The 2025 Draft Thread

[The Chump Bailey]

Top 20 FS’s to me

It’s obviously very hard to truly gauge how good or not these guys are and the position itself with the limited clips on YouTube. You can throw all top 3 names in a hat and come out with a virtual slam dunk pick just depending on your flavor I suppose, and all could very likely be shut down CB’s too.

1. Xavier Watts Notre Dame *Just a ball hawk out there and exactly the type of guy I’d want roaming the field; Watts & Starks are on a different level instinct wise than the rest imo
2. Nick Emmanwori South Carolina *Athletic freak better in Box role imo but also very good range and cover skills
3. Malaki Starks Georgia *Noticed he’s not at his best playing the Box/nickel role did some digging and on reddit etc. and he was playing out of position for a time it seems. As a pure FS, the guy is fantastic without question and sure-fire 1st round talent.
4. Billy Bowman Oklahoma *Fantastic closing and long speed to go with range & coverage ability; Love this prospect
5. Andrew Makuba Texas *Hits like a semi-truck; excellent versatility may even be better in a SS role
6. Craig Woodson Cal *Really good; like him as a Commanders value pick
7. Jonas Sanker Virginia *Most unheralded FS of the bunch by a mile; dude is good
8. Kitan Crawford Nevada *Super underrated; outstanding speed, range and cover ability
9. Marques Sigle Kansas State *If there’s a sleeper in this class it’s this dude (or Kitan Crawford Nevada) with sticky cover skills; excellent range and speed; Senior Bowl practice stand-out and love him as a value pick for the Commanders
10. Malachi Moore Alabama *Good range and cover skills, his top end speed will likely be a real issue though in the NFL; not great in run support but now awful either
11. Jaylen Reed Penn State *Just a solid all around safety could be a great value pick for some team including the Commanders
12. Tyrone Lewis Jr. Louisiana *Sleeper potential
13. Donte Trader Jr. Maryland *Value pick solid all around especially in a Box role
14. R.J. Mickens Clemson *Better FS than in the box though he can disrupt lanes with his length and sheer athleticism
15. Shamari Simmons Arizona State *Best in a Box role but capable
16. Alijah Clark Syracuse *Strongest amongst the projected Day 3/UDFA types watched; could be a legit sleeper though
17. JJ Roberts Marshall *Good at everything, great at nothing types but could be underrating him
18. Quinn Schulte Iowa *Smart versatile player; good closing speed, range and cover ability; under the radar type imo (Iowa guys are good something about this program that pumps out really good football players)
19. Bryan Addison UCLA *Physical traits galore former WR needs a lot of coaching but could have nice ceiling
20. Gabriel Taylor Rice * * Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig Colorado * Tysheem Johnson Oregon *Good athlete testing will be huge for him

 

[DWinzit]

Because the S class is so solid and seemingly undervalued, I could easily see AP take a S instead of a CB on day 2.

 

[The Chump Bailey]

Because the S class is so solid and seemingly undervalued, I could easily see AP take a S instead of a CB on day 2.

Probably not all that unsual considering the scarcity of top tier FS types (which honestly surprises me a bit) but the Strong Safety group is likely a little bit stronger (no pun intended ) than the FS group

 

[clskinsfan]

slam dunk pick

Nick. That is it. The only slam dunk pick at that position.

 

[The Chump Bailey]

Nick. That is it. The only slam dunk pick at that position.

We'll see

 

[mistertim]

Because he is too slow to play the NFL game. The fact some sites list him in the top 5 RB's in this draft is laughable. Yes. He broke tackles in college. Against IFERIOR competition. Good luck when EVERY SINGLE PLAYER you are playing against is faster than you, inculding the DL

What specific metric are you using to judge that he's too slow? If so, what is your specific cutoff number in that metric where a guy goes from fast enough for the NFL to not fast enough?

 

[The Chump Bailey]

Nothing ground breaking but the time ranges I see for Skattebo are in the 4.5-4.62 range, which is pretty wide to me. I think he's closer to the 4.5-4.59 spectrum. His vert was almost 40 inches though which is terrific for his size. He's explosive. I wouldn't bet against him succeeding in the NFL. He's at his best in a pass catching role, scheme.

