We’re less than two weeks away from the start of the 2025 NFL draft on April 24. Amid a ton of buzz about early picks, top prospects and the quarterback class, we asked NFL draft analysts Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Field Yates to break down the latest intel from around the league.

Which players are making a late climb up boards? What are our experts’ final takeaways from all the pro days? Which team could go completely off the script in the first round? What are the biggest injury concerns, and who are some Day 2 impact players to watch? We get into all that and then let Miller, Reid and Yates project the perfect draft for three teams picking inside the top 10.

Finally, our experts empty their scouting notebooks with what they’re hearing, seeing and thinking ahead of Round 1. Let’s start with some prospects who are getting late notice in NFL circles.

Jump to a section:
Last-minute risers | Pro day takeaways
Biggest wild-card teams in Round 1
Day 2 impact players | Injury concerns
Seven-round mock drafts: NE, CAR, CHI
Emptying our notebook: What we’re hearing

Which player are you hearing is having a late surge up teams’ boards?

Reid: Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State. At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Porter is a long zone corner who also had a standout performance at the combine. His 4.3-second 40-yard dash and 10-foot-11 broad jump matched the athletic traits we see on his tape. The main knock on Porter is he only has two seasons of defensive experience, as he played wide receiver for the Cyclones prior to the 2022 season. But that also means his upside is immense, and teams specializing in zone coverage likely have him circled as an early-to-mid Day 2 target.

What’s also helping Porter is the amount of injuries facing this year’s corner class. Porter was one of the few top prospects who managed to stay healthy throughout the season and predraft process, allowing him to play in the national spotlight at the Senior Bowl.

Yates: Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State. After he tore his ACL this past season, there were questions about whether he would declare for the draft at all, much less be running a 40 at his pro day. But he did both, posting an excellent 40 time somewhere between 4.46 to 4.5 seconds, per scouts in attendance. After initially being a Day 3 pick given the uncertainty of his injury recovery, Winston could now be selected as early as Round 2. He is in conversation for being a top-three safety in the class.

Miller: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College. Coming off a season in which he posted 16.5 sacks, Ezeiruaku started his climb with a brilliant performance at the Senior Bowl practices, which showed off his great use of length and power. He was viewed as a solid middle of Day 2 player given concerns about his leaner 6-foot-3, 248-pound build. However, I’m now hearing he’s a potential top-25 player and getting close to being a first-round lock. Teams are desperate for his type of speedy pass-rushing ability.

What’s the most fascinating thing you heard off pro day workouts?

Yates: The number of evaluators who are unbothered by Will Campbell‘s arm length really stands out to me. I was hard pressed to find an exec or coach who doesn’t view LSU’s Campbell as the best tackle of this class, and those same people told me his length wasn’t a concern on tape. I’m not ignoring his 32 ⅝-inch arm length from the combine, but most people I talked to are bullish on Campbell becoming a really good left tackle. He has excellent footwork, balance and body control to hold up as a pass protector.

Miller: Of the hundreds of players who went through pro day workouts, the most rave reviews I’ve heard are for Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Following a strong predraft process, people from some teams now tell me Nolen looks like a Round 1 lock and a potential top-20 player. Ranked No. 20 on my final board, Nolen is the best pure pass rusher in the defensive tackle group. Teams in the middle of the first round like Arizona, Cincinnati and Atlanta could all be targets for him.

Reid: Coming out of pro days, the league is still very high on this running back class. I currently have 32 running backs with draftable grades on my board, and this year could surpass the 2017 mark of 30 rushers drafted. This also makes for any interesting scenario in the first two rounds. Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty could go as high as No. 6 overall to the Raiders, but when will a second rusher come off the board? North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton could be next, but a high-ranked executive told me this about the class: “I can draft another position and still come back and get a running back in this class in the third or fourth round because it’s so loaded.”

Which team picking in the first round is the biggest wild card?

