Participation at the NFL Scouting Combine has dwindled in recent years. None of my top-five prospects — Cam Ward, Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, Mason Graham, and Jalon Walker — tested in Indianapolis. That being said, it is still a great proving ground for unheralded players in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft. It’s also a good check to make evaluators go back to the tape to see what they missed in both positive and negative ways.
One position that showed out in a big way were the running backs. Even taking positional value into account, six running backs made my top 100 — the most I’ve had in any year since 2018. Fourteen different backs ran sub-4.50-second 40-yard dash times at Lucas Oil Stadium — and that’s without everyone’s RB1, Ashton Jeanty, even testing! Expect a ton of starters to emerge from this year’s crop.
After reviewing the tape on combine standouts like Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden and Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart, here’s how my top-100 board shakes out after a week of testing in Indy.
Note: Positional value is taken into account when assembling my draft board.
Cam Ward oozes the kind of confidence you want from a franchise quarterback prospect. He also has top-tier arm talent with a career trajectory firmly pointed towards the ceiling. He may not be the same caliber of prospect we saw at the top of last year’s class, but he’s no less talented.
Abdul Carter has only been a full-time edge rusher for one season. Over the course of that season, he quite dominantly established himself as the top pass-rusher in the country. He has All-Pro-caliber tools.
The most dynamic athlete in the draft class has the highest grade at both wide receiver and cornerback for me in the draft class. Travis Hunter is a truly special prospect who can legitimately still play some of both positions in the NFL.
Mason Graham may not be the most physically imposing defensive tackle, but he’s just darn good. He’s uber-consistent and plays with a motor that won’t quit. There’s very little to dislike.
Explosiveness, ferocity and an innate feel for rushing the passer — Jalon Walker has a jam-packed toolbox. His size will be his biggest knock, but there’s numerous defenders rushing the passer at a high-level with similar frames.
Kelvin Banks Jr. is a three-year starter who showed signs of growth every single fall. He was battle-tested this past season iin the SEC and passed every single one. He’s an easy people mover in the run game and has a tremendous anchor for a true junior.
Tetairoa McMillan is a unique receiver prospect who’s every bit of 6-feet-5. He’s gone for 3,414 yards and 26 scores in three seasons for the Wildcats. His ability to make plays outside his frame is the best in the draft class.
Colston Loveland is a young, natural receiving tight end. While not much of an inline blocker, he has room to grow at only 20 years old currently. He’s a terror when climbing past the linebacker level of the defense.
Armand Membou has been a right tackle for Missouri, but with his stout body type, I believe he can be an All-Pro guard. His ability to gain natural leverage is outstanding and he’s one of the best in the class at finding linebackers in space.
Will Campbell is a three-year starter at left tackle and arguably the most technically advanced lineman in the draft class. Some may see him as a guard, but I see no reason not to start him at tackle.
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Will Johnson came into this season as the top-ranked player on my board and only fell due to a turf-toe injury that limited him to only 279 snaps. He’s a big, physical press corner who’s held his own against some of college football’s best the past couple of seasons.
Walter Nolen is explosive, flexible and only scratching the surface of his potential. He’s a plug-and-play run defender who can get in opposing backfields with ease. What I love most about projecting his game to boost him into my top 10 is his ability to finish plays in space for a defensive tackle.
Mykel Williams is one of the biggest enigma’s in the draft class. He played out of position much of the season as a between-the-tackles player when he’ll be an edge rusher in the NFL. The twitch he possesses combined with extraordinary length and play strength should be a nightmare for opposing offensive tackles.
Malaki Starks is the kind of versatile safety who’s worthy of a top-10 pick. He may not be a high-end playmaker, but he’s the kind of Swiss Army Knife who can fill any role in the secondary.
Tyler Warren is Jason Witten for a new generation. It’s a pleasure to watch him work in- and out-breakers like clockwork. He also has excellent size to be an inline option.
Few have raised their stocks as much as Derrick Harmon this past fall. There’s really not much to dislike about his tape. He’s got the kind of versatile body type to play any technique on the interior while still being effective against both run and pass.
Mike Green flashed in a part-time role a year ago before breaking out and leading college football with 17 sacks this past fall. He’s outstanding at shedding blocks for an undersized outside linebacker and developed a ton physically over his career.
