2025 First Round Grades

Does he beat the late-1st rounder merchant allegations?

Welcome to my sprint of 2025 Draft Coverage. Over this next week I will be releasing a few bits of content that will hopefully get you excited for the draft and feel more knowledgeable on some of the players that are selected. My first piece is based on players who I feel are worth taking in the first round. While the number my evaluations leave me well short of the 32 picks there will be Thursday night, I believe the 15 players below grade out for me as players worthy of first round picks in this years draft.

7.5 - 7.25 Worthy of 1st Overall Pick in Any Draft

None in this class for me!

7.24 - 7.0 Worthy of a Top 5 Pick in Any Draft

• Ashton Jeanty, Running Back, Boise State, #2

Ashton Jeanty is the best player in this class to me. He is the most surefire prospect along with having arguably the highest ceiling of any player in the class. He is a player that changes everything about the way you defend an offense. If you want to see the best game of film anyone put on tape this year (maybe best film I’ve ever watched) please watch him versus Washington State.

Jeanty is about as complete of a back as you will see come out of college. His superpower is his blend of contact balance and elusiveness. Running backs at the next level are usually above average in one of the two, but Jeanty is elite in both. He is almost impossible to bring down with one person. Defenders constantly just bounce off of him. While having this strength, he is able to make people miss within a phone booth with quick cuts. He also gets stronger as the game goes on, almsot like these hits fuel him.

He is a very complete back with underrated receiving ability that was utilized more in 2023 than in 2024. He is also one of the best pass protecting backs in the class. He can truly play all 3 downs and be a lethal weapon at all points within a drive. He isn’t the fastest player but has plenty of speed to break off home runs. If the Titans turn in the card at pick 1 and Ashton Jeantys name was on it (it won’t be), I’d completely understand why they made that pick.

• Travis Hunter, Wide Receiver/Cornerback, Colorado, #12

Much has been made of what Travis Hunters role in the NFL will look like and whether he will play cornerback, wide receiver, or both. All I know is the guy is a freakish talent on both sides of the ball.

Let’s start with Travis Hunter the receiver. Hunter moves differently than the rest of the people on the field, and is constantly open because of it. Hunter has such fluidity on his routes. He can go from sprinting to breaking in any direction in a second, creating plenty of separation. He has surefire hands and never drops passes. I like what he offers in the screen game and after the catch. His superpower that translates to both receiver and cornerback is his ability to high point the football. I would’ve loved to see him do the vertical jump to see the ridiculous number he would’ve put up. He is unfazed by the presence of defenders around him and makes going up for the ball look so easy.

At cornerback, Travis offers the ability to be lockdown in man coverage. He is able to stay in the receiver’s hip pocket so often due to his freakish athleticism. Colorado would line him up both in the slot and outside. He is prone to bite on some double moves but has the speed to make up ground and close the separation. He wasn’t often asked to play zone, but showed good feel that can be expanded on in the next level. He’s fine in run support but shows up when it matters most (see overtime vs Baylor this year).

Travis is my top rated wide receiver in this class and I go back and forth with him as my top corner in the class. I think Hunter has even more potential at receiver than he may at corner as I believe he is more technically sound on the defensive side of the ball. I question the ability to play both sides of the ball full-time, but I will not question the talent on both sides of the ball. He is someone I’d love to have on my team.

• Abdul Carter, Edge Rusher, Penn State, #11

Carter slots in as the last blue-chip prospect that I see in this draft class. Carter offers versatility scheme-wise as he profiles as someone who can play as a 3-4 outside linebacker and a 4-3 defensive end.

Carter’s superpower is his first step. When watching him on film, he is moving well before the tackle in front of him. His quickness off the ball frees him up to use his incredible speed to run around the edge and cause pressure. He is far from just an impressive speed rusher. For being a lighter player, the power he displays in both the run game and pass rush is impressive. He has the strength to stop pulling guards in their tracks in the run game and bulldoze a tackle on his heels in pass protection.

His hand fighting and bend complete him as a pass rusher. Tackles struggle to get hands on him as his hand fighting keeps punches off his chest. He is incredibly flexible and offers the best bend of anyone in the class. He can be moved all over the defensive front too. I loved seeing him on stunts and working as a spy on the quarterback. He’s athletic enough to hang in coverage but I view his best utilization will be in rushing the passer.

Penn State guys often end up being much better at the next level than they even showed in college (Micah Parsons, Chris Godwin, Jaquan Brisker, Rasheed Walker, Chop Robinson, etc.), so I believe there can be an even higher level that Carter can reach. Carter is not the caliber of prospect that Myles Garrett was, but he is certainly a blue chip piece you add to your defense that levels up the whole unit.

