Official 2025 Draft Thread

[Deputy Nutz]

Kinda intrigued by this feller in R2
https://x.com/nfldraftscout/status/1895291063998521458

I really want to like him, but he is stiff and lacks the ability to get skinny in the pass rush. Not sure if he has an enough juice to get a consistent pass rush. this is a copycat league and after what Philly did with rushing 4 a lot of front office guys and GMs will want to draft interior guys that can get pressure through the A gaps and B gaps and have some flexibility to stunt.

[Deputy Nutz]

Can he play the ball in the air? How's his route running?

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Jayden-Higgins-WR-EasternKentucky

Not a good release. Not a great change of direction. Passive blocker. Doesn't win deep.

Might be a later round kinda guy. Sounds kinda like Janis to me. Blanis.

He will go in the top 3 rounds. Probably 2nd maybe the third. He had a breakout Senior Bowl. If you read through your own link, he should thrive in a system that uses multiple receiver sets. I don't know if he will be an elite #1 guy in the NFL, but at least his size and numbers give an indication that he has the potential.

[Deputy Nutz]

Sites I've looked at have him available in 3-4 round. Seen as a developmental player. Had a good Senior Bowl though so maybe he's moving up.

I see Kiper has him as a 1st round pick though.

yeah, I haven't seen him any higher than a 3rd or 4th rounder. I really like his build and his one on ones in the Senior Bowl indicate that there is some ability there. There are so many defensive ends/edges in this draft that have a higher grade than him.

[Deputy Nutz]

Shemar Stewart probably had the best combine for a defensive end. His numbers have put him in the elite category of pass rushers coming out of the combine. His production was relatively lame at A&M but you can see his explosiveness and ability on film, similar to Reshan Gary. I like Gary, but as much as he has tried to refine his pass rushing ability he still comes out of his stance like a pop up dummy. I don't think it's crazy to make the draft comparison of Stewart to Gary.

I am more interested in guys that are sleepers in this draft as the top 50 in this draft are really average in comparison. I heard it said that you aren't getting much difference between the top 15 and the top 30-40 guys in this draft, obviously it is all speculation as none of these guys have actually played in the NFL yet.

Some guys that I mentioned in earlier post from the Senior Bowl that had good combines and will likely see their draft stock rise;

Chimere Dike WR Florida: ran the second fastest 40 time for the WR position. I think he really needed to show off his athleticism as his last 3 years in college football seemed like a lot of hit and miss for him. He didn't fit well with the Badgers new coaching staff and transferred to Florida. Florida for the last two years has been rebuild of sorts and he sort of got lost in Gainesville with the QB shuffling and he suffered some injuries along the way. From what I personally know he was one of the only true freshman to fully understand and operate in Paul Chryst's pass game at Wisconsin. He has a very high football IQ and is a very good route runner. I thought his hands were above average in college.

Tai Felton WR Maryland: I wouldn't call him a sleeper but he could have moved himself up to early 2nd round contention with his combine. 4.37 forty 10+ broad jump and 39+ vertical were outstanding numbers at the combine. His production numbers were there at Maryland with 93 catches in 2024.

Iowa State WRs Noel and Higgins both had phenomenal combines.

Jalen Royal WR Utah St: Coming from Utah St brings questions about competition and his overall athleticism. He only ran the 40 and bench pressed, but he came out it with a 4.42 forty and 13 reps of 225. I don't know how big of a bump this will give him but I think he is a solid day 2 guy.

Elic Aromanor WR Stanford: Not exactly a sleeper, but a guy that had to show off his athleticism at the combine to cement himself as an early day 2 pick. 4.44 forty at 6'2" 205 pounds, did well on the vertical at 38.5" and a 10+" broad jump.

Maxwell Hairston CB Kentucky: Fastest 40 time at the combine breaking the 4.3 barrier. He is not a sleeper but he is contention for the top tier at cornerback in this draft. I personally don't love drafting guys from Kentucky, but his Senior Bowl, game film and now combine show a kid that could be a potential top end corner in the league. The question is can he refine his technique and skills to be a proficient NFL corner? I think he separated from a lot of the corners in this draft as many didn't really have a break out at the combine. Zy Alexander from LSU ran a poor 4.56 forty time and as a taller corner that won't exactly fly, Cobee Bryant of Kansas ran 4.53, and Denzel Burke from Ohio State had a decent 40 of 4.48 but it was not spectacular. Prior to the combine Hairston was probably in the same tier as these guys.

