FanPost

2025 Defensive Draft Prospects

Since the season has gone to hell like a lot of folks prophesized due to an offseason of nonactivity I thought I'd list the top prospects for the first three rounds of the 2025 draft. I thought I'd start with defense first as I know we need a lot of help on both sides of the ball but figured we'd spent the least amount of draft capital on defense. Obviously it's very early but what else do we have to look forward to for the rest of the 2024 season. I figure we'll be picking around the sixth so our first three picks would be 6th, 38th & 70th. I'd like to see us trade back and get more draft capital since we have so many needs on both sides of the ball and we don't have a 4th round pick.

Listed below are the top dline prospects. I really like Scourton but not sure he's coming out. If Graham is available I'd love to get him as he has as much upside as Hutchinson in my opinion. There's lots of really good prospects in all three rounds. I like Sawyer and Nolen in the 2nd and Cross and Overton in the 3rd.

Rank Prospect College Position Height Weight Year
2 Mason Graham Michigan DL3T 6'3" 318 JR
7 Nic Scourton Texas A&M DL5T 6'4" 280 JR
12 James Pearce Jr. Tennessee EDGE 6'4" 242 JR
15 Abdul Carter Penn State EDGE 6'2" 249 JR
16 Kenneth Grant Michigan DL1T 6'3" 339 JR
17 Mykel Williams Georgia EDGE 6'4" 265 JR
18 Deone Walker Kentucky DL1T 6'5" 348 JR
19 Tyleik Williams Ohio State DL1T 6'3" 318 SR
22 Princely Umanmielen Ole Miss EDGE 6'4" 245 RSR
23 J.T. Tuimoloau Ohio State EDGE 6'4" 270 SR
26 Landon Jackson Arkansas DL5T 6'7" 280 SR
32 Jack Sawyer Ohio State EDGE 6'4" 267 SR
41 Walter Nolen Ole Miss DL3T 6'4" 290 JR
42 Bradyn Swinson LSU EDGE 6'4" 250 SR
47 Dani Dennis-Sutton Penn State EDGE 6'4" 261 JR
52 Nazir Stackhouse Georgia DL1T 6'3" 320 RSR
55 Howard Cross III Notre Dame DL3T 6'1" 288 GR
57 Omarr Norman-Lott Tennessee DL3T 6'3" 315 SR
59 Patrick Payton Florida State EDGE 6'5" 239 RJR
64 Kyle Kennard South Carolina EDGE 6'5" 254 GR
71 L.T. Overton Alabama DL5T 6'5" 283 JR
81 Derrick Harmon Oregon DL3T 6'5" 310 RJR
83 Antwaun Powell-Ryland Virginia Tech EDGE 6'3" 252 RSR
86 Dontay Corleone Cincinnati DL1T 6'2" 320 RSR
88 David Bailey Stanford EDGE 6'3" 240 JR
90 Mike Green Marshall EDGE 6'4" 248 RSO
94 Shemar Turner Texas A&M DL3T 6'3" 300 SR

Next up are the linebackers.

Rank Prospect College Position Height Weight Year
29 Danny Stutsman Oklahoma ILB 6'3" 240 SR
36 Barrett Carter Clemson OLB 6'1" 225 SR
56 Jihaad Campbell Alabama ILB 6'3" 244 JR
67 Jay Higgins Iowa ILB 6'2" 233 RSR
73 Jalon Walker Georgia OLB 6'2" 245 JR
75 Smael Mondon Jr. Georgia OLB 6'3" 220 SR
77 Harold Perkins Jr. LSU OLB 6'2" 220 JR
99 Jamon Dumas-Johnson Kentucky ILB 6'1" 245 RSR

Of these I like Campbell in the 2nd and Walker in the 3rd.

Below are the cornerbacks. This seems to be a good CB glass.

Rank Prospect College Position Height Weight Year
1 Travis Hunter Colorado CB 6'1" 185 JR
6 Will Johnson Michigan CB 6'2" 202 JR
20 Denzel Burke Ohio State CB 6'1" 190 SR
28 Nick Emmanwori South Carolina S 6'3" 220 JR
33 Malaki Starks Georgia S 6'1" 205 JR
34 Benjamin Morrison Notre Dame CB 6'0" 185 JR
35 Maxwell Hairston Kentucky CB 6'1" 181 RJR
38 Tacario Davis Arizona CB 6'4" 195 JR
50 Davison Igbinosun Ohio State CB 6'1" 190 JR
51 Jahdae Barron Texas CB 5'11" 192 RSR
53 Shavon Revel Jr. East Carolina CB 6'3" 200 SR
63 Kevin Winston Jr. Penn State S 6'2" 204 JR
65 Rod Moore Michigan S 6'0" 185 SR
68 Domani Jackson Alabama CB 6'1" 190 JR
69 Jason Marshall Jr. Florida CB 6'0" 198 SR
79 Jermari Harris Iowa CB 6'1" 190 RSR
80 Malachi Moore Alabama S 6'0" 198 RSR
97 Zy Alexander LSU CB 6'2" 188 SR

Would love to have Travis Hunter but don't think he'll fall to us. Johnson also looks good in the 1st, Morrison in the 2nd (although he had a season ending injury so probably a good pick for us! jk) and Jackson in the 3rd although there are a lot of really good options here in my opinion.

Obviously it's way too early to be looking at this but what else do we have to look forward to unfortunately? I typically start looking at prospects in September/October but started this year back in May as I was not at all confident that we'd be relevant this year. So if you were picking defense in the first three rounds who would you select?

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