6.9 - 6.8 Early First-Round Value

• Will Johnson, Cornerback, Michigan, #2

Will Johnson slots in as my 2nd highest corner with one of my highest grades. Johnson had difficulty this past year staying healthy, but has shown 3 years worth of elite tape at the position.

Johnson’s best was playing in zone coverage, which he was primarily asked to do at Michigan. He has incredible feel and instincts in zone, often jumping routes that would lead to pass break-ups for pick-sixes (see Fresno and USC games this year). Johnson has ideal size and length at the position, which should translate to him being an elite coverage corner. In 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr and Rome Odunze got him a few times down the field, but battled both incredibly well as a sophomore (see interception on Marv slant in 2023).

Johnson is solid in run support, though this wasn’t always the case in 2024, whether due to injury or effort I don’t know. I worry about his long speed, as he doesn’t have the best recovery if receivers get behind him.

If Johnson can prove to have a clean bill of health, I really like his odds of becoming an elite number 1 corner on a team. Johnson has seen his draft stock fall a decent bit during the pre-draft process, and I can’t find a good reason besides worries of injuries and draft fatigue. Johnson possesses everything you’d want in a potential cornerstone for a defense.

• Will Campbell, Offensive Tackle, LSU, #66

Campbell has been the subject of much draft talk about whether he is a tackle or a guard due to his short arm length. However, the film shows a versatile player who, in my opinion, can play at tackle or kick inside at guard.

Campbell plays with a good level of nasty. Campbell finishes plays incredibly well and wants to bury the defender in front of him. He’s willing to punish down lineman in the run game and climbs well on double teams to the second level. The footwork is very sound in the run game as he remains extremely balanced, rarely whiffing at the next level.

From a pass protection standpoint, I like a lot of what he puts on tape. I think he lands his punch more times than not, but he needs to tighten his punch up and keep his hands connected. He has good but not great foot speed. His game against South Carolina showed some struggles against speed rushers inside and outside, where not having elite foot speed caught him. He is vulnerable to a long-arm rush due to his shorter arms, but doesn’t crop up enough on film to be continually attacked.

Campbell to me has the ability to at least start at tackle, and kick inside if it ends up being a disaster. Versatile lineman who can play tackle and guard are extremely valuable (see Joe Thuney this year) and are worth taking shots on higher in the draft. I’ve seen he has incredible football IQ and you can see him help call out blitzes and set-up protections. Campbell slots in as my top offensive lineman, and whether a team drafts him to play guard or tackle I believe he is worth the shot.

• Tyler Warren, Tight End, Penn State, #44

Warren slots in as my 2nd favorite pass catcher of the class behind Hunter. Warren essentially was Penn State’s whole passing attack last year, as their receivers offered virtually nothing last year. Because of this, Warren was used in every which way including heavy usage in the screen game and in the wildcat even.

If you look up football player in google, Tyler Warrens face should pop up. My favorite attribute of Warren is his desire to run through every defenders face. So often after the catch, he is initiating contact with the defender and causing them to go backwards. Warren offers great hands and has great ability to catch through contact. Whether it is jump balls or being hugged on a slant, Warren seemed to always come down with the ball. He is fine as a route runner and typically creates seperation through contact rather than finesse.

Warren will be so easy to get on the field, as he has no glaring weaknesses to his game. His blocking would occasionally leave some to be desired, but I believe this will improve when he’s not asked to touch the ball 20+ times a game like he did versus USC. Maybe he won’t see as many wildcat touches, but I think he should never leave the field for an offense.

While Warren is a tier below where I should’ve ranked Bowers last year, I do think he can have a similar level effect on an offense as an instant safety valve for a quarterback and someone the offense needs to manufacture touches for. I’d love to see him go to the Rams and see what Sean McVay can do with a weapon like him.

• Tet McMillan, Wide Receiver, Arizona, #4

Tet McMillan blend of size, quickness, and burst makes him such a unique prospect in this class. Despite Arizona’s down season, McMillan was the engine of the offense as everything ran through him in the passing game. One of my biggest draws to McMillan is the production shows he is someone who can take a lion share of a teams targets. Many guys at the next level don’t have the build or the ability to do that but Tet shows both.

My favorite part of watching McMillan’s film was watching him separate. For him to be able to create separation at his size with his agility was so fun to watch. If I am the team that drafts him, I would have him running digs (10-15 yard in breaking routes) and outs all day long. Leveraging his size and his agility in these routes help make himself a friendly target to the QB. His hands are incredibly strong as his catch radius is stupid big and shows up on tape frequently.

McMillan isn’t the fastest player by any means, but it isn’t something I foresee holding him back at the next level. He’s not going to be some incredible 50/50 ball receiver despite his size, but he can win so many other ways I don’t worry about it. I think he lines up best as an outside receiver, but would love to see him line up in the slot occasionally. Behind Hunter, McMillan slides in as my next highest receiver.

