The nature of TreVeyon Henderson’s injury history might scare some teams away, but his on-field ability is worthy of the hype.
Henderson is an explosive and dynamic running back with a rare combination of speed, vision, and versatility. He excels in identifying running lanes and accelerating through them, making him a consistent big-play threat. Henderson’s quickness and agility allow him to navigate traffic effectively, while his top-end speed makes him a dangerous weapon in the open field.
He’s also a reliable pass-catcher, adding value as a three-down back. While he could improve in pass protection and add more power to his running style, Henderson’s game-changing ability and versatility make him an exciting running back prospect in the upcoming draft.
Jack Sawyer does one thing extremely well as a pass rusher, which has made him relatively dominant at the college level. He consistently and effectively uses the “run through a player’s chest” approach, but with reportedly sub-33-inch arms, will Sawyer be able to consistently win that way at the next level without developing more?
Nevertheless, Sawyer plays with his pants on fire as a run defender. He also has that T.J. Watt knack to him where he curiously always finds his hands on the football, whether it be batting down passes, intercepting them, or recovering them off the turf.
There have been multiple times throughout the past three years where one thought, “This is the game that proves Princely Umanmielen has put it all together,” only for him to disappear for a chunk of the rest of the campaign.
With natural bend, impressive density, desirable length, adequate burst, and flashes of technical brilliance, Umanmielen resembles a stronger version of Tennessee’s Pearce. Unfortunately, his flashes of dominance come few and far between.
Umanmielen turned it on in the waning hours of his collegiate career, but it wasn’t enough to feel confident that he’ll live up to his ever-present hype.
In a world of lab-built bendy pass rushers, JT Tuimoloau’s game is a bit antiquated. He possesses average or above-average size, length, burst, and run-defending ability.
He’s a good player, but Tuimoloau’s not a difference-making defensive end. He doesn’t play with the same violent force as his running mate, but he’s a more consistent run defender.
Still, a Sam Hubbard-like career is nothing to scoff at, which is the kind of role Tuimoloau could play at the next level.
Landon Jackson has been on the NFL Draft radar for multiple years now. He already possessed enough polish to declare a season ago, but he might have made the right decision to stay an extra season and declare in an admittedly weaker class.
Despite his measurables, Jackson plays with the smooth finesse of a much smaller arc rusher. He’s surprisingly adept at getting skinny and reducing his surface area to slice through the shoulder of offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback.
It wasn’t long ago that Javonte Williams was running through ACC defenses like a man possessed, and he passed the torch to Omarion Hampton. Hampton’s outrageous burst and dense frame make him someone that nobody wants to make contact with in an open rushing lane.
He’s a well-rounded runner overall, boasting impressive pass-protection prowess alongside natural hands. Although he forces missed and broken tackles at a high rate, Hampton’s not as fluid or creative in the open field as his contemporaries. And his inconsistent vision, although improving, keeps him from holding the RB2 crown in this class.
Wyatt Milum is a model of consistency at left tackle for the Mountaineers. Although it was early in the season, he even got through the Penn State game without looking like a fool against Carter.
Although he’s proven his ability to protect the passer at the collegiate level, Milum will almost certainly be reduced inside at the NFL level. That’s perfectly fine because his hands are deadly accurate in the run game, and his sixth-sense awareness means he’ll likely assimilate quickly to the interior.
Emery Jones Jr. would benefit from returning to school, but LSU’s … situation … becomes increasingly unclear moving forward with Brian Kelly.
Jones hasn’t sharpened the physical gifts he possesses into translatable starting NFL tape. Although his skill set currently suggests a move inside, if given the runway of a developmental role behind entrenched starters, there’s no reason not to try to develop him in the shadows as a tackle.
Jones possesses Tyler Smith-esque flexibility to absorb outrageous amounts of contact and the natural length to keep defenders at bay. That could benefit him on the interior, but his athleticism and the league’s lack of quality OT play make him a prime candidate to “fail” to the inside.
Elic Ayomanor couldn’t get the ball this year in a dreadful Stanford offense, but he displayed more than enough talent in 2023 to command excitement as an NFL Draft prospect.
Ayomanor could be one of the class’s best values because he was hidden in a bad situation. He’s a legitimate downfield threat with good density and power in his frame. He’s a fluid athlete with a natural hip sink to get in and out of route breaks.
Following a strong season, Darien Porter has emerged as a potential Day 2 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. His stock has risen significantly throughout 2024, showcasing explosive speed, effective route recognition, anticipation, and the length needed to thrive as a press corner at the next level.
After starting his first two college seasons as a wide receiver, Porter has seamlessly transitioned to defensive back. His developmental trajectory and potential upside suggest that a team will take a chance on one of the conference’s top cornerbacks.
Josh Conerly Jr. is far from perfect, but his athletic gifts and flashes of brilliance in the run game should give teams more than enough evidence to gamble on his long-term development.
Conerly’s Ohio State game was teach tape in the run game. He consistently got the better of the Buckeyes’ right defensive ends, opening up rushing lanes large enough for a new Hummer to roll through. However, Conerly’s lackluster core strength and underwhelming strike timing and placement make him more of a long-term project than a Day 1 starter.
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