I take positional value into account for my board, which means Ashton Jeanty takes a hit. If all positions were created equal, he could easily be the top prospect in this class. There’s very few holes in his game.
Jihaad Campbell is the kind of jumbo off-ball linebacker who can rush the passer like a defensive end that are the wave in the NFL. He did a little bit of everything for Alabama’s defense in a breakout campaign this past fall.
Luther Burden III a YAC-monster who can create easy separation out of his breaks. He’s also got some extremely reliable hands with a drop rate under 5% in each of the past two seasons.
Nick Emmanwori might have the best range of any safety in this class while simultaneously being the biggest safety in the class. That’s a unique combination that will translate to the next level.
Jahdae Barron was mostly a slot corner until this past fall where he became a star on the outside. Barron brought that physical slot mentality to the outside and it paid off. He intercepted five passes, which exceeded his entire career prior.
Emeka Egbuka is an incredibly high-floor wide receiver. He ticks a ton of boxes for the position and already has NFL-veteran level chops as a route-runner.
The biggest athletic marvel in the draft class, Shemar Stewart is the closest thing to Myles Garrett physically since Garrett came out in 2017. NFL evaluators will have to figure out why his collegiate production paled in comparison to Garrett’s and every other top edge rusher in the class, though. Edge is a position where you still bet on traits, even if the production hasn’t caught up yet.
Matthew Golden is a graceful route-runner who you can trust to run the full tree. Golden is versatile and ascending as a true junior coming out.
Kenneth Grant is a physical freak who holds over 330 pounds with ease. While you might think that makes him a nose tackle, his first step plays anywhere along the defensive line.
Tyler Booker is a brick wall in pass protection. When defensive tackles try to overpower him, they end up going nowhere. While he’s not the most fleet of foot, Booker is always on balance and able to mirror quicks on the interior.
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Josh Simmons was firmly on track to be a top-15 pick before he went down with a patellar tendon tear in his knee in Ohio State’s midseason game against Oregon. He’s a smooth pass protector who rarely gets out over his skis.
I’ll lean on Nic Scourton’s scintillating sophomore tape in his evaluation when he was primarily a stand-up edge rusher at Purdue. One might think at 285 pounds that Scourton would be better over tackles as a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive end, but it was when he had a head of steam that Scourton was at his best. One of the youngest prospects in the class, Scourton has so much room for development.
I’m going out on a limb before the Senior Bowl considering we haven’t seen David Walker face any semblance of NFL-quality tackle play. His dominance at the FCS level, however, was unlike anything I’ve seen in my decade of doing this. Walker is a Brandon Graham-esque edge rusher with a bowling ball frame and explosive first step that give opposing tackles nightmares.
Benjamin Morrison has some of the best man-mirror tape of any corner in the class. Unfortunately, he also is coming off a season-ending hip injury that could scare some away. I’m still betting on the talent who picked off six passes as an 18-year-old freshman in 2022.
Jared Ivey is a jumbo defensive end who was a big-time riser this season. He’s gifted with his hand usage and knows how to win with his length. While Ivey isn’t a first-round-caliber athlete, he’s got other traits to make up for it.
James Pearce Jr. may very well be the most athletic defensive lineman in this draft class. His movement skills could pass for that of a wide receiver. The problem is that so could his frame. If he can beef up, he’ll be a problem in the league.
Grey Zabel rides the back of an outstanding Senior Bowl performance all the way to this ranking. His natural coordination shined as he looked like a veteran at all three interior positions after only having played left tackle last fall.
Shavon Revel Jr. is a massive corner who’s incredibly fluid for a man his size. He’s also outstanding at locating the football in the air. The only worry is an ACL tear he suffered in practice early on in the 2024 campaign.
Josh Conerly Jr. is still more traits than polish, but the latter is catching up quickly. He may be the twitchiest offensive lineman in the entire class, and you see that in his ability to eliminate space on edge rushers.
Donovan Jackson made himself as much money as anyone with his play over the course of the College Football Playoff. After two seasons starting at left guard, Jackson took over at left tackle midway through this past season. In Ohio State’s four playoff games, Jackson allowed all of two pressures against some of college football’s best defensive lines.
One of the most explosive receivers in the draft class, Kyle Williams has an easy accelerator on tape. More importantly, he also possesses an easy brake pedal as he can send defenders flying past with his suddenness.
