Cam Ward would’ve likely been no better than QB5 in last year’s draft class, but he’s QB1 in 2024. Teams had a late Day 2/Day 3 grade on him over the summer, but he’s made big strides this season; he’s playing more from the pocket, he’s getting the ball out on time, and he’s doing a better job of getting through his reads. We know about the athleticism and arm strength, but he’s gotten better each year he’s been in college, too.

My comp for Mason Graham over the summer was Christian Wilkins. My co-host on the “With the First Pick” podcast, Rick Spielman, took it a step further and said Quinnen Williams. Wherever you land, Graham is a special talent who headlines a deep defensive line class.

Good luck finding someone tougher than Sanders. He’ll stand in the pocket and take hit (after hit after hit) to make a play downfield. He’s not the best athlete and doesn’t have the arm strength of Cam Ward, but he does a lot of things really well. Would like to see him play on time more consistently, but part of that has to do with Colorado’s inconsistent offensive line.

Campbell has been my OT2 throughout and while he’s not as athletic as Kelvin Banks Jr., he’s been incredibly consistent throughout his LSU career. He had his struggles with Jared Verse in ’23 (who didn’t), and the formidable South Carolina front four gave him trouble at times in the fall, but good luck finding a left tackle more reliable play in and play out than Campbell.

A freakish athlete who moved from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher for the 2024 season. Carter is not Micah Parsons — not yet, anyway — but he’s just scratching the surface on what he can do.

Hunter is the best athlete — and the best player — in this draft class. We’ve had otherworldly cornerbacks and wide receivers in previous classes but he’s a two-fer, able to dominate on both sides of the ball and take over games. The big question where will the team that drafts him want him to play. And if it’s, say, at cornerback, how big will be the package of offensive plays for Hunter. Because lining up for 120 snaps a game, like he’s done for the Buffs, isn’t sustainable in the NFL.

Tetairoa McMillan is 6-foot-5, but he moves like a shifty slot receiver with the benefit of an enormous catch radius and the ability to make contested catches look easy. Think Drake London but a better athlete.

Georgia has a history of producing insane athletes and Mykel Williams might end up being the best of the group. He’s a first-round talent all day long, and he could end up being one of the first defenders off the board in April.

Johnson was my No. 1 player over the summer and he remains a top-10 talent. He battled a toe injury that sidelined him for much of the second half of the 2024 season, but when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best defenders in college football; there’s a reason the easy comp for him is Patrick Surtain.

Banks was my OT1 over the summer and nothing’s changed. He’s athletic, has good feet, plays with balance, power and uses hands well. He’s better in pass protection than the run right now, but it’s close — and he’s only going to get better.

Campbell is, in a word, explosive. He can rush the pass from the edge, or play off-ball linebacker and he’ll look like the best player on the field from either position. He’s one of the best athletes in this class, and the scary part is he’s just scratching the surface; he’s going to get bigger, stronger and faster — he won’t turn 21 until February.

Is Jeanty a luxury pick? That depends; is Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs luxury picks? Because Jeanty is that type of impact back. He hasn’t been used nearly as much in the pass game, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do it.

Tyler Warren has accounted for roughly 75 percent of Penn State’s offense (we’re ballparking that, don’t quote us), as a receiver, passer and runner. No player has done more for his draft stock than Warren, who was a late Day 2/Day 3 pick over the summer.

Put aside for the moment that Malaki Starks is an elite athlete who can line up anywhere in the secondary; he’s also one of the smartest players on the field, and that combination is what makes him a top-10 talent.

Walker is listed as an off-ball linebacker, but he can line up anywhere … and wreak havoc from anywhere. Very interested to see how NFL teams plan to use him at the next level.

For an edge rusher, Stewart is enormous, and he’ll play too high at times but he can collapse the pocket with his size/power/strength. A quick first step, even for his size, with the power to shoot gaps. And when the bull rush doesn’t get home, his huge frame allows him to knock down passes. He has a hair-on-fire motor who consistently plays with power and athleticism.

Loveland is listed at 6-5, 237 pounds, and while he runs like he’s 185, he plays like he’s 260. He’ll run through open-field arm tackles all day long, he has an enormous catch radius and he’s a precise route runner, looking like a receiver at times in his movement skills. He’s a willing blocker, but like most pass-catching tight ends coming into the league, he’ll need to improve in this area.

Membou is just 6-foot-3 … and I do not care. He was one of the most reliable right tackles in college football in 2024 and while he doesn’t have ideal size, based on his tape alone, he’s a guy who you put at right tackle until he proves he can’t handle it at the next level. Worst case: You have a perennial Pro Bowl guard for the next decade.

