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Keep up with our real-time fantasy reactions for the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 2025 NFL Draft is finally upon us, and prospects are now rookies with NFL cities to call home. Follow along for real-time analysis of the opening round’s impact on fantasy football plans for the upcoming season and beyond.
Fantasy draft season may not be close to hitting its crescendo, but hardcore gamers have been selecting players prior to the conclusion of the collegiate bowl season. It’s time to let the real fun begin!
Jeanty trades a record-setting 2024 performance to become the most coveted fantasy NFL rookie
This is the much-coveted running back in the NFL and in every fantasy draft this summer. In a running back class that is considered to be very strong and deep this year, Ashton Jeanty remains the top back and a lock to be the first selected. He is an unquestioned first-rounder, potentially Top-10 and even a Top-5 if the New England Patriots want him at No. 4, which is not out of the question.
Jeanty shared the backfield at Boise State as a freshman with George Holani, but took over the next year as the pair flipped their respective roles, and Jeanty cemented his importance to the Broncos offense.
With Holani gone in 2024, Jeanty shouldered a monster workload with 374 carries. His final season proved to be epic, breaking all school records, including rushing for 267 yards in a single game. His 2,601 yards and 29 rushing touchdowns led the nation, and he swept the awards by winning the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, and was No. 2 in Heisman voting.
Even more amazing, he enters the NFL with a chip on his shoulder from not winning the Heisman like Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram, Reggie Bush, Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne.
His 2024 performance adjusted for a 17 game season would have been 450 carries for 3,100 yards. It was a very busy year. His 374 rushes rank No. 12 all-time in college and Jeanty fell just 27 yards short of Barry Sanders’ all-time single-season rushing record.
Height: 5-9
Weight: 211 pounds
40 time: 4.45 seconds (estimated)
He attended the NFL Combine but did not run a 40-yard dash nor at his Pro Day. The assumption is that he had nothing to gain by running it and there is plenty of tape to watch that confirms what sort of player he is and how his speed matches up against defenses.
Ashton Jeanty stats (2022-24)
While this is a strong class of rushers, Ashton Jeanty is considered in a tier of his own. He’s looked at as a generational runner that carries not only all the physical characteristics to be successful, but is an intelligent and dedicated player who loves to run the ball.
He is slightly smaller than a prototypical back, but he is also the same size as LaDainian Tomlinson and Alvin Kamara, with whom he has both been compared.
This player is who all fantasy teams will want to see on their roster. Depending on where he ends up, Jeanty could very well end up as a Top-10 fantasy draft selection. There’s no need to further describe his potential in the NFL. He’s been linked to the New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys as potential landing spots.
Cam Ward steps up as the best quarterback in the NFL Draft
Cam Ward is the consensus first pick of the 2025 NFL draft, but he spun through three colleges. His first start was at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, which was the only scholarship that he was offered. After two seasons in the Southland Conference, he transferred to Washington State where he became an immediate starter.
Ward played two seasons for the Cougars and peaked in 2023 with 3,736 yards and 25 touchdowns, plus ran in eight more scores. He graduated from Washington State and declared for the NFL draft, but changed his mind and entered the NCAA transfer portal thanks to the extra year allowed from the COVID rules.
The return to college was prompted by a desire to improve his draft stock and take advantage if the NIL rules in college football that allowed payments to players. He led the Hurricanes to a 10-2 record but they missed out on the College Football Playoffs, settling for the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Ward was the ACC Player of the Year, and was the Davey O’Brien and the Manning Award winner as the best college quarterback for 2024.
Ward finished fourth in the Heisman voting. He set the Miami single-season record with 4,313 passing yards and 39 passing touchdowns led the nation.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 219 pounds
40 time: 4.64 seconds
He declined to workout at the NFL Combine and instead attended the Miami Pro Day. He demonstrated his elite arm and mechanics with only a few errant throws. He helped cement his place as the top college quarterback in this draft.
