The 2025 NFL draft is fast approaching! Round 1 begins on April 24, Rounds 2 and 3 will be on April 25, and Rounds 4 through 7 are on April 26.
To give you a glimpse at which players could pan out to be the best, Aaron Schatz projected the top prospects and picked comps. With contribution from Nathan Forster, Alexandre Olbrecht and Jeremy Rosen, Schatz projected the top running backs via BackCAST, edge rushers using SackSEER and wide receivers using Playmaker Score. He capped things off on Sunday,projecting the top quarterback prospects.
Here's how the top prospects in this year's draft project to the NFL.:
Wide receiver projections
This is not as strong of a wide receiver group as in years past, but four are projected to have a Playmaker Score of at least 400. This year is interesting because one of the top wide receivers in the class, Travis Hunter, might not even play the position full-time in the NFL. Who is projected to have the most receiving yards per season? Who are our Day 2 and Day 3 sleepers? See our WR projections on ESPN+»
Running back projections
The running back position is back! This year's class has nine backs with a BackCAST projection score of over 40% -- the 2024 group one had one prospect with an over 40% score. How good will Ashton Jeanty and Cam Skattebo be at the NFL level? See our RB projections on ESPN+»
Edge rushers projections
Edge rushers have been climbing up NFL draft boards in recent years, and the 2025 class looks to be another good one. Abdul Carter (Penn State) is expected to be chosen in the top five, while other edge rushers such as Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M) and Mike Green (Marshall) might go in the top 20. How many sacks are the top prospects expected to have? See our edge projections on ESPN+»
Quarterback projections
This year's QB class is not as highly regarded as last year's group. Outside of top prospects Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, the rest of the class comes with question marks. Which players will be elite, average or a bust? I projected NFL careers for seven prospects. See our quarterback projections on ESPN+»