As the 2025 NFL Draft class continues to take shape, it’s time to take stock of which prospects are going to dominate the early-round conversation for the next few months.
Our consensus Big Board combines rankings from a wide range of draft experts to identify how the top prospects are viewed relative to the rest of their class. In theory, by the time we reach draft weekend, these rankings should help give us a handle on how the picks could (or, at least, should) play out.
Last week, The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler released his updated top 50. How does the consensus board compare?
Consensus draft board (as of Nov. 20)
| Player | Pos | School | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Travis Hunter |
CB |
|
|
2 |
Will Johnson |
CB |
|
|
3 |
Mason Graham |
DT |
|
|
4 |
Abdul Carter |
Edge |
|
|
5 |
Ashton Jeanty |
RB |
|
|
6 |
Tetairoa McMillan |
WR |
|
|
7 |
Will Campbell |
OT |
|
|
8 |
Mykel Williams |
DT |
|
|
9 |
Kelvin Banks Jr. |
OT |
|
|
10 |
Malaki Starks |
S |
|
|
11 |
Nic Scourton |
Edge |
|
|
12 |
Cam Ward |
QB |
|
|
13 |
Luther Burden III |
WR |
|
|
14 |
Jalon Walker |
LB |
|
|
15 |
James Pearce Jr. |
Edge |
|
|
16 |
Shedeur Sanders |
QB |
|
|
17 |
Colston Loveland |
TE |
|
|
18 |
Kenneth Grant |
DT |
|
|
19 |
Benjamin Morrison |
CB |
|
|
20 |
Tyleik Williams |
DT |
|
|
21 |
Shavon Revel Jr. |
CB |
|
|
22 |
Jalen Milroe |
QB |
|
|
23 |
Aireontae Ersery |
OT |
|
|
24 |
Emeka Egbuka |
WR |
|
|
25 |
Derrick Harmon |
DT |
|
|
26 |
Walter Nolen |
DT |
|
|
27 |
Josh Simmons |
OT |
|
|
28 |
Deone Walker |
DT |
|
|
29 |
Jonah Savaiinaea |
iOL |
|
|
30 |
Isaiah Bond |
WR |
|
|
31 |
Tyler Warren |
TE |
|
|
32 |
Omarion Hampton |
RB |
|
|
33 |
Landon Jackson |
Edge |
|
|
34 |
Nick Emmanwori |
CB |
|
|
35 |
Garrett Nussmeier |
QB |
|
|
36 |
Cameron Williams |
OT |
|
|
37 |
Shemar Stewart |
Edge |
|
|
38 |
Emery Jones Jr. |
OT |
|
|
39 |
Wyatt Milum |
OT |
|
|
40 |
Josh Conerly Jr. |
OT |
|
|
41 |
Quinshon Judkins |
RB |
|
|
42 |
JT Tuimoloau |
Edge |
|
|
43 |
Elic Ayomanor |
WR |
|
|
44 |
Tre Harris |
WR |
|
|
45 |
Jack Sawyer |
Edge |
|
|
46 |
Quinn Ewers |
QB |
|
|
47 |
Kaleb Johnson |
RB |
|
|
48 |
Tacario Davis |
CB |
|
|
49 |
Deontae Lawson |
LB |
|
|
50 |
Harold Fannin Jr. |
TE |
A few thoughts on the updated board:
1. Travis Hunter might not move from that top spot
The Colorado superstar didn’t open at No. 1 — he was No. 6 when we last did this exercise way back in May. Obviously, things have changed quite a bit since then, for a lot of prospects, but Hunter pretty clearly has earned his spot atop the rankings. (That’s where he was on Brugler’s board last week, too.)
The question now: Barring an injury, is there anything that could bump Hunter off the podium?
It doesn’t feel all that likely, especially in a class that’s perceived to be lacking an elite-tier quarterback. Colorado’s playoff push will only elevate the stage for each of Hunter’s remaining games, and he’s had no trouble rising to the occasion thus far. Plus, the player right behind him in the consensus rankings, Michigan CB Will Johnson, has not played since Oct. 19 due to injury.
Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (No. 5 on the consensus board) are separating from the pack in the Heisman race. In all likelihood, that award is also Hunter’s to lose at this point.
GO DEEPER
College Football Playoff rankings: Boise State leaps to No. 4 seed
2. The QB situation isn’t entirely dire
As mentioned, the 2025 draft isn’t exactly loaded with premier QB prospects — at least, not in the way the ’24 class was with names like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and others. Even with Georgia’s Carson Beck falling off our updated board and Texas’ Quinn Ewers down to No. 46 (from a preseason ranking of 21), though, the quarterback outlook is starting to look a little rosier than it did a month or two ago.
That’s thanks to the concurrent rises of Miami’s Cam Ward (No. 12), Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (No. 22) and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (No. 35), all of whom were unranked on the preseason consensus board. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders has more or less held steady, too, checking in at No. 16 here — up one spot from his preseason ranking.
Does that mean those flailing NFL teams headed toward top-10 picks will boost the QB market come April? They almost always do. Ward and Sanders, especially, seem like they’ll have their fans in the pro ranks — they were selected No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, in Nick Baumgardner’s 2025 mock draft earlier this month.
Beck parlaying his big performance against Tennessee on Saturday into a strong close to the season, impressive pre-draft process and a rise back up the board would help that positional depth.
3. Is Jeanty’s ranking an accurate reflection of his potential draft range?
In short, yes, probably.
There has been unending discussion about running back draft value over the years, but — for all the talk (and some evidence) that it’s wiser to wait on that position — teams have invested in elite running back prospects when it’s made sense to do so. Atlanta took Bijan Robinson at No. 8 two drafts ago; the Giants selected Saquon Barkley at No. 2 in 2018; Leonard Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley all cracked the top 10 in the drafts prior to Barkley’s arrival.
The record-breaking run 😮💨
📺 CBS Sports#BleedBlue | #BuiltDifferent | #HEI2MAN pic.twitter.com/KoL73vCzRH
— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) November 17, 2024
With the quarterback, edge rusher and offensive tackle pictures all looking slightly muddled at this point, there should be an opportunity for a talent like Jeanty to pounce. He’s already being linked rather heavily to the RB-needy Cowboys, who sure as heck appear like they’ll wind up picking in the top 10 (and maybe in the top five).
Headed into this weekend’s game at Wyoming, Jeanty has 1,893 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns on the season.
(Top photos of Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter: Eakin Howard, John E. Moore III / Getty Images)
