Category: Prospect Profiles

2025 NFL Draft first impression: Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona

2025 NFL Draft first impression of Arizona Wildcats offensive tackle Jonah Savaiinaea ahead of the 2024 college season

Arizona had a first-round offensive tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft in Jordan Morgan. The Wildcats have another tackle hoping to rise to that level for the 2025 NFL Draft in Jonah Savaiinaea, and he’s got enough potential to work with that it’s a feasible projection.

Savaiinaea played right tackle in 2023 after moving outside from right guard in 2022. At 6-foot-5 and 330 listed pounds, the Hawaiian native progressed into playing tackle on the opposite side of Morgan, which frequently led to some disadvantageous matchups for his inexperience.

Heading into the 2024 season, a time when Arizona is now a member of the Big 12, Savaiinaea can grow into a more polished tackle prospect. The frame, the length and the athleticism to emerge as one of the best tackles.

The biggest positive standout trait for Savaiinaea is how well he moves off the snap for a man of his size. His kick step and balance are very impressive and consistently quick. Savaiinaea keeps his hands ready to react to pass rushing attacks to either shoulder, and he jabs well enough to parry and buy time for his feet to square up the rusher.

He’s very good pulling across the formation as a run blocker. Quickness, vision, strength while engaging in space–it’s all there for Savaiinaea. He generally down blocks well, though he can approach the interior a little too tall. There is proper leg drive and decent foot frequency in run blocking, engaging his lower-body power nicely even if his hands are too high on the chest or shoulder of the defender.

The high hands and taller posture are definitely things for Savaiinaea to work on ahead of any NFL discussion. They’re coachable, but they also need to be coached. There is also a tendency to overset to his outside and allow quicker rushers to cross him and win through his inside shoulder. His recovery footwork isn’t dynamic enough to get away with that very often.

A lot of what ails Savaiinaea as a tackle prospect is that he often looks like a guard playing tackle…which he was in 2023. As was the case with his old Wildcats mate Morgan, some NFL teams and analysts are going to prefer him playing inside. A strong 2024 with better pad level, more consistent hand placement and overall consistency can elevate Savaiinaea into the late-first range Morgan rose into, but right now he looks more like a player who would have gone in the early part of Day 3 in the last draft.

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2025 NFL Draft first impression: TreVeyeon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

2025 NFL Draft first impression of Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson, a candidate for the top RB spot in the class

TreVeyon Henderson is a familiar name to many who follow the NFL Draft more than they follow college football. The Ohio State running back was one of the early contenders for the top RB in the 2024 draft class before opting to return to the Buckeyes for another year.

A sturdily built back at 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds, Henderson netted just under 6.0 yards per carry in 10 games as a junior, narrowly missing out on the 1,000-yard barrier. Though he’s built like an interior back, Henderson has proven to be effective in all types of running lanes and styles. The Buckeyes tended to have him attack the edges of the O-line and work off the blocks of the tackles and tight ends, but he also did well working the B-gaps as a runner.

One of the things that stands out is his balance through contact. Henderson stays on his path very well when getting sideswiped or getting an arm to the thighs or shoulders. Good forward lean, excellent core strength.

When he’s aggressively pressing the hole and not sifting in the backfield, Henderson is a very effective runner. He does have decent lateral quickness for a guy of his build, but the acceleration from a stop or reset isn’t special. He does, however, have burst into a second gear once he’s rolling that can leave tacklers wondering where the heck Henderson went.

This run against Wisconsin is a perfect encapsulation of what all Henderson offers with balance, vision, acceleration and open-field giddy-up:

In the passing game, Henderson showed steady improvement as a route runner. He’ll never be mistaken for having natural hands or polished footwork in routes, but Henderson proved progressively more functional. He did drop an easy one in the Wisconsin game that stands out.

