NFL scouts pick 14 sleepers for the 2025 draft: Which prospects could rise into Round 1? (2024)

A year ago at this time, in advance of the college football season, we asked NFL scouts to name 10 prospects who were going under the radar as they started their summer scouting for the Class of 2024. That list yielded future top-65 picks Graham Barton (Bucs), Ladd McConkey (Chargers) and Malachi Corley (Jets).

This year, we're expanding our list of under-the-radar 2025 prospects.

Thanks to NIL rules and an extra year of eligibility because of the coronavirus pandemic, we should see a stacked class next April. NFL scouts have told me they're evaluating upward of 25 prospects at several Power 5 schools. To put that into perspective, the 2022 Georgia team had 15 players drafted -- a record for the most picks from one school in a single draft. It's possible the Class of 2025 will feature the largest pool of draftable talent we've ever seen.

We polled more than a dozen NFL scouts and execs from across the league to build a list of 14 under-the-radar prospects for the 2025 class. Let's dig in, in no particular order:

Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State

There wasn't a safety selected in the 2024 draft until No. 47 overall, when Tyler Nubin came off the board (Giants). We should see more prospects angling for first-round status next year, including Winston.

The 6-foot-2 junior had one interception, five pass breakups and 40 tackles last season, and scouts are enamored by his range and instincts.

"No. 21 for Penn State is a baller. He's a quarterback on the back end for them, and you see it with his positioning and how well he reads," said an AFC North area scout. "The Georgia safety [Malaki Starks] is probably my No. 1, but Winston is a close second."

Winston has tools, but upping his forced turnover totals in 2024 will help him move up.

Trey Moore, DE, Texas

As one of the top players in the winter transfer portal, Moore made the jump from UTSA to the Longhorns and will fill a key role as the team's primary outside pass-rusher in a 4-2-5 defense.

The 6-3, 235-pound junior has excellent first-step quickness and speed around the corner. That allowed him to post 14 sacks last season after having eight in his first year as a starter in 2022. One AFC scout who covers the state of Texas compared him to 247-pound edge rusher Dallas Turner, who went No. 17 overall to the Vikings in the 2024 draft.

"Moore is exactly what [the Longhorns] were missing," the scout said. "He's light, but we saw that work last year with Turner. Moore is a really similar guy who could rocket up boards."

Size concerns and a jump in competition are something to watch for Moore, but his burst off the snap is special. He ranked fourth in the FBS in pressure rate last season (19.2%), just behind Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. (20.1%), who my colleague Jordan Reid had at No. 4 overall in his debut 2025 mock draft. With Texas moving to the SEC and facing a road game at Michigan, Moore will have the chance to prove himself early in the season.

Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona

Cornerbacks who are 6-4 and had 14 pass breakups in their first year as a starter are rarely under the radar, but that's the case for the Arizona junior.

Davis has fantastic length and physicality, but scouts are worried he'll never be a high-turnover guy despite tying for fourth in the FBS in pass breakups.

"He could break out, but I always worry when a guy has a lot of PBUs and no picks," said an NFC West area scout. "Joey Porter Jr. was like that and fell [to Round 2] because of it."

For Davis, who had one interception last season, holding on to passes should be a point of emphasis if he wants to be a first-round pick. He also allowed three touchdowns as the nearest defender in coverage.

The 2025 class looks deep at cornerback with Will Johnson (Michigan), Travis Hunter (Colorado) and Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame) all projected to go in Round 1. If Davis can boost his interception numbers, he could join the list.

Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona

Here's what an AFC scout who covers the Southwest said when I asked for under-the-radar names: "You watched [Jordan] Morgan last year and kept checking out the right tackle. He's going to be a good one."

That right tackle is Savaiinaea, a 6-6, 330-pound lineman who has experience at right guard, where he looked great in 2022 as a first-year starter. His ability to make plays in space is notable, with excellent movement skills combined with great power at the point of attack. He allowed just one sack last season.

He reminds me of Taliese Fuaga at this time last year, and Fuaga ended up going No. 14 overall to the Saints. Time will tell if Savaiinaea can make that same jump, but their talent levels are similar.

Tyler Baron, DE, Miami

Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr. will receive a ton of attention as a top-10 prospect over the next nine months, but his former teammate makes this list as a player to watch after transferring to Miami.

Baron, a 6-5, 260-pound edge rusher, had six sacks last season but is primed to break out, according to scouts who know the Hurricanes.

"They are jacked about this guy," said an AFC East scout. "Coaches there think he can be this year's Laiatu Latu as a transfer who quickly dominates and blows up."

Comparing Baron to the first defensive player drafted in 2024 is a lofty aspiration, but the flashes were there on his tape at Tennessee. It also helps that he left Tennessee with four years of experience, along with 29.5 tackles for loss in his career. If the Hurricanes can get more consistency from Baron, he has shown the savvy pass-rush moves needed to move into the Round 1 discussion.

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Tyler Baron comes away with the strip-sack for Tennessee

De'Shawn Rucker recovers the strip sack by Tyler Baron to give the Volunteers great field position.

Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

A burner in the open field, Burks had seven touchdown receptions at Purdue last season and was a hot commodity when he entered the transfer portal, with rival Texas aiming for his services, too. Now he'll help the Sooners in their first year in the SEC.

Oklahoma will be breaking in new quarterback Jackson Arnold, but the early returns from the two have been promising, according to scouts. That includes Arnold connecting with Burks for two long scores -- 64 and 50 yards -- in Oklahoma's spring game in April.

