Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
CBS Sports
2025 NFL Draft Top 50 prospect rankings: Michigan CB Will Johnson sits No. 1 as defense dominates initial list
By Josh Edwards,
1 day ago
imagn
The college football season is upon us, which can only mean that draft evaluations are about to begin in earnest. In preparation for the upcoming campaign, Ryan Wilson, Chris Trapasso, Mike Renner and I compiled our summer scouting grades to create the initial Top 50 overall prospect rankings.
Johnson is arguably the cleanest cornerback prospect since Patrick Surtain II. It will be interesting to see how NFL teams approach Hunter because he plays both sides of the ball. Although I personally feel he would be better as a cornerback at the next level, what happens if Hunter explicitly informs teams of his theoretical preference to play wide receiver, or vice versa? Hunter is also the highest-rated transfer as he began his collegiate career with Jackson State.
Pearce and Williams profile as potential impact performers. Texas' Byron Murphy II was the first interior defender drafted (No. 16 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft , but Walker and Graham could come off the board sooner. Michigan has had a front seven player drafted in the top 100 every year over the past six drafts; that is expected to continue with Graham.
Beck is the highest-graded quarterback while Burden is the highest-graded wide receiver.
11. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona 12. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State 13. Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M 14. Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State 15. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado 16. Malaki Starks, S, Georgia 17. Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame 18. Harold Perkins, LB, Louisiana State 19. Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan 20. Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
Burden is a faster, more sudden athlete but McMillan is a tall ball-winner who should deliver some of the most remarkable catches in college football this fall. Egbuka was a surprise return from last year's Ohio State team. He is a consistent performer who's been well-coached. Scourton is a powerful pass rusher in the mold of Jared Verse.
Sanders is the second-ranked quarterback. There has already been conversation that his father, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, could attempt to control where his son plays at the next level. Perkins is an uber-athletic talent who has fulfilled a few different roles for the LSU team. Loveland is the highest-rated tight end.
21. Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State 22. Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson 23. Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona 24. JT Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State 25. Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas 26. Tyleik Williams, DL, Ohio State 27. Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama 28. Emery Jones, OT, LSU 29. Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas 30. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
There are seven edge rushers in the top 30 overall with the inclusion of Sawyer, Tuimoloau and Jackson. Ewers is the third-ranked quarterback, but his offense will look a lot different this year without wide receivers AD Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, as well as tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders and running back CJ Baxter.
Judkins is the highest-graded running back in the aggregate; although mine is Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.
31. Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss 32. Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame 33. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State 34. Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M 35. Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan 36. Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia 37. Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State 38. Dani Dennis-Sutton, DL, Penn State 39. Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia 40. Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
Two more quarterbacks are included in this group as Leonard and Weigman get the nod. Leonard transferred from Duke this offseason. Weigman was limited to four games last season after suffering a season-ending foot injury in September.
41. Ashton Gillotte, EDGE, Louisville 42. Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma 43. Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon 44. Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss 45. Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State 46. Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina 47. Wyatt Wilum, OT, West Virginia 48. Damien Martinez, RB, Oregon State 49. Xavier Nwankpa, S, Iowa 50. Bear Alexander, DL, USC
The run on running backs continues in the final grouping as three more join the fray. The first running back drafted in 2024 was Texas' Jonathon Brooks at No. 46 overall -- the latest the first running back has been drafted since Bishop Sankey was taken No. 54 overall in 2014.
Dart is also the sixth-ranked quarterback in the top 50 overall. An NFL Draft -record six quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Green Bay is scheduled to host the 2025 NFL Draft from April 24-26.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0