Senior Bowl 2025 Preview: Top 2025 NFL Draft Prospects with the Most to Gain

Check out 19 Senior Bowl attendees with the most to gain this week

I’m on the ground in Mobile as the 2025 Senior Bowl gets underway later today. Practices start on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. CT at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The National Team goes first, ending at 11:30 a.m. before the American Team takes over from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. This schedule repeats for the three days of practice. The actual game will kickoff at 1:30 central time on Saturday and will air on NFL Network.

A lengthy list of apparent opt-outs, including projected top 100 selections like Elic Ayomanor, Vernon Broughton, Jordan Burch, Alfred Collins, Gunnar Helm, Andrew Mukuba, Tate Ratledge, Carson Schwesinger, Nic Scourton, Xavier Watts, Savion Williams, and Jared Wilson, has gutted some of the anticipation heading into the week, but the absence of those players opens the door for other attendees to make waves.

Check out the following list of the 2025 NFL Draft prospects with the most to gain this week.

Note: I didn’t have time to proofread this article this morning before heading to the field, so I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes.

All measurements are verified from the Senior Bowl unless specified otherwise.

Players with the Most to Gain

A lot of people might jump at the idea of a quarterback rising through the Senior Bowl, but I’m not putting too much stock in the quarterback performances. Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix performed poorly in last year’s practices, but they still went in the first round. We’re going to focus on non-quarterbacks today.

The War in the Trenches

Oladejo Oluwafemi, Edge UCLA

The Bruins converted Oluwafemi from an off-ball linebacker to edge rusher early in the 2024 season. He’s extremely raw, but weighed in at 6'2 3/4", 261 lbs. with 33 1/2" arms. He’s lethal attacking through the B-gap and has the basics of a pass rush plan, including chops, inside spins, rips, swipes, and some speed to power.

Oluwafemi’s burst and build give him the physical tools to be an effective outside linebacker. He needs to show enough polish during the Senior Bowl to compete for a potential top 100 selection. I have a fourth round grade on him currently.

Ozzy Trapilo, RT Boston College

The top 100 buzz is already starting to pick up on Trapilo. I originally had a fourth round grade on the right tackle before I went back to re-evaluate his teammate Jude Bowry for the 2026 draft. After watching Boston College’s offensive line face several Day 3-caliber edge rushers, I’m also jumping on board the top 100 hype train for Trapilo.

Trapilo is tied with Jalen Travis at 6'7 5/8" as the tallest player in Mobile, but he’s 20 lbs. lighter than his Iowa State counterpart. His pad level, average kick step explosiveness, and middling arm length (33 1/2") raise concerns, but I’d argue he’s one of the highest-floor linemen in the class. Trapilo is flexible and powerful in his anchor and uses his size to drive linemen around the pocket.

Trapilo is a brick wall in the run game who seals run lanes with ease and showcases unique movement skills for a player his size to operate in a gap scheme and land second level blocks.

Aeneas Peebles, IDL Virginia Tech

Peebles is only 6'0 3/8", 289 lbs. and has shorter arms (31 3/4") than Florida State cornerback Azareye'h Thomas and a smaller wingspan (6'5 1/4") than Ole Miss corner Trey Amos. Peebles is a classic explosive undersized interior rusher. He’s got a great first step with some twitch in his footwork and hyperactive hands. Peebles posts some instant-wins with swims and nasty spin moves.

Peebles is even smaller than 2024 Senior Bowl standout Braden Fiske. I think the two possess some similar qualities, but Fiske landed in a one-of-one perfect situation for his traits. I was too low on Fiske last year, and I might get burned again because I currently view Peebles as a late fourth round rotational piece. The top 100 is absolutely within his striking distance if he plays well.

Jonah Savaiinaea, T/G Arizona

Savaiinaea was a weigh-in winner, standing 6'3 3/4", 339 lbs. with 34 5/8" arms. I’ve never been a fan of keeping him at offensive tackle, but he meets enough size thresholds to get the chance to play outside. Savaiinaea gains good width and depth in his kick step to handle wide-alignment rushers and matches the defender’s tempo to mirror their movement.

Savaiinaea delivers impressive power in his punches and uses snatch traps to take down defenders. He unleashes independent hands that help him win early in the rep. He possesses a stout anchor and uses his power well to clear paths as a lead blocker in the run game.

There’s still room for Savaiinaea to clean up his hand usage and strike timing. His foot speed fades toward the top of the arc and makes him vulnerable to speed rushers, and his impact in the run game is far too inconsistent for a player of his size. I have an early third round grade on him.

Jalen Travis, LT Iowa State

Travis has come a long way since his days at Princeton. Standing 6'7 5/8", 341 lbs. with 10 1/4" hands, 34 1/2" arms, and a 6'11 1/2" wingspan, he’s the only goliath on par with Deone Walker in Mobile. Travis explodes out of his stance to combat wide-alignment rushers and redirects well to close the B-gap. His foot speed isn’t the best, but his range exceeds expectations for a player with his size and mass.

