draft: final countdown starting 4/18

from 2025 NFL Draft confidential: Woe is the team in need of a quarterback this year

[Me note: don’t let the title fool you. This is an overview of every draft position for this year]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6274940/2025/04/21/nfl-draft-2025-confidential-hunter-sanders/?campaign=13286073&source=athletic_targeted_email&userId=603890

The consensus on the top QBs, from Cam Ward to Tyler Shough

At the end of the 2024 college season, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward were grouped as the top two quarterback prospects in this class. From what I’ve been hearing, Ward is the clear No. 1 — and Sanders is closer to the next tier than Ward.

“Cam’s stroke is top 10 in the league immediately,” said passing game coordinator No. 1. “His arm talent is ridiculous. There’s still a lot of growth for him. He has a lot of potential. It just depends on the scheme fit and there’s a lot of development from a mental standpoint.”

Scouting director No. 1 said Ward’s talent puts him in the same class as the half-dozen quarterbacks who were picked in the top 12 in 2024: “If Cam would’ve been this year’s Cam last year, I think he would’ve gone in the top 12. He has a live arm, a lot of pure arm talent. He has a clean slate with injuries. I like how he’s wired. I was impressed with him.”

OC No. 2 views Ward as a legitimate top-10 talent. He doesn’t think Sanders is, but added, “He’ll probably go there because of necessity. I felt so much better about all those guys last year and C.J. (Stroud) the year before. Shedeur has some leaks in his throwing motion. But I do like the kid. I think he’s smart. He’s tough. I hate the system he played in. He got sacked 94 times in the last two years. I get it (he had a terrible O-line), but I don’t. Get the ball out!”

The passing game coordinator said he thinks Sanders potential is “really high.” It’s a plus that Sanders has been really good every year he’s played in college, he said. You can’t say that about many of the other higher-ranked QBs in this class. “If he buys in, he has a chance.”

OC No. 2 said he doesn’t think Sanders is close to being ready to be a legitimate NFL starting quarterback, but added that Sanders is “tough as hell. He’s not overly mobile. That’s where Cam really separates from him.”

The biggest concern with Ward is how well he takes care of the football. Rival coaches said he was reckless in carrying the ball and with his decision-making. It improved over his five-year career, which began at FCS Incarnate Word, then Washington State, and then at Miami, where he threw for 4,313 yards and a school-record 39 touchdown passes against seven interceptions.

Said the passing game coordinator, “He’s the kind of guy that reeling in would be fun because there are about five plays a game that he makes that you can’t teach. They did some good stuff there (at Miami), and whoever drafts him probably needs to add it to their game-plan because he’s so good at it.”

While there’s been a lot of talk about Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart being the next-best prospect, the coaches I spoke to didn’t see it that way.

“I like Tyler Shough better,” said OC No. 2. “I’m not saying he’s Joe Burrow, but he’s got some Joe Burrow to him. I think he has the best feet in this quarterback class. I know he’s had injuries, and if he didn’t, I think he’d be a first-round QB.”

The 6-5, 219-pound Shough ran a 4.63 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine, does have a lengthy injury history. He began his career at Oregon, where he spent three seasons before transferring to Texas Tech in 2021. He started three years there, but each was derailed by a season-ending injury. His age also has become a talking point; he’ll be 26 in September, making him older than Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy and C.J. Stroud.

“He’s probably the most pro-ready to go in and run an offense and be able to operate,” said passing game coordinator No. 1. “Some people bring up his age — nope, don’t care. This isn’t baseball, where you’re drafting 18-year-olds. He’s athletic. He’s a good interview. Smart. Arm talent is good.”

Scouting director No. 1, though, said he could see Dart being the second quarterback taken: “No knock on Shedeur, but Dart has a stronger arm, is a bigger man, has more mobility. I see him as a more polished Drew Lock.”

Dart is much younger than Shough, only 21. He was the first-team All-SEC quarterback in 2024, throwing for 4,279 yards. He was a more polarizing prospect than I expected.

“I think he’s the furthest away from being ready,” said OC No. 2. “When I see him against the better talent of the SEC, he wasn’t as his best. I like Jaxson, but I think he might have the most to overcome (of these top QBs). I think he has an average arm.”

Passing game coordinator No. 1 also viewed Dart as a project: “He has some mechanical things in his lower body that he needs to work on. It is a weird offense to study, but he got better every year. He ran for 500 yards in the SEC twice. There is potential there. He seems like a really good dude.”

Can Quinn Ewers and Jalen Milroe separate?
Can Alabama’s Jalen Milroe become an NFL starter?

Passing game coordinator No. 1: “He’s a project. He’s special. He’s very athletic and he can throw it far. There is enough on tape where you can see it. He’s got to go to the right place.

OC No. 2: “While he’s still learning how to play and developing, he still does bring something to the table,” said NFL OC No. 1. “He is an elite runner. He has enough arm talent to where you can be creative with him. I’m intrigued. He has arm talent but is so inconsistent. Even with a lot of his big completions last year, the ball wasn’t thrown well but Ryan Williams just made some great plays on the ball. It doesn’t look easy to him. I think if he’s willing to grow and develop, I think he can be phenomenal. I really liked the football talk I had with him. I’d love to have that kind of talent to develop.”

Scouting director No. 1: “It’s gonna take a lot of work. The accuracy piece is gonna be an issue early on at all three levels of the defense. He’s more of just a deep-ball thrower now. He’s got to go to a place that believes in him and will lean into his strengths.”

What is the take on Texas’ Quinn Ewers?

OC No. 2: “I like his arm talent. I’m concerned about his lack of mobility and his interceptions. His accuracy wavers. You’ve got to get to the bottom of what’s up with all his misses. I don’t know if it’s mental or preparation.”

Scouting director No. 1: “I think it’s less about his mobility than it is his durability. If you’re gonna be a pocket passer, you’ve gotta be able to take shots. He’s not built like Ben Roethlisberger.”

What’s not to love about the running backs?

As underwhelming as the quarterbacks seem, there is a lot of love for this year’s running backs. OC No. 1 said, “There is so much depth. You can get a legitimate dude in the second, third or fourth round.”

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is the headliner. The 5-8 1/2, 211-pounder put up remarkable numbers (2,601 yards, 29 TDs) last season and finished second to Hunter in the Heisman race.

OC No. 1 stopped short of saying Jeanty is the top running back in the class. “He is also a good receiver, but I think it’s open for debate that he’s the best. I think he’s a little liability in pass protection, and I don’t know how flat-out fast he is. The one big opponent he played and played well against was Oregon. He ran by their secondary, but I don’t think their secondary was very good. I watched him in the Penn State game, and he was a question for me, speed-wise. Don’t get me wrong, he’s really good. He’s certainly a first-round talent, but I don’t know if he’s a top-10 pick kinda talent.”

Running backs coach No. 1 cited the Oregon game for his evidence about Jeanty’s wheels. Against the Ducks, one of two power four opponents Boise State faced in its 14-game schedule in 2024, he ran for 192 yards on 25 carries for three touchdowns. Against Penn State in the College Football Playoff, he was limited to 104 yards on 30 carries.

