Every NFL offseason, I eschew my wife and children, friends and relatives, and sit down at my desk day after day, night after night, to watch a bunch of college kids.
It’s called NFL Draft preparation, and I might be addicted to it.
With the 49ers going nowhere fast this past winter, I had even more time to spend on the draft, which is proving to be the backbone of the 49ers’ offseason plan.
Starting in December, I went to work. In all, I’ve evaluated over 300 Draft-eligible players (with about 75 non-Draft eligible players in the can for next year), watched too many All-22 games to count, broke a PlayStation 4 controller (I used it to toggle through the game film), and drank more Coke Zero than any human rightfully should consume.
There was also a baby born in the middle of the process, but I didn’t let that deter me. My priorities are clear:
If you throw a name at me, I have a scouting report and opinion on him. It’s in a binder that you will never get to read, and should be handy to me for a grand total of three days at the end of the month.
And amid all of that “grinding,” there were 40 names that I came back to again and again.
Yes, forty players received my full stamp of approval. If given a chance, I would bang the table for these guys.
As I just spent a few months developing this list, I figured I’d share it here. Consider it a cheat sheet for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Oh, and John and Kyle, if you’re reading, feel free to take any of these players if you want me to give you an “A” on the draft grades.
— Day One Prospects —
Armand Membou – OT – MissouriHe won’t be there for the 49ers, but he represented an ideal pick: a future star left tackle with elite feet who has the hands and strength to play inside until Trent Williams retires.
Mykel Williams – DE – GeorgiaMy No. 1 defensive end. Opposing coaches will tell you who the best player on a team is. Every team’s offensive coordinator was petrified of Williams, who played through a brutal ankle injury for most of the 2024 season yet still won seemingly every rep he took.
Jalon Walker – LB – GeorgiaA tweener — too small to be an every-down edge rusher, too big to be a true linebacker.That sounds like a player a competent defensive coordinator could use to break opposing offenses.Beware of anyone who says he’s not a “fit.” This is the kind of talent that you fit your system for, not the other way around.
Josh Simmons – OT – Ohio StateHe would be the No. 1 offensive lineman on the board if he weren’t coming off a knee injury that tore his patellar tendon.
I’d channel my inner Trent Baalke and buy the dip.
Walter Nolen – DL – Ole MissI have heard about all the red flags. They’re sun-faded, at best. Nolen is a big personality, but clearly, I don’t have an issue with that. He’s also a massive talent and carries the highest potential of any one-gap defensive tackle in this draft. Frankly, all the negative talk seems like the Eagles trying to get him to fall to them in the first round. I’m not half joking.
Jahdae Barron – CB – TexasJust because he can tackle (a rarity at this position, it seems) does not mean he needs to play inside. Can he? Absolutely. But he is also a shut-down outside corner and my No. 1 at the position. Don’t overthink this.
Luther Burden – WR – MissouriMy No. 1 wide receiver. He’s a game-breaker of the highest order whose knocks can be easily explained — he was bored by an offense that used him more as a decoy than a weapon. He’s Garrett Wilson or Amon-Ra St. Brown, but you won’t see that until Week 1.
Nic Scourton – DL – Texas A&MMotor, motor, and more motor. Scourton was one of the gems of the 2024 transfer portal. While I preferred his tape from Purdue, he still had a great year with Texas A&M. I’ll pass on all these “projectable” defensive ends — guys with marginally more athleticism and far less of a feel for the game than Scourton, who can set edges, go inside or out, and has a refined bag of pass-rush moves. He’s something close to a perfect 5-technique.
— Day Two —-
Quinshon Judkins – RB – Ohio StateJudkins is my No. 1 running back in this draft (though it was close with his teammate, who also made this list). He gets the nod because he is an excellent pass blocker.
He does everything at a high level and plays with a fearlessness that cannot be taught and is vital to making it in the league. Finding someone who is genuinely plug-and-play as a three-down player at this position is nearly impossible. Judkins is that guy.
Trey Amos – CB – Ole MissClean, mature, no drama. Amos, like Renardo Green last year, will take a starting job as a rookie and not look back for a decade. And no one will know what his voice sounds like.
Maxwell Hairston – CB – KentuckyYou’ll hear this guy, though. He plays a big, loud game that pairs elite-level speed with physicality. You can’t teach what he has, and apparently, he’s a fast learner, as he has shown excellent progress at UK.
TreVeyeon Henderson – RB – Ohio StateI have no reservations about Henderson whatsoever. Another three-down plug-and-play back who carries a bit more hesitation than his teammate, Judkins, but has more home-run potential on outside zone runs.
Andrew Mukuba – S – TexasA tone setter in the backfield whose coverage and ball skills are underrated by the groupthink of the draft. He didn’t post elite testing numbers, but no one sees it better or goes harder.
Smael Mondon – LB – GeorgiaHe does it all. Exceptional downhill player, with strong coverage ability, to boot. I’d view him like a Temu Jalon Walker. And coming off a foot injury, you can get him at a considerable discount.
Cobee Bryant – CB – KansasA tough-as-nails, fight-you-in-the-parking-lot zone corner. Bryant lacks many traits you want in the draft, but he’s off-the-charts regarding attitude.
DJ Giddens – RB – Kansas StateHe was put on this planet to run outside zone and catch swing passes.
Wyatt Milium – OT – West VirginiaElite feet, smart hands, and a mean temperament can make up for short arms. Watch him own Abdul Carter for four quarters and tell me he can’t make it in the league.Ozzy Trapilo – OT – Boston College
Run-game mauler who drives you into the second deck of the stands.
