2025 NFL Draft: Greatest backup plans for groups that miss out on Ashton Jeanty, different high prospects

Yearly within the NFL Draft, groups usually cannot choose the precise prospect they covet in Spherical 1.  

Meaning loads of evaluation of marquee prospects falls on deaf ears for a lot of followers. You already know Ashton Jeanty is a blast on movie, proper? However until you are a fan of a group selecting the highest six to possibly High 12, Jeanty will not be carrying your group’s colours within the fall. So are there any operating backs like Jeanty who’ll be out there on Day 2 or Day 3?

You have come to the fitting place. This text pinpoints “Plan B” and “Plan C” choices for a few of the most extremely coveted prospects within the 2025 draft class.

That is my seventh 12 months figuring out my favourite “Plan B prospects.” Hits in 2024 had been Tyrone Tracy, Jalyx Hunt and Renardo Inexperienced. In 2023, De’Von Achane, Sam LaPorta, Marvin Mims, Pop Douglas, Jalen Redmond and Dorian Williams. The 12 months earlier than that was my greatest so far, with hits on Khalil Shakir, Chig Okonkwo, Rasheed Walker, Braxton Jones, Zach Tom, Malcolm Rodriguez and Markquese Bell. 

In 2021, hits included Quinton Morris, Alaric Jackson and Andre Cisco.

I did not write this piece in 2020 or 2019, and the lone clear-cut hit within the inaugural piece in his sequence, from 2018, was Justin Reid. 

Now, onto the 2025 alternatives.

Quarterback 

Howard was a big-ticket add within the switch portal for Ohio State after he threw 39 touchdowns to only 14 interceptions on two high quality Kansas State groups in 2022 and 2023. Whereas he did not display his operating prowess within the Huge 10 as continuously as he did within the Huge 12, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterback examined like a high-caliber athlete in Indianapolis and performed rock-solid soccer down the stretch en path to the Buckeyes nationwide title. He is not stylistically the identical as Ward however gives the best flooring among the many subsequent tier of quarterback prospects. 

Prepare dinner is comparably skilled to Howard, with practically the identical quantity of collegiate makes an attempt on his draft resume. They each threw greater than 1,100 passes. Prepare dinner is one other high quality athlete on the place with some ad-libbing expertise. He merely would not have requisite arm expertise nor accuracy of an early-round choice.   

Working again 

Tuten is considered one of my favourite prospects in the complete draft. Movie? Examine. Analytics? Examine. Mix exercise? Examine. All had been unbelievable at Virginia Tech. He is the explosive characteristic again sort — who’s equally sized to the brief and stocky Jeanty. In two seasons at Virginia Tech, Tuten averaged 5.7 yards per keep on 356 totes. 

Relative to his lack of hype, Hunter has a powerful case as probably the most underrated operating again prospect on this stacked class on the place. No nonsense from him. No transferring. And he runs in a no-nonsense method too. Simply 4 seasons of high-caliber manufacturing within the SEC at Auburn. Hunter’s lowest yards-per-carry common got here in 2023, at 5.7 yards per. He was over 6.0 in his different three years with the Tigers. He is shifty and highly effective, usually scoffing at weak arm-tackle makes an attempt. Draft him on Day 3. Prosper. 

Large receiver

There’s momentum constructing for Golden to be the primary receiver off the board … after Travis Hunter. And he might be picked contained in the High 20. For the groups who will not have the ability to choose the slender, speedy wideout from Texas, Felton from Maryland is without doubt one of the tremendous contingency plan gamers with a stylistically comparable recreation. 

He is taller than Golden at simply over 6-foot-1. At 183 kilos, you may most likely guess he flies. Felton was a high-volume producer — 96 catches in 2024 for the Terrapins — and he compelled a whopping 26 missed tackles on these snags. With Golden, the perceived specialty is velocity. Golden ran 4.37 with a 39.5-inch vertical. 

Later, Lane from Virginia Tech is one other blazer with flexibility to get open in any respect three ranges of the sphere. He is about an inch shorter than Golden however the very same weight (191 kilos). The Virginia Tech star ran 4.34 with a 40-inch vertical and a three-cone beneath the magic 7.00-second threshold (6.75). He separates and rocks after the catch. 

Tight finish 

Warren would be the first tight finish off the board. He might go as excessive as probably seventh general to the Jets. He is an awesome bodily specimen with distinctive expertise as a real point of interest of an offense in school. Penn State utilized him in every single place. Assume Kyle Juszczyk in Dallas Goedert’s physique. 

Ferguson wasn’t a wildcat operating again at Oregon and wasn’t routinely hurdling defenders like Warren. He is a sneaky-good athletic specimen in a deep tight finish class. His full exercise in Indianapolis was the very best on the place, and for as a lot as Warren is considered as an incredible offensive due to capabilities after the catch, Ferguson’s missed-tackle compelled charge in school was considerably higher than the Penn State star’s (22.3% vs. 16.8%). 

I might’ve gone with Jalin Conyers from Texas Tech, one other compact enjoyable post-catch weapon at tight finish. As a substitute, I am going to characteristic Simon from South Carolina, who additionally suits that description. He was one other massive tester with a vertical and broad soar within the 91st and 93rd percentile and a 10-yard cut up and 40-yard sprint within the 83rd and 74th percentile on the place. Whereas he is already 24, he performs like a seasoned veteran with the soccer in his palms. His MTF charge was 23.3% on 154 catches in school. 

Offensive sort out

Ersery must be garnering extra first-round buzz. He is constructed like a outsized guard, and performs with admirable calmness and confidence at left sort out, hardly ever lunging or trying stretched past his athletic restrict. And, post-combine, we all know it’s going to be a problem for Ersery’s athleticism to be examined within the NFL, as he had a exercise corresponding to Membou and the same top and weight.