“I don’t know how fast he is, but those guys in the secondary at Oregon are pretty fast, and he broke away from them,” he said, comparing him to Maurice Jones-Drew. “He’s like a little bowling ball.”

OC No. 2 said, “I like his seriousness about the game, his loyalty to his team, to stay there. Everybody knew they were gonna hand him the ball and he still really produced.”

RB coach No. 2 said Jeanty’s “contact balance, elusiveness, acceleration, competitiveness all jump out at you off the tape,” but that “his pass protection is bad. That bothers me right there.”

Scouting director No. 1 said Jeanty is the clear top running back: “Those other guys are good players. If you want to poke holes in Jeanty’s game, you got to realize he’s getting the ball 30 times every game, so there might be some preservation to his game, but he knows he’s getting it 30 times. I thought he really proved himself.”

I expected that coming out of the combine in early March, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, a 6-0, 221-pound back who ran 4.46 in the 40 and broad jumped almost 11 feet in Indianapolis, would be the prospect most likely to challenge Jeanty for the top spot. But from my conversations, it might be Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. He’s a smaller back at 5-10, 202, and didn’t run much faster at the combine than Hampton, going 4.43 in the 40. But his film has been a big hit with the NFL coaches.

Said RB coach No. 1, “He’s the second-best guy, behind Jeanty. I think he’s better than Hampton. He’s physical. He’s violent. He’s so twitchy, so elusive. He can catch too.”

RB coach No. 2 also gave Henderson very high marks: “He’s the most dynamic of this group. He’s got the juice. He can run with enough power. He can catch the ball and he can block. He shows everything on tape that you like.”

How deep is this class?

On Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson

RB coach No. 2: “He’s smooth. Really good zone runner. Runs with good pad level. Has good hands. Not the shiftiest guy or a blazer but it’s not like he ran a 4.8. He’s a 4.5 guy, and I think he’s a true tough guy. I like his disposition.”

OC No. 1: “He’s very good but he’s not fast. I think he’s got to go to a zone scheme, and he’s good in pass protection.”

On Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins

RB coach No. 2: “He’s not as dynamic as TreVeyon Henderson, but he’s a hard runner; he’ll hunt guys down and run through their faces. He’s got some stuff that you like. Some of the pass protection stuff I didn’t like that followed him from Ole Miss — he was a guy who liked cutting people. That stuff won’t fly.”

Scouting director No. 1: “I like Quinshon better than Omarion. I think he’s a little more instinctive. He has real acceleration at the line of scrimmage and is such a tough guy to tackle. Both of those things translate well in the NFL.”

On Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo

RB coach No. 1: “He’s a fun guy to watch. The first guy never tackles him. He breaks tackles. He’s tough. He’s no home-run guy, though. He gets caught.”

OC No. 1: “I like him. He’s got unbelievable contact balance, low to the ground. He’s a lot like Jeanty. But I do worry about his ball security. I think he had 10 fumbles (in the past three years), which is really high.”

Depth but no star power among wide receivers

Last year’s draft saw three wideouts go in the top 10: Marvin Harrison, Jr. (No. 4), Malik Nabers (No. 6) and Rome Odunze (No. 9). The fourth first-rounder, No. 23 Brian Thomas Jr., finished higher than any of them in the Rookie of the Year voting. Don’t expect as much star power this year, even if Hunter goes as a receiver or splits positions.

“There’s some good midlevel talent but not high-end talent,” said WR coach No. 2. That sentiment was echoed by the three wideout coaches and offensive coordinators I spoke to. “If you base it over the last five years, it’s average,” said WR coach No. 3.

After Hunter, who is expected to be picked first among wideout options, the top available receiver was split among coaches between Texas’ Matthew Golden, a 5-11, 191-pounder who ran a 4.29 40 at the combine, and Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, a 6-4, 219-pounder who didn’t run at the combine but reportedly ran a 4.48 40 at his private workout in front of 24 teams in March.

“I like Golden better,” said WR coach No. 3. “He’s just a better receiver with a different type of speed and acceleration. When you see him against Georgia and Arizona State, he’s got a gear that most people don’t have. He’s super strong and makes catches in the end zone that are straight hands catches.”

McMillan had a better season in 2023 than 2024; the Wildcats went from 10-3 to 4-8. He was still extremely productive, catching 84 passes for 1,319 yards and eight TDs. Golden, who transferred from Houston to Texas, blossomed in Austin in 2024, catching 58 passes for 987 yards and nine TDs. His receiving yards were more than double what he did in 2023, while his yards per catch went from 10.7 to 17.0. Sources at Texas said he became one of their best practice players by the end of the season, a noticeable difference from when he first arrived there.

“He might be the best route runner in this class,” said WR coach No. 1. “He’s pretty nasty. His pro day was where you saw that explosion, where he did look like a 4.29 guy. He didn’t look like a 4.3 guy on a lot of his tape.”

WR coach No. 2 described him as “super fast,” but added that Golden’s hands “are good, not great. He’s still got a lot of raw ability that needs to be molded. I think he’d be a great complement to a team that has a good No. 1 receiver.”

McMillan seems more polarizing. Some of that is due to questions about his speed. I’m told he also didn’t interview great with teams, though one of the coaches who said that thought the 22-year-old probably didn’t represent himself as well as he could’ve when he talked about football and his film study habits. “All he needs to say is, ‘I love football.’”

“Turn the tape on, the kid’s a baller,” said OC No. 1. “He does play really hard. I like T-Mac.”

WR coach No. 2 said, “He really reminds me of Michael Pittman, and Drake London. If you combined those two guys, that’s him.”

“T-Mac’s biggest attribute is he’s got a huge strike zone,” said WR coach No. 3. “He can post up guys and win in one-on-ones. Can he really separate? He doesn’t always separate on some of the intermediate routes and create the space that Hunter and Golden do.”

Of all the receivers in the draft, the one where there seems to be the least uncertainty is Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka. Some of that is due to the sterling track record of top wideouts the Buckeyes have cranked out in the past decade. The other piece of that is the player he’s most compared to is former teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who Seattle took 20th two years ago. He made the Pro Bowl last season after catching 100 passes for 1,130 yards and six TDs. Egbuka is slightly bigger at 6-1, 202, and slightly faster.

“It’s amazing how similar he is to Smith-Njigba down to how they talk and their mannerisms,” said WR coach No. 3. “They have really similar games. Jaxon might be slightly ahead. Emeka has really strong hands and is so smart, and interviewed so well. It’s hard to find a flaw with him.”

WR coach No. 2 called Egbuka the most complete receiver in the draft. “He may never be a No. 1 guy, but he’s gonna make plays.”

The feeling on the next batch of receivers comes down to what flavor you like, whether it’s more of a slot or a pure outside receiver. Missouri’s Luther Burden, who saw his production drop significantly from 2023 to 2024 (1,212 yards to 676), has been compared a lot to Deebo Samuel, but the coaches I spoke to are reluctant to go that far in their evaluations of the 6-0, 206-pounder who clocked a 4.41 40 at the combine.