Darien Porter CB Iowa St: Huge Corner at 6'3" ran a blistering 4.30 forty. Limited time as a starter in Ames, only started at corner in his 6th year, but for someone his size he needed to run extremely well to demonstrate that he can play outside.

Jacob Parrish Kansas St: a name I didn't recognize before the combine but at 5'11" 190 pounds and can run a 4.35 40 he someone that should be investigated. I love Kansas St guys.

Donovian Ezeiruaku DE Boston College: He didn't run the forty but did really well in all the other workouts. He just hasn't been a name that has stood out prior to the combine. Interesting college connection to Haffely. His production of 16.5 sacks if off the charts in terms of what you are looking for in production, interesting enough he only had 2 sacks in 2023.

Tyler Batty DE BYU: he has the prototypical size you want in a defensive end at 6'6" 275 pounds and he ran a 4.78. His other testing numbers showed off his athleticism as well. His film will be an interesting study to see if there will be some value if a team picks him in the 4th or 5th round. He did a two year mission so he is older than most, probably a soaker as well.

David Walker DE Central Arkansas: at only 6'1" and not overly long arms, there are questions about his height and his ability to create leverage coming off the edge, but his combine numbers are telling you there is something there out of this FCS pass rush demon. His production tells you there is something there.

Jarred Harrison-Hunte DT SMU: 6 year guy that played 5 years at Miami and then transferred to SMU. Productive and has prototypical size at 6'3" 290 pounds. He had the best 10 yard split time for DTs at 1.69. I think he used college to mature his technique in both the run and pass. He needs to add some bulk and strength to stand up in the run game at the next level, but scouts like has ability in the pass rush.

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins DT Georgia: the Bulldogs' defensive line has sent so many first rounders into the NFL over the past 3 seasons its crazy to think of any DT from Georgia being a sleeper, but Ingram-Dawkins is probably that because of his lack of playing time. He was productive in his one year of full time snaps at Georgia. His combine numbers were good, fastest in the 40 and ten yard split, but he is also under 280 pounds which makes you wonder what his exact fit at the NFL level will be.


Ok, two defensive guys that have a huge appeal, but specifically speaking for the Packers there really isn't a need. Jihaad Campbell LB Alabama might be the best defender in this draft. Watching the Alabama defense its crazy how many times you saw #11 around the football. Sure he is a linebacker, but he is a 6'3" 235 pounds with ridiculous instincts and football IQ. He does offer some pass rush ability with 5 sacks in 2024 but he isn't an edge or defensive end. Also he blew up the combine running a 4.52 forty and a 1.53 split. The second guy is Nick Emmanwori S South Carolina. at 6'3" 220 pounds he ran a 4.38 forty with a 1.49 split. His film is interesting as he can do it all play the deep middle, run with TEs, and play inside the box, but you would think with his size and speed he would be a wrecking ball in the run game. He sometimes doesn't bring the intensity or possibly it takes him just a second to long to break down what's in front of him.

[run pMc]

Haven't watched Jayden Higgins, but what I read about him he's intriguing and doesn't make it out of Round 2. His drop % was very very low, and I think he could duplicate a lot of what Watson did.
Another tall WR - Pat Bryant had a bad combine.

I like Jalen Royals as a Day 2 guy, he's not a burner but I think he's got some speed and YAC ability.
Ayomanor scares me, he had a career day against Colorado and was meh otherwise. He'll block, but I don't know if he'll separate from coverage. Also, annoyed by Mosqueda's takes on him: he was all-caps OUT on him for weeks after watching his film, but is touting him on acmepackingcompany.

Hairston was someone I was really interested to see how he tested, he's got some attitude and Hafley's D needs psychos and guys who will tackle on the outside when the defense spills runs wide or to tackle WR screens. Teams will pick on any CB that's under 5'10" or 190 pounds...they were picking on Valentine's tackling a little bit last year. It's why I don't like Byron Murphy or Asante Samuel Jr. as FA signings for GB - I think Murphy had a career year which is fluky and he wasn't a great tackler before then, and Samuel has a stinger issue and gets targetted by offenses to see if he'll tackle or take on blocks.

Horrible idea but a fun thought experiment: drafting Tyler Warren in R1 and leaning hard into the 2 TE offense. Hell, with Kraft, Musgrave and Warren, roll out a 13 offense and go nuts. LMAO

[smuggler]

I think getting Musgrave going well would be just as good. Sims is a decent run blocker, so the guys can get a breather every now and then if we're just gonna ground and pound with Jacobs and Wilson.

