SPORTS CORNER: WEEK OF 3/23 – 3/29
This year’s NFL Draft is arguably one of the most important for the coming years of the league, with numerous players who are projected to be in the league a long time. “You’re going to see a ton of rookie starters from this class,” an AFC South area scout said. One of the most intriguing parts of the event this year is that the 2025 Draft features no clear first pick come draft day.
Some of the favorite prospects to be the number one being the likes of Miami’s Cam Ward, who sophomore Lucca Christensen believes to be “the best available quarterback in the draft,” which Ward reinforced by claiming the all time Divison I touchdown record, Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter, who won five different major awards this season, including the Heisman, given yearly to the best player in college football, and his outspoken quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the best upperclassmen quarterback.
Defensively, the 2025 class is loaded, with the biggest name undoubtedly Penn State’s Abdul Carter, the defensive end who led his Penn State squad to a Fiesta Bowl win, and individually won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. If any player on the defensive side was to go number one, barring Hunter if he decided to play primarily cornerback, it would be Carter. Some other notable, but less highlighted lineman include offensive tackle Will Campbell from LSU, offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas, and defensive tackle Mason Graham of Michigan, all of which are seen to be able to break into the first 10 players off the board this year.
This draft also boasts one of best running back classes of recent history, led by Ashton Jeanty, who had 2,601 rushing yards last season, only 28 yards short of a single season record. Jeanty’s season may be discredited by the weaker conference he was in, but he was clearly a dominant force all season, finishing with 29 touchdowns, 7.0 yards per carry, and an average of 185.8 yards per game, unreal stats in any conference. Another running back worth mentioning is North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, whose name rose high after a particularly strong combine, and has been described by analysts at PFF as “bringing ideal size to the position for the NFL” and “one of the classes most physically gifted backs.” He’s followed by national champion duo TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, who were both crucial in a dominant playoff performance for Ohio State.
Other names to keep in the back of your mind include Dylan Sampson of Tennessee, who was undoubtedly the best running back in the SEC, Cam Skattebo, who gained massive popularity for his standout performance for Arizona State in the playoffs, and Kaleb Johnson of Iowa, quietly putting together a 1500+ yard season. Moving away from exclusively running backs, a few other significant names to look out for include Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, a concensus top 10 pick and the best true reciever in the draft, Jahdae Barron, a standout corner from Texas, and Tyler Warren, a Penn State prospect who had a great showing in the playoffs, and is utilized throughout their offense.
Multiple teams, such as the Titans, Browns, and Giants, are hoping to use this draft to turn the tides of their teams around after a struggling few years, and are in dire need of a quarterback, leading to worry about the options beyond Ward and Sanders. While Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) and Jalen Milroe (Alabama) are undoubtedly talented, there’s still question upon parts of their game and many teams would be hesitant to start either with a consistent issue across the league of teams ‘forcing’ young quarterbacks into the spotlight too early, and not letting them learn. There’s multiple strong teams from last season also looking towards this draft as a reset button to build a core for years to come, such as the 49ers, who have let numerous players leave in the offseason without resigning much talent so far.