 

[COWBOY-KILLA]

For me it is Ashton. Hampton and Henderson then everyone else. Those 3 TO ME are true franchise RB's. And I might be willing to switch to Henderson above Hampton.

LOVE Henderson. Breakaway speed. Nastiness. Everything I want from a franchise back.

I would add Judkins to this true franchise RB list. Would love for us to grab one of those 4... Not saying the rest are bums but I think these 4 truly stand out and are worth our risk/time.

 

[method man]

Top 20 FS’s to me

It’s obviously very hard to truly gauge how good or not these guys are and the position itself with the limited clips on YouTube. You can throw all top 3 names in a hat and come out with a virtual slam dunk pick just depending on your flavor I suppose, and all could very likely be shut down CB’s too.

1. Xavier Watts Notre Dame *Just a ball hawk out there and exactly the type of guy I’d want roaming the field; Watts & Starks are on a different level instinct wise than the rest imo
2. Nick Emmanwori South Carolina *Athletic freak better in Box role imo but also very good range and cover skills
3. Malaki Starks Georgia *Noticed he’s not at his best playing the Box/nickel role did some digging and on reddit etc. and he was playing out of position for a time it seems. As a pure FS, the guy is fantastic without question and sure-fire 1st round talent.
4. Billy Bowman Oklahoma *Fantastic closing and long speed to go with range & coverage ability; Love this prospect
5. Andrew Makuba Texas *Hits like a semi-truck; excellent versatility may even be better in a SS role
6. Craig Woodson Cal *Really good; like him as a Commanders value pick
7. Jonas Sanker Virginia *Most unheralded FS of the bunch by a mile; dude is good
8. Kitan Crawford Nevada *Super underrated; outstanding speed, range and cover ability
9. Marques Sigle Kansas State *If there’s a sleeper in this class it’s this dude (or Kitan Crawford Nevada) with sticky cover skills; excellent range and speed; Senior Bowl practice stand-out and love him as a value pick for the Commanders
10. Malachi Moore Alabama *Good range and cover skills, his top end speed will likely be a real issue though in the NFL; not great in run support but now awful eitherJ
11. Jaylen Reed Penn State *Just a solid all around safety could be a great value pick for some team including the Commanders
12. Tyrone Lewis Jr. Louisiana *Sleeper potential
13. Donte Trader Jr. Maryland *Value pick solid all around especially in a Box role
14. R.J. Mickens Clemson *Better FS than in the box though he can disrupt lanes with his length and sheer athleticism
15. Shamari Simmons Arizona State *Best in a Box role but capable
16. Alijah Clark Syracuse *Strongest amongst the projected Day 3/UDFA types watched; could be a legit sleeper though
17. JJ Roberts Marshall *Good at everything, great at nothing types but could be underrating him
18. Quinn Schulte Iowa *Smart versatile player; good closing speed, range and cover ability; under the radar type imo
19. Bryan Addison UCLA *Physical traits galore former WR needs a lot of coaching but could have nice ceiling
20. Gabriel Taylor Rice * * Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig Colorado * Tysheem Johnson Oregon *Good athlete testing will be huge for him

I watched a lot of Colorado this season and I really liked Silmon Craig. He made play after play for them on the back end

 

[skinsinparadise]

For me it is Ashton. Hampton and Henderson then everyone else. Those 3 TO ME are true franchise RB's. And I might be willing to switch to Henderson above Hampton.

LOVE Henderson. Breakaway speed. Nastiness. Everything I want from a franchise back.

I used to think Hampton would fall to our pick, now I think no shot.

Henderson would be great, my only issue with him is durability. You almost have to use him as a rotational back because he doesn't seem to hold up otherwise. As much as I like Henderson, its easily Hampton over Henderson for me. Hampton is power, speed, pass protect -- has the size to be a featured back on and on.

I think Judkins could be really good. Kaleb Johnson I used to love but now I've soured a little but still like him -- he bounces so much to edges on his runs. Feels pure outsize zone runner but he's very good at that. I wish he ran faster but it was good enough for his size.

Then its Skattebo for me.

That next strata I think though there are some good ones. RJ Harvey, high intangibles, does a bit of everything, most 15 plus runs in this class aside from Ashton. Bounces a bit too much to the periphery to my liking but otherwise looks like will be a good one. DJ Giddens who has great size and speed and is good going east-west -- nice lateral movements. Sampson, I've soured a little upon further watching but still like him -- I think like Henderson he needs to be rotational, homerun hitter, gets stuffed a bit too much for my liking and the fumbles concern me.

