![[object Object] Logo](https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/2020/04/22/e9ceb731-8b3f-4c60-98fe-090ab66a2997/screen-shot-2020-04-22-at-11-04-56-am.png)
As you work your way through evaluations of a class of prospects in the NFL Draft, you discover those who become your favorites -- let's call them draft crushes.
To keep the draft vernacular rolling, they become the prospects you'd bang the table for during pre-draft discussions if you happened to be working for an NFL team.
Of course, not all of your draft crushes are going to blossom as professionals. Some won't ever get a fair shake opportunity-wise as mid-to-late rounders. Some you'll just inevitably be flat-out wrong about. That's the nature of the draft-evaluation business. But that doesn't stop those draft crushes from arising in the future. And finding these seemingly undervalued prospects is part of what makes being in this business magnificently fun.
There are no distinct parameters or qualifiers for this list, maybe outside of a general sense that they feel underrated or undervalued less than a month away from the draft. These are my "favorite" prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. Let this article serve as me digitally banging the proverbial table for them.
James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee
What kind of article would this be if I didn't first list my No. 1 overall prospect in the class? Not a sensible one. Yes, it's not Abdul Carter nor Travis Hunter at my top spot. It's Pearce, a two-year rock star at Tennessee on the edge who proved to be one of the most explosive defenders in this entire class at the combine with a 4.47 time in the 40-yard dash. That included a 10-yard split of 1.58 that placed him in the 91st percentile at the position since 1999.
Beyond the fascination with Pearce's athleticism, his frame is tantalizing at over 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds -- there's plenty of room for added weight. But the production is easily the most appealing part of his profile.
In two seasons in the SEC, that began with him at 19 and 20 years old, Pearce had 17.5 sacks and a combined pressure rate in the stratosphere -- 21.4%. He's a uniquely sized, explosive athlete, with an insanely productive track record in the most talent-laden conference in college football. What more could you want? For me, when factoring in positional value, Pearce is the best prospect in this class.
Elijhah Badger, WR, Florida
I purposely placed Badger immediately after Pearce because while not my No. 2 overall player in the class, I might be the most excited about his NFL future than anyone in this draft.
Badger's college career arc is unique in that after catching seven passes for 61 yards from Jayden Daniels at Arizona State in 2021, he erupted onto the scene for the Sun Devils in 2022 and 2023 with 135 total catches for 1,576 yards and 10 touchdowns all while forcing an absurd 51 tackles.
Then he transferred into the SEC, and on the surface, his production plummeted. After seasons of 70 and 65 catches, Badger caught just 39 passes in 2024. Then you see that 42 catches led the team, and Badger averaged 20.7 yards per grab, and your ears perk up.
On film, Badger has the best release package of any receiver in this class -- he saw press consistently, and consistently beat it with quickness and physicality. He runs sharp routes. He plucks the football away from his frame on a regular basis. Badger had only eight drops on 271 targets in college and eclipsed the 50% threshold reserved for elite-level contested-catch receivers in his collegiate career. He's not small nor slow. He's 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds with quality length and hand size, and ran 4.43 at the combine.
Badger is a first-round talent in my estimation, although I know he'll be picked much later.
Teddye Buchanan, LB, California
I swear it's not just the long locks -- Buchanan reminds me of Eric Kendricks. He is everywhere on defense. How's that possible? Buchanan is a supreme athlete, and he proved that at the combine. He ran 4.60 in the 40-yard dash, had a 40-inch vertical and had the third-highest broad jump of 10-foot-5.
Beyond the clear suddenness he possesses, Buchanan processes in a flash, and that combination places him near the football often. In 2024, he had 114 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five sacks. I love his coverage upside, too. Buchanan managed four pass breakups and stuck like glue to tight ends down the seam on a routine basis for the Bears.
The kicker -- Buchanan is as steady of a tackler as it gets at the linebacker position.
I don't see any difference between him and Jihaad Campbell and Carson Schwesinger as a prospect.
Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Bech is one of my two most sizable draft crushes in this class -- along with Badger. The guy just wins in every way imaginable at the receiver position. OK, he doesn't have blazing 4.30 speed. Beyond that, Bech possesses all the intricacies that make the vast majority of star NFL wideouts excellent.
He's a menace after the catch. He changes speeds and deploys ever-so-subtle fakes as a route runner to get open. And, he catches ev-er-y-thing. In four seasons at LSU and TCU, across 200 targets, Bech had four drops and won on 61.8% of his contested-catch opportunities. Some of the back-shoulder snags he made, with cornerbacks attacking the catch point, were spectacular. And, Bech proved from an early age he had something special. In 2021, as a freshman at LSU, he had 43 receptions -- a team high -- for 489 yards with three touchdowns, sapping production from the likes of Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
Bradyn Swinson, EDGE, LSU
Swinson is your classic late bloomer -- through three seasons at Oregon and one at LSU, he had amassed just five sacks with 32 pressures. Not great, Bob.
