Four Michigan players make PFF's top-50 big board for 2025 NFL Draft, including No. 2 and 4 overall prospects
The Michigan Wolverines sent 13 players to the 2024 NFL Draft, setting a new program record in the event. Next year’s team could have a decent helping of players in its own right, with the potential for a more top-heavy class.
Most draft analysts believe the Wolverines could have as many as four first-round picks next year, headlined by cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackle Mason Graham. Pro Football Focus put out its first big board for the 2025 NFL Draft class with Johnson, Graham, tight end Colston Loveland and defensive tackle Kenneth Grant all included.
Graham leads the way on PFF’s board, coming in as the No. 2 overall player behind Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. in the initial ranking. Last season in Ann Arbor, he appeared in 13 games with 13 starts and earned All-American honors for his play, which included 36 tacles (7.5 tackles for loss), three sacks, three quarterback hurries, one pass defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
“Graham was excellent in his first year at Ann Arbor, leading all FBS true freshmen interior defensive linemen with an 80.3 PFF grade,” PFF’s Max Chadwick wrote. “He took his game to a whole new level as a sophomore. He was the fourth-most valuable defensive tackle in the nation according to PFF’s wins above average metric and was sixth in that same group with a 15.9% pass-rush win rate. Graham was one of only two interior defensive linemen in the country to finish with top-10 grades as both a pass-rusher and run defender. The other was Texas’ T’Vondre Sweat.”
Just behind Graham came former five-star recruit Will Johnson, who had 27 tackles and four interceptions last season in 12 games. PFF rates him as the No. 4 overall player in the 2025 class and states he would be a top corner regardless of draft class.
“He has all the physical traits you’d want in a corner at 6-foot-2, 202 pounds with excellent speed, footwork and ball skills for the position,” Chadwick said. “If he was eligible to be selected in 2024, he’d be the first corner off the board. In fact, he would’ve been the first one taken in 2023 as well. Johnson has the makings of a special cornerback prospect who’ll likely be a top-five pick next April.”
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On the offensive side of the ball, Loveland ranks as the No. 16 prospect in the class and top-ranked tight end. The first-team All-Big Ten selection caught 45 passes for 649 yards and four touchdowns last year.
“Loveland went from a promising freshman to one of the nation’s best tight ends as a sophomore,” Chadwick wrote. “He finished as the fourth-most valuable FBS tight end this past season according to PFF’s wins above average metric and was fifth among them in receiving yards (649).
“Loveland’s elite athleticism at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds makes him nearly unguardable. His 88.7% open-target rate in 2023 placed him in the 97th percentile for all tight ends in the country. Expect him to be a projected first-round pick in the 2025 draft.”
Rounding out the list was Grant, just outside the top 32 at No. 36 overall. There was no writeup on his skill set, but most have noted his size (6-3, 339) and athleticism as reasons why he could push for first-round consideration.