Then I'd probably have Damien Martinez, though he's getting a bit cool where it feels uncool as to his hype building. Even Greg Cosell was getting ino hyping him. Complete back. Power back but can hit those doubles well.

Then I like Tuten. lol, PFF hates him for whatever reason. I got As playing around with their simulator but one time they gave me a B plus because of me taking an F for grabbing Tuten in the 5th round. Tuten is a bit straight line speed but has some power to him and can break tackles. Aside from a little lift he got from destroying the combine, he seems forgotten in this class. Jayden Blue to me is who Tuten's critics think Tuten is -- that is mostly a pure speed scat back. I don't dislike Blue but he's definitely IMO a change of pace back versus a featured one.

Monangai to me is who Skattebo critics think Skattebo is -- he can break tackles and looks great doing it. But isn't much of an athlete and there isn't much more to his game than that but is great at what he majors in.

A lot of draft geeks love Jordan James, and while I like him, I don't see the love. He does everything well, nothing great IMO, and he has almost no explosive plays, everything is a single just about with him. Etienne similar but has more potential because of his speed. Neal similar but has more east-west IMO lateral ability. Woody Marks is also in this same class IMO, but has a bit more explosion and is better with his hands, yet is considered by most mock drafters a notch below this group which I don't get.

 

[The Chump Bailey]

I watched a lot of Colorado this season and I really liked Silmon Craig. He made play after play for them on the back end

I'm not sure of his speed and other measurables though. They're not the end all be all for me but I do give prefence to higher testers in most instances. I'm glad you like him MM gives me a sense of validation.

 

[The Chump Bailey]

A lot of draft geeks love Jordan James

I think he's another whiff on my part and ranked him too low - most sites see him as a solid Day 2 pick. I don't see him as a bellcow type but he is one of the most physical runner's in the class without a doubt and he may very well be the most physical after Hampton. His lack of top end speed might be an issue but I would not be surprised if he carved out a successful role in the league.

 

[Hail Raiser]

We've got 3 RBs that can run into a wall and occasionally break through it.

Ekeler replacement is much more important I think,

 

[RWJ]

I used to think Hampton would fall to our pick, now I think no shot.

Henderson would be great, my only issue with him is durability. You almost have to use him as a rotational back because he doesn't seem to hold up otherwise. As much as I like Henderson, its easily Hampton over Henderson for me. Hampton is power, speed, pass protect -- has the size to be a featured back on and on.

I think Judkins could be really good. Kaleb Johnson I used to love but now I've soured a little but still like him -- he bounces so much to edges on his runs. Feels pure outsize zone runner but he's very good at that. I wish he ran faster but it was good enough for his size.

Then its Skattebo for me.

That next strata I think though there are some good ones. RJ Harvey, high intangibles, does a bit of everything, most 15 plus runs in this class aside from Ashton. Bounces a bit too much to the periphery to my liking but otherwise looks like will be a good one. DJ Giddens who has great size and speed and is good going east-west -- nice lateral movements. Sampson, I've soured a little upon further watching but still like him -- I think like Henderson he needs to be rotational, homerun hitter, gets stuffed a bit too much for my liking and the fumbles concern me.

Then I'd probably have Damien Martinez, though he's getting a bit cool where it feels uncool as to his hype building. Even Greg Cosell was getting ino hyping him. Complete back. Power back but can hit those doubles well.

Then I like Tuten. lol, PFF hates him for whatever reason. I got As playing around with their simulator but one time they gave me a B plus because of me taking an F for grabbing Tuten in the 5th round. Tuten is a bit straight line speed but has some power to him and can break tackles. Aside from a little lift he got from destroying the combine, he seems forgotten in this class. Jayden Blue to me is who Tuten's critics think Tuten is -- that is mostly a pure speed scat back. I don't dislike Blue but he's definitely IMO a change of pace back versus a featured one.

Monangai to me is who Skattebo critics think Skattebo is -- he can break tackles and looks great doing it. But isn't much of an athlete and there isn't much more to his game than that but is great at what he majors in.