Cam Ward stats (2022-24)
This is the one player with no need for much conjecture. He is expected by all to be the first pick in the NFL draft, the only question is whether the Titans hold onto that pick or trade it away. This is not considered to be a strong class of quarterbacks and had Ward declared last year, he would not have been the first selected and likely taken deeper in the draft behind several others.
But – he is as good as it gets for 2025 and any team needing a franchise quarterback would love to land him. It has become more certain that the Titans will hold that No. 1 pick and will start 2025 with a new rookie quarterback in Ward.
HC Brian Callahan will start his second season in Tennessee with the franchise quarterback that his scheme needs. His Year 1 fantasy value is likely only marginal as he learns the position, but that Titans may use the draft to also boster their receiving corps that currently is little more than Calvin Ridley. Ward has obvious dynasty value, but pending any major upgrades to the receivers, the rookie will likely remain as just fantasy depth.
Tetairoa McMillan is likely the best receiver in this draft and a lock for an early first-round pick
Born Hawaiian, Tetairoa McMillan grew up in Southern California where he was a finalist for the state Gatorade Football Player of the Year. He was a five-star recruit who committed to the University of Oregon and then switched to the University of Arizona. Joining the Wildcats again paired him with his high school quarterback Noah Fifita who had already committed to the school and was a part of the reason for McMillan’s change from Oregon.
McMillan started as a freshman while the Wildcats looked for him to become an immediate game-changer using his height and receiving skills with rare speed for his size. He took over the receivers in his breakout sophomore season when his 90 catches were double that of any other Arizona receiver.
The Wildcats went 10-3 that season but then head coach Jedd Fisch left to lead Washington. For 2024, McMillan remained while the rebuilding Wildcats only managed a 4-8 record. He continued to double the production of any other receiver and still turned in a fine 1,319-yard season. He declared for the NFL draft and leaves Arizona as one of the top receivers in school history, including No. 1 with 3,423 receiving yards.
Height: 6-4
Weight: 219 pounds
40 time: 4.48 seconds (Pro Day)
McMillan was immediately considered to be one of the top wideouts – if not THE top wideout – in the 2025 draft class. He has all of the physical measureables of a future elite wideout in the NFL but changes quarterbacks for the first time since middle school.
Tetairoa McMillan stats (2022-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
McMillan enters the draft process with the physical characteristics and proven production that make NFL teams salivate. This is the model of a No. 1 possession receiver who can play the outside and catch passes all over the field. He would be considered an elite receiving talent regardless of size and adding in that 6-4 height and catch radius puts him over the top for potential.
He’s just as dangerous with the ball, able to power through many of the smaller defensive backs and yet with enough elusiveness to to make some defenders entirely miss when they try to tackle him.
McMillan can fit in as a team No. 1 receiver, which he’s been for his entire career or he can be added to a passing offense that already has a busy slot receiver and play the X role that forces cornerbacks and safeties to make tough coverage decisions on every pass play. He is expected to become an immediate impact player wherever he ends up.
He is expected to be selected in the top half of the first round, if not the Top-10. He’s been linked to the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
One aspect to McMillan has to be mentioned, if only because it may impact how NFL teams view him as an expensive early draft pick. A clip from a 2023 podcast appearance had him asked if he liked football, to which he responded, “No, not at all.” And he said that he did not personally study film because the team would go over it anyway. That may not be true or an issue of any kind, as many NFL players are performing a job that pays incredibly well as incentive enough. But it’s an unfortunate potential ding on him.
Skattebo gets his latest opportunity to show why he’s undervaled
After graduating from Rio Linda High School in California, Cam Skattebo committed to Sacramento State as the only Division 1 college offer he received. He played there for two seasons, turning in a big year as a sophomore when he was named to the Big Sky Conference first team and was named the Big Sky offensive player of the year.
That led to a transfer in 2023 to Arizona State, where he became the immediate starter and backfield workhorse, limited mostly by a Sun Devils team that went 3-9 on the season on an offense that used four quarterbacks.