6.79 - 6.65 Middle of the First Round Value

• Malaki Starks, Safety, Georgia, #24

Starks slots in as my top safety in this years group. While his stock has slipped since the season has ended, I believe the 3 year starter at Georgia has a chance to be an above average contributor to a secondary right away.

Starks profiles best as a free safety tasked with playing center-field, but it is his versatility that really makes me interested in him as a player. Starks is extremely rangy and has great recovery speed to cover tons of grass. He has a good feel for zone, but his ability to play man coverage is pretty special for the safety position. He has great ball skills as well, making acrobatic interceptions throughout his career. Starks can also play well closer to the line of scrimmage, making tackles within the box routinely. He’s willing to get into blocker's frames which allows him to blow up plays like screens.

Starks’ eyes are very good as he is usually pretty good at dissecting plays as they are unfolding. He isn’t some sort of crazy athlete like some other safeties in the class, but he’s certainly good enough to play at the next level.

Starks may see his name slide further on the draft board due to positional value and not testing as well as expected at the combine. However, whatever team takes him should be getting a staple in their secondary for years to come with the potential to become a top-5 player at the position.

• Mike Green, Edge Rusher, Marshall, #15

Mike Green slots in as my Edge 2 in the class. Green is a twitchy edge rusher who plays with a relentless motor. Green paced all of college football in sacks last year, racking up 17.0 during the campaign.

Green is the second most decorated pass rusher in the class only behind Carter in my opinion. Green shows great bend and hip flexibility to help leverage his body against offensive tackles. He consistently has a good pash rusher plan and sequences moves together well. His hands are super quick as keeps tackles hands on him, but sometimes struggles to get them off once they are engaged. His first step off the line is impressive as well.

Green racked up lots of protection against lesser competition, however, against Ohio State he made the most of his opportunities when given a chance to rush the passer on non-RPO (run-pass option) plays. Green can be overly aggressive as a run defender which can get him out of position. However, he has enough power to be able to stack and shed lineman.

Green did get dismissed for off-field issues at Virginia, so off-field issues could slide him down the board. However, Green profiles as someone who can come in and get you 10+ sacks as a rookie. I like pairing him with another above average pass rusher and allowing him develop into a pass rush ace over the course of his career.

• Josh Simmons, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State, #71

Josh Simmons grade here comes baked in with the fact that he is coming off of a torn patellar tendon that ended his 2024 season early. Even with the risk factored in, he is easily a top 10 player for me and would be even higher if he had a clean bill of health.

Simmons is an effortless mover. His footwork is technically sound and he’s incredibly light in his feet. Watching him out in space was very fun as he was incredibly fluid in the open field and climbing to the second level.

As a pass protector, he’s as rock solid as you can get. He uses every bit of his frame to hold down the blindside. He is incredibly quick out of his stance to negate speed rushes along the perimeter and has good lateral quickness to defend against inside moves. His punch is incredibly solid. Once he gets hands on the defender the rep is over.

Ohio States run game fell off a cliff once Simmons got hurt and it’s easy to see why. Simmons projects as a plug and play left tackle with scheme versatility to thrive in either a wide zone scheme or power scheme.

• Mykel Williams, Edge Rusher, Georgia, #13

Mykel Williams comes in as my Edge 3. With 3 years of starting experience while also being one of the younger players in the draft (still 20 years old), Williams has lots to build on heading to the next level.

Williams has incredible power, looking like one of the strongest players at the position in the draft. Where this first shows up in is the run game. Williams can easily stack lineman and hold his own on double teams. He was often asked to play a 4i (shaded on the tackles inside shoulder) at Georgia and will hopefully get more beneficial alignments on the edge at the next level. Williams will provide a high floor immediately as he can stay on the field for running downs.

Williams does have some work to do as a pass rusher however. I do like the power he translates into a bull rush for his pass rush plan, but there is a lack of moves there in his pass rush bag. I don’t think he’s a particularly bendy player, so will have to win at the next level with power and great hands.

Williams is one of two athletic freak edge rushers who lacks really production and pressure numbers (Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M being the other). However, I’m willing to bet on Williams over Stewart due to the flashes shown on film as a pass rusher I just didn’t see with Stewart. I struggle to Williams see as a true pass rush ace, but I do believe he can be a great number 2 who never has to leave the field.

• Luther Burden III, Wide Receiver, Missouri, #3

Burden has seen his stock slip since the season ended. While his 2024 season wasn’t quite the encore to his incredible 2023 season, I believe there is still a pretty incredible player to be had in him.

Burdens best trait is his ability after the catch. Tackling this guy in the open field was a near impossible task for defenders, constantly making defensive backs look silly. Getting the ball in his hands close to the line of scrimmage was a very good easy button for Missouri the past 2 years.