Perhaps the biggest area for improvement in Ohio State’s 2024 season would be pass protection. Henderson doesn’t have an innate feel for the pass rush and can be late to identify his blocking mark. He does have good anchor power and generally gets his hands inside to be effective enough to buy the QB an extra second or an escape route, but he’s often a count too late or a step tardy in getting to the point of attack.

Durability is also a valid knock. He missed five games in the 2022 season with a foot injury that required surgery, then missed three more games in 2023 with an undisclosed injury.

Henderson has a chance to be one of the top running back prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft if he can stay on the field and keep producing as an all-around performer.

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2025 NFL Draft first impression: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

2025 NFL Draft first scouting impression of Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart and what to look for in the Rebels’ coming CFB season

Jaxson Dart is next up in the summer scouting series. The well-heeled Ole Miss quarterback should be one of the top prospects at his position in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Dart does a lot of things very well. The Ole Miss offense, under Lane Kiffin, does a lot with RPOs and route combinations to help scheme open some throws, and Dart is very adept at the controls. He has a strong arm and excellent accuracy on downfield throws. The ability to throw the ball between layers of the defense when and where it needs to be is probably my favorite attribute of the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Dart.

When pressured, Dart gets conservative; he’s not a risk-taker when the protection breaks down. It keeps him from making the big mistake but also leaves some meat on the bone offensively; there were opportunities for Dart down the field if he wanted to try them while pressured against Mississippi State and Alabama. Dart also gets a little too predictable in escaping pressure by dropping deeper and to his right, something he can mix up a little more in 2024.

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Another trait that stands out is Dart’s willingness to let plays develop, even if his primary read isn’t initially there. He’s a lot better when he doesn’t have to come off that first read, but Dart can advance through progressions and make decisive throws if needed.

Mechanically, Dart has some work to do. He throws from different platforms and shoulder angles, which in and of itself can be a positive. But Dart doesn’t always rotate through his throws, and his shoulders, hips and feet don’t always stay aligned. Most of his inaccurate passes come from this more than timing or arm strength issues–especially on shorter throws.

There’s some early Deshaun Watson to Dart in that regard; Watson progressed during his Texans time at becoming more mechanically consistent and Dart certainly can grow there too. He’s just 21 and appears to be still physically maturing in his physique.

Dart can run effectively, and he’s got very good pre-snap instincts about when to run or keep it on the RPO. Not many NFL offenses use that, alas, but if a red zone set presents itself, Dart can be very effective working the option. He’s tough without being reckless.

Entering the ’24 college season for the Rebels, I like Dart’s all-around skill package. He’s in the Michael Penix Jr./Bo Nix range as they entered their final seasons, and it’s easy to see Dart ascend into that draft range with an impressive CFB season. It’s also entirely possible Dart stays in the Day 2 range where certain teams will like him a lot more than others, a la Will Levis or Desmond Ridder.

2025 NFL Draft first impression: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

2025 NFL Draft first impression on Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who has some great high-end abilities entering the CFB season

The 2024 NFL Draft lacked a lot of sizzle at the running back position, with just one RB selected before the third round. That figures to change in 2025, and Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is a good early candidate to be one of the first RBs selected next April.

Jeanty is a compactly built 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds, though he has stated this offseason that he packed on a few more pounds of muscle. For a back of his style, the extra bulk won’t hurt him one bit.

Jeanty has very good vision and reads blocks exceptionally well as he gets the handoff. He’s a decisive runner; no wasted motion, no second thoughts or dancing into a gap. Boise’s run blocking in front of him was strong, notably in power-gap scheme, and Jeanty aggressively attacks the gaps. It’s rare to see Jeanty not find the hole or choose the wrong path.

He’s not a speed back. The biggest knock on Jeanty that I can see is his lack of breakaway speed; he will get caught from behind in the open field regularly. The upshot is that Jeanty understands he’s not going to win footraces very often, and he’s got really keen balance and subtle hip and foot tricks when he’s getting caught that help him maximize his yardage. That was especially evident in Boise State’s games against Memphis and Air Force.