“He’s not as powerful or quite as good,” WR coach No. 3 said. “Burden did most of his work in the slot. When he’s on the outside, can he win on the outside? I’m not sure he’s quite as fast as people thought.”

WR coach No. 2 said Burden is “definitely the best with the ball in his hands” of this year’s class. “He’s not that polished, but I do think he’s shown enough. He’s so dynamic, special. I think he needs to work on his practice habits and things like that.”

The other wildcard prospect who NFL receiver coaches think is more similar to Samuel is TCU’s Savion Williams, a 6-4, 222-pound former quarterback who ran a 4.48 40 in Indianapolis and rushed for 322 yards, averaging over six yards a carry, and ran for six touchdowns to go with 60 catches for 611 yards and six receiving TDs. Williams was 3-for-3 as a passer in 2024 for 22 yards and another touchdown.

“To me, he’s more like Deebo. You question whether he can run routes well enough to win consistently, but he’s got enough hands. He’s a bit of a body catch, but he is so rugged with the ball in his hands and hard to tackle. If he goes to the right place, he might be one of those who takes off.”

More on why it’s a deep group

• Everyone really likes both Iowa State receivers, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Said WR coach No. 3: “I had Higgins higher. He’s got the size. He’s a hard cover. But Noel is really good. He can really work the middle of the field.” Added WR coach No. 1: “What do you need, a slot or the tall, linear outside guy who can get 50-50 balls? They’re both really good.”

• Ole Miss’ Tre Harris, a former high school QB, is “a favorite of mine,” said WR coach No. 2. “He makes a lot of the 50-50 catches. He played quarterback in high school, and when you talk to him, you hear that. He’s a great leader.”

• Jack Bech began his career at LSU but transferred to TCU, where he led the team in receptions (62) and had 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns. “I really like him,” said WR coach No. 3. “He plays through contact. He’s a little bit stiffer than what I hoped when we worked him out.” Said WR coach No. 2: “This is a relentless player.”

• WR coach No. 2 on Washington State’s Kyle Williams: “He’s super quick. He can play inside and outside. Watched his junior year when he was playing against real Pac-12 guys, and he did well. He’ll go somewhere second or third round.”

• WR coach No. 3 on Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor, a sleeper: “He put it on Travis (Hunter in 2023 when he had 13 catches for 294 yards and three TDs in a double-OT win) and was really giving it to him. I do see some of the same issues that I see with T-Mac, where he doesn’t quite separate on those intermediate routes as much as you want. He timed faster than T-Mac, but I don’t think he has as much game speed. I think he fits in that second-tier below Egbuka.” Added WR coach No. 2, “He’s intriguing. They say he’s the hardest worker on the team. He probably dropped too many balls, but the QB play there was so sporadic. It was hard watching it sometimes.”

• Oregon’s Tez Johnson, a 5-10, 154-pounder, led the Ducks with 83 catches for 898 yards and 10 TDs after posting a school-record 86 catches for 1,183 yards and 10 TDs in 2023: “It’s hard to say he can be more than a situational guy,” said WR coach No. 3. “He’s really fluid and can change direction. Watch him at the Senior Bowl. He is a hard cover. But the track record is how many other 155-pound guys make it? Not many, but he has the ability to do it.”

• Arkansas’ Isaac TeSlaa, a 6-4, 214-pounder who had a 39 1/2-inch vertical jump and ran a 4.43 40, began his career at Division II Hillsdale College. He had 62 catches for 896 yards and eight TDs in two seasons with the Hogs. “He’s got good size and runs real good,” said WR coach No. 1. “I thought he looked good at the combine. You saw flashes of it in his film at Arkansas. I’d bet on him.”

Tight ends: Low or high impact?

It’s a stretch to think any of the tight end prospects will have the impact Brock Bowers did for the Raiders, catching an NFL rookie record 112 passes for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns last season, but coaches I spoke to say there is more top-level talent at the position than last year or in the past few years.

“The top-end of this group is really good,” said TE Coach 1. “I think it compares well to the 2018 class.”

Coaches stopped short of saying Penn State’s Tyler Warren, 6-5 1/2, 256 pounds, is a better prospect than Bowers. Warren caught a school-record 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns while running for 218 yards and four more TDs. “He’s the most versatile,” said TE Coach 1. “He’s probably the best in-line blocker.”

“It was really interesting the way (Penn State OC Andy) Kotelnicki used him last year,” said OC No. 1. “His biggest plays in a lot of games were him running the ball, just snapping it to him in wildcat.”

“It’s hard to be more productive as a tight end than he was last year,” said passing game coordinator No. 2. “The defenses knew he was the focal point, and they still couldn’t take him away.”

The Big Ten tight end who some scouts viewed as the top prospect coming into 2024 was Michigan’s Colston Loveland. And as much as Warren elevated his game last season, there’s still a lot of love for the 21-year-old Loveland, a 6-6, 248-pounder who still caught a school tight end-record 56 passes for 582 yards and five TDs.

“As good as Warren is, I think Loveland is probably the best of the receiving tight ends,” said the scouting director.

“He’s not as good as Bowers but has very impressive receiving skills,” said WR Coach 3. “I think he’s the best of the receivers of this group.”

Other tight ends who figure to make an impact as rookies

• Miami’s Elijah Arroyo: “I really like him,” said WR Coach 3. “Watch him at the Senior Bowl. He can run routes like a receiver. He’s hard to match up against. I think he creates issues for defenses. His game really translates.”

• Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson: “He really helped himself at the Senior Bowl,” said the scouting director. “He’s a smooth player.”

• LSU’s Mason Taylor, the 6-5, 251-pound, 20-year-old son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor: “He has elite ball skills,” said TE Coach 1. “He makes a ton of contested catches and has great instincts. He makes so many off-schedule plays.”

Who is the sleeper of the class?

Said TE Coach 1: “Gavin Bartholomew of Pitt (a 6-5, 247-pounder who ran a 4.7 40 at the combine) is a good player. He’s very tough and gritty and can fit in a couple of roles. He’s probably not getting talked about enough.”

A step back for offensive linemen?

Last year, six offensive linemen were gone after the first 20 picks. There doesn’t appear to be the same level of top-tier talent in 2025.

“I don’t think this is an elite O-line draft,” said a national scout. “A lot of people think LSU’s Will Campbell is, but I don’t think he’s a top 10 guy.”

At 6-6, 319, Campbell is very impressive, but with his arms measuring 32 5/8 inches at the combine (and then 33 inches at his pro day), there is a little more debate about whether he’s better suited to play inside at guard. The 6-4, 332-pound Armand Membou of Missouri has 33 1/2-inch arms and looks at first glance more like a guard than a tackle to some evaluators.

“I think Membou can be an excellent guard and a solid left tackle, and you can trust him there,” said the scouting director. “He’s a little longer and more of a tackle (than Campbell), even though he’s a little shorter. He’s naturally heavy and more explosive, but he doesn’t have the same instincts as Campbell.”

“I think he’s more of a guard,” said OL coach No. 1. “He’s strong, very explosive. His football IQ is high too. They did a great job with him at Mizzou.”

