the draft … April thread

PFF: 2025 NFL Draft: Grading each position by talent

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2025-nfl-draft-grading-positions-talent?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhtwitter&utm_content=null

The draft is bursting with defensive line talent: The group’s impressive mix of top-end talent and depth will help NFL teams seeking a boost to their front.

One of the best running back classes in a decade: The football world is well aware of the prolific back — Ashton Jeanty — atop this year’s crop of talented rushers, but he’s just a piece of one of the most talented running back classes in more than a decade.
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The 2025 NFL Draft is just a few short weeks away, a huge opportunity for NFL teams to upgrade their rosters. Some teams will be looking to draft the best players available regardless of position, while others will have acute needs that they will look to tick off with their first selections.

Not every position group is as flush with talent as others. Let’s take stock of which positions are brimming with potential NFL star power and which may be lacking.

Quarterback: C-

Draft pundits largely agree that Cam Ward is this year’s top signal-caller and will likely be the first-overall selection, yet there’s a prevailing sentiment that Ward could have fallen between the range of the fourth and fifth quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. While last year’s class was unreasonably strong at quarterback, it does help bring this group into perspective.

Beyond Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has garnered a reputation as a talented passer who can manage an offense to a high degree. Some pushback has arisen regarding his polarizing personality, but it’s more the limited athleticism and lack of an elite arm that has hindered his draft stock. Still, some here at PFF believe he should be considered the top quarterback prospect in this year’s class.

Further down the board, we see a myriad of passers with varying skill sets who haven’t moved the needle much during the pre-draft process. But some believe Jaxson Dart also possesses traits to build upon that could warrant a first-round selection after he finished as the top-graded passer in several of PFF’s quarterback metrics.

Running Back: A+

The football world is well aware of the prolific back atop this year’s crop of talented rushers — Ashton Jeanty — but he’s just a piece of one of the most talented running back classes in more than a decade.

With Jeanty undoubtedly slated to come off the board in the first 15 or so picks, the class features excellent talent and depth behind him. Omarion Hampton is the next name to know as one of the most physically gifted backs in the nation, possessing tremendous size, explosiveness and strength to warrant a potential first-round selection.

As Day 2 approaches, the level of talent fall-off is minimal, with Cam Skattebo, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and Dylan Sampson profiling as high-upside options on the ground. And even further down the board, there are talented backs to fit virtually any role an offense may require.

Wide Receiver: B-

With strength at the top, key contributors throughout the first round and plenty of depth through Day 2, the receiver class has a solid spread of varying talents.

The prevailing sentiment throughout the pre-draft process is that Travis Hunter won’t play both sides of the ball full time, which could come at the expense of his snap share at receiver. But with Tetairoa McMillan standing as PFF’s third-ranked prospect and Luther Burden III, Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden in the top 25, there is no shortage of receiving prospects to amplify a unit out of the gate.

Further down the board, we still see some quality prospects ranging from Senior Bowl standout Jack Bech to Tre Harris and even Tez Johnson and Tory Horton. That variety should allow teams to target quality depth options deep into the fourth round.

Tight End: B

Although we’ve seen some highly sought-after tight ends go early in recent drafts, it remains noteworthy every time a prospect at the position reaches into the top-10 range. Tyler Warren profiles as that name this year, slated as PFF’s eighth-ranked prospect in the 2025 class, with the potential to shape any offense he lands in.

Along with Warren in the first-round conversation stands Colston Loveland, who may lack some density to play inline consistently, but possesses great range and length as a pass catcher with natural hands.

The class isn’t as strong as others but still boasts some quality talent on Day 2, such as Elijah Arroyo and Mason Taylor, who may not profile as impact weapons but could become more established options as they develop.

Offensive Tackle: B-

This may be the most difficult group to tag a letter grade to in the 2025 NFL Draft class. While four tackles currently have first-round grades on PFF’s big board, the prevailing sentiment among draft evaluators is that many of them project better on the interior at the pro level.