In 2024, Arizona State bounced back to a 11-3 record, led firmly by Skattebo who rushed 293 times for 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns which led the Big 12, along with his 338 plays and 2,316 total yards from scrimmage. His senior season saw him dominate the conference. He set the school record for total rushing yards in a season and finished only behind Ashton Jeanty in rushing yards for the FBS. He was fifth in the Heisman voting.
Height: 5-10
Weight: 219 pounds
40 time: 4.65 seconds (unofficial)
Skattebo skipped the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine from a nagging hamstring issue but later ran a 4.65 in a private workout. But he helped his case with a 39.5″ vertical and a 10’3″ broad jump that showed off his elite burst.
Cam Skattebo stats (2022-24)
(Stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
Skattebo always takes advantage of his opportunities. He went from a Sac State star in the Big Sky Conference to taking leading the Big 12 in all rushing metrics and ended up as a Heisman finalist. He’s an “angry” runner and averaged 26 touches per game last year while almost single-handedly leading the Sun Devils to an 11-3 record.
He’s been successful no matter which school or conference he played in and was the Big 12 Championship MVP because he always shows up in the biggest games. Add in soft hands and an unwillingness to be tackled after the catch and Skattebo checks pretty much all the boxes for a successful NFL workhorse back… except for one.
There’s no arguing his success, but his limiting concern is his speed. Had he ran at the NFL Combine, speculation was that he might have been the slowest back. But – he’s a beast on the field with power, speed, agility, and football intelligence. And proven production. Terrell Davis ran a 4.72 40-time and others have succeeded in the NFL at similar times. Skattebo may not impress wearing shorts on a track, but his football speed has always been more than adquate.
He’s expected to be drafted on Day 2. He’s been linked to the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Dallas Cowboys. He could go anywhere with a Round 2 or Round 3 grade. He’ll be sensitive to the situation he finds on his new NFL team, but Skattebo looks like a lock to be nearly everyone’s favorite sleeper rookie. There is not a role for a running back that Skattebo cannot fill.
Central Florida/Okalahoma/Oregon’s Dillon brings six years of experience to the NFl
There are veteran college quarterbacks, and then there is Dillon Gabriel with six seasons as a starter.
Gabriel was raised in Hawaii and his father was a quarterback for the University of Hawaii. He was the Gatorade High School Player for the state in 2018 and broke Tua Tagovailoa’s state high school record for career passing yards. He committed to the University of Central Florida and became their starter midway through the Knights first game and remained so for three years. His third year ended after just three games due to a broken clavicle that did not need surgery, just rest.
Rather than return for a fourth year, he entered the transfer portal and initially chose UCLA but a few weeks later changed his mind and headed to Oklahoma where he played for two more seasons. For 2024, he again entered the transfer portal and landed in Oregon for his final year.
Gabriel holds the NCAA record with 156 career touchdown passes and is second with 18,722 yards passing yards. For comparison, Joe Burrow has thrown for 19,001 yards in the NFL. Jalen Hurts totals 14,667 pass yards. Gabriel benefitted from the additional seasons thanks to the COVID change in rules for players affected.
Height: 5-11
Weight: 205 pounds
40 time: 4.94 seconds (unofficial)
Gabriel will turn 25 by the end of this season. Trevor Lawrence and Ja’Marr Chase are both 25 years old as well. Gabriel is an older and more experienced quarterback than most any others. He declined to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine like most quarterbacks, but it did not help his cause when he was 5-11 – three inches shorter than any other quarterback and tied for the smallest-sized hands. At 205 pounds, he was easily the lightest quarterback as well.
Gabriel was a Heisman finalist.
Dillon Gabriel stats (2019-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
Dillon Gabriel has been successful in all three stops and rolled up record-setting career stats in the NCAA. Then again, he started for six seasons when most college quarterbacks leave after two big years. He is projected to be a mid-Day 3 pick and most likely slotted for being a backup in the NFL unless he gets an injury-caused opportunity and shines.
There is a chance he is taken by a team that will eventually want to give him a chance to start, and he is intelligent and far more experienced that any other rookie. He just has to compensate for his lack of size. He is almost the exact same size as Russell Wilson, who is an outlier among otherwise six-foot tall quarterbacks. There are also a mountain of other short quarterbacks who did not pan out.
