We are finally here, friends. The 2025 NFL draft officially kicks off, and the next three days, seven rounds, and 257 selections are going to be focused on the next wave of future NFL stars. It’s Christmas for a lot of us in the draft community. 

For the next several hours, the latest rumors and projections will be flying everywhere. Some will be legitimate, and even more won’t be. Here is the latest draft intel that I have gathered myself, and more importantly, things that I very much believe in. It’s going to be a wacky round one of action. 

Ashton Jeanty to Jacksonville? 

We have seen the rumors of Boise State running back to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5 frequently over the last couple of days. With rumors swirling all over the place, people are left wondering just how legitimate those projections are, particularly this time of the year. 

Based on everything I’m hearing, this is a rumor I buy into fully. It is very, very, very, very, very likely that Jeanty ends up being the selection for the Jaguars if he is there at No. 5 (which he is expected to be). That’s five verys for those that lost count. That staff, and organization, love the talented runner and it isn’t a secret at this point, especially head coach Liam Coen.

A Jihaad Campbell slide coming?

There was a time where Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell looked like a lock to be a top-20 selection, and there was an outside chance that he could have gone inside the first 10 selections as well. There are teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers that are all very high on Campbell and his potential three-down impact. From a talent perspective, I think Campbell would go high. 

The problem is that this process isn’t just about talent. We have seen information come out about Campbell recently about his shoulder surgery, which threw a wrench into the evaluation. The even bigger issue is that the medicals did not come back favorably for Campbell overall. There appears to also be some worry about both shoulders, as well as a preexisting knee injury. The exact issue with the knee isn’t certain, but the word “degenerative” has been thrown out there, and that’s never a good thing. 

Going higher than people believe 

We also like to talk this time of year about players who are going to go much higher than people believe. This year, my pick is Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Depending on what mock drafts you’ve been looking at down the stretch, most have Hairston going somewhere in the late 20’s, in the early 30’s, or sometimes not in the first round all together. 

Hairston has largely been viewed by most as a borderline first rounder, but that may be underselling the SEC speedster. In the most recent feedback I’ve received, I would be shocked if Hairston makes it out of the top-20 selections. Some teams are obsessed over his combination of long speed, and ball skills. 

The offensive line hierarchy 

We have spent a lot of time debating whether Will Campbell (LSU) or Armand Membou (Missouri) will be first offensive tackle selected, and off the board to the New England Patriots at No. 4 overall. It sounds like it’s going to be Campbell barring something unforeseen. That, however, isn’t the interesting tidbit. 

There appears to be a substantial market for Texas standout Kelvin Banks Jr. to be the second offensive lineman off of the board, and is expected to come off the board inside the top 10 selections. Keep a close eye on the Las Vegas Raiders in terms of fits. Banks, although pretty universally liked around the league, has typically been forecasted to go somewhere in the teens, or even early 20’s. His experience, particularly at left tackle, is something that teams have valued heavily. That’s a big reason I expect him to be selected before Membou. 

Also keep a close eye on Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. to potentially crash the party. He could go  a lot earlier than expected, and there is a very good chance we see a big offensive line run inside the top 15 picks. Don’t be shocked if a couple of teams try to trade up because if that early run. 

Walter Nolen rumors 

The projection of Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen has been a bit weird, which matches the volatility of him as a football player. Early on in the process, we saw Nolen pretty high in mock drafts for many prominent analysts. Then we saw Nolen begin to see his name trickle down the board a bit, and a lot of the time not even being selected in the first round. 

The latest buzz has been very favorable for Nolen recently, including a couple of mocks that have him inside the top ten to the Carolina Panthers. In this volatile industry, we have learned that it really only takes one team to prove something right, or something very wrong. Perhaps someone takes the plunge on Nolen early, but the feedback I have received isn’t the positive kind. I believe it’s much more likely that Nolen falls than rises. 

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