Pass rushers have a better chance of running through a steel beam than they have of breaking Travis’s anchor. Defenders can’t rush through his frame, but his waist bending and wide hand placement create openings NFL players will exploit. Travis mitigates these issues with heavy hands that deliver jarring hits and snatch traps or arrest defenders where they stand.

Travis received a fourth round grade when I evaluated him this winter.

Darius Alexander, IDL Toledo

I once joked that Alexander was Alfred Collins in disguise because the two possess such elite builds. With Collins not here, Alexander and his 6'3 5/8", 304 lb. frame with 34" arms take centerstage. He’s a tremendous athlete who more than checks the league’s speed and strength thresholds. Alexander flashes pop in his hands to walk linemen into the pocket and reset the line of scrimmage.

Alexander has a sturdy foundation as a pass rusher but needs to approach a larger percentage of his reps with a pass rush plan. He resets the line of scrimmage in the run game and uses his powerful upper frame to quickly separate from blocks. Alexander needs to drop his anchor sooner in the run game and add some mass to compete against double teams.

I have a fifth round grade on Alexander. I think the early fourth round could be in range if he balls out in the pre-draft process.

Josaiah Stewart, Edge Michigan

Stewart breaks most of the league’s size rules at 6'0 3/4", 248 lbs. with 32 3/4" arms. I’d make the case for him potentially being a discount version of this year’s Nolan Smith. We’ve seen how crucial Smith has been to Philadelphia’s playoff run. Stewart is that level of explosive and plays with an elite motor.

Stewart isn’t quite as loose as Smith, but he changes directions well and wins as a pass rusher with his first step, speed, hand usage, and developed pass rush plan. His football IQ and processing are excellent, and he plays above his weight in the run game. Stewart sets a surprisingly strong edge and works off blocks well.

I have a third round grade on Stewart. He can boost his value by overwhelming the much larger bodies here in Mobile.

Carson Vinson, LT Alabama A&M

Vinson has four years of starting experience at left tackle and NFL-caliber size at 6'6 7/8", 314 lbs. with 10 1/8" hands, 35 1/8" arms, and a 6'11 3/4" wingspan. For reference, Yayha Black and Deone Walker are the only attendees this year with larger wingspans, and only Joshua Farmer has longer arms.

Vinson’s lone game against a Power Four opponent in 2024 was his season opener against Auburn, and it was a massacre. His hand usage and block framing were all over the place, and his power and speed didn’t hold up well. This is a rare chance for Vinson to showcase he’s not that same player anymore. He’s a UDFA on my board.

Aerial Battles

Gavin Bartholomew, TE Pittsburgh

There are several top 100 picks at tight end in Mobile. Bartholomew isn’t one of them. I have a fifth round grade on him, but I think the Senior Bowl will give him more chances to showcase his receiving ability than Pittsburgh’s offense. He’s a good blocker with nice competitive fire. Bartholomew needs to show as much versatility as possible this week.

Jaylin Noel, WR Iowa State

Noel is only 5'9 3/4", but he’s a field-stretching threat with sharp route running. His acceleration and speed make him a threat with the ball in his hands, but he lacks the play strength and elusiveness to break tackles. Noel’s shifty route running, route fakes, and natural separation skills should make him a standout in the 1-on-1s.

Noel projects as a Day 3 pick for most outlets, but I have a late third to early fourth round grade on him.

Darien Porter, CB Iowa State

Porter is a former track star with terrific straight line speed. He converted from wide receiver to cornerback late in college, making him highly inexperienced for an older prospect. His 6'2 3/8", 197 lbs. frame with 33 1/4" arms makes him the ideal height, weight, length, speed option. I have a late third to early fourth round grade on him.

Porter needs to show good anticipation and pattern matching this week. He’s lean and high-hipped with long legs, which limits his ability to mirror complex routes. His value could skyrocket if he can overcome these concerns.

Jalen Royals, WR Utah State

Royals (5'11 3/8", 210 lbs.) missed most of the season with an injury. He reportedly runs a low 4.30 40-time, which shows up in his immediate burst and acceleration. He stacks both press and off-man coverage and runs some beautiful routes with sudden deceleration or breaks. Royals needs to be more consistent as a route runner and add more branches to his route tree.

I have a late third to early fourth round grade on Royals because of the lack of tape from 2024. He could easily cement himself as a top 80 player with a strong showing in Mobile.