Azareye’h Thomas is another 20-year-old who’s already started for more than two seasons. This past season opposing offenses didn’t even challenge him most games as the 6-2 corner smothers opposing receivers.
Donovan Ezeiruaku is the most technically advanced edge rusher in the class. He has a myriad of moves at his disposal and racked up double-digit sacks this past fall because of it. His athletic testing will be big because on tape he rarely impressed in that regard.
Shedeur Sanders has the numbers and the experience, but his arm strength and frame leave a little to be desired. I expect him to go higher than this ranking, but such is the nature of need at the quarterback position.
Dillon Gabriel has played more football than any other quarterback in college football history. 63 starts all together. And unlike many quarterbacks in this class, Gabriel was already playing high-level football as a true freshman when he averaged over 9.0 yards per attempt for UCF. His size won’t be for everyone, but his accuracy and ability to handle an NFL offense should be.
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Dylan Sampson has elite ability to consistently find the right crease. And when he does, the undersized running back hits it at full speed. Sampson consistently overcame poor run blocking to produce in the SEC.
Trey Amos has been stingy for a while now. In each of his four seasons prior to transferring to Ole Miss, Amos allowed a sub-50 completion percentage. Most of those came at Louisiana Lafayette, however. It wasn’t until he balled out for a full season as a starter in the SEC that NFL evaluators started to buy in. He had double-digit pass breakups this past fall for the Rebels.
Charles Grant is arguably the most athletic tackle in the class. While he may not be NFL-ready given his level of competition, give him a couple years of seasoning and you could have a perennial Pro-Bowler with his tools.
CJ West is a stout and imposing nose tackle. He may only be 6-foot-1, but at 316 pounds no one wants to get in a trench brawl with him. West was the tone-setter for the second-best run defense in the country last season.
Kevin Winston Jr. missed most of this season with a partial ACL tear, but still declared for the NFL Draft early as a junior. That’s because his sophomore tape showed an enforcer on the back end who only added explosiveness and strength early on in 2024. He’s an outstanding tackler who’s not afraid to stick his nose in it.
Maxwell Hairston has real-deal wheels. His 4.28 speed shows on tape when tracking down deep balls or breaking on routes underneath. While he was banged-up this past fall, Hairston’s sophomore tape when he had five picks was outstanding.
Jayden Higgins is one of the few “X” receivers in the class with the kind of size and burst to win on the outside consistently. Higgins has racked up more than 2,000 yards as Iowa State’s top passing option the past two seasons.
Jaxson Dart is an ascending quarterback prospect with a ton of ball under his belt. He’s been starting ever since midway through his freshman year at USC in 2021. After getting usurped by Caleb Williams, Dart transferred to Ole Miss and improved by leaps and bounds every single season en route to 4,276 passing yards this past fall.
Wyatt Milum takes the fight to every defender in his path. If he gets his hands on you it can get ugly. While he plays left tackle for the Mountaineers, Milum projects to guard at the next level.
Darius Alexander is a versatile defensive tackle who’s shown the ability to line up anywhere along the defensive line of scrimmage. He’s got a good get-off that he pairs with active hands to find opposing quarterbacks.
Elic Ayomanor is a big-bodied wide receiver who has some sneaky speed to his game. His ability to fight through contact along his routes is tremendous and will suit him well translating to the NFL. Ayomanor was Stanford’s No. 1 option in both his seasons, but the quarterback situation cost him better numbers.
Alfred Collins is put together how you want a stout interior run defender. He’s got a massive, long frame that can keep opposing linemen at bay. Collins took over right where T’Vondre Sweat left off at Texas.
Carson Schwesinger plays the linebacker with an uncoachable ferocity you can’t help but root for. The former walk-on turned himself into a tackling machine in his first season as a starter last fall, leading the Big 10 with 136 total tackles.
Tyleik Williams looks like a sure thing in the run game with a solidly-built frame and heavy hands. The big question is whether he can rush the passer, as he never quite progressed from the player we saw early in his career at Ohio State.
What Aeneas Peebles lacks in size, he makes up for in motor. He’s the kind of defensive tackle I love to root for because he’ll never give up on a rep. NFL defenses are getting more adept at taking advantage of interior defenders with first steps like Peebles.
Terrance Ferguson is a loose route-runner who can shake linebackers and safeties at the top of his routes. He was also the best testing athlete at the position at the NFL combine. That’s a good combination to develop at tight end.
