Might not need to reach
With the combine in the books, Daniel Jeremiah updates his prospect rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft. Who's the new WR1 on his board? Which CB is the biggest riser of all? Check out the full rundown, 1-50.
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Rank
29
5
Kelvin Banks Jr.
Texas · OT · Junior
Banks is a thick, sturdy left tackle. In pass protection, he launches out of his stance and shows the ability to sink and bend his knees. He keeps his hands inside and is patient with his punch. When he struggles, it’s because he sets up too deep or his feet settle too early. Both of those areas can be cleaned up. In the run game, he has initial knock-back power, but he doesn’t always strain to drive/finish. He is nimble to adjust and pick off defenders at the second level and on the perimeter. Some teams see him as more of a guard, but I believe he can hold up at tackle. Overall, Banks has some things to clean up, but I like his core foundation of strength/agility.
Rank
30
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Boston College · Edge · Senior
Ezeiruaku is a compact edge rusher with outstanding length, burst and production. In the pass game, he has a very quick first step and gets on top of blockers in a hurry. He excels at prying open the outside shoulder and cornering toward the quarterback. He has a full array of moves to complement his speed rush. He has won with a club/swim, inside counter, spin move and Euro step. He’s an outstanding finisher (16.5 sacks in 2024). Against the run, he needs to be more consistent using his length to stack blocks. He takes them on with his shoulder too often. He shows solid effort on the back side to chase plays. Overall, Ezeiruaku has an ideal body type to rush the passer, and he has all the tricks in his bag to win against good players.
Rank
31
2
Luther Burden III
Missouri · WR · Junior
Burden is a quick, athletic slot receiver. He received a lot of quick hitters in Missouri’s offense. He excels on underneath option routes that allow him to combine his feel to create space and his suddenness to generate yards after the catch. He has outstanding body control, giving him the ability to contort and haul in poorly thrown balls. He is at his best with the ball in his hands. He can stop/start in a hurry and possesses the agility to make defenders miss in tight quarters. He has more to offer once he gets to the next level. When given the opportunity to work down the field, he can tap into another gear and track the ball smoothly. Overall, Burden is a fun player to study and reminds me of
Stefon Diggs coming out of college.
Rank
32
11
Maxwell Hairston
Kentucky · CB · Junior (RS)
Hairston is a lean, athletic cornerback with ideal play speed and fluidity. In press coverage, he incorporates a one-hand jam before turning and carrying vertical routes. He has plenty of burst/speed. In off coverage, he likes to settle and catch receivers at the break point. He’ll need to play cleaner with his hands down the field at the next level. In Kentucky’s defense, he rolled back to play in the middle of the field versus certain formations/motions, but he was late to diagnose and react from that alignment. He’s willing in run support and is a dynamic blitzer. He was limited to seven games this past season due to a shoulder injury, which impacted his tackling. He had a very productive 2023 season (five interceptions) but wasn’t targeted much in the games I studied from this past year. Overall, Hairston offers an enticing blend of movement skills and production.
Rank
33
2
TreVeyon Henderson
Ohio State · RB · Senior
Henderson is a muscled-up runner with elite speed and versatility. He is patient to the hole before exploding through with high knees. He has long speed to destroy pursuit angles once he gets into the open field. He needs to improve his contact balance, though. Too often, his feet stop when met at or near the line of scrimmage. He has the lower-body strength to power through if he keeps driving his feet. In the passing game, he runs a wide variety of routes with quickness and savvy. He has strong, reliable hands. He’s an elite pass protector. He is quick to identify blitzers and attack them. He strains to finish, sometimes well after the ball has been caught down the field. Overall, Henderson is a three-down weapon, brimming with big-play potential.
Rank
34
7
Walter Nolen
Mississippi · DT · Junior
Nolen is a twitchy defensive tackle who fits best in a penetrating style of defense. Ole Miss slanted him quite often in its defensive scheme and he created some early wins versus the run and pass. As a pass rusher, he can really get off the ball with urgency and roll his hips to jolt blockers. He flashes a violent hump move and can redirect with ease. He needs to improve his vision and awareness, though. He wins a lot of battles but fails to win the war because of his inability to locate the ball. Against the run, he can generate negative plays for the offense by shooting gaps, but he gets caught and washed at times. Overall, Nolen is extremely talented and disruptive, but he hasn’t come close to reaching his potential. If he lands with the right scheme/coach, he could emerge as one of the better players in this draft class.
Rank
35
4
Josh Simmons
Ohio State · OT · Junior (RS)
Simmons is a gifted left tackle prospect. He was having an outstanding 2024 campaign before suffering a season-ending knee injury in October. He has excellent size, movement skills and balance. In the passing game, he has a smooth/fluid set. He can easily redirect and plays with a wide/firm base. He uses a sharp punch before steering and controlling defenders. He will overset on occasion, but he’s nimble enough to redirect and recover. In the run game, he plays under control, stays on his feet and maintains leverage/position. He can adjust in space on combos. The main question with Simmons is health. What he put on tape this fall should generate plenty of optimism about his chances of becoming a quality starting left tackle in the NFL.
