who can break down in the open field and doesn’t need to come off on passing downs. In fact, he can match up against some tight ends or make spot-drops into zones with quick feet. The team took advantage of his burst and agility by employing him as both a spy and a pass-rusher. As an inside linebacker, he often rushed through the A-gap, but the team would move him around to give him different looks as well, blitzing him off the edge or shading him over the slot. Although he’s a little bit smaller than your typical backer in an odd front, he could conceivably play there or as a traditional Mike behind a four-man line. After earning first-team all-conference honors and running a 4.59 at the combine, he’s in the mid-round mix. – Matthew Jones, FantasyPros