Beyond that, Burden offers a pretty complete game at receiver. He’s a savvy route runner who is able to burst past defenders and then sink his hips to decelerate and make cuts. His offers pretty strong hands, making catches outside of his frame routinely. At his size, he’s very impressive at the catch point and playing through contact. He isn’t the craziest burner but shows the ability to take the top off the defense.

He certainly could improve as a blocker and there’s times on film he’s not running routes at full speed. While he can play in the slot and be effective there, I like him best as a Z where he is off the ball and not having to face press all game. However, he projects as a very good #2 receiver in the league with both inside and outside versatility. If Burden slips on draft night, it will be to a smart teams benefit.

6.64 - 6.50 Late First Round Value

• Jalon Walker, Edge Rusher/Linebacker, Georgia, #11

Jalon Walker is a tweener prospect that most people have slated to the edge at the next level. While I don’t think he has a crystal clear fit at the next level, I do think he’s a heck of a football player.

Walker’s motor may be the best in the class. No one looks like they are playing harder than him on the field. His most effective area he was used in last year was as a quarterback spy. Walker can go from not moving to running full speed unlike anyone in the class. This allows him to close space both as a pass rusher as well as in the running game. Athletically, he has all the tools to be a great chess piece on a defense.

As a pass rusher, I don’t think he has a very good pass rush plan. He doesn’t sequence moves together well and struggles to counter when his first move is stopped. As an off-ball linebacker, I don’t love him in coverage, as he can’t really hang in man coverage and could have a better feel in zone.

Walker to me profiles better as an off-ball linebacker who should be used in almost every blitz package. He’s a thumper in the run game that will help improve a team’s run defense. I think he can develop into a plus pass rusher, but I believe he will best be used on the field early as an off-ball linebacker and blitzer on passing downs.

• Cam Ward, Quarterback, Miami, #1

Cam Ward slots in as my top quarterback of the class this year. Compared to last year, I have him ranked below Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and Caleb Williams (in that order), but he still slides in as a 1st round grade for me.

Cam’s best trait to me is his creation ability behind the line of scrimmage. He is incredibly cool in the pocket and rarely lets pressure faze him. He can throw from many different arm angles and has the ability to throw well of platform. His arm strength is solid to above average, as he can rip throws with good velocity.

I like Cam best when he’s aggressive in attacking the middle of the field. However, he can be careless with the ball and make some incredibly silly mistakes. While I like his creation ability, I do not think he’s an amazing athlete who’s going to really threaten defenses with his legs like a Jayden Daniels.

My comparison that I keep coming back to with Ward is what if we juiced up Brock Purdy's arm while giving him a Xanax to chill out in the pocket. I think both are solid creators outside of structure who play well on time. I see Ward being much cooler in the pocket and having more zip on his throws. Ward will certainly get drafted higher than this due to the need of quarterbacks, and I think he can serve as a solid starter with room to sniff being a Top 10 QB in the league.

• James Pearce Jr, Edge Rusher, Tennessee, #27

Pearce Jr. projection is easy for me to see as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Pearce has had buzz as one of the top prospects since last April and is the last player to land a 1st round grade for me.

Pearce is incredibly quick off the ball, displaying a very impressive first step, just a level below Abdul Carter. Pearce is a very long player and uses his length and speed to long arm and speed rush around the edge. Pearce is a great tackler and makes good on bringing down running backs behind the line of scrimmage. I like him most as a weak side outside backer where he will be able to clean up run-platys on the backside and drop in coverage more often. He has a really good feel for zone coverage and can handle tackling in the open field.

There have been some character concern questions with Pearce Jr that I do not know the full extent of. However, the effort was lacking at times this season especially in the run game. In the Florida game there are multiple reps he takes off which is concerning. Getting Pearce Jr to buy in could lead to a team finding a 10+ sack a season guy late in the 1st round. If he slips on draft night, don’t be surprised to see the Eagles take a swing on him and become the next great pass rusher they seem to always have.

6.49 - 6.35 Early 2nd Round Value

• Matthew Golden, Wide Receiver, Texas, #2

• Emeka Embuka, Wide Receiver, Ohio State, #2

• Kenneth Grant, Defensive Tackle, Michigan, #78

• Jihaad Campbell, Linebacker, Alabama, #11

• Josh Conerly Jr, Offensive Tackle, Oregon, #76

• Armand Membuo, Offensive Tackle, Missouri, #79

• Derrick Harmon, Interior Defensive Line, Oregon, #55

• Colston Loveland, Tight End, Michigan, #18

• Azareye'h Thomas, Cornerback, Florida State, #8

• Treyveon Henderson, Running Back, Ohio State, #32