Rank
36
1
Quinshon Judkins
Ohio State · RB · Junior
Judkins is a powerful, compact runner with outstanding career production. He is very decisive and aggressive on inside runs. He runs low to the ground and hunts the unblocked defender with a thirst for violence. He has a vicious stiff-arm, provided he doesn’t simply lower his shoulder and run through the defender. On perimeter runs, he usually looks to square up and get vertical as soon as possible. He isn’t as polished in the passing game as Ohio State teammate
TreVeyon Henderson, but he’s competent as a screen/checkdown option and he’s aware in pass protection. He’s at his best in the four-minute offense. He closed out the Penn State game with one punishing run after another. Overall, Judkins has areas to improve, but he is a natural runner and he’s built to carry a full load as a starter.
Rank
37
1
Mason Taylor
LSU · TE · Junior
Taylor is a big, athletic tight end with excellent quickness, hands and toughness. He primarily lined up in-line, but he also flexed out in the slot and took a few reps on the outside. He’s polished as a route runner, showing the ability to set up defenders, lean into them and then create separation. He has a big catch radius, hauling in balls above his head as well as below his knees. He is a pure hands-catcher, keeping the ball away from his body. He doesn’t have elite top-end speed, but he is a smooth mover and can find another gear when the ball is in the air. After the catch, he can pull through tackles or make defenders miss in space. He isn’t a mauler in the run game, but he can screen off and stay attached. Overall, Taylor has the ability to be a Day 1 starter with high-volume production.
Rank
38
2
Josh Conerly Jr.
Oregon · OT · Junior
Conerly has an athletic frame with solid bulk and long arms. He lined up at left tackle for the Ducks. In the pass game, he pops out of his stance with quick feet and is patient with his hands. He can cut off speed rushers and effectively redirect versus counters. He does have some hip tightness and lacks ideal sink and bend. He lunges on occasion, putting himself in bad positions. In the run game, he fits well initially but needs to improve his ability to stay attached and finish. He plays under control at the second level and out in space. Overall, Conerly isn’t an elite athlete, but he has the tools to develop into a solid starter in time.
Rank
39
7
Donovan Jackson
Ohio State · IOL · Senior
Jackson has ideal size, strength and bend as an interior offensive lineman. He is best suited at guard, but he stepped up to play left tackle after the Buckeyes lost their starter at the position in the middle of the 2024 season. In the pass game, he sets with a firm anchor, bends his knees and stays attached. He can slide and redirect smoothly. He is keenly aware on twists and stunts. In the run game, he creates movement on down blocks. He has the quickness and athleticism to kick out defenders on outside pulls. He has enough foot speed to reach and seal on the back side. His overall hand placement is excellent in both the run and pass game. He had a couple tough reps against
Abdul Carter, but I was impressed with his overall competitiveness at tackle. He is more than functional at that position, but I see him as a top-tier guard.
Rank
40
2
Jaxson Dart
Mississippi · QB · Senior
Dart has slightly below-average height and a thick/sturdy frame. He’s an excellent athlete and was very productive in Lane Kiffin’s offensive system. Dart connects on a lot of RPOs, quick hitters and seam balls. He has the touch to get the ball up and down at the second level. He flashed the ability to get deeper in his progression, but the first or second option was usually open. His eyes work fast and there are occasions where his feet fail to catch up, which can impact ball placement. He doesn’t have a huge power arm, but he has enough to drive the ball outside the numbers without issue. His decision-making continued to improve throughout his college career, but there were still hiccups at times. I love his athleticism and competitiveness as a runner. He can create off-script and execute on designed QB runs. Overall, Dart is still a work in progress, but he possesses starter traits and his competitiveness will endear him to his teammates.
Rank
41
NR
Trey Amos
Mississippi · CB · Senior
Amos has excellent size (6-foot 3/4, 195 pounds) and is a fluid/smooth athlete. He split five seasons between three different schools (Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi) during his college career, leading Ole Miss with 13 pass breakups in 2024. He has average twitch and burst, but he plays with excellent instincts and ball skills. He can play the ball with his back to the quarterback as well as any cornerback in this draft. The only real question I had about his game was his top-end speed and he alleviated those concerns with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
Rank
42
4
Azareye'h Thomas
Florida State · CB · Junior
Rank
50
NR
Marcus Mbow
Purdue · OT · Junior (RS)
Mbow is a lean, athletic right tackle prospect. The Purdue product has the movement skills of a tight end -- he’s at his best in space. In the run game, he has the speed and agility to cut off from the back side and he gets to the second level in a hurry on combos and pulls. He is very nimble to redirect and connect to linebackers in space. He does need to add some core strength, though, as he can be a little flimsy against stronger edge players at the point of attack. In pass pro, he can cover up speed rushers easily and redirect against counter moves. However, he will get tugged and pulled by bigger rushers. Overall, Mbow needs to get stronger, but zone-run teams are going to love him.