Aireontae Ersery is a smooth and effective offensive tackle prospect. In a class full of guard converts, Ersery is a tackle all day. He never allowed more than 15 pressures in a year in his three seasons as a starter.
Harold Fannin Jr. was college football’s leading receiver last year…as a tight end. His 1,555 yards is unheard of production at the tight end position, as it smashed the previous record. He’s obviously undersized for the position at 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, but his ability to get open isn’t in question.
Darien Porter is one of the weirdest prospects in the draft class. He’s a sixth-year player, but only spent the last three on defense after switching from wide receiver — and he still wasn’t a full-time starter this past fall. When he was out there, though, Porter was one of the most impressive specimen in the entire country. He’s got elite downfield speed and at 6-4 is still somehow fluid enough to stick with smaller wide receivers.
Danny Stutsman is a three-down middle linebacker with great range to make plays around the line of scrimmage. He racked up more than 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons for the Sooners.
While others from the conference will surely get drafted ahead of Bradyn Swinson come draft day, no one in the SEC was more productive as a pass-rusher this past fall. His 60 pressures led the conference as he routinely won the edge.
Jalen Royals is an incredibly crafty wide receiver who was en route to a massive season before injury struck. He had 839 yards in only seven games this season for the Aggies. He may not be tall, but he’s well put together to play a physical brand of football.
Omarion Hampton is a hard-nosed, between-the-tackles runner who will maximize every opportunity he gets. You will not see him ever shy away from contact as he not only has power, but also an explosive element to his game.
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Jamaree Caldwell is very nimble for a big fella; he can play around blocks as well as through. He’s one of the few nose tackles in the class who you’re not necessarily taking off the field on passing downs.
Demetrius Knight Jr. is a former quarterback turned linebacker, although you’d never guess by the way he plays. That’s because he’s one of the biggest hitters in the linebacker class with easy speed to track down ball-carriers sideline-to-sideline.
Jacob Parrish may be short, but he’s not small and he’s definitely not unathletic. Parrish closes to the football in the air with a relentlessness that’s a joy to watch. His tape was good enough for him to declare early after two years as a starter.
Elijah Arroyo may very well be the most athletic tight end in the class. He had a monster breakout campaign with more yards in Week 1 (89) than his previous two seasons combined. He finished with 590 yards on the year while averaging a healthy 16.9 yards per catch.
Deone Walker is a unique specimen. He’s one of the tallest defensive tackles I’ve ever seen at over 6-foot-7 and 344 pounds. At that size, he’s incredibly nimble. He just can’t hold up to double teams or play as many snaps as Kentucky asked him to. Still only 20 years old, Walker has time to figure it out.
Jaylin Noel is an explosive slot receiver who can take the top off the defense with ease. He went for 1,193 yards this past fall and blazed a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
Tyler Shough is a unique quarterback prospect who’ll be 26 years old before he takes a snap in the NFL. He would have been in the NFL already had it not been for three straight seasons getting derailed by injury. Once he was fully healthy this past fall at Louisville, he showed outstanding arm talent and an ability to operate under pressure that few in the draft class can match.
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Tez Johnson is the smallest player in the draft class at 154 pounds, but watch him run routes and his weight concerns slowly start to drift away. He runs away from everyone and nearly impossible to get hands on in space.
Vernon Broughton waited patiently behind numerous NFL defensive tackles at Texas before finally getting his turn this past fall. It was worth the wait as the fifth-year defensive tackle racked up 32 pressures and 22 run stops.
Xavier Watts is one of the most instinctive safeties in the draft class with a nose for the football. Over the past two seasons he’s racked up 13 interceptions.
Joshua Farmer definitely looks the part of an NFL defensive tackle. He’s got one of the best frames in the draft class with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, 10.5-inch hands and 35 ¼ inch arms at 314 pounds. He may not be much as a pass-rusher, but his power plays in the run game.
Jordan Burch is an ascending edge prospect who’s one of the most explosive athletes in the class. At 279 pounds, Burch ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash. For context, Aaron Donald ran a 4.68 at only six pounds heavier. That’s good company and it shows when bull-rushes opposing tackles.
Tre Harris may not have great long speed, but he wins with his burst at the top of routes. He’s got a lanky frame that he uses to pluck balls out of the air with ease. He was the most productive receiver in college football last fall when healthy averaging 5.12 yards per route.
