NFL Draft Scout BIG Board and more
Our list of 350 and 750, positional breakdowns, RB history and notes to know
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After the dissemination of an unofficial but unavoidable record amount of information and misinformation, 32 teams will put their opinions on the line Thursday in one of recent memory’s most controversial and confusing Player Selection Meetings — aka the 90th NFL Draft — at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The previous drafts honored the popularity and importance of the almighty quarterback, with three and six taken in the respective first rounds. This year, minds seem to turn to mush as pro and amateur draftniks mumble words such as edge rusher, offensive lineman, and an archaic term once the darling of the sport — running backs.
Remember them? We will get back to that subject.
The most dominant positions in this draft include:
Pass rushers: Nine first-round prospects, 16 who could go in the first two rounds, then 20 of the top 100, with 52 who are draftable.
And in symmetry, Sir Isaac Newton might appreciate …
Offensive tackles: Nine worthy of a first-round pick, 16 in the first two rounds, 18 in the top 100, and 42 who are draftable.
Here is our strength of position chart, based on NFL Draft Scout ratings.
That didn’t stop quarterbacks from dominating conversations. Only two had semi-firm believers that they would go in the first round: Miami’s Cam Ward and, well, the arguments get heated immediately thereafter.
Colorado’s Shedeur (Son of Deion) Sanders was high on most lists early on, but in the wake of a lot of negativity and controversy, there was a widespread perception that he slid. Some displaced him on their lists with Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart. Despite compelling arguments from people I respect, I didn’t buy into all that, although the NFL Draft Scout ratings are a team effort and not really in my preferred order.
I don’t like Ward and his sidearm rocket-launcher at all, just as we didn’t like the previous two Peoples’ Choice No. 1 draft choices — Bryce Young and Caleb Williams — although for different reasons. But this time we don’t have a great alternative, as we did with C. J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels, our top choices the last two years.
In fact, there is plenty to be concerned about in this draft, even at the top of our list. And remember, this is not a mock, which we do elsewhere. This is supposed to be listed in order of our projection as pro players, as potential Hall of Famers if you want to stretch it.
We have Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter at No. 1 in appreciation for his skills as a defender and his ability to help out on offense. While his penchant to hit like Ronnie Lott may be admirable, at 188 pounds, it is a concern. And his insistence on playing full-time both ways is exhausting to consider.
At No. 2, we have Penn State OLB/edge/pass rusher Abdul Carter, whose quickness and elusiveness are extraordinary. They are so good, in fact, that we haven’t seen if he can handle a tough lineman in hand-to-hand combat. Can he disengage? He didn’t work out at the Combine or his pro day. Can he do a bench press? More than one?
At No. 3, we list Boise State’s phenomenal running back, Ashton Jeanty. He is 5-8, 211 pounds of insane ability. He can squat 700 pounds, and that is evident when he runs through tackles. He rates right up there with the best college running backs I've ever seen. If he were an inch or so taller, I’d be arguing that he should be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Probably should anyway.
We will get back to Jeanty and the running backs in a bit.
For reasons I cannot rationalize, we have Ward at No. 4 overall. That’s three places lower than most list him, but at least 10 higher than I believe is correct. You can call it an NDS team move. But you wouldn’t be wrong to say it's a cop-out on my part. And I don't know what to make of the ascent of Jaxson Dart.
I am not good at analytics, which seems to create analysis paralysis. Mostly, I watch them play and note the good along with the bad.
I’m still stuck appreciating the leadership, toughness and accuracy (74 percent) of Sanders, despite his technical flaws and his helicopter dad. And I have mentioned often that, despite everybody jumping off his bandwagon, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers can throw the hell out of the ball when if is healthy. Big if, perhaps, but I am not bailing on him.
I am more interested in seeing each of them play than in how early they are taken in this draft. More important than when is to whom, again a mock thing. Just ask those 10 former first-round quarterbacks who switched teams this year.
Now back to the running backs ...
The combination of Jeanty’s rare performances and Saquon Barkley leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl Championship have fans talking about the return of the running back. There is a legitimately good group of running backs in the draft, with at least three first-round prospects, nine who could be selected in the first two rounds, 13 in the top 100, and 46 who are draftable.
Sounds good compared to recent drafts and NFL payrolls, which have almost ignored this once noble position. But, historically, it is no big thang. For fans who fondly recall six quarterbacks being selected in the first round in 1983 and last year, let’s consider how much more popular running backs were in their day.
Four times there were seven running backs taken in Round 1 — 1967, 1971, 1982 and 1987. In 1990 there were six selected in the first round and a dozen in the first two.
But running backs faded this century. Check out this chart.
So, while we should see a bit more action for running backs in 2025, we are far from the days when that was a glory position.
If you haven’t done your homework for the draft, here is some help to keep you busy until the commissioner says “With the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft …”
Complete NFL Draft Scout final ratings (750) with links to (most) profiles.
The lists are dynamic, allowing you to sort by positions, schools or whatever you want. Give it a shot while all this info is still free. Next season, we may do all this with more of a money motive.
Here is a peek at NFL Draft Scout’s Top 350 with Combine, pro day data
The full, downloadable file is below this chart.
Downloadable file on 350 players in 2025 Draft — Combine, pro day data
Downloadable file on NFL Draft: Top 750 Players
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Final notes
There are injuries aplenty among the players we rated as draftable (top 350). Seventeen first-rounders, 40 in the top 100, and 99 of the top 350 had injuries that kept them out of games or seasons.
Transfers and NIL income have become a big deal. Twenty-five of the top 40 transferred, 69 of the top 100 and 214 of our 350. Of them, nine of the top 100 and 30 of the leading 335 transferred at least twice.
Here is that chart:
If you want to drill down into the 2025 running backs even further, here is a chart of all the running backs we rated as draftable, with their Combine and pro day data.
Running Backs
I see that many subscribers are downloading full files. We haven't used that feature before, but it allows us to overcome some of the limitations of what we can show in a file. I highly recommend trying the downloads. One shows all data from the top 350 at Combine and Pro Days. The other lists top 750 players, just in case you want to start another league.