2025 NFL Draft: Joel Klatt ranks Top 50 players in class with multiple Top Ten surprises

_AlexByington

The 2025 NFL Draft is roughly two weeks away and much like actual NFL teams, pundits everywhere are finalizing their personal draft boards and prognosticating how the real thing could play out April 24-26.

That now includes FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt, who unveiled his personal list of the Top 50 players in the 2025 NFL Draft class during Monday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast. Klatt broke down why he ranked each of his Top 50 players from 50 through 1 with plenty of surprises, especially in his Top 10.

Among Klatt’s most interesting selections includes expected No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward of Miami rounding out his Top 10, two spots behind Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, while also flipping the draft’s Top 2 tight ends — Michigan‘s Colston Loveland and Penn State’s Tyler Warren — compared to how most other draft experts have them ranked.

Check out Joel Klatt’s breakdown of his Top 50 players in the 2025 NFL Draft here:

1. Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

Joel Klatt starts off his personal Top 50 with the biggest unicorn in the entire 2025 draft class — two-way Buffaloes superstar Travis Hunter. The 6-foot cornerback/receiver is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner — among other honors — after finishing last season with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and four interceptions, 11 passes defended and 36 total tackles on defense.

Klatt: “This guy is 1-of-1. … His instincts are second-to-none in this draft, on either side of the ball. I think that he can and will play on both sides. … Because you’re going to want (this) athlete on the field as much as possible.”

2. Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

Abdul Carter-Penn State — Abdul Carter (11) | Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Next up on Klatt’s personal big board is one of the most prolific pass rushers to come out of college football in recent years. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter was practically unblockable at times last season, drawing plenty of comps to Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons after leading the FBS with 23.5 tackles for loss to go along with 12 sacks in 2024.

Klatt: “You can line him up all over your defense and he can be an impactful, disruptive player everywhere that he lines up. I think he can have as big an impact as Micah Parsons at the next level.”

3. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Klatt has lofty praise for the heart of the Wolverines’ championship-winning defense in 2023 who continued to dominate despite a bit of a rebuilding season in 2024. The powerful 6-foot-3, 320-pound Graham is a physical beast inside after racking up 52 tackles, 26 pressures, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks last season.

Klatt: “He’s a game-wrecker. … This guy can take control of the game from the defensive tackle position, which I haven’t seen at the college level since Ndamukong Suh. .. He doesn’t just eat up blocks, he destructs blocks.”

4. Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

Klatt’s first big surprise comes at the end of his Top 5, giving the nod to the fluid Michigan TE over his Penn State counterpart at No. 4 overall. Citing his superior route-running, Klatt favors Loveland despite injuries limiting him to 10 games last season, where he finished with just 582 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2024.

Klatt: “When you look at what he does as a route-runner, it’s really good. … He will win and separate. … He can win one-on-one matchups for you. … Colston creates his own space.”

5. Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

Tyler Warren-Penn State Robert Goddin-Imagn Images — Tyler Warren (44) | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

While a bit of a surprise based on how others rank this year’s TE class, Klatt makes it clear he’s a fan of the 2024 John Mackey Award winner. Especially his versatility after the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Warren led the Big Ten with 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and 13 total touchdowns (including four rushing and one passing) in 2024.

Klatt: “This is not a knock on Tyler Warren. … He was the most creative player in college football. They could snap it to him, they could throw it to him, they could hand it to him. … He’s got great athleticism.”

6. Jalon Walker, EDGE/LB, Georgia

By most accounts, the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Walker appears to be the next great NFL defender to come out of Georgia in recent years. And Klatt is a believer in the 2024 Butkus Award winner after Walker racked up a team-leading 62 tackles and 6.5 sacks last season.

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Klatt: “Potential game-wrecker. He can lineup at linebacker, he can lineup on the edge. … Versatile, hybrid. … The best defenders have to be that way because of the ways offenses are attacking.”

7. Will Campbell, OT, LSU

While Campbell’s draft stock appeared to take a bit of a hit after measuring in with sub-33 inch arms at the NFL Combine, Klatt isn’t letting that take away what he saw from Campbell on the field at LSU. The 6-foot-6, 323-pound Campbell is among the most reliable tackles in the draft after allowing just two sacks over the past two years in Baton Rouge.

Klatt: “He’s my top tackle in the draft. People have made a big deal about his arm length — 32 and 5/8th inches at the Combine — and mysteriously they grew at his Pro Day. … Let’s not overthink it.”

8. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Klatt continues to rave about Sanders’ potential in the NFL and ranks him above projected No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward in his personal Top 10. Among his reasons is Sanders’ ability as a pocket passer after leading the FBS with a 74-percent completion rate along with with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns in 2024.

Klatt: “I’ve got him over Cam Ward because I think he’s more polished when it comes to just controlling the game from the pocket. … I think what you see is equal parts surgeon and magician.”

9. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Klatt remains high on the big-bodied Wolverines’ cornerback, and only has the 6-foot-2 Johnson at No. 9 because of the turf toe and hamstring injuries that have inhibited him during the pre-draft process. Still, Johnson remains an elite playmaker at CB with nine career interceptions in three seasons, including two returned for touchdowns in 2024.

Klatt: “If he wasn’t injured, he’d be in my Top 4. … If he’s healthy, he could be a Top 2-3 corner in the league in five years. Great ball skills.”

10. Cam Ward, QB, Miami

While nearly every other draft prognosticator has Ward as the likely first player off the board April 24, Klatt isn’t as high on the former Miami superstar QB. Nevertheless, Klatt acknowledges Ward’s elite potential after sparking the Canes’ NCAA-best offense with a FBS-leading 39 passing touchdowns and 4,313 yards in 2024,

Klatt: “I think he’s probably going to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. He’s my No. 10 overall player. … Gunslinger, not afraid to push it down the field. Good talent with his arm.”