Jonah Savaiinaea is a three-year starter with experience at right guard, right tackle and left tackle. While his arm length and testing numbers say he could be a tackle, one look at Savaiinaea’s frame and it’s hard to think he won’t end up at guard in the NFL. While he’s light on his feet for a bigger lineman, Savaiinaea’s hands need work in staying attached to blocks.
Tyler Baron has been seeing significant time ever since his true freshman season at Tennessee in 2020, but never quite made a big leap as a pass-rusher. He has the tools to do so in the NFL, though, as he can really bend for a bigger defensive end.
Nick Martin is one of the most athletic linebackers in the draft class. Even though he’s undersized, no one seems to have told him. Martin plays like an alpha and hits like a brick.
Andrew Mukuba was yet another breakout star in Texas’ secondary this season. He’s one of the twitchiest safeties in the class with an easy ability to mirror from an off alignment.
Elijah Roberts is a powerful defensive end who’s racked up pressures for the Mustangs the past two seasons. Over that span his 131 pressures are the most in the draft class.
Jack Sawyer has been extremely productive in his time at Ohio State, but he comes with serious limitations when projecting to the NFL. Not only is he a middling athlete by NFL standards, he also has very short arms for a defensive end (31 ¾ inches).
TJ Sanders is a trim 3-technique defensive tackle who can get off the line of scrimmage and into backfield. While he needs to fill out his frame, Sanders presents pass-rushing upside.
Quandarrius Robinson is one of the most athletic edges in the class. He also has a great frame for the edge position with 33 ½ inch arms at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds. He may profile to a pass-rush only player at the next level, but he’s got the goods in that regard.
Cameron Williams looks like a future starter, but on tape it’s clear he needs more reps. The junior had only one season of starting under his belt when he declared and struggled against top competition.
Josiah Stewart is an undersized butt-kicker who attacks play after play. At 6-foot-1 and 249 pounds, he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but when you watch him knock back tackles on contact consistently, you see a path to success for him in the NFL.
Jack Bech is one of the best possession receivers in the draft class. With great hands and good size, he can be counted on to move the chains. He did so a lot for the Horned Frogs this past fall as he racked up his first 1,000-yard season.
Clay Webb started off his career at Georgia before transferring to Jackvsonville State and dominating the past few years. In three seasons he allowed all of 13 pressures.
Cam Skattebo is arguably the hardest runner in the draft class. He refuses to go down on first contact and has the kind of light feet to avoid defenders in the hole. Skattebo may not have home run speed, but he’ll rake in short yardage.
There hasn’t been a 5-foot-10 starting offensive linemen in the modern NFL. I think that changes with Willie Lampkin. At that size, he still has a 6-foot-6 wingspan — bigger than LSU’s Will Campbell and NDSU’s Grey Zabel. If he can get his weight into the 280s up from 270, Lampkin can start at center in the NFL.
Chris Paul Jr. was highly productive this past fall at Ole Miss after transferring from Arkansas. He was everywhere around the line of scrimmage for the Rebels with an innate feel for sorting through trash. Paul also missed only four of his 89 tackle attempts all season.
Jonas Sanker is a big, explosive and fluid safety. He’s the kind of athlete who can wear a lot of different hats in a defense.
Quinn Ewers college career was marred by injury and unmet expectations, but the talent that made him the former No. 1 overall recruit never disappeared.
Quinshon Judkins played second fiddle to Tre Henderson this past fall for the Buckeyes, but that was through no fault of his own. He’s one of the best tackle breakers in the draft class and showed at the combine he’s one of the best athletes as well.
Anthony Belton is a massive tackle prospect who may end up on the interior at the next level. He uses his hands so well for a bigger tackle and has an easy anchor at that size.
Thomas Fidone II was a former No. 1 tight end recruit who couldn’t stay healthy and struggled to develop because of that. This past fall, though, you saw his special traits in action. He’s a sudden route-runner with a massive frame.
Jared Wilson is the most athletic interior linemen in the draft class. Even though he’s only a one-year starter, Wilson cracks this top 100. While he still needs more reps, he has a high-ceiling.
One of the forgotten men in the running back class because of eligibility issues this past fall, Jacory Croskey-Merritt is a name to remember. He won the MVP of the Shrine Bowl and was easily the most impressive back in attendance with his electric footwork to manipulate defenders.
The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