OC No. 1 said he loved Campbell on his visit. “You wish his arms were a little longer. But if you look up (LA Chargers two-time Pro Bowler Rashawn) Slater, he’s the same, and no one said anything. Put the tape on. He’s a tough SOB and everybody at LSU raves about the kid.”

The most gifted prospect from a size and measurables standpoint might be Ohio State’s Josh Simmons. The 6-5, 317-pound Simmons doesn’t have exceptionally long arms, measuring at 33 inches at the combine. He also has a lot less film than the two SEC studs.

He began his career at San Diego State and started 12 games at right tackle before transferring to OSU, where he started 12 games in 2023 at left tackle. He showed a lot of improvement in 2024, starting the first six games before tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee, missing the title run.

“If he wasn’t hurt, I think he might’ve been a top-10 pick,” said OC No. 1.

Said OL coach No. 1, “He’s a freaky athlete. He’s still pretty raw and didn’t have much football knowledge. He’s probably a late first-rounder, but if he wasn’t hurt, I think he could’ve been picked in the top 10.”

“I worry a little about his focus,” said scouting director No. 1.

Alabama guard Tyler Booker is seen as one of the surest picks among the top O-linemen. The 6-5, 321-pounder actually has longer arms (34 1/2 inches) than any of the top tackle prospects, but he does not have the same type of agility. He also has massive 11-inch hands. He ran a 5.38 40 at the combine with a 1.96 10-yard split (Membou’s was 1.74 and Campbell’s was 1.76). For offensive linemen, the latter is a more important number than the former. Booker’s jump numbers — a 27-inch vertical and a 7-10 broad jump — also were far below the top tackle prospects.

“He’s strictly a guard, but he’s a really good player,” said OC No. 1. “He’s still really young. Just turned 21. Really good kid and he’s a leader.”

“He’s more of a gap-scheme, downhill guy,” said the national scout. “He’s not a great fit for outside zone or other stuff.”

Texas’ Kelvin Banks is another SEC lineman who likely will go in the first round. The 6-5, 315-pound Banks has 33 1/2-inch arms. He impressed Texas coaches early in his career with how well he performed against elite edge rushers Will Anderson and Dallas Turner. He played through an ankle injury in 2024 and still made first-team All-American and All-SEC.

“He’s very polished,” said OL coach No. 2.

“I’m not as high on him as I think everybody else is,” said OL coach No. 1. “He is skilled, but I didn’t think he was great in space.”

Other potential first-rounders

• North Dakota State’s Gray Zabel, a versatile 6-6, 312-pounder, performed well at the Senior Bowl. Said scouting director No. 1, “He showed really good technique at the Senior Bowl. I want him to be a center. Is he gonna displace people in gap schemes? But, I think he can be a solid starter.”

• Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson displayed a lot of versatility in his career. The 6-4, 315-pounder with 33 1/2-inch arms started 2 1/2 seasons as left guard before jumping in and starting the last nine games of the national title run, when Simmons got injured. “With him playing left tackle, they won a national championship. That says a lot,” said that scouting director.

The best of the draft: the defensive linemen

This is the best part of this year’s draft by far. “Easily a dozen go in the first round,” said DL coach No. 1. “There might be three times as many good linemen in this draft as last year.” In 2024, a defensive lineman wasn’t selected until the 15th pick, when the Colts took Laiatu Latu. Only six were picked in the first round: five edges and one interior DL.

“This kills last year’s group,” said DL coach No. 2. “Somebody’s gonna get some really good players in the second or even third round.”

I think Penn State’s Abdul Carter will be the first one picked. At 6-3, 250, he has blazing speed. He didn’t run at the combine or pro day because he was coming off of a foot injury, but don’t doubt his wheels. Every year, I do the Freaks List, and there’s no program whose players have backed up those numbers a year or two later at the combine than Penn State’s have.

Last offseason, at 254 pounds, Carter, I’m told, clocked a 4.48 40 along with a 4.35 shuttle to go with an equally impressive 10-7 broad jump. The guy led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss and also had 12 sacks to go along with 68 tackles in his first season playing as an edge rusher full-time after spending most of his college career as an off-the-ball linebacker.

“He can change an organization,” said DL coach No. 2. “I think he’s better than Chop (Robinson), better than Dallas Turner. You put this kid on the other side of Myles Garrett—holy s—! His pad level is high, yes, and sometimes he’ll get washed or pushed past, but everything on film you hate about him, you can fix in a heartbeat.”

DL coach No. 1 agrees. “He’s the real deal.”

Abdul Carter headlines a stacked position group in this year’s draft. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
Georgia’s Jalon Walker is on the smaller side at 6-1, 243 pounds with 32-inch arms. He won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, and was dominant in big games for the Bulldogs. Ask the Texas coaches about him: they watched him terrorize their offense twice last season. Where he’s best suited in the NFL, though, is open for debate.

“I would prefer him to be off the ball in most cases and bring him from different spots,” said DL coach No. 1. “I don’t know if he’s a true edge. He’s not gonna be big enough, but at third downs, he can really go. He’s very smart.”

DL coach No. 2: “I don’t worry about his size. It’s so more wide open in the game now.”

As promising as Carter and Walker are, there is some belief among NFL coaches that the most talented D-lineman available is one of Walker’s teammates at Georgia, Mykel Williams, a 6-5, 260-pound, 20-year-old who was slowed by an ankle injury for the first half of the 2024 season but dominated when he played Texas in two meetings (four sacks). Williams isn’t talked about in draft chatter as a sure top-10 pick, but make no mistake: there is a lot of love for him.

“I think he will have a better career than Jalon or Abdul,” said DL coach No. 1. “He’s physical as f—. He played hurt this year — he didn’t care. Pullers come at him — he intends on f—ing them up. Guys I know at Georgia told me he’s gonna be better than Travon Walker, and I think Walker is a baller. Overall, I think he’s better than all of ’em.”

Michigan’s Mason Graham is viewed more as a top-10 guy. At 6-3, 296 pounds, he was down about 20 pounds at the combine from what he played at last season, when he had 45 tackles, seven TFLs and 3.5 sacks.

“He is a legit top-10 guy,” said DL coach No. 2. “I hate the size, hate the short arms, but the film is really good.”

Said DL coach No. 1, “He was a wrestler in high school and knows how to drop his weight and use that to his advantage.”

Kenneth Grant first turned heads when he arrived at Michigan four years ago as a 350-plus pounder who ran a sub-5.0 40, according to Jim Harbaugh. The 6-4, 331-pound Grant had a penchant for wowing coaches and teammates with his freakish athleticism. Over the past two seasons, he had a combined 11.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and 11 passes broken up.

“I think he has top-10 talent,” said DL coach No. 2. “He can be like Dexter Lawrence at nose, where he gives guys so many problems. I also see some Chris Jones in him.”

Said DL coach No. 1, “I think he’ll be better than Mason (Graham), but maybe that’s a hot take.”

Another interior tackle whose talent coaches are wowed by, but his intangibles are more of a question mark, is Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen. A former No. 1 overall recruit, the 6-4, 296-pounder was part of a ferocious D-line in 2024, posting 14 TFLs, 6.5 sacks and 48 tackles after transferring from Texas A&M.