Some potential suitors are the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots but those are for quarterback depth more than an immediate starter. Barring a draft pick in an ideal situation and even then, more likely later in the season, Gabriel doesn’t project enough fantasy potential for this year, but he’ll carry dynasty value.
Loveland brings all the phyiscal attributes and a monster catch radius to become elite in the NFL
Colston Loveland starred in football and basketball at his Idaho high school. He played linebacker and tight end while catching 35 touchdowns there. He was a four star recruit that ranked in the top 250 players in the country and was considered the No. 1 player in Idaho as a senior when he won the 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year.
Loveland fielded offers from multiple colleges, including Michigan, Alabama, LSU and Auburn. He opted for the Wolverines and became a starter as a freshman. As a sophomore, he was an integral part of the passing attack for Michigan during their National Championship run. He was their leading receiver in that final game.
His junior season saw him considered the premier tight end in the college ranks to start the year and expected to be an eventual first-round NFL pick. He turned in another fine season, slightly less productive from missing one game and the Wolverines descent from the Championship season to only 8-5. He was a finalist for the John Mackey Award as the best tight end and declared for the NFL draft instead of returning for his senior season.
Height: 6-6
Weight: 248 pounds
40 time: 4.7 seconds (unofficial)
Loveland declined to run a 40-yard dash like the other top tight ends at the NFL Combine, but he runs around a 4.7 40-time – not blazing but plenty fast for a 6-6 tight end who was the tallest at his position. He did not work out at the Michigan Pro Day on March 21 due to offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for training camp this summer.
Player stats (2022-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
Loveland is considered one of the top three tight ends in this draft, and most likely goes in the first round or early second for a team looking to add receiving help. He has all the components of an elite tight in physical measurables and has proven successful on the field despite playing on Michigan’s moderate passing attack.
The expectations are very high for Loveland, who will be a receiver first and blocker second. It would be no surprise for him to end up as a Top-10 fantasy tight end if only in a year or two. Where he lands will have an impact like any player, but in the right situation, he could offer fantasy startability even as a rookie.
Loveland still needs further development but he’s a tight-end prospect that will be much coveted by NFL teams and will be expensive enough in the draft that his new team will have every intention of getting him onto the field and contributing as quickly as they can. He’s a strong consideration for the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos.
Jayden Higgins continues to rise up draft boards
After excelling in football and basketball at his Florida high school, Jayden Higgins committed to the Eastern Kentucky Colonels from the United Athletic Conference, a collection of nine small colleges. He caught 58 passes for 757 yards and ten touchdowns in his sophomore year and opted to transfer to the larger Iowa State for his final two seasons.
Higgins quickly became a difference-maker as the lead receiver for both years, while sharing the limelight with fellow wideout Jaylin Noel last year. Noel has also declared for the NFL draft.
He was highly effective and logged five 100-yard performances last year and his personal best was 214 yards on nine catches at the 2023 Liberty Bowl. His first season saw him average 18.5 yards per catch. After two successful seasons with a top program, Higgins declared for the NFL draft.
Height: 6-4
Weight: 214 pounds
40 time: 4.47 seconds
Higgins was a standout at the NFL Combine. He had been an early Day 3 prospect initially, but he made a big case for being a Day 2 prospect by running a 4.47 40-time while 6-4 in height. He also had the largest hand size among the wide receivers. He also scored in the Senior Bowl to draw more attention. He has risen in the projections all spring and continues to gain momentum.
Jayden Higgins stats (2023-24)
Pros
Higgins was smart leaving Eastern Kentucky for the big lights of Iowa State. He’s made a name for himself in short order and while he has the speed/size ratio of a top receiver, he’s a very capable receiver that can succeed at all three levels of the defense. Even aside from his physical advantages, this is a playmaker who understands the position and offers precise routes and a huge target to his quarterback.
He’s a complete receiver who maximizes his strengths. He projects as an inside possession receiver who should eventually own the middle of the field on slants and crossing routes. He’s not likely to rely on vertical routes for his best impact but has only improved every year in college and more than handled top college defenses for the last two seasons.
