2025 NFL Draft roundtable: Reacting to Dane Brugler's latest top 100 board

New York Times

15-02-2025

After visits to the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl, The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler released his updated top 100 board for the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. As always, there was plenty to talk about, from which players made huge rises to how the quarterbacks stack to where NFL teams might be able to pinpoint potential 'steals' — those prospects who deserve more love than they're getting.
What were the key takeaways from Brugler's latest board? Draft analysts Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman break it down …
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Nick Baumgardner: It wasn't really a surprise to me (as I have similar thoughts), but seeing Jalon Walker at No. 3 still made me raise my eyebrows. That ranking says as much about the NFL's desire for players who can fill the Micah Parsons role as anything else, but frankly, Walker was one of the most consistently explosive front-seven hammers all season. He checks every box physically, and his testing won't be that far behind Abdul Carter's.
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It feels a little bit like the Travon Walker situation from a few years ago, albeit at a different position — and with a player who is probably more ready for prime time. Jalon Walker only started one season at Georgia, but he was outstanding. The ability to take a defensive end and give him coverage and/or run responsibilities in the box when you want to is something NFL defensive coordinators covet now more than ever.
Scott Dochterman: I feel the same about Walker — he was an impact performer on Georgia's defense, but he's someone I thought was more in the 10-20 range as a prospect. But he has the burst and physicality to do virtually anything as a blitzer, edge rusher or traditional linebacker. You can't have enough athletes on defense with that type of athletic ability.
I was probably more surprised with a few prospects who fell out of the top 50. I've thought Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton (No. 53 in the rankings) was a potential first-rounder stretching to his days at Purdue. He has enough size and power to play a heavy five-technique, slide inside on passing downs, and enough skill and edge-rushing ability to stand up when required.
SCOURTON SACK 😈 @NicCaraway3
📺 ABC#GigEm pic.twitter.com/iHMTLPqhhM
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) October 27, 2024
Another one was Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea (52), who likely will kick inside to guard in the NFL but can play tackle if necessary. Although he and Scourton are both just outside the top 50, I thought they would be a little higher.
Baumgardner: Yes, absolutely — possibly more than one. I couldn't bring myself to put more than two that high during my latest three-round mock, though, because I don't think there are more than two QBs who belong inside the top 50 this year. There are significant questions about Ward and Sanders; there are larger questions about everyone else.
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Jalen Milroe (61) is the guy who feels most likely to be over-drafted this year, simply based on potential. He's nearly 230 pounds with a gigantic arm and he's going to run in the 4.3s whenever he decides to line up for a 40. Some scouts see a potentially souped-up version of Jalen Hurts, and others wonder whether he can't wind up more like Lamar Jackson.
All of this is guesswork, however, because — unlike Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. last year — there are no stretches on Milroe's college resume that lead us to believe he's ready to start in the NFL next season.
And though there's been plenty of recent hype surrounding Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart (57), I think it'd be wise to remember Louisville's Tyler Shough (59). I have a hard time seeing either player going in the first round — Round 2 might even be a reach — but as we've established many times, many teams need quarterbacks.
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Dochterman: Yes, but only out of desperation. Nobody besides those two have first-round grades.
In the first month of the 2024 season, I thought Milroe might emerge as a top-five selection — he was stunning against Wisconsin and Georgia. Then he became inconsistent, and his final analysis is incomplete. Ultimately, is he a bigger version of Russell Wilson and a long-term starter, or a Jake Locker-type? That's what will have scouts and GMs scouring every last second of tape. Some team that misses out on Sanders or Ward might move up to the late first round and take a flier.
Dart has a case, based on his numbers and efficiency at Ole Miss, but there were times he didn't quite come through in clutch moments of close games — the Rebels were 0-3 in games decided by one score last fall, which kept them out of the College Football Playoff. The issues weren't all Dart's, but he shouldered some of the blame with a combined four touchdowns and three interceptions in those losses. He had 25 touchdowns and three interceptions in Ole Miss' 10 victories. But he's worth a second-round pick, for sure.
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Baumgardner: Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (82). He was an elite defensive back in high school who transformed his body and turned himself into everything an NFL team looks for in a flex tight end. If he continues to get stronger, he could be an every-down starter.
The 6-foot-3, 238-pounder blends elite length (33 1/8-inch arms) with even better athleticism and explosion. Fannin made 13 contested catches during last season's ridiculous 117-catch, 1,555-yard season and is a legit problem for defensive backs at all areas of the field. He's also just 20 years old. Though he's still on the thinner side now, he had his share of blocking wins during his run at the Senior Bowl.
HISTORY.
With this catch, BGSU's @fannin_jr became the new FBS single-season record holder for receiving yards by a tight end. Incredible season for the consensus All-American.@BG_Football | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/dtcjSljk8W
— MACtion (@MACSports) December 27, 2024
It wouldn't surprise me to see as many as four tight ends go in the first round, as LSU's Mason Taylor (37) and Miami's Elijah Arroyo (39) will be tempting for several teams late. Dane has seven tight ends in the top 100 — and the class doesn't run dry there. Clemson's Jake Briningstool, Iowa's Luke Lachey, Syracuse's Oronde Gadsden II and Georgia Tech's Jackson Hawes are just a few of the other intriguing prospects, but this group is deep.
Dochterman: There are several who come to mind, but if I had to choose one, it'd be Ole Miss defensive end Princely Umanmielen (75). The Rebels featured the best defensive line south of Columbus, Ohio, and several players received high accolades. But Umanmielen was Ole Miss' most disruptive player on the line of scrimmage this season.
Umanmielen (6-4, 255) has incredible quickness and burst off the edge and can convert that speed to power like few players in the draft. He had the nation's fifth-highest pass-rush win rate, according to Pro Football Focus, and finished with a team-high 10.5 sacks. If I were drafting for Detroit at No. 28, or pretty much any team to start the second round, Umanmielen would enter my discussion.
Among the others under consideration are Texas tight end Gunnar Helm (64), whom I would rank just slightly behind Michigan's Colston Loveland for the No. 2 tight end spot. Big 12 corners Jacob Parrish (86), Cobee Bryant (96) and Darien Porter (99) are very likable prospects and potential early contributors.
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Baumgardner: I don't know if I can get behind Oregon running back Jordan James (62) over Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins (70), but I understand why teams are interested in his profile as a tough runner who gets the job done without sacrificing his elusiveness.
One player Dane could be too low on here is Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron (40). I thought he was ready to go to the NFL last year. And I know there are concerns about his body type and recovery speed, but he's one of the smartest, savviest defenders in this class and just finds the football.
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Many people have cautioned teams not to overlook Georgia's Malaki Starks the same way they did former Alabama DB Brian Branch, but the same could be said about Barron — who probably could line up at safety in the NFL.
Dochterman: I might be splitting hairs, but I thought Josh Simmons (17) was a bit high. He's a great prospect, but Ohio State's offensive line played at its highest level in the College Football Playoff when Donovan Jackson (34) replaced Simmons at left tackle. Simmons' injury prevented everyone from seeing him at his best. I'd have him a little lower (and Jackson much higher), but Simmons is still a first-rounder. Perhaps North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel (38) fits in the same category, although he's still a top-50 prospect.
I was surprised UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger came in at No. 43, but stylistically, he was perfect in the Big Ten. Not too bad for a former walk-on.
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(Photo of Jalon Walker: John Adams / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)