Issues with changes to the measurement process at the NFL Combine have left many scouts with mixed data — and significantly affected the stock of Will Campbell, PFF’s top-ranked offensive line prospect, after his length measurements came in lower than what’s typically acceptable by NFL standards. Some here at PFF even believe his talents and football IQ would be better suited at center.

Length concerns also follow Kelvin Banks Jr., who could shift inside. Armand Membou may profile as the safest pick up front after showcasing stellar athleticism during NFL Combine workouts, but he profiles as a right tackle, given his experience. That leaves Josh Simmons as perhaps the only true first-round prospect at left tackle, and he is coming off a serious ACL injury.

Interior Offensive Line: C

In a vacuum, without any tackle converts, this year’s interior class is lacking. However, should many of the names listed above shift inside, this group takes on an entirely different shape.

FCS standout Grey Zabel is without a doubt converting inside following the extensive looks he received at guard and center during the pre-draft process, and he would profile as the lone first-round-caliber player, as PFF’s 29th-ranked prospect.

Further down the board, just three names of note are among the top 100 prospects, with Tyler Booker slating as the only true guard to land in the top 50. Georgia’s Jared Wilson and Tate Ratledge land in the Day 2 range but also carry concerns.

Edge Defender: A+

With a good mix of top-end talent and depth littered throughout, edge rusher is undoubtedly the strongest group in the 2025 NFL Draft class. According to PFF’s big board, seven edge defenders land in the first-round conversation, headlined by Penn State’s Abdul Carter — the second-ranked prospect in the class.

Mike Green, James Pearce Jr. and Donovan Ezeiruaku all slot into the top 20 on PFF’s big board, with Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton following close behind.

Day 2 features no shortage of talent, including NFL Combine sensation Landon Jackson and pivotal national championship contributors JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer.

Interior Defensive Line: A-

The defensive interior is similarly stacked with prospects, featuring both top-end talent and mid-round depth.

At the top stands a pair of Michigan defensive tackles in Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. Graham ranks well above his peers, currently slotted as a top-five prospect. The first-round conversation also features Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon and Darius Alexander.

There will be significant talent on Day 2, as well, with 14 interior defenders landing among PFF’s top 80 prospects. The last time that many interior defenders were featured in the top 100 picks was in 2016, a class in which Chris Jones was selected in the second round.

Linebacker: D-

The growing consensus around the 2025 NFL Draft class continues to paint the linebacker position as perhaps the weakest group. Of the top prospects at the position, only a few players move the needle, with just Jihaad Campbell slotting into the top 25 prospects.

There are very few noteworthy names falling further down the board. Georgia’s Jalon Walker has evaluators split, with some projecting him as a linebacker while others expect him to move to the edge early in his career to maximize his pass-rushing potential.

As we look further down the board, only Demetrius Knight Jr., Carson Schwesinger and Chris Paul Jr. land in the top 100 prospects on PFF’s big board.

Cornerback: C

The cornerback talent in this year’s class is largely situated at the top of the order. Travis Hunter, a generational talent, leads the group with phenomenal metrics to match excellent mirroring ability and elite ball skills.

Jahdae Barron and Will Johnson both feature at the top of the position, as well, ranking in the top 15 on PFF’s big board. Barron profiles as a versatile coverage player with excellent zone instincts. Johnson can slot into a defense on either side while shadowing WR1s with a good understanding of leverages.

The next cornerback prospect on the board doesn’t feature until the 40s, where we see names like combine standout Maxwell Hairston, Trey Amos and Shavon Revel.

Safety: C-

While I initially slotted this group much lower, with only Malaki Starks possessing a first-round grade on PFF’s big board, some of the safety talent is underrated.

Outside of the top 32, we see names like Xavier Watts, who could sneak into the first round, and NFL Combine standout Nick Emmanwori, a raw talent with pure athleticism but questionable technique. Both bring upside with question marks.

Lathan Ransom and Andrew Mukuba are solid players, but the real reason this group received a grading bump is Kevin Winston Jr. PFF’s Max Chadwick has Winston as a first-round talent if healthy, as the Penn State safety profiles as perhaps the best tackler of the bunch.