Tyler Shough – QB – LouisvilleThere’s some real magic to Shough that I can’t shake. He can work the ball all over the field and finds ways to make off-balance throws with different arm angles to deliver. He’s all moxie, and while that might backfire spectacularly, it could also be exactly what your team needs.
Jacob Parrish – CB – Kansas StateSee Barron, Jahdae, but take off 15 percent of the athleticism. He’s a zone corner who will aid a run defense. What’s not to like?
CJ West – DT – IndianaAll he does is win. And when he’s not on the field, it’s painfully apparent — like a non-Nick Bosa snap for the Niners. He was a full bag of moves, a motor that could run forever, and a feel for angles that gives him an edge on every snap, even if he’s not an elite-level athlete. He is the prospect I am most sure will outperform his draft position.
Demetrius Knight – LB – South CarolinaExceptional closing speed and size. Put him in the 49ers’ downhill system and forget that Dre Greenlaw ever existed.
— Day Three —
Emery Jones – OG – LSUWhen he sets his feet, he does not move. Has clever hands, too. Just put him at guard and forget about him (in a good way) for the next half decade.
Elijhah Badger – WR – FloridaTyler Lockett was pretty good, right?
Well, here he is again. Badger is a second-year pro the second he walks into the league, as he can run a full route tree, gets after it in the run game, and has both sure hands and after-the-catch ability.
Why is he going on Day 3? Because Florida’s starting quarterback was awful. Badger is being penalized for keeping Graham Mertz in a job.
Luke Kandra – OG – CincinnatiYou don’t just move when he hits you; you go flying. Please give him a clear job on every play (something the run-first Niners would do) and profit.
Clay Webb – C – Jacksonville StateHe left Georgia because he wasn’t going to start. I love the UGA offensive line prospects, but I’ll bet on him starting sooner than the rest of them.
Brady Cook – QB – MissouriBrock Purdy believes that the ability to inspire teammates is the most overlooked aspect of quarterback evaluation. I can tell you firsthand — Brady Cook won’t have that problem. He, like Purdy, took Mizzou to new heights and was revered in the locker room and coaches’ offices. An elite athlete, he played most of 2024 injured, but still led Mizzou to another 10-win campaign. This is the kind of guy you take a flyer on.
Ricky White – WR – UNLVThis year’s Future Bo Melton award winner, White, was a game-changer for the Rebs on offense as the No. 1 receiver and on special teams as a punt blocker (four!). This guy is a football player, and I want him on my team.
Trevor Etienne – RB – GeorgiaElite vision and stop-and-go ability with excellent pass-catching chops. Don’t hold 2024 against him — he played in many games with big-time injuries. He’s not plug-and-play, but he’s a viable three-down back.
Rylie Mills – DT – Notre DameAnother consistent winner, Mills was one of the most impactful players in college football this last season, but is coming off an injury. He might be too skinny to be a true 1-technique. Then again, we also said that about DeForest Buckner coming out of Oregon. How’d that work out?
Fadil Diggs – DE – SyracuseLong, skinny, but a ton of moves and a nose for the ball. He’s Leonard Floyd at a tenth of the price.
Gavin Bartholomew – TE – PittOne of the few tight ends in this draft who can both block and catch. Pitt’s offense held him back — a little like how George Kittle was held back at Iowa. He’s probably more like Charlie Woerner, but with a knack for big catches.
Dan Jackson – S – GeorgiaOn the most talented defense in the country — one with a possible first-round selection at safety — Jackson was unquestionably the man running the show in the defensive backfield. That tells me that Kirby Smart thinks he’s a big-time player — even if Jackson looks like someone who should be doing your taxes.
Antwane Wells – WR – Ole MissHe was a do-it-all receiver held back by the spread-out nature of the college game. Get him in closer quarters, and watch him become the second coming of Ray-Ray McCloud.
Hollin Pearce – OT – RutgersThe biggest man on the football field. I guess you can try to go around him. You’re for sure not going through him. He’s quicker on his feet than any man of that size has the right to be, and he doesn’t just block you — he folds you up like laundry and places you in a drawer. He’ll need refinement at the NFL level — he’s fresh to the position — but he can be your Alaric Jackson.
Brandon George – LB – PittAnother player done dirty by Pitt’s scheme — George was effectively used as a defensive tackle, as the Panthers blitzed A-gap on what appeared to be every play.
An elite-level athlete, George looked like a natural on the few reps he was allowed to play linebacker. He had great vision, closing speed, and exceptional coverage potential. He might be the best linebacker in this draft, but he might not get drafted. Sometimes, this whole process makes no sense.
Damien Martinez – RB – MiamiEvery football team needs a running back eager to run through a defender’s face.
This is that player. He’s just a blast — pun intended — to watch.
Jackson Meeks – WR – SyracuseMeeks is a route-tree technician with exceptional hands and ball-tracking ability, which make up for his lack of elite athleticism. He’s also fearless. This guy will make your wide receiver room better.
Oronde Gadsen II – TE – SyracuseCan he block? Not really. But he might have the sweetest mitts in the game. Play him as a red-zone only receiver and give your quarterback a chance to win every 50-50 ball with his converted tight end.
Mac McWilliams – CB – UCFAt 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, he’s a little spitfire. I am buying that tenacity to raise the level of my team’s second-string and special teams.
Andrew Armstrong – WR – ArkansasDespite awful quarterback play all season, he was the SEC’s leading receiver in both yards and receptions. He’s also a tenacious blocker. I have sometimes felt like the only person who knew he existed. Surely there’s one NFL team that sees what I see.
Source: Paradise Post
