Mel Kiper shakes up Big Board Top 25 player rankings for 2025 NFL Draft after Week 14

The regular season is over and for some players, so are their collegiate careers. As the college football postseason begins to ramp up, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest NFL draft Big Board.

While Kiper’s No. 1 prospect didn’t change, his list saw several eye-catching shifts. After all, Week 14 brought views an action-packed slate of games. With teams across the country squaring off against their respective rivals, Kiper had a chance to see how NFL prospects performed in the spotlight.

Some excelled and others floundered. Kiper evaluated each outcome accordingly in his newest draft board.

1. Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter maintained his spot atop Kiper’s Big Board this week following a standout showing in Colorado’s 52-0 blowout win over Oklahoma State. In the victory, Hunter hauled in 10 catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns.

Of course, Hunter isn’t only a star on offense. He also boasts a team-high 11 passes defended and four interceptions this season, along with 31 tackles. As the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, Hunter may also be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

2. Michigan CB Will Johnson

Johnson missed his fifth-straight game this past weekend but that didn’t deter Kiper from ranking him among the top of all the upcoming NFL prospects. Johnson has been out with a toe injury but showed off his rare talents earlier this season when healthy.

In five appearances this season, Johnson has amassed 21 tackles, a tackle for loss, 3 pass breakups and two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns. Kiper believes Johnson has some of the best defensive instincts of any player in the upcoming draft class.

3. Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter

Once again, Kiper didn’t make a change, keeping Abdul Carter as his No. 3 prospect. It’s difficult to blame him. Standing at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Carter is a headache to block and has given opposing offense issues all season.

Carter finished the regular season with 69 tackles, 10 sacks, 43 pressures, 20 tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Carter’s 20 tackles for loss this season rank third in the nation. Kiper is confident the Penn State standout will be able to wreak havoc at the next level as well.

4. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

Everybody enjoys watching Shedeur Sanders’ highlight plays and jaw-dropping celebrations but Kiper loves the senior QB’s grit. Since arriving in Boulder, Colorado, Sanders has absorbed over 90 sacks, yet continued to deliver mind-boggling statistics.

In the 2024 campaign, he’s completed 74.2% of his passes for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions. Kiper believes Sanders could be a serious passing threat at the next level with a little refinement of his fundamentals.

5. Michigan DT Mason Graham

For the second straight week, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham improved one spot in Kiper’s rankings. In fairness, it wasn’t easy to ignore Graham’s seven-tackle performance in the Wolverines’ 13-10 upset win over Ohio State.

Kiper likes what he’s seen from Graham, particularly the 320-pound defender’s unusual quickness. Graham’s mobility is perhaps his greatest asset, as opposing offensive linemen struggle to stay attached to him at the line of scrimmage.

6. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

Heisman voters aren’t the only ones keeping their eyes on Ashton Jeanty. The Boise State running back has turned heads all around the nation this season with his historic rushing figures. Jeanty finished the 2024 regular-season campaign with 2,288 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns.

With a guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff, if Boise State defeats UNLV in the Mountain West Championship, Jeanty will have a chance to surpass Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing records of 2,628 yards and 37 TDs.

7. Georgia OLB Mykel Williams

Mykel Williams landed at No. 7 in Kiper’s rankings again this week. The Georgia linebacker has 20 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, 14 pressures and two forced fumbles this season.

While his statistics might not pop off the page like some of the other players on Kiper’s list, the NFL insider believes Williams has immense potential. Don’t be surprised to see Williams’ draft stock rise even higher if he finds a defensive rhythm down the final stretch of the season.

8. Miami QB Cam Ward

Spoiler alert: Ward was the only other quarterback to make it on Kiper’s Big Board this week. Alas, it’d be a mistake for Kiper to leave the ACC Player of the Year off his list. Ward has amassed 4,123 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air this season, compared to just seven interceptions.

His arm isn’t his only threat. Ward also has four rushing touchdowns this season. Kiper sees Ward as an X-factor player, radiating confidence and swagger to those around him. If Ward’s lucky, NFL teams will see the same traits.

9. Georgia S Malaki Starks

Malaki Starks can do it all on defense. He has 57 tackles, three tackles for loss, three run stops, four pass breakups and an interception this season — meeting running backs in the hole as easily as he breaks up passes.

This past weekend was no exception. In Georgia’s 44-42 win over Georgia Tech, Starks collected 10 tackles and one pass defended. The Bulldogs will need his skills more than ever this weekend when they square off against Texas in the SEC Championship.

10. Texas OT Kelvin Banks

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has relied on Kelvin Banks to be his left tackle since Day 1. The third-year starter was a huge part of Texas’ rebuild and is now a cornerstone of the program’s elite offensive line.

While Kiper obviously respects Banks’ game, he believes the junior offensive tackle still has room to grow. Specifically, Kiper would like to see Banks’ run blocking improve before he takes the leap to the next level.

Players Nos. 11 through 25 in 2025 NFL Draft

11. Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan 
12. LSU OT Will Campbell
13. Georgia LB Jalon Walker
14. Oregon DT Derrick Harmon (+2)
15. Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen (+2)
16. Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell (-1)
17. Michigan DT Kenneth Grant (+1)
18. Penn State TE Tyler Warren (+2)
19. Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton (-5)
20. Missouri WR Luther Burden (-1)
21. Michigan TE Colston Loveland
22. Tennessee EDGE James Pearce (+1)
23. Ohio State OT Josh Simmons (NR)
24. Texas OT Cameron Williams (-2)
25. East Carolina CB Shavon Revel (-1)