Miller: New York Jets. With no clear-cut No. 1 need on a roster that has many holes, the Jets could really select any position outside of quarterback with the No. 7 pick. There has been speculation about trading Breece Hall, so drafting a running back is something we can’t rule it out — even if that seems wild. Wide receiver, tight end, offensive line and cornerback are also conceivable options. Since the Jets are under a new regime with first-time general manager Darren Mougey, there’s no historical data to rely on when projecting what they’ll do. This could be the first surprise pick in the top 10.

Reid: New York Giants. I’m going to stay in the Big Apple with the Giants, as they could be stuck staring at a “need vs. best player available” situation. All signs point to Miami quarterback Cam Ward being the first pick, meaning either Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter will be available at No. 3 overall. But the signings of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston don’t change anything about the team’s long-term outlook at the QB position. General manager Joe Schoen will have to decide if he wants one of the blue-chip players or a potential franchise QB in Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

Yates: New Orleans Saints. Let’s stay in the top 10 with the Saints, who could go in a variety of directions at No. 9 overall. If the Giants and others pass on Sanders, could they take him off the board? Mel Kiper Jr. certainly sees that as a possibility in his most recent mock draft. But you can’t rule out offensive line, wide receiver and cornerback as other areas for the team to address. And despite having Alvin Kamara under contract until 2026, what if Ashton Jeanty is still available at No. 9? The Saints are a hard one to pin down.

Which Day 2 pick could be an instant impact player in the right system?

Reid: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU. He put together one of the most impressive pro day performances in this cycle, showcasing his elite movement skills to evaluators up close. Taylor’s nuance as a route runner makes him an excellent red-zone option — he can find the open spots in zone coverage and win with details against man coverage. He’s also versatile, as he can line up in-line or flex out to create mismatches against smaller defenders. I’ve spoken with teams that think Taylor will be a top-50 pick capable of playing immediately as a pass-catching tight end.

Yates: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State. Higgins’ blend of size and speed has him in the conversation for a top-40 pick. Plus, he brings a lot of ready-made traits that can translate to early success in the NFL. He has positional versatility to feature in a big slot role, as well as steady run-after-catch skills for when a team needs to chew up quick yards. He had 2,166 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns over the past two years at Iowa State.

Miller: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri. I’m going to continue to bang the table for Burden as a first-round talent, but the buzz around the league is he’ll likely be available in Round 2. If that’s the case, he should come off the board within the first few selections of Day 2. Burden has an excellent ability to pick up extra yards after the catch and has upside as an outside X receiver. He would be a fantastic fit with Ward in Tennessee.

What is the biggest injury uncertainty that teams are still trying to sort through?

Yates: Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell‘s labrum recovery is something teams are still sizing up. It’s not because the injury is complex or an overly concerning procedure, but Campbell had the surgery right after the combine. Teams are still working to get as much information as they can about how ready Campbell will be for training camp or even the regular season. At full strength, I believe he’s a top-20 player in this class, but don’t be surprised if he slides into the late first or early second round.

Miller: Edge rusher Mykel Williams played through an ankle injury suffered early in the season and told reporters at the combine he was at 60% in-season. Williams’ disappointing showing at Georgia’s pro day, which included a 4.75 in the 40, has scouts wondering just how healthy he is right now. Williams was expected to rise throughout the predraft process because of his athletic tools, but his range is all over the place. The latest intel says he’s likely to be selected in the final third of the first round.

Reid: Teams have mixed opinions about offensive tackle Josh Simmons‘ patellar tendon injury. He performed on-field drills at Ohio State’s pro day, but the timeline still remains uncertain for when he’ll be fully cleared. If he managed to stay healthy throughout the entirety of the 2024 season, Simmons was trending toward being the top offensive lineman in this class. Some scouts I talked to have a hard time seeing him getting out of the top 20, while others think he could fall to the late first round or even into the early parts of Day 2 because of the injury. At 6-foot-5 and 317 pounds, he is one of the few OL prospects who is purely a tackle.

