PFF 2025 NFL Draft Preview
• It's a good year to target defensive backs and interior defenders: Star-studded cornerback and safety classes lead the way in the 2025 NFL Draft, while the defensive tackle group is flooded with depth players and potential NFL starters.
• Michigan's Colston Loveland tops a strong tight end class: He and Penn State’s Tyler Warren have a chance to be first-round picks.
QUARTERBACK: BELOW AVERAGE
The high-profile quarterback class in 2024 is giving way to a 2025 group with less hype, though we know the NFL's need for the position will still be strong.
Miami’s Cam Ward is racing up Heisman boards with his Hurricanes at the top of the ACC. His improved big-time throw and turnover-worthy play rates make him an intriguing bet at the top, but it is no guarantee due to his up-and-down play style.
Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe and Garrett Nussmeier offer intrigue of their own, but again, not to the level we saw last year, which could mean an NFL team may be able to draft a top quarterback in a lower slot, even outside of the first round.
RUNNING BACK: GOOD
Running back draft classes seem to be at least average every year. The 2025 class is once again a deep group that can litter the league with starters and committee backs.
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who boasts a
96.8 PFF rushing grade through Week 10, is on a record-breaking pace this season and will surely be the top running back taken. The only question now is whether he can crack the top 10. Omarion Hampton, Kaleb Johnson and Quinshon Judkins could be considered as late first- or early second-round picks, while Ollie Gordon, DJ Giddens, Jonah Coleman and TreVeyon Henderson could hear their names called early on Day 2.
WIDE RECEIVER: GOOD
Every year is a good year for the wide receiver class, but it doesn’t feel as star-studded at the top compared to 2024. Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan will be coveted by every team in the top 10, as will two-way phenom Travis Hunter. After them, Luther Burden III, Isaiah Bond and Emeka Egbuka all possess first-round talent. It’s not quite the top-10-rich class we’ve seen in years past, but it is a good one nonetheless.
TIGHT END: GREAT
I really like this tight end class. Michigan’s Colston Loveland remains a first-round type of talent as a receiving tight end despite the Wolverines' quarterback struggles this season. Penn State’s Tyler Warren has also come on as a complete in-line player whom every NFL team will love. Both have a chance to be first-round picks.
Then there are players like Eli Stowers, Mason Taylor, Gunnar Helm and Harold Fannin Jr., all of whom I would feel comfortable drafting on Day 2. That kind of first-round potential and depth doesn’t come around often with tight end classes.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE: GOOD
The 2024 NFL Draft featured a high-profile offensive tackle class that yielded eight first-rounders, with four going in the top 15 and two in the top 10. This year’s class doesn’t appear to be as strong at the top, but it is deep enough that five or six names could land in the top 40.
Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. and LSU’s Will Campbell have top-10 potential. Banks'
91.4 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks first among FBS tackles and Campbell is on track for his third straight
70.0-plus season-long PFF overall grade, but neither is at 2024 prospect
Joe Alt‘s level.
While Cameron Williams, Wyatt Milum, Aireontae Ersery and Josh Simmons could each hear their name called in Round 1, too, this group doesn’t feel as polished as 2024's batch.
INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE: SCARCE
The 2025 class may churn out some starting NFL interior offensive linemen, but it is a tougher group to find players you are confident in.
At least one center has been selected in the top 50 in every draft since 2017, but there is a good chance that streak ends in 2025.
As for guards, Tyler Booker, Taint Ratledge and Donovan Jackson seem to be getting the most hype. However, it's currently a long shot that we see any of them drafted in the first round. For that reason, look for NFL teams to hit free agency hard at center and guard in March.
INTERIOR DEFENDER: GREAT
Michigan’s Mason Graham, who would have been the first defensive tackle off the board in the 2024 class, leads this year's strong interior defender group. After that, Omarr Norman-Lott, Kenneth Grant and Tyleik Williams are first-round talents, and Walter Nolen, T.J. Sanders, Dontay Corleone and Deone Walker are all firmly in the top-50 conversation. Oregon's Derrick Harmon is a big riser, too.
It feels like one of the deeper defensive tackle groups over the past five years. It's a good year for NFL teams with a need for the position.
EDGE DEFENDER: GOOD
This is a tricky position group to label because its star power isn’t a lock despite the class' potential.
There are years when we talk about edge rushers in the top five and even No. 1 overall. But although 2025 doesn't include a
Jadeveon Clowney, a
Myles Garrett — or even a
Will Anderson Jr. or an
Aidan Hutchinson in terms of pre-draft dominance — there are plenty of names to know.
First-round chatter often includes Nic Scourton, Abdul Carter, James Pearce Jr. and Mykel Williams, but even they are currently expected to be selected between Pick Nos. 10-20. Then there are Landon Jackson, LT Overton, Shemar Stewart and Princely Umanmielen, all of whom could be late first- or early second-round options.
LINEBACKER: SCARCE
It will be hard for NFL teams to find a linebacker they love in this class.
LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. possesses intriguing athleticism, but he is undersized and is now coming off an ACL tear. Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman is a thumper who checks the size boxes but isn’t coveted at a first-round level. Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell is a high-ceiling player, but a young one who is still growing.
Deontae Lawson, Lander Barton and Jack Kiser are likely mid-to-late Day 2 selections at best right now, although they can be contributing NFL players.
Reliable starting linebackers could be at a premium in the 2025 NFL Draft.
CORNERBACK: GREAT
Headlining a star-studded cornerback class are Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Michigan’s Will Johnson — currently top-10 prospects. Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison and East Carolina’s Shavon Revel were also showing first-round-worthy play before going down with injuries.
Jahdae Barron and Sebastian Castro have shown reliable coverage ability in the slot, and Barron has even played strong on the outside. Tacario Davis brings unique size at 6-foot-4. A handful of names could go off the board in the top 50 this year, and plenty should be drafted on Day 2.
SAFETY: GREAT
It’s a good year to need a secondary player. Though Georgia’s Malaki Starks is having a bit of a down season, his freshman and sophomore campaigns were elite, making him worthy of a first-round pick.
Penn State's Kevin Winston Jr. showcases NFL-level ability but was injured early this season. Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman Jr. and Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts have been talked about in the top 60, and South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori has been a massive riser, as well. Throw in Lathan Ransom, Kamari Ramsey and Keon Sabb, and you’ve got a bigger buffet of safety choices than we typically see in one draft class.
