Matthew Freedman releases his Top 50 NFL Draft Big Board.

Given that just one game—the College Football Playoff Championship—is all that remains of the 2024-25 college season, now seems like a good time to update my big board. 

Here's the first version.

  • Version 1: Top 32 (Dec. 2025)

Throughout draft season, you'll always be able to find my most recent big board on the site.

In this version I'm releasing my top 50—although this iteration has a different spin to it.

My top 32 big board was basically, "If I were a scout, here's how I'd rank the players."

But let's be honest. I'm not a scout.

I'm not the kind of person who breaks down film and analyzes hand placement and hip swivel.

When looking at prospects, I tend to think less about potential and more about probabilities.

So in this top 50 big board I'm attempting to be less evaluative and prescriptive and more descriptive and predictive.

Instead of ranking the 50 guys according to how I see them as prospects or how I think their NFL careers will turn out, I'm endeavoring to place guys in the general range in which they'll be drafted while giving priority to the positions that matter most and ordering the players accurately within their respective positions.

Given that The Huddle Report's Big Board Contest judges top 100 boards on draft accuracy (and not the career impact of the players), I feel my selection-focused approach is valid—especially since I think the market tends to be fairly efficient anyway.

I've submitted big boards over just the past four years, but across that timeframe I'm in the top 10.

And as a mocker, I'm No. 2 over the past six years (since I started submitting mocks in competitions).

Here are all my 2025 mocks, in case you're curious.

I'm a lifetime 484-424 (+102.6 units) betting on the draft.

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I plan to do more draft content moving forward, so be sure to check out our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub, where you can see Thor Nystrom's most recent mock, and his early thoughts on the top of the draft board at each skill position.

2025 NFL Draft Big Board

Here's my top 50 big board for the 2025 NFL Draft, followed by a few notes on players and positions that catch my eye.

RankPlayerSchoolPosition

1

Travis HunterColoradoWR

2

Shedeur SandersColoradoQB

3

Cameron WardMiamiQB

4

Abdul CarterPenn StateEDGE

5

Will JohnsonMichiganCB

6

Mason GrahamMichiganDT

7

Tetairoa McMillanArizonaWR

8

Will CampbellLSUOT

9

Kelvin BanksTexasOT

10

Mykel WilliamsGeorgiaEDGE

11

Malaki StarksGeorgiaS

12

James PearceTennesseeEDGE

13

Jalon WalkerGeorgiaEDGE

14

Ashton JeantyBoise StateRB

15

Luther BurdenMissouriWR

16

Tyler WarrenPenn StateTE

17

Shavon RevelEast CarolinaCB

18

Nic ScourtonTexas A&MEDGE

19

Kenneth GrantMichiganDT

20

Colston LovelandMichiganTE

21

Aireontae ErseryMinnesotaOT

22

Benjamin MorrisonNotre DameCB

23

Walter NolenMississippiDT

24

Tyler BookerAlabamaG

25

Josh SimmonsOhio StateOT

26

Jahdae BarronTexasCB

27

Derrick HarmonOregonDT

28

Cameron WilliamsTexasOT

29

Shemar StewartTexas A&MEDGE

30

Emeka EgbukaOhio StateWR

31

Jonah SavaiinaeaArizonaOT

32

Landon JacksonArkansasEDGE

33

Mike GreenMarshallEDGE

34

Josh ConerlyOregonOT

35

Tyleik WilliamsOhio StateDT

36

Jalen MilroeAlabamaQB

37

Nick EmmanworiSouth CarolinaS

38

Jihaad CampbellAlabamaLB

39

Wyatt MilumWest VirginiaOT

40

Trey AmosMississippiCB

41

J.T. TuimoloauOhio StateEDGE

42

Isaiah BondTexasWR

43

Donovan JacksonOhio StateG

44

Princely UmanmielenMississippiEDGE

45

Deone WalkerKentuckyDT

46

Omarr Norman-LottTennesseeDT

47

T.J. SandersSouth CarolinaDT

48

Shemar TurnerTexas A&MDT

49

Alfred CollinsTexasDT

50

Jack SawyerOhio StateEDGE

 

WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)

I still have Travis Hunter as my No. 1 player.

I'm not sure how the Heisman Trophy winner will be used in the NFL.

A few sharp draft analysts have said that they see him as a full-time perimeter corner who can rotate in as a situational receiver, much as his college coach, Deion Sanders, did with the Cowboys in 1996, when he was a first-team All-Pro defender and the team's No. 2 pass catcher with 36-475-1 receiving on 67 targets. 

That's possible.

But I think Hunter is too good offensively not to be used heavily in that capacity. The guy won the Fred Biletnikoff Award this past year as the most outstanding receiver in College Football with 96-1,258-15 receiving.

At the same time … he also won the Chuck Bednarik Award this past season as defensive player of the year.

There's a legitimate chance that Hunter will play significant snaps on both sides of the ball in the NFL—and do so at a high level.

With his top-tier two-way skill set, he simply must be the top player on my board, and if the Titans did choose to take him at No. 1, that wouldn't be a shock.

QBs Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) & Cameron Ward (Miami)

I think Shedeur Sanders and Cameron Ward are in the same tier and have them ranked that way.

It's a coin flip as to who will have the better career and/or be drafted first.

Thor has Sanders as his No. 1 QB, so that's keeping Sanders ahead of Ward for me in the big board, but in my mock I do lean slightly toward Ward, who is a -125 favorite to go No. 1 (FanDuel), and last year he won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best QB with 4,313 yards and 39 TDs passing to just 7 INTs with 60-204-4 rushing (including sacks).

Both Sanders and Ward will likely be Week 1 starters as rookies in the NFL, but it would not surprise me if Ward had the better career of the two.

QB Jalen Milroe (Alabama)

It might look like I'm all over the place on Jalen Milroe.

In my top 32 big board, I had him at No. 25. In this iteration, I've moved him up to No. 17.

But in my most recent mock, I have him going off the board at No. 6 to the Raiders.

In terms of his current ability and overall probability of turning into a long-term NFL QB, Milroe (in my opinion) is a Round 2 player—just as Jalen Hurts was.

But in terms of dual-threat ability (9.3 AY/A for career, 168-726-20 rushing this year), upside, and leaguewide need at the position, Milroe (I expect) will go in the top 10.

So I'm trying to balance between those two perspectives. 

RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)

I love Ashton Jeanty.

In terms of raw talent, he probably belongs in the top five.

Of course, RBs don't matter as much as players at other positions, so in terms of "NFL value," he probably shouldn't be in my top 20.

Then again, I would be moderately surprised if he made it past the Cowboys at No. 12.

So I have now at No. 14 on the big board.

That feels like a respectable "middle ground" ranking. 

Defensive Line

Last year, Round 1 was dominated by offensive players.

This year, I think the tenure of Round 1 will be determined by how NFL evaluators and decision makers balance the high-end talent on the DL with the outstanding depth it offers.

In my most recent mock, I have 11 EDGEs and DTs going in Round 1, but I can imagine as many as 15 going in the top 32—and then there's a slew of worthy DLs who could go off the board in the first half of Round 2.

If GMs covet these potential difference-making trench defenders, then Round 1 could be inundated with DLs. If, though, GMs choose to take more of a value-maximizing, scarcity-driven approach, then we could see some strong DLs fall down the board, which would likely result in an EDGE- and DT-heavy Round 2.

After the top 32, there are 18 available slots on my current big board. Of those, 11 are DLs. In the bottom 10, eight are EDGEs and DTs.

That's the strength of this class.