Senior Bowl 2025 Preview: 8 Undervalued NFL Draft Prospects
Check out some of my favorite prospects attending the 2025 Senior Bowl
The 2025 Senior Bowl opens its three days of practices on Tuesday. As you’re reading this, I’m probably waiting for a delayed flight at Dulles International Airport en route to Mobile to provide on-site coverage and takeaways. This year’s Senior Bowl class is loaded with multiple future first round selections and potential NFL Draft risers.
Today, we’ll cover eight of my favorite Senior Bowl attendees who I think I’m higher on than the media consensus.
A quick update: My credentials to review All-22 Shrine Bowl tape were accepted (just like last year), but the tape was suddenly removed from my account just before midnight on Saturday. Several media members lost access with no explanation. I’ve reached out to a Shrine Bowl representative to address the issue, but there’s no guarantee access will be restored.
1. Azareye'h Thomas, CB Florida State
Thomas is a top 20 player on my board, but I’ve seen some people rank him as low as the third round. Thomas is a rare athlete with a unique combination of height, length, size, and fluidity. He’s a sticky corner who allows limited separation in man coverage and showcases good awareness and processing in zones.
Thomas drives good power through his hands on jams to re-route receivers. He mirrors wide receivers well in press and matches their speed vertically. Despite his size, Thomas displays the sudden deceleration and reacceleration to match whip routes and advanced concepts. His burst also helps him undercut routes breaking over the middle, like slants.
Thomas needs to improve his punch accuracy in press coverage and finish more plays in the run game.
2. Bhayshul Tuten, RB Virginia Tech
The 2025 class features several running backs with elite level explosiveness and speed. Most people are familiar with Texas’ Jaydon Blue and Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, but Tuten belongs in that conversation. He runs a 4.32 40-yard dash and can reach a top speed of 23.15 miles per hour. He clocked in over 20 miles per hour in-game in each of the past two seasons.
Tuten has the vision and footwork to survey multiple gaps and make sharp cuts upfield. He mixes tempo to draw defenders toward him before slamming on the accelerator and dusting pursuit angles. He isn’t the most elusive runner in the class but uses swift sidesteps, stiff arms, and leg drive to make defenders whiff or survive contact.
Tuten offers untapped value as a pass catcher. He’s a speed and agility mismatch for linebackers when working out of the backfield. I have a late fourth to early fifth round grade on him.
3. Jamaree Caldwell, NT Oregon
Caldwell is built low to the ground with excellent mass. Despite tipping the scales at around 340 lbs., Caldwell flashes some explosiveness releasing from the line of scrimmage. His short-area burst pops. Caldwell’s upper body strength and powerful hands help him pry up the offensive lineman’s pad level, and he drives his legs to put helpless centers or guards on skates.
Caldwell lacks ideal arm length but has no issue stacking and shedding single blockers in the run game. He gets low enough to split double teams and penetrate into the backfield. I have a fourth round grade on him.
4. Jeffrey Bassa, LB Oregon
Sticking with Oregon, Bassa is also a fourth round-caliber prospect. He’s a converted safety with great arm length, acceleration, closing burst, and loose athleticism. Bassa’s range is among the best in the 2025 linebacker class and makes him an asset in zone coverage.
Bassa lacks the size and mass to challenge blockers head-on, but his lateral agility and quick footwork make him hard to pin down in space. His instincts fitting runs are still developing. Bassa’s value in coverage hasn’t been maximized yet. I’d like to see him take more reps in man-to-man.
5 & 6. Garrett Dellinger & Miles Frazier, G LSU
Dellinger and Frazier don’t get enough credit. I’ve seen some people really low on Dellinger, but I have a fourth round grade on him. He’s a thick lineman with a stout anchor and nice pop in his hands. Dellinger doesn’t always apply his power in the run game, but he has the size to pancake defenders. His foot speed, pad level, wide hand placement, and lunging in the run game need to improve, but he’s a brick wall in pass protection.
I have a late third to early fourth round grade on Frazier. He’s played everywhere along the line except center and sports a thick, powerful frame with a nice anchor. His explosive kick step shows his background as an offensive tackle. Frazier fires sudden and heavy hands. His high pad level, punch timing, and waist bending are areas he needs to improve.
7. Jake Briningstool, TE Clemson
Briningstool started as a borderline second round player for me but dropped back to a late third/early fourth after some inconsistent games late in the year. Briningstool is a tall, lean slot option who easily stacks linebackers with his quick release and acceleration. His size and catch radius make him a mismatch for defensive backs.
Briningstool is mostly a straight line athlete with field-stretching speed. He works across the defender’s face mid-route and rises to high point the ball in crowded air space at the catch point. He had some takeover games when the Tigers made a concerted effort to feature him, but the program didn’t give him enough opportunities to get a rhythm going in most games.
Briningstool’s build limits his value as a run blocker. He’s primarily a pass catcher who operates on crossing routes, outs, and fades.
8. Maxen Hook, S Toledo
Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has a better build than Hook, but I thought Hook looked more dynamic and versatile on tape. He is a two-time team captain with impressive fluidity, speed, and range. Hook reads the quarterback’s eyes to drop down into throwing lanes. He has the speed to handle tight ends in man coverage, but a lack of exposure to man-to-man reps in the slot has stunted the development of his anticipation.
Hook is an eager run defender who runs the alley and takes good angles to the ball. Sometimes he’s too eager to get downhill and opens opportunities over the top. Hook finishes one-on-one tackles in space. His motor and range make him a threat to hawk down ball carriers from all over the field.
I have a mid fourth to early fifth round grade on Hook.