2025 NFL Draft top 150 prospects: Two-way star, Heisman winner Travis Hunter sits atop updated rankings

The 2024 college football season is over for most teams, and that means decisions are being made in earnest. NFL Draft declarations are trickling in ahead of the Jan. 15 deadline and several players have made the decision to enter the transfer portal. CBSSports.com NFL Draft analysts Ryan Wilson, Chris Trapasso, Mike Renner and myself have compiled our prospect rankings to release an updated look at the top 150 prospects. 

As a note, players who are in the transfer portal, such as Kentucky wide receiver Dane Key, were excluded from the list. 

The top 10 features two quarterbacks: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Ward performed better in the second half of the season than his peer, which enabled him to take over the QB1 spot. Sanders’ teammate, two-way star Travis Hunter, takes over the No. 1 spot after winning the Heisman Trophy. 

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is the top running back prospect by a considerable margin. It would be a surprise if he were not taken in the first round at this point. Jeanty is a dynamic runner, but a contributor in the pass game as well. Michigan’s Colston Loveland is the one and only tight end among the top 25 overall. 

It is a relatively weak cycle in terms of blue-chip talent, which is why multiple players recovering from significant injuries are able to hang around in the top 25 overall, namely Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons and Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison.

Michigan is the most well represented with four prospects.

Defensive tackle is a position flush with talent this year, which will be refreshing to teams considering there has been a shortage of options in recent cycles. Nine defensive tackles are among the top 50 overall. In addition to those nine defensive linemen, there are also 11 edge rushers.

After Ward and Sanders, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe was the only other quarterback among the top 50 overall. Penn State’s Drew Allar has made the decision to return to school for the 2025 season. 

It may be a deep class of defensive front-seven talent, but there are positions of weakness, including quarterback and wide receiver. Utah State wide receiver Jalen Royals is the highest-rated non-Power Four conference prospect. 

The dam burst open at the quarterback position with five representatives projected on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft. There are also eight offensive tackles among this group. It also expects to be a landing spot for several running backs and tight ends in a deep class. 

When NFL teams are preparing their strategies for the 2025 NFL Draft, they consider depth. If they believe they can address certain positions on Day 2 and later, then it could allow them to fill another position of need in the first round.

There are an astonishing 13 wide receivers to round out the top 150 overall, as well as five running backs. In total, there are 30 offensive prospects among the final 50 prospects and there had only been 46 offensive prospects among the entire top 100. 

There were 12 non-Power Four prospects among the top 150 overall, which is interesting because most would believe that the establishment of the transfer portal and NIL would funnel capable talent to higher levels of competition. 

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.