2025 NFL Draft: ESPN ranks top 5 players at every position

The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the top prospects in this year’s class have risen to the top.

Heading into bowl season and ahead of the combine and respective pro days, ESPN’s Jordan Reid listed his top 50 prospects in the 2025 cycle — including the top five players at each position.

Here’s who cracked the list:

Quarterback

1. Cam Ward
2. Shedeur Sanders
3. Drew Allar
4. Jalen Milroe
5. Carson Beck

Reid may stir up some controversy with this selection, as many mock drafts have Sanders coming off the board as the first quarterback taken in the draft. Both Ward and Sanders have been considered the top two QBs in this cycle for a while now. After those two are selected, the rest of the order is anybody’s guess.

Running back

1. Ashton Jeanty
2. Omarion Hampton
3. TreVeyon Henderson
4. Kaleb Johnson
5. Quinshon Judkins

Ashton Jeanty fell just short of winning the Heisman Trophy, but he won’t be playing for second place in the NFL Draft. 2,000+ yards worth of production has seemingly put the Boise State tailback by himself among other running backs in the field.

Fullback/H-back

1. Harold Fannin Jr.
2. Jake Briningstool
3. Eli Stowers

Harold Fannin Jr. was one of the most productive tight ends in the country this past season for Bowling Green. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Fannin Jr. logged 100 receptions, 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. However, a transition to the H-back spot may keep his professional career alive for longer than it would have been as a pure tight end. According to Reid, there’s no better fit for a fullback than Fannin Jr.

Wide Receiver

1. Travis Hunter
2. Tetairoa McMillan
3. Luther Burden III
4. Emeka Egbuka
5. Isaiah Bond

Travis Hunter is No. 1, and everyone else falls behind him. That’s saying something, too, as the other receivers on Reid’s list are all players who could be day-one players for their NFL teams. While McMillan is lesser-known out of Arizona, the rest of these names play weekly on a national stage for big-time programs and have made names for themselves there.

Tight End

1. Tyler Warren
2. Colston Loveland
3. Mason Taylor
4. Elijah Arroyo
5. Terrance Ferguson

Tyler Warren’s 88 receptions for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns helped lead Penn State to a College Football Playoff in 2024. Loveland was just as impactful to Michigan‘s roster as both were the leading receivers on their respective teams.

Offensive Tackle

1. Kelvin Banks Jr.
2. Josh Simmons
3. Josh Conerly Jr.
4. Aireontae Ersery
5. Cameron Williams

Banks is a three-time All-American offensive tackle for Texas, and the most recent recipient of the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award. He missed the first game of his career during the SEC Championship game against Georgia. He previously logged 39 straight starts dating back to his true freshman season.

Guard

1. Will Campbell
2. Tyler Booker
3. Jonah Savaiinaea
4. Armand Membou
5. Emery Jones Jr.

Campbell was a three-year starter for LSU and has largely been considered a top offensive lineman in the draft for much of the 2024 season. CBS and PFF ranked him as the top offensive lineman overall in the 2025 NFL Draft class.

Center

1. Marcus Mbow
2. Jared Wilson
3. Seth McLaughlin
4. Jake Slaughter
5. Jonah Monheim

Mbow started 32 games during his career at Purdue. He moved around quite often along the offensive line, spending time at both the guard and tackle spots. However, his best bet at an extended professional career could be at the center position. Jim Nagy, Executive Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, has said in the past that Mbow could be a top 100 draft pick this April.

EDGE

1. Abdul Carter
2. Mykel Williams
3. Jalon Walker
4. James Pearce Jr.
5. Shemar Stewart

A competitive EDGE rushing group this cycle, Abdul Carter tops Reid’s list ahead of bowl season. He was recently named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by AP. He logged a whopping 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks during the regular season for Penn State.

Defensive Tackle

1. Mason Graham
2. Walter Nolan
3. Derrick Harmon
4. Kenneth Grant
5. Tyleik Williams

Mason Graham never lost to Ohio State while he was at Michigan, something he was sure to point out during his goodbye post to the Wolverines faithful on Saturday. During his time in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines won two Big Ten titles and made two College Football Playoff appearances, winning the national championship last season.

Linebacker

1. Jihaad Campbell
2. Danny Stutsman
3. Barrett Carter
4. Chris Paul Jr.
5. Deontae Lawson

Campbell’s numbers have improved greatly during his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, particularly the past two seasons. He turned in his first 100-tackle season in 2024 while also totaling 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception for the Crimson Tide this fall.

Cornerback

1. Travis Hunter
2. Will Johnson
3. Shavon Revel Jr.
4. Jahdae Barron
5. Maxwell Hairston

Travis Hunter comes in at the top of this list, as well as their receivers list. He said previously that he plans to play both ways in the NFL, and being the best receiver and cornerback in this cycle goes without saying that scouts view Hunter in a different light than other prospects.

Safety

1. Malaki Starks
2. Nick Emmanwori
3. Kevin Winston Jr.
4. Xavier Watts
5. Billy Bowman Jr.

Malaki Starks has locked down the Georgia secondary for three seasons. An instant impact player at the safety position, he’s likely to surpass 200 career tackles in the College Football Playoff and had 17 career pass breakups and six interceptions throughout his three years in Athens.