“He’s really twitched up and his change of direction is off the charts,” said DL coach No. 1. “He’s just gotta make sure he studies the game; just can’t go out there and put his hand in the ground and think he’s gonna beat everybody in the NFL.”

“I think he’s a f—ing dude,” said DL coach No. 2. “I comp him to Byron Murphy. I worry a little about his attitude, but everybody was worried about Jalen Carter, and then you put him on the Eagles and everybody forgets about that.”

The national scout called Nolen a top-15 talent, but said there are some concerns about his maturity and focus. “You have to have a plan for him,” he said. “I think he has to be in the right place and in a D-line room with some strong vets.”

NFL defensive line coaches love Texas A&M’s Shemar Turner, another twitchy interior lineman. A 6-3, 290-pounder with 33 5/8-inch arms, Turner had 16 TFLs and eight sacks in the last two years.

“He might’ve been a first-rounder if he was in last year’s class,” said DL coach No. 2. “He plays with such an edge. He’s a f—ing asshole. I like his position flex. He can bounce out there and play edge, can kick him to the 3 (technique), kick him to the nose. Watch the tape, he’s the best one from A&M. Holy s—, this fool is coming off the ball. Walter Nolen’s the most explosive, hands down. But he’s not far from him.”

“I love Shemar Turner,” said DL coach No. 1. “I think he’ll come off the board so quick.”

They’re also high on Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, 6-4 1/2 and 313 pounds. Harmon was a force in his first season in Eugene, making 10.5 TFLs with five sacks and two forced fumbles.

“He has the most upside of them all inside, I think,” said DL coach No. 2.

Harmon’s teammate Jamaree Caldwell is seen as a notch below, at 6-2, 332, but he moved quite well for his size, clocking a 5.16 40.

“He played at 340 and has a bad body, and people aren’t really talking about him, but pop the tape on,” said DL coach No. 2.

South Carolina’s TJ Sanders, at 6-4, 297 (seven TFLs with four sacks in 2024) is another SEC guy who is getting high marks. “He’s one of the best interior pass rushers in this draft,” said DL coach 2. “He’s gonna win off finesse. He’s gonna win on a power rush. He has the whole bag.”

“He rose on my list,” said DL coach 1. “He plays hard and looks like the leader of a talented front at South Carolina.”

Ohio State’s 6-3, 334-pound Tyleik Williams is seen by DL coach No. 1 as one of the most NFL-ready players, but adds, “I think he’ll be a boom or bust player. Some games he’ll look like the best player out there. You wonder, does he love football?”

Coaches really like Toledo’s Darius Alexander, who at 6-4, 305 pounds with 34-inch arms, tested well at the combine. He ran a 4.95 40 with a 31 1/2-inch vertical jump. “I have him as a high second-rounder, but once that run (of D-linemen) happens, I think he could go in the first,” said DL Coach 2.

Gifted guys on the edge

In addition to Abdul Carter and the two Georgia Bulldogs, there are more gifted edge guys. Perhaps the biggest boom or bust guy is Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart. He was the freakiest D-lineman in Indianapolis, measuring in at 6-5, 267 pounds and running a 4.59 40 with a 40-inch vertical jump and a 10-11 broad jump. Those are remarkable numbers for a guy his size. They’re also remarkable when you consider that in three seasons at A&M he never produced more than 1.5 sacks in a season, and he only had a total of 11 TFLs combined in his career.

“He’s an avatar,” said DL coach No. 2. “If he hits, he hits. I don’t know why he didn’t have more sacks. I just think he plays lost. Everybody thinks they can fix it. This is like taking a receiver who only had 15 catches. He was happy-go-lucky, a little aloof in the meetings, but you see him walk in and it’s like holy hell! You can say Rashan Gary only had 3.5 sacks in his last year at Michigan, but Rashan is an alpha. This kid is very nice. You want to go to Starbucks with him.”

“I’d be wary,” said the scouting director. “He’s a freak athlete, no question. I just don’t know if he’s a good football player.”

One of Stewart’s teammates at A&M, Nic Scourton, was much more productive. In 2023, while at Purdue, he led the Big Ten in sacks, and was a team captain as a 19-year-old sophomore. He played last season around 285 pounds and still produced 14 TFLs and five sacks. At the combine, he trimmed down to 257 pounds on his 6-3 frame.

“He’s a more physical presence than Stewart,” said DL coach No. 2. “I think he needs to get back up to the 280s. He’s got to go to a 3-4 team. He’s not a 4-3 end.”

“I think he’s everything you want in a football player,” said linebackers coach No. 1. “He works his ass off and is a dog in between the lines.”

Marshall’s Mike Green led the nation with 17 sacks and had 22.5 TFLs in 2024. He began his career at Virginia but was there for less than two seasons before he was dismissed. Green told reporters at the combine that there were two allegations of sexual assault against him, both of which he denied.

One coach I spoke with said he would not consider Green. Another called him “top-tier talent.”

Another talented edge rusher is Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. At 6-5, 245, he clocked a blistering 4.47 40 at the combine with a 1.56 10-yard split. Pearce could break into the first round, but coaches I spoke with were concerned about his maturity and attitude.

“That kid is a first-round talent,” said DL coach No. 2, “but the stuff you hear (about his maturity) scares me.”

“We don’t even talk about him,” said DL coach No. 1. “How coachable is he?”

“He was good in the interview,” said LB coach No. 1. “He knows football and is plenty smart. And he’s got all the talent.”

Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku went from two sacks in 2023 to 16.5 in 2024 with 20.5 TFLs. He’s undersized at 6-2 1/2, 248, but has 34-inch arms. Some experts see him as one of the safer picks among the edge group.

“You know you’re getting a smart player,” said DL coach No. 2. “He’s one of about four or five kids I wouldn’t worry about. He’s polished, and he can really bend. Guys who can bend and can do it consistently are the ones who are getting sacks in this league.”

Said DL coach No. 1, “He’s solid. I don’t think he’s in the category with Mykel Williams or Mike Green. He’ll play with his hair on fire but talent-wise, I think those guys are better.”

Going into the season, Oregon’s Jordan Burch had the most hype of the talented Ducks D-line. The 6-4, 279-pounder with 4.67 speed is an impressive athlete and makes plays— he had 11 TFLs and 8.5 sacks last year despite missing four games due to injury. But he’s a bit of a riddle for NFL coaches.

“You just want to see more out of him,” said DL coach No. 2.

SMU’s Elijah Roberts is a big edge at 6-4, 285; he began his career at Miami and flourished at SMU. It seems like more draft people should be talking about him based on what I’ve been told.

“He’s a gem,” said DL coach No. 2. “He had 18.5 sacks in two years. First play of the Clemson game he gets a sack. One of the first plays of the Penn State game he got a sack too. He’s very productive. Almost 290. Runs 4.8. He gives you rush ability. He’s fine against the run. He’s probably a 3-4 end.”

“He reminds me of (three-time Pro Bowler) Za’Darius Smith,” said LB coach No. 1.