Scourton is a power rusher who will long-arm you into the stands. He’ll also flash an inside spin move that puts OTs on their heels. Add the non-stop motor with which he plays and it’s hard not to love his game. My podcast co-host, Rick Spielman, calls him a more athletic Keion White.

This defensive line class is incredibly deep and in previous years Nolen probably goes off the board a little higher. Either way, he explodes off the ball while also being strong as an ox. At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, he won’t be mistaken for, say, Dexter Lawrence, but don’t be fooled; he can plays stout against double teams, and is quick to get off blocks and get to the ball.

The numbers don’t blow you away (66 catches, 771 yards), but don’t be fooled; Burden is a first-round talent and game-changer with the ball in his hands. The QB play at Mizzou was inconsistent in 2024 because Brady Cook was injured for much of the season, but there’s a reason he had 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and 9 TDs in 2023.

Pearce is a juiced up, twitchy edge rusher who can win with the bull rush or speed around the edge. He plays with a non-stop motor with the type of freakish athleticism that can match the Jalen Milroe-type QBs in the pocket.

This may sound rich, but, at times, Barron flashes in a way that reminds me of Brian Branch; he’s one of the smartest players on the field, he’s always around the ball and if you need a play, he consistently shows up. He can line up in the box, in the slot or outside, is an effective blitzer off the edge and is an asset in the run game.

Revel tore his ACL in October and missed the rest of the season. But his tape is a lot of fun; his track background shows up when you watch him, as does his length. He’ll play with physicality at the line in man coverage and is a fluid mover in space. He’s not the shutdown corner of, say, Sauce Gardner when he came out, or as physical as Joey Porter Jr. (and maybe that’s a good thing), but he’s a nice mix of both in terms of size and play style.

Grant is a really good athlete for his size — and he has a knack for getting his hands up in the passing lane and knocking the ball down. He has a surprisingly quick first step, and uses his hands well to shoot gaps and be a disruptive presence in backfield. For me, he’s more explosive and consistent than Kris Jenkins, his former teammate and Bengals 2nd-rounder in ’24.

No one helped themselves more at the Senior Bowl than Zabel, who played primarily left tackle in 2024 for NDSU, but had experience at guard and center, too. He was used solely on the interior in Mobile and he looked like a 10-year vet no matter where he lined up. Zabel stood out in the Week 1 opener against Colorado and his stock has been on the rise ever sense. Talking to teams at the Senior Bowl, he may be a better leader than football player and that’s saying something.

The former UVA transfer played at Lafayette HS in Williamsburg, VA, the same school that produced Lawrence Taylor. Green, who weighed 251 pounds at the Senior Bowl is incredibly explosive off the snap, plays with surprising power and consistently uses his hands well to get off blocks. He had the 1-on-1 rep of the week down in Mobile, and his tape backs it up.

Sawyer is listed at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds and is coming off a five-sack 2024 season that includes 28 hurries. Used almost exclusively off the edge for the Buckeyes, he flashes the speed-to-power of a first-round pass rusher who is also stout setting the edge in the run game.

A San Diego State transfer where he played right tackle, Simmons was a pleasant surprise in Columbus, where he was not only installed at left tackle, but he was playing at a high level before an October knee injury against Oregon ended his season. I thought he might come back to school — he could probably use the experience — but instead has declared for the ’25 draft. And in a draft light along the offensive line, fully expect Simmons to draw some first-round consideration, even if he might need a year or two of seasoning.

Explosive is the best one-word description for Golden, who reminded me a lot of Jordan Addison coming out of USC. He doesn’t have the biggest frame, but he consistently creates separation at the top of his route, he has legit track speed (10.93 in the 100m in high school) and also has return ability. His best football is ahead of him.

Big body, fluid mover, natural hands away from body with good contact balance and has the ability to run through arm tackles. He gets in and out of breaks with urgency and YAC ability. He’s not a finesse player but more of a bruiser. When you talk about ‘big slots,’ this is what you mean. I think he has some Amon-Ra St. Brown in his game.

It’s hard to think Booker has flown under the radar given his physical presence and his dominating style of play, but now that we’re officially in draft season, expect the Booker Train to pick up steam. He’s played mostly left guard at Alabama, and his athleticism and anchor in pass protection coupled with his earth-moving ability in the run game at times defies the laws of physics. He’s a plug-and-play starter on Day 1.