A lot of draft geeks love Jordan James, and while I like him, I don't see the love. He does everything well, nothing great IMO, and he has almost no explosive plays, everything is a single just about with him. Etienne similar but has more potential because of his speed. Neal similar but has more east-west IMO lateral ability. Woody Marks is also in this same class IMO, but has a bit more explosion and is better with his hands, yet is considered by most mock drafters a notch below this group which I don't get.

Tiered Skilled Positions on offense by Eric Froton of CFN and a draft analyst. I don't know that guy but thought you might be interested in how he categorizes the RBs. Just click on MSN below.

MSN

 

[heisenberg]

As much as I like Henderson, its easily Hampton over Henderson for me. Hampton is power, speed, pass protect

I'm a little surprised by this opinion.
I've read in multiple places that Henderson is an outstanding pass protecting running back, possibly the best in this draft.

 

[The Chump Bailey]

I'm a little surprised by this opinion.
I've read in multiple places that Henderson is an outstanding pass protecting running back, possibly the best in this draft.

IDK, I think I concur with SIP on this one. I orginally had TreVeyon as my #1 but a case could easily be made for Hampton. While the pass protecting chops might not be as refined as TreVeyon there is no doubting Hampton's elite power and speed combination. The dude is a freight train.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I'm a little surprised by this opinion.
I've read in multiple places that Henderson is an outstanding pass protecting running back, possibly the best in this draft.

Didn't say a word about Henderson in pass protect but I have in the past, he's good at it. My point was squarely about Hampton, he's a more complete back IMO than Henderson for two reasons.

A. Has more power to his game
B. Has the size to hold up as a durable back.

Durabilty is a question with Henderson. Granted with more reps, Hampton had more 15 plus yard runs than Henderson, more pass catching yards, etc. Hampton isn't quite as elusive as Henderson but Hamption IMO is a clear #1 bell cow RB who can carry the load for a team and does basically everything well.

 

[skinsinparadise]

IDK, I think I concur with SIP on this one. I orginally had TreVeyon as my #1 but a case could easily be made for Hampton. While the pass protecting chops might not be as refined as TreVeyon there is no doubting Hampton's elite power and speed combination. The dude is a freight train.

Not sure what there is to concur on. Where did I question Henderson's pass protect? Saying Hampton is really good at it didn't mean by extension that Henderson is not.

Hampton is a #1 back. Plan and simple. He can be your featured back. I love Henderson. I haven't criticized him once on this thread. Heck am probably one of the only ones here who would be delighted if they took him at 29. But Henderson is clearly a back by committee guy. I am not on an island on this. Hampton is a stud #1 back -- no committee needed.

 

[method man]

Didn't say a word about Henderson in pass protect but I have in the past, he's good at it. My point was squarely about Hampton, he's a more complete back IMO than Henderson for two reasons.

A. Has more power to his game
B. Has the size to hold up as a durable back.

Durabilty is a question with Henderson. Granted with more reps, Hampton had more 15 plus yard runs than Henderson, more pass catching yards, etc. Hampton isn't quite as elusive as Henderson but Hamption IMO is a clear #1 bell cow RB who can carry the load for a team and does basically everything well.

Do you think Hampton has vision issues? I’ve heard that concern with him and, to me, that is a fatal flaw

 

[skinsinparadise]

Do you think Hampton has vision issues? I’ve heard that concern with him and, to me, that is a fatal flaw

Interesting. I haven't. Of the draft shows I've listened to the gushing won't stop about him to the point that its become borderline nauseating and its in vogue for them to repeat they've heard that some FOs have him rated higher than Jeanty.

It's been a good 6 weeks since I've watched him. I didn't see (lol no pun intended) vision issues. I think vision though is a subjective guage -- its basically from our vantage standpoint is the player seeing the holes. And I didn't see any red flags on that front. I can rewatch but i gather I'd be wasting my time - talk about risers in this process, judging by mocks and just scuttlebutt from insider types he might go in the top 15. Sometimes that stuff can be wrong but I've heard too much from too many different sources to think there is no fire to the smoke. I need to hear something closer to the draft to my liking to make me think I am not wasting my time.

I think Henderson is the more interesting dude as for buzz because you got some guys like McShay (who also love Hampton) who think Henderson can go as high as the late first. And some think he can fall to the late 2nd.