With Hinton, suppose Rasheed Walker, a seventh-round choose turned pass-pro gem for the Packers. He must refine his kick slide in basic move safety and keep affected person, but it isn’t straightforward uncovering practically 6-7, 323-pound blockers with arms over 34-inches who glide on the sphere as fluidly as this Michigan (and former Stanford) product.  

Inside offensive line

Jackson is as ready-to-go as they arrive on the guard place, and he proved his positional versatility and athletic presents when moonlighting at left sort out after Josh Simmons’ early-season damage at Ohio State in 2024. Jackson was over 6-3 and 318 kilos with a wingspan within the 83rd percentile at guard on the mix.

The theme right here is thick, lengthy, and comfortably cell. That is exactly what a group shall be getting with each Frazier and Rogers. Frazier is north of 6-5 and 318 kilos with a wingspan over 81 inches. Rogers is sort of 6-5 and 312 kilos however somewhat shorter-armed with a 79-inch wingspan. Like Jackson, the Plan B and Plan C listed below are electrical in area, climbing to the second degree straight away and routinely destroying linebackers on run performs. They each transfer effortlessly side-to-side in move professional too. They each have excessive flooring and excessive ceilings, similar to Jackson. 

Edge rusher

Swinson has Carter-like bend across the nook as a move rusher. Severely. He is not as well-rounded of a defender general — like in opposition to the run. However let’s be actual, pass-rush functionality is the principle motive Carter shall be a High 5 choose in two weeks. In 2024, Swinson registered simply 60 pressures on 313 alternatives to get after the quarterback. 

Ponder is considered one of my favourite super-deep sleepers in the complete class. He is aiming to be the primary Cal-Poly participant drafted since Asa Jackson in 2012 and has the sport to not simply get picked however thrive within the NFL. Ponder excels bending the sting, which is a talent you both have or you do not earlier than attending to the NFL. At practically 6-3 and 251 kilos at his professional day, Ponder hit 6.99 within the three-cone drill, and the flattening talent to the quarterback confirmed on movie in his closing two seasons, when he pressured the opposing quarterback 89 instances on 581 pass-rush reps. He is Gumby across the nook. 

Defensive sort out

Sanders has turn out to be criminally underrated on this draft class, just because there are a ridiculous variety of defensive tackles to get enamored over on this class, and he is not a hulking 310-plus pounder.

Let’s not neglect — Graham weighed-in beneath 300 kilos on the mix, though his taking part in weight seemed a lot heavier than that on movie. With Sanders, a group shall be getting a artful pass-rush transfer grasp in a sleek-ish body with high-level first-step quicks to dent the pocket routinely. 

Harrison-Hunte is that sort of rusher on Day 3. And he is largely thought-about a Day 3 sort as a result of he is a sixth-year participant. For as a lot as groups will say they do not care about age anymore, as a result of everybody’s older, that also components into upside on the subsequent degree. He was a gentle performer producing stress on the College of Miami then grew to become a really disruptive drive in his lone season at SMU, with a career-high 44 pressures on solely 375 pass-rushing snaps. Any stress charge over 10% is large for an inside rusher.  

Linebacker 

Beginning with a tap-in on Schwesinger, he is primarily the identical participant as Campbell who’ll possible be picked a minimum of one spherical later. Smooth, explosive, dependable tackler, plus blitzer, and playmaker in protection. Constructed for the fashionable recreation. 

Buchanan is one other considered one of my favourite general prospects within the class. I believe he is getting dinged by the lots due to only one season on the FBS degree, but he dominated for 3 seasons at UC-Davis earlier than that with eight interceptions and 13 move breakups to go together with 14 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He ran 4.60 and had a 40-inch vertical on the mix, hardly ever misses a sort out, and is a deft protection defender. He is my choose for the steal of the linebacker place on this class. 

Cornerback 

Hancock can present all the pieces Barron does, and he might not get picked till two or three rounds after him. Worth galore. From begin of season to nationwide title victory, Hancock was the steadiest Ohio State defender in my estimation. On the Buckeyes’ Professional Day, at practically the very same dimension and size as Barron, Hancock ran 4.42 with a 41.5-inch vertical. He is a wise, do-everything defensive again you need in your group. 

Ransaw would not have the collegiate ball manufacturing to garner an early choose. All the things he does as downhill run-defender / blitzer suggests he’ll outplay his draft place on early downs within the NFL. He missed a mere seven tackles on virtually 1,500 profession snaps at Troy and Tulane and is a rocket on the sphere in protection and when ranging to spear a operating again on an out of doors run. Ransaw clocked a 4.33 with a 40-inch vertical on the mix. And he is not some super-small overachiever both. At over 5-11 and 197 kilos, he is constructed like a modern-day security/cornerback hybrid.  

Security

Mickens’ dad, Ray, was a enjoyable, pesky participant for the Jets who completed his profession with 30 profession interceptions, and his ball-hawking DNA was handed all the way down to his son, who starred at Clemson over the previous 4 seasons after a freshman-year redshirt. 

He had seven interceptions and 13 move breakups throughout his profession with the Tigers and was clearly taught essentially sound tackling approach from his dad. Mickens’ sort out complete began at 30 in 2021 and completed with 75 in his senior season in 2024. 

Hook was requested to imagine a wide range of tasks at Toledo in his storied profession with the Rockets. He averaged 87 tackles per season, snagged seven picks, and knocked away 13 different passes in his time within the MAC whereas lacking simply 34 tackles on greater than 2,600 profession snaps. Hook has seen all of it from opposing offenses, and may sometimes be discovered close to the soccer.