Where Jeanty really augments his value is his work in the passing game. There might not be a better receiving RB in college football entering 2024. He caught 44 passes on 48 targets, showing excellent hands. While the routes typically weren’t more sophisticated than swings or backside outlets, Jeanty made the most of them. The instant transition from receiver to runner is something that NFL teams will love. His ability to angle and veer while at full speed nicely compensates for the lack of home-run speed.

Short-yardage and between-the-tackles work, which looks like something his body type and north-south style would excel at, is something of a mixed bag. If the initial hole isn’t there, Jeanty doesn’t have a lot of improvisational ability. He also falls in love a little too much with his spin move, which is great at times but also gets predictable when binging on his game tape.

Overall, Jeanty is a very impressive prospect for a team looking for a hard-nosed back with plus receiving skills and the ability to make the first tackler miss. He would have been in the mix for the top RB grade in the ’24 draft class and I suspect he’ll do that in 2025, too.

2025 NFL Draft first impression: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

2025 NFL Draft first impression of Michigan CB Will Johnson, an early top-10 overall projection

The Michigan Wolverines have been a defensive powerhouse over the last few seasons, churning several early draft picks into the NFL. Next year looks to be no exception even after the coaching regime change in Ann Arbor, and cornerback Will Johnson looks to lead the charge.

A 6-foot-2, 202-pound Detroit-area native, Johnson has proven himself to be one of the most talented and athletically gifted cornerbacks in college football already. He started as a freshman and quickly proved his playmaking abilities with three INTs. Johnson built on that with a very impressive 2023 college season, displaying skills that have him projected as a potential top-10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

It’s easy to see why Johnson is so highly regarded when watching his game film. I’ve also had the chance to see him play in person twice (Rutgers in ’23 and Illinois in ’22), and those live viewings are equally impressive.

The first thing that stands out with Johnson is his size. He looks bigger than the already big 6-2/202 listing, both length and weight. Johnson is very muscular and well-proportioned. Just as importantly for football purposes, he understands how to move fluidly and seamlessly as a taller outside cornerback.

Having said that, there are times when Johnson gets too upright in coverage. It’s most noticeable in the transition from backpedal to breaking forward. He can also get too tall and a little clunky when trying to make a tackle out of transitions. That’s normal for a long CB; it’s only noteworthy that Johnson doesn’t break the mold there.

Michigan didn’t ask him to jam a lot in the games I watched. He’s most often playing off-man and zone concepts. In the times he did press, notably against 2024 No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Ohio State game, Johnson had a nice initial jam with the hands and then relied on his speed and fluid feet to go into reactionary mode. Some NFL defenses will want him to do better sustaining the jam and proactively steering the wideout than what Johnson has shown thus far.

Befitting a former high school wide receiver, Johnson has a “my ball” mentality with the pigskin flying. He’s got great hands and body control with the ball in the air. His click-and-close ability on quick-hitting routes is definitely impressive, and he’s often going for the ball as instantly as the intended target. Route anticipation is good-not-great in man coverage but has shown development, and that hopefully continues in the 2024 college season.

One thing to watch from Johnson at Michigan this coming season is how well he adapts to new running mates in the secondary. He played next to second-rounder Mike Sainristil in the slot a lot, and Sainristil was one of the smartest and most reliable slot CBs in recent college football memory. Johnson himself did get some slot work, but he’ll need to improve his tackling approach and containment reliability to kick inside in the NFL. He’s a much better outside corner prospect with his length, mentality and long speed.

Johnson’s playmaking mindset and proven ability to make plays on the ball–at his size and speed–make him a premium CB prospect. If he continues to grow his game and smooth over some areas of concern, Johnson should be prominent in the conversation for the first cornerback to come off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.

2025 NFL Draft first impression: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

2025 NFL Draft first impression of Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter, perhaps the best athlete in the draft class of 2025

Normally when I sit down to watch a prospect, I wind up fast-forwarding through half the game because the player isn’t on the field. That is not the case with Colorado athlete Travis Hunter.