Jacob Parrish, CB Kansas State

I’ve seen some top 100 hype for Parrish. I’m just not there on the 5'9 7/8" 196 lb. corner. He’s an aggressive, physical future nickel option who attacks and re-routes receivers at the line of scrimmage and reads the quarterback’s eyes to trigger downhill and jump passes. Parrish isn’t anywhere near as fast or loose as Mike Sainristil was last year, and that’s what worries me about his draft projection.

Pat Bryant, WR Illinois

At 6'2 1/8", 208 lbs., Bryant is the fourth-tallest receiver in Mobile. He plays big at the catch point with impressive ball tracking and body control to complement strong hands that hold onto the ball through contact. Bryant’s leverage manipulation and route salesmanship help generate the separation that his natural athleticism doesn’t create.

Bryant is currently a fourth rounder on my board. Separation skills and contested catch ability will be big for him this week.

Bilhal Kone, CB Western Michigan

Kone projects as a fifth rounder with the potential to jump a round if his speed and mirroring at the top of the stem hold up against the Senior Bowl’s shiftier receivers. Kone thrives in zone concepts because he reads the quarterback’s eyes well and is comfortable sorting through and jumping routes. We’ll see how scheme versatile he is based on his athletic performance in the 1-on-1s.

Upton Stout, CB/NB Western Kentucky

Stout (5'8 1/4", 178 lbs.) is a Day 3 nickel with clear size limitations. Fortunately, his pre-snap diagnoses and post-snap processing are excellent. Stout is a smart corner who plays above his size with quick and powerful jams in press. He’s a smooth athlete with good acceleration and nice closing burst to impact the game from man or zone.

Stout’s aggression at the catch point forces pass breakups against larger receivers, and he attacks downhill to blow up screens and disrupt run plays. His size limits his ability to stack and shed blocks. Stout’s twitch doesn’t quite reach the level you want for a defensive back his size.

Racecars and Tanks

Woody Marks, RB USC

Dalton Miller and I are two of the only people I’ve seen in draft media who have consistently listed Marks as a top 100 pick. He’s a third rounder on my board. Marks is a sudden and twitchy athlete who makes defenders miss in a phone booth. He lacks elite long speed, but his acceleration and burst eliminate pursuit angles and break off long runs.

Marks is a springy athlete with elite stop-start agility to cut on a dime and string together multiple moves. His athleticism translates into production as a receiver out of the backfield too. He makes moves and finds run lanes no other player in Mobile can. I think Marks will knock our socks off this week.

Damien Martinez, RB Miami

Martinez plays to his 5'11 1/8", 226 lb. frame with impressive contact balance and the leg drive to pick up yards after contact. He’s tough to bring down, even in a crowd. Martinez lacks home run speed and open field elusiveness, but he’s more than just a north-to-south runner. He uses jump cuts and sidesteps to survey multiple gaps and evade early pressure. His controlled footwork helps him slip through small gaps.

Brashard Smith, RB SMU

Smith played wide receiver and returned kicks at Miami before transferring to SMU and converting to running back. His 5'9 1/4", 195 lb. frame still needs to get stronger, but he runs with the speed and burst of a receiver and eliminates pursuit angles with the savvy of a kick returner.

Smith’s improving vision between the offensive tackles was a nice twist that started to pop on tape late in the season. His feel for run lanes and ability to slip through narrow gaps give him nice scheme versatility. Smith is a dynamic slasher who sets his blocks up well and uses hesitations, spins, and rocker steps to make defenders miss in tight spaces.

I Have Questions

• Which consensus first round prospects rise to the challenge, and which bottom out?

• Is this the Shemar Stewart or Donovan Ezeiruaku takeover moment?

• Do any of the recent invitees replacing players who dropped out make a big splash?

• Which recently trendy players lose their shine?

• How many of the “small school” non-Power 4 prospects go punch for punch for the big guys?

• What will the offensive tackle to guard rep ratio be for projected top 50 prospects like Josh Conerly Jr., Armand Membou, and Wyatt Milum?

• How do Marcus Mbow and Grey Zabel look during their reps at center? (probably doesn’t matter)

• Am I right about LSU guards Garrett Dellinger and Miles Frazier being undervalued?

• Will the undersized edge rushers, including Donovan Ezeiruaku, Mike Green, and Josaiah Stewart match the offensive tackles’ physicality?

• How do the perceived borderline first rounders, like Aireontae Ersery, Mike Green, Jalen Milroe, T.J. Sanders, and Princely Umanmielen hold up?

• Do Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe give us any useful answers?

• How does Taylor Elgersma know what a yard is if he’s a metric system believing Canadian? (seriously though, I’m interested in seeing him play)

• Will the plethora of undersized, slot-only receivers demolish the corners in 1-on-1s? Which corners have the twitch to hang with them?

• How many of the rangy coverage linebackers actually hold up in the 1-on-1s?

• Do either Elijah Arroyo or Harold Fannin Jr. just take over against the linebackers and safeties?