Every year, NFL Draft Pundits and Experts often release their “big board” or a listing of prospects and how they’d rank the prospects in terms of talent. My big board is going to be a little different, as we’re going to break them up into 5 tiers of players, as different positions succeed differently in the NFL. Without further ado, let’s get into the ranking of my top 25 Big Board:
Tier 1 – Can’t Miss Guys:
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Tet McMillan, WR, Arizona
Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
This first tier of talented players are the guys that NFL GMs will be clamoring for. Each guy has their own set of special skills that will make them indispensable to their future homes:
- Ashton Jeanty’s elite ball carrier vision and speed to take every run for a score
- Travis Hunter’s ability to play multiple positions at a high level
- Tet McMillan’s size, excellent hands and catch radius
- Luther Burden’s quick, twitchy athleticism and explosiveness with the ball
- Mason Graham’s relentless motor, quick first step, and ability to punch through an offensive line with his hand usage
These 5 in this first tier are who teams should be looking at with their first selections in the NFL Draft, as these are elite talents that can transform a franchise in their rookie seasons.
Tier 2 – Building blocks for your Foundation:
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M
Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
The next 5 guys are talents that would be an excellent building block for a team in need of some young talent: whether it be one of the top two QBs in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, one of the two top pass rushers in Nic Scourton or Abdul Carter, or an elite level cornerback in Will Johnson, any one selected from this tier will change the fortunes of an NFL Organization very quickly.
Tier 3 – Boom or Bust players at the next level:
Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
James Pearce Jr, LB, Tennessee
Will Campbell, T/G, LSU
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Our next tier is filled with talent that could be elite level stars at the NFL level, but could also be out of the league within several years, each with their own issues:
- Can Tyler Warren learn to be an average blocker at the next level?
- Can Deone Walker keep his weight under control and improve his conditioning?
- Will James Pearce be able to develop a pass rush toolbox and not rely solely on his athleticism?
- Can Will Campbell play tackle at the next level with his current arm length and average pass protection skills?
- Is Garrett Nussmeier ready for the speed of the pro game, and can he cut down on his turnover worthy qb play?
For these 5 guys, their landing spots will be important, moreso than any other prospect on this list moving forward.
Tier 4 – The “My Guys” Tier/Prospects I really like:
Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Harold Fannin JR, TE, Bowling Green
Jonah Savaiinaea, T/G, Arizona
Landon Jackson, Edge, Arkansas
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
This tier is comprised of players that I may be higher on than the consensus, but are all ballers in their own right for their play, in one way or another:
- Elic’s ability to catch the ball, as well as go up and make the tough contested catches
- Harold’s route running ability for a tight end is immaculate, as well as his overall versatility as a player.
- Jonah’s positional versatility to play either position on the right side of the offensive line at a high level, and his impressive lateral quickness and footwork
- Landon’s first step quickness off the ball, combined with his physically imposing frame as a defender
- Xavier’s ball hawk mentality, paired with excellent instincts in both man and zone coverage
Each one of these five in this tier can bring something to an NFL Franchise, but may not be the fully developed prospect as some others on my big board, which is why they may be a little lower for others. However, these 5 could easily start day 1 for an NFL Franchise, depending on how they spend their training camps preparing for the next level.
Tier 5: – The true unknowns:
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami
Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
Shemar Turner, Edge/DT, Texas A&M
Shavon Revel, CB, Eastern Carolina
This tier is comprised of guys who have some serious talent at their respective positions, but for one reason or another, have some question marks on their scouting reports that need to be answered:
- Can Shavon and Josh recover from their injuries in time to perform during the pre-draft process? If not, have they done enough to show teams that they are worthy of a top selection in the NFL Draft?
- Does Xavier have the size to play anything other than slot receiver at the next level? Will he be able to handle playing outside versus larger cornerbacks in the NFL?
- What position will Shemar play at the next level? He has the ability to play interior defensive line and on the edge, but which will he specialize in? Will teams try him in different schemes to find the best fit?
- Can Jalen be consistent enough as a passer to show teams he is worthy of an early pick? For Jalen, the highs are high and he looks like a top flight QB in this class, but when he’s off, his tape is unwatchable, and he looks like a career back up QB as a passer.
Ultimately, this tier will have the most to prove as we move through the draft process, to remove the stigmas on each of their scouting reports and potential pro prospects.
And there you have it folks, my current top 25 big board! Here is the positional breakdown for my top 25 players:
QB: 4
RB: 1
WR: 5
TE: 2
OL: 3
DL/Edge: 6
LB: 1
DB (CB/S): 4
Total: 26 (Travis Hunter accounted for 1 CB and 1 WR)
My next 10 on my big board that just missed the cut:
Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State
Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia
Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
Dontay Corleone, DT, Cincinnati
Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Aireontae Erery, OT, Minnesota
Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
Like what you read here? Disagree with my top 25 big board currently? Drop me a line on “X” @sparkscouting, and let’s discuss some NFL Draft and NFL Content.