While Higgins has plenty to offer any NFL team, he’s been linked to the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers. His Year 1 potential is heavily reliant on where he eventually lands, but Higgins carries the potential to become a No. 2 wideout and even a primary target if only in a year or two.
The Longhorns’ Matthew Golden scorches with a 4.29 40-time
After starring in high school in Houston, Texas, Matthew Golden initially committed to TCU but later opted for the University of Houston. He was a starter even as a freshman, but was never the primary wideout there. He entered the transfer portal at the end of 2023 and switched to the University of Texas Longhorns.
His only season in Austin saw him lead the offense in receiving yards (987) and touchdowns (9), helping the Longhors to reach their third playoff game before losing to Ohio State, the eventual College Football National Championship winner. He ended with a gaudy 17.0 yard receiving average.
Height: 5-11
Weight: 191 pounds
40 time: 4.29 seconds
Fast.
Very fast.
Golden’s 4.29 40-time was tops at the 2025 NFL Combine. He enters the NFL draft with a chance to be one of the first wideouts selected thanks to that blazing speed and his fine 2024 performance during his only season with the Longhorns. Golden also served as a kick returner at both Houston and Texas.
Matthew Goolden stats (2022-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
Matthew Golden was one of the more talked about wideouts at the NFL Combine, where he elevated his stock with that 40-time. He was already quick and shifty, but his top-end speed is not something that can be taught or easily covered if he ever gets behind the secondary.
The expectation is that Golden will be a first-round selection for a team looking to ramp up their passing offense with a speed demon. He’ll carry fantasy value even as a rookie though it may take a season or two before he offers consistent play. If he lands on an offense with an above-average passer who has enough time to let Golden get downfield, consider Golden as an enticing Best Ball option with likely several high-yardage performances – just maybe not yet consistent enough for weekly redraft league play.
His return abilities are very likely to be used, at least early in his career. He’s a homerun hitter with a couple of return touchdowns in college. He met with even teams at the NFL Combine. He’s considered an attractive prospect for the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams. It is certainly not impossible for him to be a team’s leading wideout as a rookie, but most landing spots will see him contend for a No. 2 or No. 3 role for this year.
Ayomanor’s upside and potential has not been fully tapped
Elic Ayomano is a Canadian who started high school in Alberta and finished the final two years in Deerfield, Massachusetts, where he was a track and football star. He selected Stanford from his multiple scholarship offers.
He tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus as a senior in high school, and then suffered a separate knee injury as a freshman and redshirted his first year. He wasted no time making an impact when he finally was able to play, logging a 1,000-yard season that first year as the Cardinal’s top receiver – no other player totaled more than 409 receiving yards or two scores.
His junior season wasn’t quite as effective but he still dominated the receiving stats on an otherwise mediocre Stanford team that only went 3-9 on the season and passed for just 2,295 yards while spinning through three quarterbacks. Ayomanor was again the lone bright spot. He set the school single-game record with 294 receiving yards in the double overtime victory at Colorado in 2023.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 206 pounds
40 time: 4.44 seconds
Ayomanor measured as the prototypical size for a wideout and ran a reasonably quick sub-4.5 40-time at the NFL Combine. Added plus – only one other receiver had larger hands than Ayomanor.
Elic Ayomanor stats (2023-24)
Pros
Elic Ayomanor was easily the best weapon for the Stanford passing attack for the last two seasons, and played without the benefit of an elite quarterback. He still shined, playing multiple roles and making a difference all over the defense. He needs to clean up his drops, but after two years in college, already presents a receiver that can contribute even as a rookie.
His upside and potential are still undefined and he’ll get the opportunity to take his skills and impact to the next level in the NFL. That should buy him a Day 2 selection for a team looking a receiver who can contribute from the start.
He projects as an outside receiver with a large catch radius. If he can land on a top passing offense with one of the better NFL quarterbacks, his learning curve will shorten and his Year 1 impact will have the potential for fantasy value.
