2025 NFL Draft: ESPN releases Top 25 player rankings ahead of Week 1 of college football
The NFL Draft never sleeps and that means research on the upcoming NFL Draft never stops. Naturally, ESPN has released a list of its top 25 prospects entering the 2024 college football season.
The list, curated by Field Yates, includes many of the players who are expected to star this fall, including quarterback Carson Beck of Georgia, Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Quinn Ewers of Texas.
Also included are several players in the trenches, including a number of top pass-rushers, led by Tennessee‘s James Pearce. Let’s take a complete look at ESPN’s Top 25 2025 NFL Draft prospects below.
1. EDGE James Pearce, Tennessee
A 2023 All-SEC first-team selection, Pearce is one of the best defensive players in college football in 2024. He’ll also be playing on a team that should afford him plenty of spotlight opportunities against top-notch opponents.
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What did Pearce do last year with his snaps? Well, all he did was rack up 28 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, 10.0 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and two passes defended. That’s a whole lot of productivity off the edge.
2. EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia
A Coaches All-SEC second-team selection last fall, Williams is being picked by many analysts to have a truly breakout campaign as one of Georgia’s defensive leaders this fall. At 6 foot 5, 265 pounds, he has the size and athleticism to realize that potential.
Williams has had back-to-back seasons recording exactly 6.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. The real place Williams could see a jump is getting the ball out more. He forced one fumble and recovered another last fall, and the Bulldogs would love to see both numbers climb in 2024.
3. CB Will Johnson, Michigan
Regarded by many as the top defensive back prospect in the country, Johnson has excellent length at 6 foot 2. But he’s also shown the ability to be a cover corner with good ball instincts, able to make plays on it in the air.
Johnson was a first-team All-American at Michigan last fall, as well as a consensus All-Big Ten selection. He racked up 27 tackles, 1.0 tackles for a loss, four interceptions, eight pass breakups and scored one defensive touchdown.
4. OT Kelvin Banks, Texas
In a recent article about teams with the most NFL Draft prospects, ESPN listed offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. as the top prospect to know. He could be Texas’ first offensive lineman drafted in the first round since 2022, leading a flurry of draft activity for the Longhorns.
Banks has the size and athleticism to be a next-level offensive tackle, checking in at 6 foot 4, 320 pounds. He was named a second-team All-American and a first-team All-Big 12 selection a year ago after helping lead the Longhorns to their first College Football Playoff appearance.
5. QB Carson Beck, Georgia
In a list of the top 100 players in the country, ESPN ranks Beck as the No. 7 overall player in the country heading into his senior season. He’s coming off a tremendous year in which he helped captain the Bulldogs back to the SEC Championship Game, essentially keeping the program from missing a beat after losing veteran leader Stetson Bennett.
Beck himself has said that he slowly developed over the course of the season last year and was seeing things much more clearly by year’s end. That’s scary news for the rest of college football, because even so Beck threw for 3,941 yards with 24 touchdowns. He’ll have to work with a retooled receiving corps, but the Bulldogs hit the transfer portal hard to give him options.
6. DT Mason Graham, Michigan
A second-team All-American up front on the defensive line, Graham also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches and third-team honors from the media. He was a disruptive presence on the interior of the defensive line.
Graham logged a career-high six tackles in a game against Minnesota and has also made his mark in other ways. He finished the 2023 season with 35 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 3.0 sacks, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a pass defended.
7. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
The Colorado quarterback is perhaps one of the most difficult prospects to get a handle on, if only because the talent he was surrounded by last season was so subpar. Ask coach Deion Sanders, though, and he’ll tell you Sheduer has helped attract more quality talent in the trenches that could help the talented quarterback considerably this fall.
Sanders just needs to be kept on his feet. When he has a chance to set and throw he is quite good, flashing that by throwing for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns despite playing behind one of the nation’s most porous lines. If he gets a little more help, watch out.
8. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
The 6-foot-5 Arizona wideout is one of the most physically imposing receivers in the potential draft class, and he had a big year catching passes from Noah Fifita in 2023. Another year of chemistry building should only help.
McMillan logged an impressive 1,242 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last fall, up with the nation’s best. That came on the heels of a 702-yard campaign in 2022, so McMillan could well leave school as one of the most productive wideouts in program history.
9. WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
The best two-way player in America, and arguably the best overall is Colorado’s Travis Hunter. He’ll play wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffs in 2024 — and if his 2023 season is anything to go by, the Big 12 will have their hands combating Hunter’s dynamic style this fall.
The former consensus five-star recruit saw the field a total of 1,102 snaps, including 475 on offense, 631 on defense, and 32 on special teams during his first season in Boulder. He brought home the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player, and the Georgia native was also named first team All-American from numerous outlets across the country. Similar success is expected during his junior season.
10. OT Will Campbell, LSU
The talent for the Tigers starts in the trenches, where offensive lineman Will Campbell will have a chance to be the first at his position off the board. He’s not the only one, as Emery Jones also boasts a high draft grade heading into the 2024 season and is included later in this list.
Campbell was selected as a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches last fall, while he was a Freshman All-American in 2022. At 6 foot 6, 323 pounds, he’ll help anchor the line for new starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
Top 25 NFL Draft Prospects, 11-25
11. EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
12. CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
13. WR Luther Burden, Missouri
14. S Malaki Starks, Georgia
15. EDGE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
16. EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State
17. OT Emery Jones, LSU
18. LB Harold Perkins, LSU
19. QB Quinn Ewers, Texas
20. OL Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
21. TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
22. CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State
23. WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
24. DT Deone Walker, Kentucky
25. CB Tacario Davis, Arizona
On3’s Barkley Traux also contributed to this report.