Mel Kiper updates Big Board Top 25 player rankings for 2025 NFL Draft after Week 9

Posted by Admin October 31, 2024 NFL

Another week of college football is arriving and ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has released another update for his Big Board. And while the players composing the Top 25 remained static, the order did not.

Much of the movement right now is involving linemen as various big men build their bodies of work. The collection of skill players and pass rushers near the top of the ranking remained unchanged for Kiper heading into Week 10.

See Kiper’s full Top 25 Big Board rankings below.

Kiper’s full Top 25 Big Board entering Week 10

Hunter remains the top talent in college football and has gotten back on track after being slowed by an injury. He’ll keep a stranglehold on the top spot barring an unexpected fall off.

Perhaps most impressive about Hunter is that he’s been an ironman playing both ways. He’s played more than 800 snaps in eight games.

Johnson has been quiet of late as he’s mostly been held out with a lower body injury. But when he’s healthy, he’s arguably the top cover corner in the class and a top player.

Johnson has plus size and length at the position and plenty of ball production in his college career. He’s also a plus run defender on the outside.

Edge rusher Abdul Carter. (Credit: Steve Manuel | Blue White Illustrated)

Carter has made a full-time move to rushing off the edge this season and it’s paid off. His blend of length, size and athleticism lends itself to beating tackles in his way of choosing.

With just four sacks on the year, Carter’s out and out production could probably be better. But he’s been thoroughly impactful and can make a big splash against Ohio State on Saturday.

Williams has come back from an early-season ankle injury and looked the part of a top edge rusher in the class. And coming into college as a top recruit with elite physical traits, Williams was always on course to be in this conversation.

His stats have been lagging as he’s played fewer games. But his explosion and power off the edge are undeniable.

Graham plays the defensive tackle position with an elite blend of technique, both with his hands and footwork, and plenty of quickness and brute force. And it’s made the Wolverines defender a premiere talent in the 2025 class, should he declare early.

And Graham will be tantalizing for NFL teams as he can provide the coveted interior pass rush without sacrificing as a run defender. There just aren’t many players who can be as consistently disruptive in the middle of the line like Graham.

Kelvin Banks (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

In a league where teams are betting on traits more and more, Banks fits the bill. But his production stacks up brilliantly, too.

By years end, he’ll have started more than 40 games at Texas. And even with that long track record, you can count the sacks Banks has given up in his career on one hand, keeping him firmly in the Top 10 of Kiper’s Big Board.

Scourton has been a plus-addition for the Aggies front during his first season in College Station, where he’s from. And the transfer edge defender is equally as effective crushing pockets as he is boxing in runners.

Scourton plays from the edge with a lot of power and length, walking tackles back and setting firm edges. He might not have the elite get-off and bend of other pass rushers, but 12.5 tackles for loss and five sacks speaks for itself.

Starks is a ballhawk and has been a consistent force on the backend of Georgia’s defense basically since he arrived on campus as a freshman. And he’s only gotten better year to year.

And along with his top-shelf ball skills, Starks brings plenty more to the table. He’s got the length, bulk and willingness to come down as a run defender and rarely misses tackles.

Jeanty is the Heisman front runner for many and though he’s perhaps likely to slip out of the Top 10 come draft night, the talent and production is undeniable. That’s what tends to happen when you’re on a pace that only the likes of Barry Sanders have been on.

And though Jeanty might not break some of those absurd single-season marks, he’s been eye-wateringly productive. And with speed, power, pass catching ability and comfort in pass protection, Jeanty is the total package NFL teams want at running back.

Walker burst onto the scene with a massive showing against Texas. In just the first half of that game, he showed elite quickness and closing speed, picking up a trio of sacks.

And having played both off the ball and now off the edge, Walker’s versatility will be intriguing for NFL teams. And as production starts to catch up with the physical abilities, Walker could climb some more.