With bowl games approaching and the College Football Playoff set, now seems like a good time to release my first 2025 NFL Draft big board.

By the way, check out our Fantasy Life CFB Bet Tracker for our favorite bowl picks.

Since we're still so far out from the draft—we don't yet have the full pool of declarants, and we don't know the order of picks by team— I'll list just my top 32 players for now and then build out the big board as we get closer to April.

In case you're curious, here are all the versions of my 2025 mock drafts to date.

Over the past six years (since I started submitting mocks in competitions), I’m the No. 2 mocker for accuracy, and I'm a lifetime 484-424 (+102.6 units) betting on the draft.

Subscribe to our free Betting Life Newsletter for daily guidance, best bets, and more.

In 2024 I was a terrible 38-49 (-10.4 units) thanks largely to a heavy fade of QB Michael Penix, but I was at least the No. 5 mocker.

I plan to do more draft content moving forward, so be sure regularly to check out our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub, where you can see Thor Nystrom's just-released first mock of the season as well as his early thoughts on the top of the draft board at each skill position.

2025 NFL Draft Big Board - Top 32 Players

Here's my first big board for the 2025 NFL draft, followed by a few notes.

RankPlayerPositionCollege
1Travis HunterColoradoWR/CB
2Will JohnsonMichiganCB
3Mason GrahamMichiganDT
4Abdul CarterPenn StateEDGE
5Malaki StarksGeorgiaS
6Tetairoa McMillanArizonaWR
7Mykel WilliamsGeorgiaEDGE
8Ashton JeantyBoise StateRB
9Kelvin BanksTexasOT
10Luther BurdenMissouriWR
11Will CampbellLSUOT
12James PearceTennesseeEDGE
13Nic ScourtonTexas A&MEDGE
14Colston LovelandMichiganTE
15Shedeur SandersColoradoQB
16Shavon RevelEast CarolinaCB
17Cameron WardMiami (FL)QB
18Walter NolenOle MissDT
19Jalon WalkerGeorgiaEDGE
20Tyler WarrenPenn StateTE
21Josh SimmonsOhio StateOT
22Kenneth GrantMichiganDT
23Derrick HarmonOregonDT
24Jonah SavaiinaeaArizonaOT
25Jalen MilroeAlabamaQB
26Tyleik WilliamsOhio StateDT
27Emeka EgbukaOhio StateWR
28Deone WalkerKentuckyDT
29Cameron WilliamsTexasOT
30Isaiah BondTexasWR
31Jihaad CampbellAlabamaLB
32Tyler BookerAlabamaOG

 

WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)

Hunter is -2000 to win the Heisman Trophy (DraftKings) and is one of the most exciting players in the country. Because of his high-level two-way throwback skill set, he's the top player on my board, and in a weaker QB draft class, he could legitimately challenge to be the No. 1 pick.

It's hard to project his future in the NFL. Will he be a full-time player on both sides of the ball? A part-time receiver who plays every down as a perimeter shutdown corner? A rotational defender who plays almost all the offensive snaps out wide?

But that Hunter even generates such questions is a sign of his immense talent and upside.

RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)

Jeanty is deservedly No. 2 in Heisman odds, and he actually might be the most talented pound-for-pound player in this class. That said, he plays a devalued position, so there's no way I could have him at No. 1 on the big board or even in the top five.

I compromised by having him in the bottom half of the top 10.

Rare is the RB who deserves to go in Round 1, but that's Jeanty.

Positional Analysis of the 2025 NFL Draft Big Board

Quarterbacks

I have three QBs with Round 1 grades.

  • Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
  • Cameron Ward (Miami)
  • Jalen Milroe (Alabama)

Sanders is -125 to be the No. 1 pick in the draft (FanDuel), followed by Hunter (+250) and Ward (+380), but I see Sanders and Ward as sharing a tier.

Sanders has been one of the most hyped players in college football for the past two seasons, but Ward absolutely broke out in 2024 with his 4,000-yard passing campaign and nation-high 36 TDs through the air. 

After them, Milroe warrants Round 1 consideration. He's still raw, but he has great dual-threat ability (9.3 AY/A for career, 152-719-20 rushing this year).

And yet … this is not a great QB class overall.

For perspective: Last year, we had six QBs go in the top 12. That was a surprise. But, still, it happened. This year, I don't have a single QB ranked higher than No. 15.

I can imagine us getting three passers in the top five—primarily because of positional need—but this QB class is not notably deep.

Wide Receivers

Three in the top 10 feels right. Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) and Luther Burden (Missouri) are ballers.

And Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) and Isaiah Bond (Texas) feel like prototypical back-of-Round 1 guys: They're more potential than production at this point in their careers—but their upside talent is undeniable.

Tight Ends

I currently have Colston Loveland (Michigan) ahead of Tyler Warren (Penn State), but Thor has told me that Warren will be the No. 1 TE in the class, so eventually I might flip them.

In my eyes, Loveland is a little more of a traditional TE, whereas Warren is more of an offensive weapon (88-1,062-6 receiving, 23-191-4 rushing in 13 games this year).

While I've struggled to get more than one TE into my mocks, I have both in my top 20 on the big board.

Offensive Linemen

Last year, we had a record eight OTs go in Round 1. This year, I have five OTs (plus an OG) on my big board. It's not a terrible OL class, but it's modest.

Defensive Linemen

I have 11 DLs in my top 32, and I think that might be light, because in my last mock I had 13 going in Round 1.

Depending on how everything breaks, this could be an all-time DL class.

Linebackers

I have one LB on my big board—Jihaad Campbell (Alabama)—but I'm yet to include him in a mock. It's hard to find a landing spot for him, and he plays a position that has been deprioritized in recent years.

Secondary

Three of the players in my top five are in the secondary, although I strongly doubt that CB Will Johnson (Michigan) and S Malaki Starks (Georgia) will go that high.

And this isn't a class with great DB depth—but there's certainly talent at the top of the cohort.

More NFL Draft Analysis