Each week, Yardbarker is monitoring the 2025 NFL Draft, scheduled April 24-26 in Green Bay.
From a Miami quarterback to an LSU pass-rusher, here are five players we are tracking:
Should teams take Miami QB Cam Ward’s message seriously?
Before receiving the Davey O’Brien Award as college football’s best QB on Monday, Ward told the Associated Press’ Stephen Hawkins teams that pass on him will regret it.
“If you don’t draft me, that’s your fault,” Ward said. “You’ve got to remember you’re the same team that’s got to play me for the rest of my career, and I’ll remember that.”
Ward’s comment is bold, but he could back it up in the NFL. In 2024, he led the FBS in touchdown passes (39 in 13 starts), earning a first-team All-American nod.
“Even at this point in time, people still don’t believe [Ward is] really as good as he is,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick, a former scout, said Wednesday on “First Take.” He directed that passing attack with the kind of precision and maturity that is worthy of being considered a No. 1 pick.”
The Tennessee Titans have the No. 1 pick and could use a talented prospect in Ward (6-foot-2, 223 pounds). Tennessee QB Will Levis went 2-10 in 12 starts in 2024, tossing 13 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.
Texas A&M edge-rusher Shemar Stewart seems like a boom-or-bust pick
Stewart (6-foot-5, 281 pounds) may be one of the more polarizing prospects in the class.
In 12 games in 2024, he had just 1.5 sacks. Still, teams may be willing to bet on his potential. In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Field Yates has the Arizona Cardinals taking Stewart with pick No. 16.
“If you’re just watching this for the first time or just hearing about [Stewart] for the first time, you have to understand that what we’re saying is not made up,” Yates said Monday on “First Draft.” “There are people in the NFL saying if you just had me rate this guy based on the traits and the upside, he’s one of the five to 10 best players in this class.”
Stewart’s stock could continue to soar if he tests well at the NFL Scouting Combine, scheduled Feb. 27-March 2 in Indianapolis.
North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton looks like a potential riser before the combine
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty — a 2024 Heisman finalist — has likely solidified himself as the draft’s RB1. However, Hampton could be a close second. In 12 games in 2024, he rushed for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns on 281 carries.
In a piece published Tuesday, Fox Sports’ Rob Rang ranked Hampton (6-foot, 220 pounds) as his RB2 behind Jeanty (5-foot-9, 215 pounds). Rang’s best-case comp for Hampton is Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, a two-time Pro Bowler.
“With all due respect to the aforementioned Jeanty, it is Hampton who offers perhaps this year’s most intriguing combination of size, speed and power — a mix that could catapult him into the first round,” wrote Rang.
In his latest mock draft, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has the Los Angeles Chargers taking Hampton with pick No. 22. He could be well-suited for Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offense.
What makes Michigan’s Mason Graham stand out in stacked D-line class?
Tankathon lists Graham (6-foot-3, 320 pounds) No. 1 among 12 D-linemen on its updated big board.
“The tape speaks for itself,” longtime NFL Draft analyst Steve Muench said on a Wednesday episode of “The McShay Show.” “He’s unblockable at times.”
Pro Football Focus gave Graham a 92.6 run-defense grade in 12 games in 2024, tied for the FBS’ fifth-best mark.
A solid performance at the combine would strengthen his case as perhaps the top D-lineman in the draft. In his latest mock draft, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso has the New York Jets taking him with pick No. 7.
Could LSU edge-rusher Bradyn Swinson make teams take notice at the combine?
Per PFF, Swinson (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) tied for the sixth-most pressures in the FBS (60 in 13 games) in 2024. He also had 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Despite his solid stats, Swinson isn’t generating much hype. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler doesn’t list him on his updated big board.
“In a loaded edge class for the 2025 NFL Draft, LSU’s Bradyn Swinson continues to fly under the radar,” wrote The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke on Thursday. “However, when scouts turn on the film, they’ll quickly see he’s the most underrated pass-rusher in this year’s draft class.”
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