Arkansas’ Landon Jackson, 6-6, 264, ran 4.64, vertical jumped 40 1/2 inches and broad jumped 10-9. He made 13 sacks and 23 TFLs in the past two seasons.

“I’m like 50-50 on him,” said DL coach No. 1. “He improved drastically in college. I still see some of the lower body stiffness and an inability to bend, especially if he’s on the edge. I think he might end up as a first- and second-down outside linebacker, and then get him off the field on third downs.”

Louisville’s Ashton Gillotte made a lot of plays for the Cardinals, piling up 24.5 TFLs and 15.5 sacks over the past two seasons. The 6-3, 264-pounder doesn’t have ideal arm length at 31 7/8 inches, but he displayed some athleticism with his 36 1/2-inch vertical.

Said LB coach No. 1, “He has really short arms, but he finds a way to overcome it. I think he can be a third or fourth big end that slides down to be a third-down defensive tackle pass rusher and will be great on the NFL kickoff and on special teams.”

Michigan’s Josaiah Stewart made many big plays for the Wolverines last year, with 13 TFLs, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, but he lacks ideal size and length at 6-1, 249 with under 32-inch arms.

“I love that kid, but he’s a fit problem for us,” said LB coach No. 1. “You watch him in their Texas game, and he stones (Kelvin) Banks, their giant, in the run game. He does a lot of impressive s— out there. He’s a good pass rusher, but the lack of length really worries me.”

Ohio State’s bookend edge guys, Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, had excellent careers capped off by playing key roles in the national title season. The 6-4, 265-pound Tuimoloau is seen as having more upside than Sawyer. “JTT is longer and seems like a more fluid athlete,” said LB coach No. 1. “I think he’s more talented, but Sawyer does have good awareness and he has this uncanny knack for knowing when he wasn’t winning in the rush to get his hands up just at the right time to knock the ball down.”

Where do the linebackers stand?

Edgerrin Cooper, at No. 45, was the first linebacker selected in 2024. In 2023, Detroit took Jack Campbell at No. 18, and none were selected in the top 20 in 2022. You have to go back to 2021, when Micah Parsons went No. 12 to Dallas, to find a linebacker — not an edge guy in a 3-4 system — getting picked in the top 15. It’s possible one could go this year; Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell is very well regarded.

Campbell is an elite athlete, a 6-3, 235-pounder who ran a 4.52 40 with a 1.53 10-yard split and also broad jumped 10-7 at the combine. He led Bama with 117 tackles, including 11.5 TFLs and five sacks, in 2024 and also two forced fumbles. “I think he’s a legit top-20 guy,” said the national scout. “He’s so explosive and plays violent. He’s got all the traits in his body.”

“He’s the best inside linebacker in this draft, by far,” said another NFL defensive coach. He has range, is versatile, has good burst and closing speed. He’s a good space player. Good blitzer. Can slip blocks and get back to a good power position. He is still a little raw. He’s better than Edgerrin Cooper. He’s more explosive and has a really good football IQ. Only knock might be his instincts, and that’s just because he hasn’t played stack backer as much as some of these other guys.”

UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger has had a meteoric rise in 2024. He came to college in 2021 as a walk-on. He played behind a solid starter in Darius Muasau for a few seasons and then had a breakout year, making 136 tackles with 8.5 TFLs and two INTs. At 6-2 1/2, 242 pounds, he showed great athleticism at the combine, vertical jumping 39 1/2 inches.

“He’s explosive, rangy, good blitzer,” said the defensive coach. “But he doesn’t play with as much power as Jihaad in the box.”

Georgia’s Smael Mondon Jr. was the leading tackler (76, with eight TFLs) on the 2022 Dawgs national title team as a sophomore. He wasn’t as productive the past two years, although he didn’t have Jalen Carter playing in front of him either. He had 57 tackles in 10 games last year, missing four games with a leg injury. At 6-2, 224, Mondon tested very well in Indy, running a 4.58 with an excellent 1.52 10-yard split to go with a 10-10 broad jump. Our experts were split on him.

“I love him, although I think he’s a little less athletic than I’d like,” said the defensive coach. “He has power in the box. Really good instincts. His football IQ is really good.”

“He looks the part,” said the national scout. “I don’t think the tape is great. I think he just doesn’t anticipate very well.”

Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr. (not the son of the NBA star) does not have much length at 6-1, 222 pounds with 29 7/8-inch arms, but he seemed to be always around the ball for the Rebels. Paul, who ran a 4.63 40 and broad jumped 9-9 in Indy, led his team in tackles with 88, including 11 TFLs and 3.5 sacks.

“He’s a good player,” said the defensive coach. “Good blitzer, but he’s a little tight. Doesn’t have great change of direction. The coaches loved him there.”

It would be hard to find a position coach who loves his guy more than Ohio State linebackers coach James Laurinaitis loves Cody Simon. The former Rams standout gushes about Simon’s selflessness and work ethic. Simon emerged as a great leader in 2024 and was also a big playmaker, leading the team with 112 tackles, including 12.5 TFLs and seven sacks. He was the defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl and the national title game. The 6-2, 229-pounder ran a 4.59 40 at OSU’s pro day.

“He’s really grown on me,” said the defensive coach. “I got some love for him. He ran better at his pro day than I thought he would. I think he’s a good pick. like late-fourth round.”

Oklahoma State’s Collin Oliver missed most of 2024 with a foot injury, but he made a lot of big plays as an edge rusher in 2023 with 15.5 TFLs and four forced fumbles. The 6-2, 240-pounder has 30 3/4-inch arms and ran a 4.56 40 to go with a 39-inch vertical at the combine.

“He’s got a linebacker’s body, not a defensive end body,” said LB coach No. 1. “I do like him. He’s powerful and explosive but he’s not long. I think he’s a sam.”

Getting a lot of love: the DBs

It’s not getting as much love as the D-line group, but this year’s crop of defensive backs is very strong. “I like the group,” said DB coach No. 1. “It’s deeper in the corner class than it was last year, and there’s probably five bona fide starting safeties in this class and probably four more that could easily ascend to starting ability and a few good projects.”

Said DB coach No. 2: “If you need a safety, this is a good year to get one.”

That said, we’ll start by digging into the cornerbacks first. In addition to Travis Hunter, there are two other corners we think are likely to go in the top 20 — Texas’ Jahdae Barron and Michigan’s Will Johnson.

At 6-2, 194 with 30 1/8-inch arms, Johnson is the bigger of the two. His coaches at Michigan told me played at 205 last year. The defensive MVP of the national title game two seasons ago, Johnson missed the second half of last season with a foot injury. People at Michigan love how football smart he is and how well he prepares. They say he studies and sees the game like a quarterback. He has the Wolverines’ record with three pick sixes in his career.

“I like him a lot,” said DB coach No. 3. “I think he has all the makings of a really good corner. What I see on tape is a guy who you never really see a lot of top-end burst, but I think it’s good enough. He has the technique and game plan. I like his length and his intelligence.”