But, a clear opportunity as a full-time edge rusher for the Tigers in Year 5 sparked Swinson en route to 8.5 sacks and 60 pressures on a mere 313 pass-rushing snaps.
He wins with burst, bend, and a bevy of pass-rushing moves he clearly honed across his first four seasons at two major college programs. At 6-foot-3 1/2 and 255 pounds with a wingspan over 81 inches, Swinson absolutely has an NFL-caliber frame and now one season of elite-level production. He's a sleeping giant in this loaded edge-rusher class.
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
Tuten is my RB2 in this class, by a considerable margin. Ashton Jeanty is a dude. I don't think Tuten is drastically far behind him talent wise. Jeanty's contact balance is untouchable. Tuten might be as elusive, and he can really go, as evidenced by his 4.32 in the 40-yard dash. Remember, that's how fast De'Von Achane ran at the 2023 combine. Tuten did it at 5-foot-9 and 206 pounds.
After transferring from North Carolina A&T -- and he's another example of the spring-boarding effect the transfer portal can have -- Tuten carried the ball 353 times in the ACC and 5.7 yards per rush with 25 touchdowns and a grand total of 131 missed tackles forced. Don't get it twisted. Jeanty isn't the only freaky running back specimen in this class.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland, EDGE, Virginia Tech
If Powell-Ryland had longer arms, he'd be widely regarded as a first-round pick. And it's not like he's ridiculously short or lightweight. He's 6-foot-2 1/2 and 258 pounds. On film, he's one of the most polished hand-work masters in the class. Watching him is invigorating because he keeps you guessing with his variety of moves at the point of attack. Imagine how the offensive tackle feels.
In his final two seasons for the Hokies, he registered 96 pressures on 587 pass-rushing opportunities, good for a hefty 16.3% pressure rate, essentially any prospect would gladly take across two seasons before entering the NFL. Swipe move, swim move, cross chop, speed-to-power bull-rush, it's all there with Powell-Ryland. Given there seems to be minimal hype with him as we near draft month, I'm confident this former Virginia Tech star will outplay his draft position.
Jalen Travis, OT, Iowa State
I'll start with Travis' combine workout -- second-highest vertical among offensive tackles (35 inches), third-longest broad jump (9-feet-4 inches) and the third-most bench press reps (26). Oh, and he did all of that nearly 6-foot-8 and 339 pounds with 34 7/8" arms. Incredible. Freaky stuff, really.
On film, the explosiveness works in his favor when getting to secondary rushers on stunts, or simply when needing to fly around the corner with speedy outside rushers. Travis looks like a five-year veteran who's lived in an NFL weight room, and moves comfortably to his assignments because he's unprecedentedly dynamic for his size.
He has built-in-a-lab size and length and has elite-level suddenness for the offensive tackle position. The Princeton transfer allowed a mere 11 pressures on 475 pass-blocking snaps in 2024 jumping from the Ivy League to the Big 12. Impressive.
Jalin Conyers, TE, Texas Tech
Conyers was a member of the 2021 Arizona State club with Badger, meaning he caught passes from Daniels. That year, as a freshman, six catches for 62 yards, and a touchdown to be exact. Conyers stayed with the Sun Devils for two more seasons, amassing 68 catches for 784 yards with brutal quarterback play, before transferring to Texas Tech.
With the Red Raiders in 2024, the 6-foot-3 1/2", 260-pounder (not a typo, he's that thick) caught 30 passes for 320 yards with five touchdowns and had two rushing scores. At the combine, while his 4.74 in the 40 was the seventh-fastest at the position, he had the third-longest broad jump, fourth-highest vertical, best three-cone and best short-shuttle. Conyers is a premier overall athlete for the position, and it translates to the field.
He's a human pinball with the ball in his hands. The numbers prove it. He forced 33 missed tackles, an astronomical number at 103 career catches. He also tracks it like a center fielder over his shoulder downfield. The cherry on top? Conyers is a ferocious and fundamentally sound blocker.
Corey Kiner, RB, Cincinnati
Based completely off the "hype," Kiner is the most underrated running back prospect in the 2025 class. That's because when it comes to hype, he essentially has none -- particularly after running 4.57 at 5-foot-8 1/2" and 209 pounds at the combine -- and my belief he's one of the most naturally gifted runners in this draft, testing numbers be damned. With the football in his hands, Kiner is bouncy and surprisingly powerful, thanks to his fire-hydrant frame and being super elusive in tight quarters.
The former LSU recruit, who averaged 4.1 yards per tote as a freshman in 2021 for the Tigers, eclipsed 1,000 yards at better than 5.5 yards per in back-to-back seasons after his transfer north to Cincinnati. Despite a clear lack of explosion and breakaway speed that will have him destined for Day 3, Kiner averaged 4.12 yards after contact per rush, the fifth-highest figure among backs in this class who carried the football more than 200 times this past season. He also forced a ridiculous 82 missed tackles.
With Kiner, think a more naturally powerful Devin Singletary. He's the exact reason why I still wear my "Don't Draft Running Backs In The First Round" T-shirt proudly every April.