Hunter plays both cornerback and wide receiver for the Buffaloes, and he does both at a high enough level to consider him a high draft pick at either position. Head coach Deion Sanders has not given a lean one way or the other on where Hunter will be more heavily utilized, and Hunter himself hasn’t publicly declared if he prefers to be a wideout or corner prospect.

That’s important in the evaluation process, because it forces the evaluation to focus more on the general athletic ability than technical skills. And Hunter certainly has a tremendous amount of athletic ability no matter where he lines up on the field.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder has instant acceleration and almost unreal lateral agility and flexibility on the move. He can cut hard at full speed and not lose much momentum. Hunter’s top speed and “chase gear” are both elite and he understands how to use each on both sides of the ball.

While I definitely see a potential high pick at wide receiver, my initial impression is that Hunter is a better prospect at cornerback. His innate ability to bait quarterbacks and make plays on the ball in the air is rare. It does bring to mind his Colorado head coach in his Prime as the best playmaking corner of his era.

Hunter uses his length and fluidity very well to match up against outside wide receivers. While he’s not that physical in coverage, he can effectively steer and disrupt with his quick reactions and length on the outside. There might not be a better corner in the country at reacting to and jumping comeback routes and double moves on shorter routes. The way in which Hunter controls his twitchiness is special.

He’s also a good tackler. A lot of times, speedy cornerbacks have a tendency to overrun the point of attack. That rarely happens with Hunter, who can break down and control his approach. He does tend to get a little tall in run defense.

Right now, I would consider Hunter more of an athletic project at wide receiver. Don’t mistake that for lacking skill or talent; his speed, body control and playmaking panache shine on offense, too. However, it’s easier to find other players who can offer what Hunter does on offense than what he brings at cornerback.

NFL teams typically eschew playing guys on both sides of the ball, but Hunter might make an exception. It’s easy to envision Hunter being a starting outside corner and also getting 10-15 snaps a game as a No. 3 WR or speed package player. He sure looks like a player who will be considered in the top 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft if he remains healthy and continues to progress his technical skills, especially at CB.

2025 NFL Draft first impression: J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State

Tuimoloau has shown he can dominate in some situations, but there is room for more development in the 2024 college season

Ohio State EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau is regarded as one of the top pass-rushing prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft as the 2024 college season approaches. His return to the Buckeyes after being considered a top-50 type of prospect in the 2024 draft is a solid starting point for the intriguing Tuimoloau.

In the seven Ohio State games I studied to get a handle on Tuimoloau, I saw an impressive power-to-speed rusher with a nice, low burst off the snap. There is some nice lower-body power and leg drive that allows him to stun a blocker who gets too tall in his stance. Witness his feature game…

Tuimoloau definitely made a huge impression against Penn State back in 2022. He dominated future first-round offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, exposing Fashanu’s lack of instincts and too-tall recovery technique. As bad as Tuimoloau made Fashanu look, he destroyed all other Nittany Lions even more.

The 2023 rematch also went in Tuimoloau’s favor, and it showcased his ability to attack from multiple alignments and angles. Left or right, standing up or stacked tight and low, he’s capable of getting into the pads of the blocker and establishing the initial advantage very well.

Yet when Tuimoloau squared off against 2024 first-rounder Joe Alt and Notre Dame, he had exactly one win on the day. His high hand placement and lack of secondary hand usage after the initial contact made Tuimoloau a little too easy for Alt to completely negate as a pass rusher. In that same game, when No. 44 tried the other side, he did find some success by winning easier with an initial burst and bull-rushing drive.

Another asset to his game that stood out is Tuimoloau’s ball awareness. He’s very good at recognizing where the ball is and where it’s going. There is some comfort in his ability to sniff out a backside cut or a screen coming his way. Above-average power behind his pads and good wrap technique make Tuimoloau a plus tackler, too.