DB coach No. 1: “He excels as a zone corner. He’s got to improve in press. When you watch him in press, he is connected on the routes, but he needs to improve where he can finish at the point of attack and finish the plays. He allows completions even though he’s in good position. If he improves on that, he can be a premier corner. He is very smart, very prepared. When you watched them play Ohio State last year, they rolled the coverage to Will. They clouded him. They played two-man. And the three times he was in single coverage against Marvin Harrison, it was three explosive plays.”

Barron is 5-11, 194 pounds with 29 5/8-inch arms, and faster than Johnson. He ran a 4.39 40 in Indy. (Johnson didn’t test there.) Barron’s jump numbers — a 35-inch vertical and 10-3 broad jump — were solid but not in the upper echelon of DBs. His play took a big jump forward in 2024. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back after making five INTs to go with 11 PBUs and 67 tackles.

“I think he’s a very specific fit,” said DB coach No. 1. “I think he’s a premier nickel in the NFL, specifically a zone nickel. If he went to San Francisco, I think he’d be elite-elite. He reminds me of Mike Sainristil but with a higher skill set. Same kind of playmaker, ball skills, zone awareness.

“I think he’s still a bit of a projection at corner. He had like 45 snaps this year at Texas in press coverage, which isn’t a large sample size. But I think he can play anywhere in the secondary, but best at nickel, which is a lot like the Cooper DeJean deal. Cooper was one of the best DBs overall in the class last year, but he slid in the draft because is someone going to invest that much in a nickel?”

Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison burst onto the scene in 2022, when he was a Freshman All-American after making six interceptions. The 6-0, 193-pounder with 30 3/8-inch arms had three more picks in 2023 and was voted a team captain last year but ended up missing the final 10 games with a hip injury. The Irish play more man-coverage than most teams, and Morrison has a lot of film that coaches really like. But because he didn’t test, there are some questions about just how fast he is.

“I think he can play man in the NFL,” said DB coach No. 1. “When he played against Marvin Harrison Jr. (in 2023), he was in single coverage against him most of the game and played pretty. That stood out to me. Ben is a little speed deficient compared to some of these other guys, but he plays with pretty good technique, and when you talk to him in terms of football IQ and professionalism, he’s probably as sharp as anyone I’ve talked to in a long time. That will help him in the long run. He’s not in my No. 1-type corner. I think he’s a No. 2 and probably plays to the boundary. I would hope he’s a low 4.5 at worst, high 4.4. I think Will (Johnson) is the better athlete of the two. Benjamin is the better press corner.”

“He’s got some tightness, but I think he’s good enough in man and smart enough where he can win in zones,” said DB coach No. 3. “He played a lot of man at Notre Dame. I’ve got a lot of love for him.”

The biggest wild card of the cornerback class is ECU’s Shavon Revel, who had two picks in the first three games and then tore his ACL in practice and missed the rest of the season. He was exceptional in 2023, making 55 tackles, leading the team with 12 PBUs and blocking two kicks. He has great length, athleticism and physicality at 6-2, 194 with 32 5/8-inch arms.

“I’m very intrigued with him,” said DB coach No. 1. “He’s like a mix of Quinyon Mitchell and Tariq Woolen. He’s physical, but he has long speed. You can see him running across the field with ease. He’s got a big body, long arms, and can dominate the red line on outside release go balls because of how long he is and how physical he is

“His ball judgment/ball skills aren’t as good as you would like it. I think he can track it. To me, there’s a big difference between ball skills and the ability to track it. Ball skills is the ability to catch it. Tracking the ball is the ability to run full speed with your eyes back and be able to track it, which I think he can do. I like him. His film is even better than I thought it would be.”

“I’m probably lower on him than other coaches,” said DB coach No. 3. “There’s a lot of raw there. I didn’t see enough with him playing with his feet under him to really get excited about him.”

Two rangy SEC corners who get grouped together are Ole Miss’ Trey Amos, a former high school QB who is 6-1, 195 with 31 1/4-inch arms, and Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston, who is smaller at 5-11, 183 with 31-inch arms but faster with a 4.28 40 at the combine and a 39 1/2-inch vertical jump.

“I like him more than Amos,” said DB coach No. 3 of Hairston, who had three pick-sixes in the past two seasons despite missing five games last year with a shoulder injury. “I think he has slot flex with his body type and his skill set. He’s also a really intelligent player.”

“I like Amos better,” said DB coach No. 1. “I think Hairston has a lot to improve on. Take away how fast he ran at the combine, when I turn on his film I see an average player. I don’t see that 4.28. He’s playing bail and off, he’s getting run off just because his eyes and fundamentals are bad. But you can improve that as a coach. He does have the skills to get better.”

Amos, who ran a 4.43 and broad jumped 10-6 at the Combine, had three INTs last year and made first-team All-SEC.

“He plays a lot of press and he’s good in press,” said DB coach No. 1. “Over the last three years, he’s had 37 forced incompletions. That’s a high number. He’s good in press and good in bail. And he still has room to ascend. The speed with that size and length is impressive.”

“I do think he’s a really good player,” said DB coach No. 3.

One other corner with intriguing talent is Iowa State’s Darien Porter. At 6-3, 193 with 33 1/8-inch arms, he ran a 4.30 40 with a 1.49-second 10-yard split and broad jumped 10-11 at the combine. But in six seasons of college football, he started only seven games (all last year) and picked off three passes (all last year). He is also a kick-blocking terror on special teams, having blocked five kicks.

“He is interesting,” said DB coach No. 1. “Unbelievable testing numbers. Was a receiver for much of his career. Hasn’t played too much corner. For a big guy, he moves so well and can stay connected to receivers. Biggest knock I have on him is his physicality. He’s light and flimsy. But with that height and length, he has really good change of direction for being 6-3, 33-inch plus arms. You’d love to get him as a development guy. His special-teams value also is huge. Good gunner. Blocks a lot of kicks.”

The biggest Freak in 2025? Part of the safeties

The safeties group features the biggest freak athlete in the entire draft. South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori is 6-3, 220 pounds with 32 1/2-inch arms, and he put on a dazzling show in Indy. He broad jumped 11-6, vertical jumped 43 inches, ran a 4.38 40 with a 1.49-second 10-yard split. He also makes lots and lots of plays on the field. In three seasons, he had 244 tackles. Last year, he had four INTs, including two pick sixes. His college defensive coordinator, Clayton White, compares him to former Pro Bowler Adrian Wilson, a former teammate of White’s at NC State.

“I love him,” said DB coach No. 2. “He is super talented. He’s got some Derwin James to him. He loves football. Still a really raw player. Has a lot of growth to go. Such a big dude, but for his size, he’s a good tackler, but he can bend. Usually those bigger guys struggle to tackle.”

“Emmanwori is more of a niche fit, where you really have to use him correctly in your scheme,” said DB coach No. 1. “I think he’s best in and around the box. He can cover tight ends, but I don’t think he’s a deep zone defender, like a third-level, half-post safety. He does do a real good job of tackling in space for how big he is. I’m not 100 percent sure if he can be that third-level safety, but if you use him like Kam Chancellor, he’s gonna be an All-Pro. I see some Isaiah Simmons in him. He’s just got to be used in the right way. He’s in that Derwin James category. Kyle Hamilton can cover slots. Isaiah was that positionless player in college. The NFL is not a very good developmental league.”

