2025 NFL Draft Mailbag: Trading up for Travis Hunter, the East-West Shrine Bowl, and strength of the cornerback class
The 2025 NFL Draft season is finally upon us! With the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl and Reese's Senior Bowl wrapping up, we have begun to get a deeper look at the next wave of future NFL stars. The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is on the horizon, and then the pro day circuit will finish up […]
The 2025 NFL Draft season is finally upon us! With the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl and Reese's Senior Bowl wrapping up, we have begun to get a deeper look at the next wave of future NFL stars. The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is on the horizon, and then the pro day circuit will finish up the process.
From here until the draft officially begins in April, I will be opening things up for mailbag questions to continue getting a deeper understanding of the players and process. Here are this week's set of questions, including Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts, the overall evaluation process, and a loaded 2025 cornerback group.
Xavier Watts’ draft slot
Going into the year, most of the feedback for Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts was on early Day Three, mostly in the fourth round range. After another impressive season, and some improvements in the run game, it feels like a certainty that Watts finds himself selected on Day Two (rounds 2-3). I personally don’t see him going in the first round. While Watts is incredibly instinctive, there are some athletic limitations. He will most likely be a good pro, but probably not a stellar one either.
Texas early declarations
I do believe a couple of the Texas prospects did make the wrong decisions to declare early, but it wasn’t fully their choice in the end. Cameron Williams should have gone back, but from the sounds of it, he just didn’t want to stay in college anymore. The staff also had soured a bit on Isaiah Bond by the end of the season, and he didn’t have a ton of options other than going pro.
Quinn Ewers could have either gone for the transfer portal option or gone pro, but the Longhorns wanted to turn the page. They are ready for the Arch Manning era. With Tre Wisner and Cedric Baxter on the roster, was Jaydon Blue going to improve his draft projection much? He was probably going to be a third down back selected on Day Three regardless of if it was this year or next, so might as well get his career started with a shorter shelf life. I think that decision made some sense.
Rise of East-West Shrine?
I don't think the East-West Shrine Bowl is ever going to fully rival the Reese’s Senior Bowl in terms of full quantity of talent, but we are seeing them begin to steal some players from the event. There are a couple of reasons for that. It’s partly due to format, and partly due to relationships.
The East-West has allowed some players to participate just from an interview perspective, which is valuable for some. We have seen players like Zay Flowers, Kenneth Grant, and Shedeur Sanders take advantage of that option, but not participate on the field. The other part is you have to give credit to Eric Galko, and his ability to create relationships that have led some players to opt for their game.
Developmental offensive tackles
These are the types of questions we love. I feel like I answer the same questions about just the mainstream names this time of year, but talking about the depth of the class is way more important to me and my process. Out of that group, I like Anthony Belton (NC State) and Chase Lundt (UConn) the best, and I would draft both in the top 100 for different reasons.
Lundt is a very smooth mover, and honestly, he’s one of the more athletic offensive tackle prospects in the class overall. Heavy outside zone teams are going to love him. While he needs continued improvement with his core strength, you just can’t teach some of the tools that he has.
Belton is a massive kid, and has really smooth feet to bring a really interesting combination. His biggest hurdle is keeping his weight in check. If he can, and reshape his body a bit, I think that Belton could develop into a starter on either side. The talent has never been in question. There is just some fine tuning that needs to happen physically and technically.
My evaluation process
It’s a great question. There’s always content to consider. Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, who you used as an example, is a perfect one. Did Loveland take a step back in 2024? No, not really, he was just a part of a really bad passing offense. There’s a huge difference between regression of performance, and regression of production. You have to be able to separate the two.
One thing I learned very early on in my evaluation career is that the most recent film is what matters most. There may be context to why regression happens, but a deeper conversation needs to happen. You’re only as good as your last rep or game. Projecting forward only matters if there has already been steady progression.
Stacking up Roger Rosengarten in 2025
It’s an interesting question, but no, not for me. I liked Rosengarten a ton but I still prefer players like Josh Simmons (Ohio State) to him. I will say this, though… Rosengarten would be firmly in the last first round conversation in this class, and I like him better than several offensive tackles who some are clinging to in that range right now.
Drafting for the Packers
I love the idea of the Packers taking the right defensive tackle in the late first round this season. Although he’s still a bit inconsistent, someone like Kenneth Grant (Michigan) could be ideal working at the nose. I also wouldn’t hate a cornerback, maybe someone like Shavon Revel Jr. (ECU) if he falls due to injury. Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas is also very interesting to me in that range.
Trading up for Travis Hunter
I think Hunter is probably the rarest player in the 2025 NFL Draft class. I would absolutely consider trading up for him if there’s an early run on quarterbacks, but it wouldn’t be a massive jump. While you might not find a player of this type of versatility in the middle of the field round, you can still find some very talented cornerbacks and wide receivers later than his draft slot. A team like the Carolina Panthers, who is already in the top ten, would make some sense.
Throwing darts
I just wanted to include this in here because it truly made me laugh out loud. The worst part is, it’s not totally inaccurate.
Positions of value in 2025
What position group gets chosen first? Recently it’s been between qbs and edge rushers.
— Josh Board (@unionhands.bsky.social) January 26, 2025 at 1:07 PM
My money right now is either quarterback or EDGE to come off the board first. As of today, I think the Titans either draft one of the two quarterbacks, or they take Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter. We will see how that changes throughout the draft process.
Breaking down the cornerback class
MB- Who are your top 5 corners? So I can boo and complain when the Packers don’t pick any of them.
— irishkj55.bsky.social (@irishkj55.bsky.social) January 26, 2025 at 1:10 PM
This is a very talented cornerback class overall. For me, I rank it as follows:
- Travis Hunter (Colorado) – Impressive two way player who brings the higher upside at cornerback. His combination of length, ball skills, and transitional quickness is rare.
- Will Johnson (Michigan) – Johnson had a down year compared to 2023, but when healthy, you see the upside he brings to the table. He is a bigger cornerback with outstanding physicality, loose hips, and incredible football IQ.
- Shavon Revel Jr. (ECU) – There’s a world where Revel develops into the top cornerback in the 2025 class. His game reminds me a lot of former Pro Bowler Antonio Cromartie, possessing impressive length, long speed, and hip fluidity.
- Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky) – Good luck getting on top of Hairston, who can run for days. Hairston also possesses the hip mobility to mirror and match and wide receiver in man coverage.
- Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State) – If you are a team that runs a lot of press man coverage, Thomas is the player for you. He’s extremely physical, and also quick for his size. Thomas is a tough guy to deal with in coverage.
Maxwell Hairston, Chris Paul Jr., and other different “outliers” you should bet on in the 2025 NFL Draft class
Betting on outliers in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