"If you watch the spring game, you can see the chemistry they already have," said an AFC West area scout. "Not to make a helmet comparison, but Burks can be a Hollywood Brown-type dude there."

Burks, listed at 5-11 and 195 pounds, has the size advantage on the 5-foot-9 former Sooner (and No. 25 pick in 2019) while showcasing a similar skill set as a deep threat.

Sebastian Castro, CB, Iowa

Yes, Iowa has another star cornerback to know for 2025: The 5-11 Castro is one of the best slot corners in the nation. He had three interceptions last season while proving he can handle quickness and power from opposing wide receivers.

"He's not Cooper [DeJean] to me, but he's a really good player overall," said an AFC scouting director who has studied the 2025 cornerback class. "He's quick, really good ability to tackle in the open field, and he's never out of position."

Castro plays in the box, in the slot and even at safety. He has excellent read-and-react skills and toughness. He broke up eight passes last season and didn't allow a touchdown reception in coverage.

Devin Neal, RB, Kansas

Neal entered the 2023 season as the Big 12's lone returning 1,000-yard rusher. All he did to follow up that performance was to rush for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Neal is a slasher back with exciting outside speed and one-cut ability at 5-11, 210 pounds. He has 65 rushes of 10-plus yards over the past two seasons.

"I really think he fits the modern running back mold," said an AFC West area scout. "He's not going to run over you, but in an outside zone scheme he could be a really productive player."

Joining Neal in the KU backfield is quarterback Jalon Daniels, a fascinating runner in his own right. The two combine to make up the Big 12's most dangerous rushing attack.

Aeneas Peebles, DT, Virginia Tech

An undersized 3-technique pass-rusher at 6-1, 286 pounds, Peebles had five sacks at Duke last season but could be primed for a big 2024 season after transferring to Virginia Tech. "Going through next year's class, he jumps out with his first step and agility," an NFC East area scout said. "Really good rush plan."

Peebles has competition on his own line with fellow newcomer Antwaun Powell-Ryland transferring in from Florida, and the two will form one of the best inside-outside rushing duos we'll see in the ACC this season.

Peebles' lack of ideal size will be a question mark, but his quickness is a trait that scouts are excited about. He had 48 total tackles last season.

Woody Marks, RB, USC

The 5-10, 210-pound Marks transferred from Mississippi State to USC and should get more chances to show his value as a runner. He didn't have marquee rushing production in four seasons with the Bulldogs -- he never had more than 121 rushes or more than 582 yards in a season -- but he flashed the ability to easily run past defenders when given a lane.

Perhaps most importantly, Marks is a huge asset in the passing game. He combined for 214 receptions over the past four seasons and is a smooth, easy hands-catcher with great routes out of the backfield. His speed and elusiveness in space are ideal for early NFL usage as a third-down back.

"When you do your workout warrior lists, Marks should be on it," an AFC scouting director said. "He might be the fastest running back in college."

Clay Webb, G, Jacksonville State

Webb, a five-star recruit coming out of high school in 2019, signed with Georgia and spent three years there, mostly working as a backup at left guard. Before the 2022 season, he transferred to Jacksonville State, where he started 10 games. Coming back for 2023, he started 12 games and earned first-team All-America and All-Conference USA honors.

"The level of competition has to be weighed, but Webb looks like a dude that'll kill it at the Senior Bowl and really rise," said an AFC West area scout who covers the Southeast. "Kind of like [Mason] McCormick did last year at the Shrine [Bowl]."

All eyes will be on the 6-3, 290-pound Webb after he chose to stay at Jacksonville State, where the ground game has been dominant ever since he took the field.

Jack Kiser, LB, Notre Dame

Kiser has made a living at Notre Dame off "right place, right time" football. He's instinctive and active and has filled up the stat sheet thanks to that ability. The 6-1, 223-pound senior had 62 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and an interception last season from his middle linebacker spot.

"Kiser is all over the place for them" said an AFC North area scout who has evaluated Notre Dame. "I love his read-and-react ability. The hip flexibility is my biggest question, but he has pretty good speed in space."

The 2024 linebacker class didn't produce a first-round pick. Kiser will be hoping to change that in 2025.

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Jack Kiser with an electric INT and return for Notre Dame

Jack Kiser jumps the route and returns the ball into Stanford territory to give Notre Dame great field position.

Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville

Coaches at Louisville have blown up my phone over the past year to discuss Riley's potential. Now NFL scouts are, too.

"He's a really good player. I love his physicality and how he fights to close on the ball," said a college scouting director from an AFC team. "He's probably more of a CB2 or CB3, but the traits are all there."

The 2024 season will be Riley's sixth in college, and that experience and savviness shows up on tape. He picked off three passes last season, running his career total to 13, and added nine pass breakups to his total of 26. Riley's timing, explosiveness and toughness are easy traits to fall in love with. He hasn't allowed a touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage since 2021.

Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M

Let's finish with a quarterback who could take the leap. In nearly each of the past five years, a passer seemingly has come out of nowhere to land in Round 1. At least one NFL general manager says Weigman is that guy for 2025.

"I am telling you right now, Weigman will be the breakout quarterback this year," said a GM who has done advance work on this quarterback class. "He'll be the guy everyone is asking, 'Where'd he come from?' next spring."

The Texas A&M junior played in just four games last season before suffering a season-ending foot injury. In those four games, though, he was crisp with eight touchdown passes to two interceptions while throwing for 979 yards and completing 68.9% of his passes. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder can also move outside the pocket and had two rushing scores.

Weigman has generated a lot of buzz in the NFL agent community, too, with many eager to see how he looks with a full season and with a new coaching staff, led by Mike Elko.