Continued development of his hand usage after initial contact and more countermoves to get off a block would be the biggest step Tuimoloau can take in 2024 to ensure he’s a high pick in 2025. Right now, he’s a promising power-type player with upside but some frustrating traits that would have kept him in the third- or fourth-round grade range had he come out in 2024.

20 Shrine Bowl players to know before practices kick off

20 Shrine Bowl prospects to know for the 2024 NFL draft before practices kick off

The 99th annual East-West Shrine Bowl week is coming up quickly. Over 100 draft prospects will go through practices and interviews with scouting personnel from all 32 NFL teams in hopes of improving their stock for the 2024 NFL draft.

This year’s Shrine Bowl moves to The Star in Frisco, Texas. Practices kick off on Saturday and run through Tuesday, with the game scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on Thursday, February 1st.

Here are some of the top players to know from the East and West rosters, which will be coached by current NFL assistants across several teams.

Shrine Bowl announces some exciting early commitments

The East-West Shrine Bowl has announced some intriguing 2024 NFL draft prospect commitments for the classic all-star game

The first few commitments for the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl are starting to get out. The postseason all-star game is attracting some exciting prospects to the week of practices and the Shrine Bowl game, which has moved to the Dallas Cowboys training complex in Frisco, Texas for the first time.

One of my personal favorites is Boston College IOL Christian Mahogany. The intense competitor is one of the best on-the-move blockers in the draft class. Mahogany is in the Wyatt Teller mold of physical guard and could be a late Day 2 pick. He’s currently my No. 63 overall player.

One of the top candidates for the fastest player in the draft has also committed. TCU safety Mark Perry, a former Pac-12 100m sprint champion at Colorado while also playing football, can absolutely fly to the point of attack. Perry is a productive tackler who aggressively attacks the run and short passes, and is generally regarded as a late-round prospect at this point.

Looking for a Day 3 sleeper at center? Kingsley Eguakun from Florida is a good one. Eguakun has NFL-ready skills in the pivot, but he’s been out of the scouting spotlight because he missed most of 2023 with an injury. He’s ready to roll in the Shrine Bowl and could be one of the biggest risers of the practice week.

Finally, South Dakota State RB Isaiah Davis figures to be one of the top FCS-level prospects in the draft. I haven’t seen Davis yet in 2023, but he made quite an impression in the 2022 FCS playoffs with his ability to run through tackles and balance after contact. At 220 pounds, Davis is a load to try and tackle in space and he’s shown he can catch the ball out of the backfield, too.

LSU WR Brian Thomas is one of the college season’s biggest draft risers

LSU WR Brian Thomas is one of the college season’s biggest draft risers and a potential first-rounder

LSU’s passing offense has been an impressive watch in 2023 as a collection. Quarterback Jayden Daniels and wideout Malik Nabors tend to get most of the publicity — and they’re both deserving of prominent draft consideration in April.

Yet it’s the “other” Tigers wide receiver who might have the most NFL impact. Brian Thomas continues to show he’s a major weapon and playmaker, not to mention one of the biggest early-season risers in the draft evaluation process.

Thomas, a 6-foot-4 junior, caught 31 passes for 365 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 in a supporting role. Not a bad year, but not exactly attention-grabbing for anyone outside of the SEC West. Thomas has everyone’s attention now after topping all those numbers in the first six games of 2023.

Thomas has always had good size and speed, but he appears to have added more lean muscle to his 205-pound frame. It’s helped him through contact and given him better balance. He’s always had the ball tracking and strong hands, but Thomas has added more polish and attention to detail to his game.

Getting botth feet down on catches like this is exactly what the NFL wants to see from a big target in the red zone.

That’s one of his nine touchdowns through the first six games, and it highlights his ability to make the difficult catch.

Thomas has been more consistent in working in-breaking routes from his typical outside alignment. He’s quick to recognize the coverage and find soft spots between zones and inside cover brackets.

If he keeps up the impressive play and chooses to declare, Thomas could find himself being a first-round pick with instant impact potential. Not bad for a guy who entered the year as a lower-regarded player to watch.