If you think it’s too early for a 2025 NFL Mock Draft, you’d be right. Think of this as more of a “watch list” — 32 draft-eligible prospects who have appeared in film or received buzz from NFL scouts heading into the 2024 college football season.
A lot will change in a year. Looking back at my way-too-early 2024 mock draft from a year ago, 16 of the prospects mentioned ended up in the first round, seven more landed on Day 2, five on Day 3, and four returned to school .
Several of the players below did so based on projections and expectations for the upcoming season. And don’t get mad at me about the draft order – I’m basing this on current Super Bowl LIX odds.
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This time last year, it was easy to build the top of my mock, with stars like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. But the 2025 draft class doesn’t have that type of established star power, leaving the #1 choice. wide-open.
A tools prospect, Williams’ tape for 2023 doesn’t show consistency, but there are some highs, including what he did in the bowl game against Florida State.
If the Titans draft at this level next April, the organization could re-examine their quarterback situation.
In his first year as a starter, Beck consistently improved with each performance and put some nice throws on tape. He enters the season as the one quarterback scouts like the most.
Carson Beck ➡️Ladd McConkey pic.twitter.com/EdlkR5an4R
– SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 12, 2023
It’s been difficult to study Michigan’s defense without your eyes being drawn to number 55 at the defensive tackle position because of his constant disruption. Graham is explosive on the ball with powerful hands and an unmatched motor to disrupt the action on the court.
Ever since he earned his way onto the field as a true freshman, it was clear that Campbell was a little different from everyone else. The left tackle is able to flow, stay in front of rushers and respond to counters with ease.
After competing for the all-time draft record in 2024, Michigan has two players in the top five of next year’s projection. I’m excited about Johnson for the same reasons I was high on Quinyon Mitchell: he’s a good-sized athlete with poise and ball skills.
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Like Campbell at LSU, Banks immediately became the starting left tackle as a true freshman and made another jump last season as a sophomore. The Longhorns’ offense is down several weapons, but its offensive line will be an important force ahead of QB Quinn Ewers in 2024.
Looking at Penn State’s defensive prospects last season, Carter was the clear star of a top seven group that produced several top-100 picks. A former linebacker, he is expected to play more of a pass-catching role in 2023. Early warning: Comparisons to Micah Parsons will be commonplace.
Irish coaches say it was clear from the moment Morrison arrived in South Bend that he was an alpha. With his size and athletic profile, he remains attached to the courses and has a great sense of football.
Cornerback or wide receiver? Hunter is the most dangerous with the ball in his hands, so there’s a good chance we see him drafted for offense. He regularly turns short holds into long wins.
Travis Hunter makes it a 1 score game! 💥 pic.twitter.com/lTw54cdVaC
– Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) November 25, 2023
Pearce put up some fun reps on film last year, particularly against South Carolina and Texas A&M. Although he’s a bit on the slight side (6-foot-5, 245 pounds), he has freakish ability and can secure top-10 status with another good season.
At 6-5, McMillan brings mismatch potential with his size and finishing skills. There are some areas of his game that scouts want to see developed this season, but his athletic adjustment skills and sticky hands make him a friendly target for quarterbacks.
Studying Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith, one couldn’t help but notice Starks at safety – he was the best of the group in 2023. He has no shortage of downhill tackles and has the range to overlap and make games. blanket.
Perkins will be an interesting prospect to watch. He’s an athletic marvel, especially downhill as a passer, but he’s too small for a full-time edge role. Scouts want to see him make more plays when he goes into coverage.
Ewers will be a polarizing prospect, but he made the right choice in returning to school. Whether he is drafted in the top half of the first round in 2025 will depend on his performance this season. Still only 21 years old, he will have better experience (over 25 starts, over 1,000 pass attempts) than most other quarterbacks in this class.
Burke turned down a likely top-50 spot in the 2024 class for another year in Columbus. He can read and drive in the fast play or rotate and stay attached to receivers vertically.
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One of the reasons Amarius Mims remained at right tackle last season was because Georgia had Greene, a freshman All-American, at left tackle. If Greene takes another step forward in his development in 2024, he will have an NFL decision to make after the season.
Burden is a playmaker with the ball in his hands because of his athletic balance that allows him to play through contact, stay afloat, and consistently rack up more yards than expected. At the catch point, he makes up for his average size with smooth adjustment abilities on the ball.
Every time Walker lunges at the passer, it feels like the terrain is tilted, allowing him to run down the slope and through roadblocks using his 6-6, 350-pound frame. Throw it away bowl game tape against Clemson and watch him work.
Loveland would have been the easy TE2 (behind Brock Bowers) if he had been eligible for this year’s draft. I don’t know what his stat line will look like in 2024 playing with a new quarterback, but his athleticism gives him a great chance to be a top-20 pick next April.
REC: 40
YDS: 572
TD: 4Michigan TE Colston Loveland is a matchup nightmare.
Relive some of his best takes of 2023. ⤵️@colstonlovelan1 X @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/BYRdqjPGWm
– Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 11, 2023
A transfer from Purdue, Scourton is 6-4, 260 and rushes with the big man twitch that makes it difficult to keep him blocked. If you’re looking for an SEC prospect, this is your guy.
Another ascending player on the Aggies’ defensive front, Turner is one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the SEC. He takes a quick first step with body control to force his way through gaps.
Despite all the hype (including being the betting favorite to go No. 1 in 2025), Sanders would not be a first-round pick if the draft were held tomorrow. The talent is clear, but he needs to be consistent in his decision-making this fall if he wants to be a top-25 pick.
One of the top prizes as a high school recruit in the class of 2022, Nolen showed his potential over the past two seasons at Texas A&M. He transferred to Ole Miss this offseason and will have the opportunity to make his case for the first round.
With Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Ja’Tavion Sanders now in the NFL, Bond will become Ewers’ top target this fall. The Alabama transfer has modest size, but his speed and ball skills make him an exciting weapon.
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In this latest draft class, three teams (Notre Dame, Penn State, Washington) had two offensive tackles selected in the top 100. LSU has a chance to see both of its OTs drafted in the first round next April.
Penn State drafted two pass rushers (Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac) in 2024, but the cupboard isn’t empty at State College. Listed at 6-5, 270, Dennis-Sutton is a long, active edge rusher who can jump into the first-round discussion with a good year.
Viewed as a potential top-40 pick had he entered the 2024 draft class, Tuimoloau returned to school with the goal of bolstering his professional resume and solidifying himself in the first round.
Tall and lanky, Payton finished second on the team under pressure last season, behind only Jared Verse. He needs to continue to add mass to his frame, but his speed and flexibility help him capture the corner.
Another transfer from Purdue (the poor Boilermakers), Burks is an athletic playmaker with the ball in his hands. The Belleville, Michigan native returns to his home state in this storyline.
I throw darts 🎯@_JacksonArnold_ X @deionkburks pic.twitter.com/Ro0MTuM7ux
– Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) April 20, 2024
Jackson put himself on the NFL radar last season with his performance against Alabama. Can he turn the flashes into more consistency in 2024? If he does, Jackson will continue to rise through the ranks.
Conerly, the top-ranked offensive line recruit out of high school in the class of 2022, had some growing pains as a sophomore, but he played very well in the second half of the season and is headed to the first round.
Arguably the most talented prospect from the Nick Saban era to remain in Tuscaloosa for the 2024 season, Booker is a massive blocker with the tools to be a starter in the NFL.
(Photos by Will Johnson, Shedeur Sanders and JT Tuimoloau: Sean M. Haffey, Ryan Kang, Ben Jackson / Getty Images)