[Deputy Nutz]

Haven't watched Jayden Higgins, but what I read about him he's intriguing and doesn't make it out of Round 2. His drop % was very very low, and I think he could duplicate a lot of what Watson did.
Another tall WR - Pat Bryant had a bad combine.

I like Jalen Royals as a Day 2 guy, he's not a burner but I think he's got some speed and YAC ability.
Ayomanor scares me, he had a career day against Colorado and was meh otherwise. He'll block, but I don't know if he'll separate from coverage. Also, annoyed by Mosqueda's takes on him: he was all-caps OUT on him for weeks after watching his film, but is touting him on acmepackingcompany.

Hairston was someone I was really interested to see how he tested, he's got some attitude and Hafley's D needs psychos and guys who will tackle on the outside when the defense spills runs wide or to tackle WR screens. Teams will pick on any CB that's under 5'10" or 190 pounds...they were picking on Valentine's tackling a little bit last year. It's why I don't like Byron Murphy or Asante Samuel Jr. as FA signings for GB - I think Murphy had a career year which is fluky and he wasn't a great tackler before then, and Samuel has a stinger issue and gets targetted by offenses to see if he'll tackle or take on blocks.

Horrible idea but a fun thought experiment: drafting Tyler Warren in R1 and leaning hard into the 2 TE offense. Hell, with Kraft, Musgrave and Warren, roll out a 13 offense and go nuts. LMAO

Man this draft is deep with TEs. Reminds me of the draft two years ago, but with 3 guys or so that are considered first round talents. The Combine didn't really show it because the top end guys didn't run.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

The strategy of drafting the best player available is overrated. Sure, there are rare instances where a Butte falls onto your lap, and you just gotta take him and hope the lap dance turns out great - your aging, incumbent HOF QB be damned. But Butte is a needle in a haystack. Give the Polar Bear credit, I guess.

On a roster with Adams and a bunch of no names WRs, the German Shepherd coulda/shoulda drafted Metcalf and AJ Brown. Instead, went with the BPA, and took 21 Savage and a fucking center. Not to mention, the Smith Bros were in the prime of the careers - still wasted a prime pick on Gary Lightbody.

The failure to draft Metcalf and Brown pretty much cost Butte another ring in the Green and Mustard Yellow.

[Deputy Nutz]

Both Brown and Metcalf were immediate contributors as rookies.

In the 2025 draft there is an Ole' Miss wide receiver in Tre Harris. right now he is looking like a solid second round pick.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Both Brown and Metcalf were immediate contributors as rookies.

In the 2025 draft there is an Ole' Miss wide receiver in Tre Harris. right now he is looking like a solid second round pick.

Are you agreeing with moi, Nutz?

Since the draft is allegedly “crapshoot,” the BPA approach doesn’t make sense. Draft for needs and keep drafting for needs til you hit.

[Deputy Nutz]

As long as the pick is rational I don't really care if it was high need vs best player available. The draft is a crapshoot, and as much as we do our best to understand everything that goes into the draft and pro personnel we have very little knowledge to how teams view their players long term regardless of their current contracts, so it may seem BPA but in reality GMs see a need a couple of years down the road, especially if you draft a position that take a bit longer to regulate to the league.

[run pMc]

I loved AJ Brown coming out in the draft. He was taken before GB picked Jenkins. Metcalf scared me.

Jenkins was and has been an immediate starter. Say what you want about drafting a player who can take snaps up and down the OL, but above average OL are getting well paid these days too.

I have an inkling Gute will take a WR in the draft, but otherwise count on internal development of players like Wicks, Reed and Musgrave to be better in Year 3. Taking BPA is still the way to go.

[Deputy Nutz]

Metcalf was scary because he did all the drills in the combine and had a poor 3 cone. He dropped to the end of the second round and agents and draftees got smart and started to avoid the 3 cone at the combine. He was also injured several times at Ole' Miss.

The Packers have a good solid base at wide receiver, but they don't yet have a guy. I could see the Packers drafted a receiver anywhere in this draft. Receivers usually go higher than projected as soon as the first one goes off the board, teams get antsy at that position for some reason.

It's why I always believe in position tiers.

[run pMc]

Agree. Also like the idea of tiers for positions and prospects. This year I don't know there's any WR in the 'elite/Top10' prospect tier. Has the McMillan kid from AZ run at a Pro Day?

[Fritz]

I'd be okay with a wide receiver or a defensive tackle or maybe a defensive end in the first round. But if they pick, say, a tight end, you've got to think the Packers think that that guy would be the greatest thing since sliced bread, as they have Kraft already.

But Musgrave sure is looking like a bust. He reminds me of Richard Rogers.