DB coach No. 3: “I think he’s a better overall athlete and safety than Derwin James, who is a box safety to me. Emmanwori is a five-tool safety. He can play in all facets of the field. He can play in the box, can play in the slot, can play in the deep part of the field, can blitz. I think he’s a complete safety. I think he’s as good in coverage as Kyle Hamilton.”

Georgia’s Malaki Starks is the other safety most likely to go in the first round. He’s 6-1, 197 pounds and tested pretty well in Indy, running a 4.50 40 with a 1.51-second 10-yard split. His college career got off to a bang as he started 14 games for the national champs in 2022, making 68 tackles with two INTs. He made three picks in 2023 and one last year, along with a team-leading 77 tackles.

“I f—ing love that guy,” said DB coach No. 2. “He was phenomenal in every area of the evaluation. Extremely intelligent. Polished. Well-coached. A lot of people are versatile, but he’s versatile — and he actually does a lot of things really, really well.”

“I’m not super high on him like a lot of people,” said DB coach No. 3. “He has a great pedigree to him. He’s well-coached. I think he’s slow to go at times. His eyes don’t play as fast as his body. I don’t know if more has been put on his plate, but he didn’t play as fast and free as he used to.”

DB coach No. 1: “His film from 2023 is elite. I don’t think his film from 2024 was quite as good. It was still good but not as good. I’m not sure what factors might’ve played into that. To me, from his 2023 film, he was the no-brainer best safety in this class, but 2024, it brings it a little more into question. He’s got real good flexibility. I think he’s a true three-level talent at safety where he can play deep, intermediate and play man.”

Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts began his college career as a wideout and left South Bend as an interception machine. The 6-0, 203-pound safety was the Sugar Bowl defensive MVP in the win over Georgia, against whom he made seven tackles. He picked off 13 passes the past two seasons.

“I love him,” said DB coach No. 3. “You can’t ignore (13) interceptions. That’s amazing. He’s not a perfect safety. He’s smart. He’s got great ball skills. He tackles better than people think. Everybody’s down on his tackling — ‘He’s a receiver trying to tackle. The angles are there.’ Some of that stuff you can clean up. I think guys in college are coached pretty poorly overall in terms of tackling. That’s a key area where colleges are failing in tackling at the second level with linebackers, safety and corners. I think guys are more receptive to being coached on it in the NFL than they used to be.”

“I like him,” said DB coach No. 1. “When you turn the film on, his movement leaves something to be desired. He doesn’t seem that twitched up, but his GPS numbers are actually pretty good. He’s good in the third level. Better man defender than you would think. He’s not a great tackler, but in their big games, against Georgia and Ohio State, he tackled real well.”

DB coach No. 2: “The guy is ridiculous in terms of his third-level play. He’s a former receiver and has only really played the position for two years. He’s going to keep growing and getting better. Great at tracking the ball. Solid dude. People will knock him on his 40, but he’s physical and good.”

Andrew Mukuba spent his first three seasons at Clemson and finished his career on a high note in 2024 at Texas. The 5-11, 186-pounder, who ran a 4.45 40 in Indy, picked off five passes and made 69 tackles in his lone season with the Longhorns.

“He is like a missile,” said DB coach No. 1. “He didn’t play very well at Clemson, and I think he’s fighting that perception some. He was playing nickel there. I think he’s a better safety. He has good range in the deep part of the field. He’s very good in the underneath part of the field because he’s twitchy and explosive.

“His slot coverage is solid for a safety. Good tackler, but some of his misses look pretty bad. He pulls the pin and slices people down. I think he’s gonna be a good starter. I think he’s undervalued. I look at some of these mocks and there’s such a wide range to him where he’s behind some other guys, and I’m like, no, I don’t see that. The only knock to me is his weight. He’s 186 and he doesn’t look like the stoutest dude.”

“I like him,” said DB coach No. 2. “He’s slight and narrow, but he is tough.”

Penn State’s Kevin Winston will be one of the more intriguing evaluations for teams. He has really good size at 6-1 1/2, 215 pounds with 32 1/2-inch arms. He is essentially a one-year starter. In 2023, he led Penn State in tackles with 61. In 2024, he started two games in a junior year derailed by a season-ending knee injury.

“If he was healthy, he would be a top-three safety,” said DB coach No. 2. “Penn State coaches loved him. He’s really big. He ran good. Is smart in his interviews. I liked his tape. I think he’s legit.”

“I do like him,” said DB coach No. 1. “He’s similar to Emmanwori. Good tackler, but is a little limited in slot coverage. I think he plays with bad eye discipline and leverage.”

“I’m torn on him,” said DB coach No. 3. “It’s tough to evaluate a guy when you’re looking at two games and then you’re going back to another year. It’s a projection. As a box or post safety, I think he could be an ace. He’s a big f—in’ dude. And he’s smart enough and savvy enough to work to make up some ground. He’s a poor man’s Derwin James, and he may end up being able to do more schematically in the deeper part of the field.”

Tulane’s Caleb Ransaw is creating a lot of buzz. The 5-11, 197-pounder was excellent at Troy in 2023, making 51 tackles with six TFLs. He followed his coach, Jon Sumrall. to Tulane and was solid, but then really turned heads with his performance at the Senior Bowl and then the combine, where he ran a 4.33 40, vertical jumped 40 inches and broad jumped 10-9.

“I’m a big fan,” said DB coach No. 3. “He can play a little man in the slot. He’s shown a willingness to be physical. At the Senior Bowl, he played some real safety. There is something there.”

DB coach No. 1: “He “played safety at the Senior Bowl and looked really good. Showed good range. Good instincts. He tested really well. He was playing nickel at Tulane. I didn’t love his technique covering the slot at Tulane.”

It feels as though Alabama’s Malachi Moore has been around college football longer than anybody in this draft. (Well, except Miami’s Cam McCormick.) That’s because he’s been on a big stage for such a long time. In 2020, he started 11 games for the national champs, recording 44 tackles with four TFLs and three INTs. He basically started his first two years and his last two years, and he played in all 13 games with one start in his third year (2022). At 5-11, 196, with only 29 5/8-inch arms, he’s not seen by many draft analysts as a top-150 pick, but there is some love for him from the coaches we spoke to.

“I think he’s a hellified player and way undersold,” said DB coach No. 1. “His film in 2024 was really good. He was playing nickel for (Nick) Saban (from 2020-2023), and he’s probably a touch lacking athletically for nickel, but his safety film is so good. There were so many runs that broke into the middle of the field and he got them down. He made some really difficult tackles.

“He’s got plus-coverage for a safety and has good range. He is probably the smartest safety I’ve talked to in the last three years. I can name five to 10 safeties who start now in the NFL that I think he’s better than. He does have weirdly short arms. But you see him cover Malik Nabers at nickel two years ago and he wasn’t embarrassed by him. I’m not saying he’s Brian Branch, but there’s a lot of that in there with his football instincts and his awareness. And Branch is probably the best covering safety in the whole league. They both play with good technique. He’ll play early because he’s so far along.”