2025 NFL Draft Mailbag: Luther Burden, Tetairoa McMillan, my guys in the class, and drafting for the Bengals, Patriots, and Jaguars
With the college and NFL seasons getting closer to the end, the 2025 NFL Draft class is going to continue to be a larger topic of conversation moving forward. Depending on who your favorite NFL team is, that might be the full topic of conversation already. With that in mind, I started to do these […]
With the college and NFL seasons getting closer to the end, the 2025 NFL Draft class is going to continue to be a larger topic of conversation moving forward. Depending on who your favorite NFL team is, that might be the full topic of conversation already. With that in mind, I started to do these weekly NFL Draft mailbags that you can submit questions over to @RiseNDraft on X.
The topics this week included the 2025 wide receiver class, selecting for the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, and Jacksonville Jaguars, as well as some “my guys” of the group. Here are those questions, the answers, and continued conversation around the tremendous prospects in the class.
Tate Ratledge against Notre Dame
In the scouting world, an evaluation doesn’t make or break based on one football game, usually. For Ratledge, he’s played a lot of football over the last couple of seasons in the SEC. He has played against a lot of big time players, and has been tested routinely. The major issue for Ratledge is that the whole 2024 season wasn’t great. Ratledge was banged up but also didn’t play his best football when he was healthy. The 6-6, 320-pound behemoth will have some questions to answer about his overall uneven play. Ratledge once looked like he had a great chance to be selected in the top 64 selections, but that’s far from a certainty as of now.
The rise of Cody Simon
Simon isn’t the athlete that his teammates Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese are, but he has been so consistent. The senior was viewed as a quality contributor coming into the fall, but not a guy who would necessarily be a difference maker for the Buckeyes. Simon has taken his game to another level with the opportunity. Nothing about him is going to be flashy, but Simon is a good communicator, plays with great effort, and always seems to be in the right spot. That could get him drafted somewhere on day three.
The Patriot way
Well obviously this scenario has changed quite a bit, but there is still an interesting conversation around what the Patriots should do with the No. 3 selection. For me, assuming that both quarterbacks go with the first two selections, it will come down to two players. Those are Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and Colorado athlete Travis Hunter. With Hunter having the talent to potentially play either cornerback or wide receiver on the next level, that’s probably where I would lean. There’s no such thing as a perfect prospect, but Hunter is the rarest in this class. That versatility widens his margin for error as a prospect.
2025 defensive tackle depth
I think Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander ends up going somewhere early on day three (fourth round would be my guess). He has size and plays with good power, but I do think he’s pretty stiff. There may be some limitations as a pass rusher, but he has the talent to develop into an early down contributor. I don’t quite buy the top 100 hype for Alexander, but he’s a solid prospect.
Ty Robinson is the classic mid-late day three prospect who finds a chance to stick. There’s nothing flashy about Robinson, but he plays hard and is very powerful. He’ll have a chance to find a role for a prospective NFL team, but there is just not much athletic upside. Robinson just is what he is, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Should have stayed in school?
Depending how the rest of the playoffs plays out, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar could fit that billing. Allar has said that he intends to return to school already, but it appears that can still change. He showed some huge growth from 2023 to 2024 but Allar still needs more development. Allar has the talent, but is still raw as a processor and has sporadic accuracy at times.
2025 7-round Jacksonville Jaguars mock draft to kick off the post Doug Pederson era and build around QB Trevor Lawrence
2025 Jacksonville Jaguars 7-round NFL mock draft
Another Xavier Watts question
Watts has become a favorite of these mailbag segments, and it is understandable. He’s been a tremendous player for Notre Dame, and has done nothing but make huge plays the last two years. Heading into the season, there were mostly fourth round grades on Watts. Some in the NFL do have questions about his overall athleticism, and just how much the playmaking upside will translate. While Watts might not be the twitchiest athlete of all time, he’s always in the right spot and has a propensity to make big plays due to his ball skills. It now feels like the floor is the end of the third round for Watts, but there’s a chance he could rise into the second round as well.
Wide receivers at the top
I think two wide receivers go in the top 15 at most, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s only one. It’s really going to come down to what the wide receiver needy teams want. Do they want a dynamic space player in the mold of Luther Burden (Missouri) or a big body in the boundary like Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)? Those are the two most likely to go that high, with someone like Ohio State star Emeka Ugbuka more likely in the second half of the opening round.
Drafting for the Cincinnati Bengals
The best case scenario for the first round for the Bengals is that somehow one of Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter, Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce Jr. or Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is still available at No. 17. While it isn’t overly likely, there is a chance someone like Pearce is there. If not for Pearce, valuing one of the second tier pass rushers could be interesting.
Depending on if you get a pass rusher in the first round, then drafting the best defensive tackle or cornerback in round two should be a priority. A couple of names that could be interesting include cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame) and Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky), or Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. All of them would be great selections.
2025 vs 2024
I think the depth between the classes on day two is very similar. The top of the 2025 class just leaves a lot to be desired. If anything, I’d argue that the 2025 group is very deep on day two. This is one of the larger classes we have seen in NFL Draft history, and there is certainly value to be had.
My guys for 2025
These questions are so hard because I feel like I have a “my guy” at just about every position. I’ll trim the last down to a couple, and give some of my favorites. Kansas cornerback Cobee Bryant has been a personal favorite for some time now. Although he isn’t the biggest cornerback in the world at around 6-0 and 175 pounds, Bryant plays with a nasty demeanor and supreme confidence. Bryant has a propensity to make big plays, and will be one of the biggest values in the class.
I’m also super high on Kansas State running back DJ Giddens. Most people I’ve seen have him as a borderline top ten running back in this class, but he’s my top guy behind Boise State star Ashton Jeanty. There is no better running back making defenders miss in space. Giddens is also an impressive receiver out of the backfield, and has incredibly quick feet in short areas.
In a really underwhelming wide receiver class in 2025, Minnesota standout Daniel Jackson should be getting a lot more conversation. He isn’t the most dynamic athlete at 6-0 and 200 pounds, but Jackson is one of the more instinctive pass catchers in this class. Jackson is a really nice route runner, and is also a lot better in contested catch situations than you’d expect
At linebacker, there are two players who I appear to be higher on than the consensus. One is Ole Miss standout Chris Paul Jr., who began his career with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Paul plays with tremendous eye discipline, and a good overall combination of size, power, and range. Speaking of range, South Carolina star Demetrius Knight has a lot of it. At nearly 250 pounds, he covers an absurd amount of ground. The former Georgia Tech and Charlotte player has been a big riser this fall.
Who should the Jaguars take?
I don’t think there is necessarily a wrong answer between the two but I do lean for Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. The Jaguars need to inject some attitude and physicality into this roster, and Graham brings a lot of it. Johnson would be a tremendous cornerback for the team, but that doesn’t help the fact that the team is missing some nastiness. Graham is densely built at 6-3 and 320 pounds with impressive quickness. He is a dominant run defender, who also has untapped upside as a penetrator.
2025 7-round New York Giants mock draft to help flip the organization’s fortunes and save Brian Daboll’s job
2025 New York Giants 7-round mock draft