Mini-mock of the week: Perfect draft for three interesting teams in the top 10

Miller’s ideal picks for the New England Patriots

4. Will Campbell, OT, LSU
38. Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
69. Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia
77. Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State
106. Kyle Kennard, Edge, South Carolina
144. Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia
171. Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Arkansas
220. Maxen Hook, S, Toledo
238. Jackson Woodard, LB, UNLV

The Patriots can check off several high-priority needs by identifying a left tackle to protect Drake Maye, adding two playmakers at wide receiver and a running back capable of making an impact right away. We can’t forget about adding front-seven defenders for new coach Mike Vrabel, so let’s go with scheme fits in Farmer and Kennard.

Reid’s ideal picks for the Carolina Panthers

8. Jalon Walker, Edge/LB, Georgia
57. Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
74. Bradyn Swinson, Edge, LSU
111. Nohl Williams, CB, Cal
114. Jonas Sanker, S, Virginia
140. Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers
146. Shemar James, LB, Florida
163. Jack Nelson, OT, Wisconsin
230. Tim Smith, DT, Alabama

Remodeling the defense with young talent must be a major emphasis for the Panthers. Walker continues to be a popular pairing because of the team’s deficient pass rush, and double-dipping at the position shouldn’t be out of the question, which is why I have them adding another high upside pass rusher in Swinson. And despite Jaycee Horn‘s lucrative extension, the secondary still lacks depth at corner. Williams is an instinctive and physical cover man with great ball skills. His seven interceptions in 2024 led the FBS — that type of playmaking ability is desperately needed for what was a historically bad defense last season. On offense, Harris would be a long-striding downfield target for Bryce Young.

Yates’ ideal picks for the Chicago Bears

10. Will Campbell, OT, LSU
39. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
41. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
72. Bradyn Swinson, Edge, LSU
148. Logan Brown, OT, Kansas
233. Joe Huber, G, Wisconsin
240. Hunter Wohler, S, Wisconsin

These first three picks align with my recent two-round mock draft, as the Bears would hammer offense in the opening two rounds, including a great value pick for Campbell at No. 10. Chicago has a potentially excellent wide receiver duo in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, but the third wideout role remains up for grabs. Egbuka is incredibly steady and a proven clutch player. To supplement their defensive front, I have the Bears taking a third-round flier on a toolsy edge rusher in Swinson.

What else did you hear and see this week?

Reid’s notes:

• Cornerback Will Johnson (Michigan) and edge rusher Jalon Walker (Georgia) are expected to have heavy turnouts at private workouts on April 14 and 17, respectively. The extent of what they will do at those workouts is unclear, but scouts are eager to see both in action. Johnson’s long speed has been a lingering question mark for scouts. He was viewed as a potential top-five pick in the fall, but he missed the final six games of the season with a toe injury and sat out of Michigan’s pro day with a hamstring injury. Despite that, he’s still my No. 5 overall prospect and could go as high as No. 6 to the Raiders.

Yates’ notes:

• One of the biggest talking points right now is how the team drafting Travis Hunter will utilize him. Full-time receiver and occasional corner? The inverse? How about an even split? While I was at the Colorado pro day, it became clear to me that a common mindset from some teams was that there’s plenty of time to figure that out later. For now, Hunter is too rare of a talent and too exceptional on both sides of the ball to tether him to a plan before the draft. Evaluators I’ve spoken with tend to have a lean toward one side or the other, but no one is doubting his upside at either position.

• The hay is mostly in the barn for teams with draft prep, but we’ll continue to gather buzz about final visits for prospects to team facilities. A reminder about these visits: They can be for any number of reasons. In some cases, the team is strongly considering drafting the player. Other times, it can give a team a better understanding of a player’s medical history, or it can give a team more information on a developmental prospect with little exposure. And yes, sometimes these visits are for teams to create the perception of interest in a player. The predraft process is like a game of chess.

Miller’s notes:

• In a conversation with a high-level scout, I was told to expect the unexpected in the first round. “This first round is going to be wild,” he said, relating that the lack of consensus grades means we’ll see many “reaches” in Round 1 compared to our media boards.

• One prediction from the same scout: Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart being selected over Shedeur Sanders. According to the scout, multiple NFL teams have Dart ranked over Sanders and believe he has better physical traits (arm strength, mobility) and more developmental upside.