It's Draft week and the 32 NFL teams are finalising their preparations ahead of the annual selection of college football's best players, which will take place in Green Bay on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Here are 10 offensive players sure to take centre stage in the opening round. And while we will not see six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 picks like last year, the passers will still feature heavily on Thursday night. So, that's where this list begins.
CAM WARD – Quarterback -Miami – 6-2/219 (Rd 1)
The value of the quarterback position should lead to Cam Ward being chosen first overall by the Tennessee Titans even though he is not rated that highly on most Big Boards. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah ranks Ward as the eighth-best player in this class, ESPN has him seventh and Pro Football Focus 20th.
Ward has a big arm and is a playmaker who plays a free-wheeling brand of football that has drawn comparisons to Green Bay's Jordan Love. Ward played two years at Incarnate Word and two years at Washington State. He used his final year of eligibility to play at Miami in 2024 and threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, earning Heisman Trophy finalist honours.
SHEDEUR SANDERS – Quarterback - Colorado – 6-2/215 (Rd 1)
The son of Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders, who is currently serving as head coach at the University of Colorado, enters the NFL Draft with the prospect of becoming a solid professional. While other young quarterbacks to enter the NFL in recent years have more athleticism and greater arm talent, Shedeur Sanders could be the better player in the long run. He plays a clean game, takes care of the football, is as tough as nails and with ice in his veins.
Sanders played two seasons at Jackson State before moving with his father when Deion took the Colorado job. He has been coached by his dad for three years in high school and all four years in college. Sanders accounted for 151 offensive touchdowns in four college football seasons and has been compared to pros such as Teddy Bridgewater and Geno Smith.
JAXSON DART – Quarterback - Mississippi – 6-2/225 (Rd 1)
A fluid thrower who is the best touch and timing quarterback in this class, Jaxson Dart began his college career at USC in 2021 before transferring to Ole Miss, where he started the past three seasons in Lane Kiffin's up-tempo offense.
Dart threw for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024 and improved his completion percentage in each of his four seasons in college football. He allayed concerns over his arm strength at his Pro Day workout but there are some evaluators who wonder if he benefits from Kiffin's system presenting him with multiple wide-open targets. Dart is also an effective scramble who likely hears his name called in round one.
ASHTON JEANTY – Running Back - Boise State – 5-9/211 (Rd1)
Considered one of the top three or four players in this class, Ashton Jeanty heads for the NFL off the back of an incredible season at Boise State. In 2024, Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards – second-most in college football history behind the great Barry Sanders. He also rushed for 29 touchdowns in 2024 and was runner up in the Heisman Trophy voting.
The two-year starter can break tackles, get out of tight situations and score from anywhere on the field. He has been compared to Hall of Fame great LaDainian Tomlinson and should become the focal point of his team's attack as a Pro Bowl talent at the next level. The only negative is nine fumbles over the past two seasons.
OMARION HAMPTON – Running Back - North Carolina – 6-0/221 (Rd 1)
Described as a high-volume battering ram who can set the tone, Omarion Hampton boasts an impressive blend of size, power, quickness and breakaway speed. He can knock defenders over and then use his 4.46 speed to take it to the house. This was evident in Hampton producing 1,026 yards after contact in 2024 – third-most in college football.
Hampton is also good in the passing game and is considered a true three-down back who doesn't need to come off the field. He rushed for more than 1,500 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns in each of his final two seasons at North Carolina and has been compared to New England's Rhamondre Stevenson.
TRAVIS HUNTER – Wide Receiver – Colorado – 6-0/188 (Rd 1)
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, few prospects are being talked about as much as Travis Hunter; who won the Heisman Trophy as the best in player in college football in 2024. Hunter is sure to be a top five pick but is he a wide receiver who can play a little bit of cornerback or vice-versa? It will be hard for him to match the 111.5 snaps per game he averaged at Colorado in 2024, that's for sure.
As a receiver, Hunter enjoyed his best campaign in 2024 as he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added another trophy to his cabinet as the winner of the Biletnikoff Award given to college football's best wide receiver. As a playmaking receiver, Hunter is the complete package and an enticing prospect.
TYLER WARREN – Tight End - Penn State – 6-6/256 (Rd 1)
A massive tight end who carried Penn State's offense with 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024, Tyler Warren has drawn lofty comparisons to a certain Rob Gronkowski! After just 49 career receptions in his first four seasons, Warren exploded in 2024 and was named college football's best tight end.
Warren doesn't create huge amounts of separation, but walls off defenders with his big frame. He plays with a confidence and a swagger and so often looked like best player on the field in 2024, performing with a contagious and infectious energy. A day one NFL starter.
COLSTON LOVELAND – Tight End - Michigan – 6-6/248 (Rd 1)
While Warren is more of a traditional tight end, Colston Loveland is a long and lean athlete who plays more like a big wide receiver and will be used outside a lot more. The quick, athletic playmaker has been compared to Detroit Pro Bowler Sam LaPorta.
Loveland won a national championship at Michigan in 2023 and brings a world of potential to the NFL, but not high-end production. He played three years of college football and never had more than 56 catches, 649 yards or five receiving touchdowns in a season. But his natural hands and crisp routes will make him an appealing target when he joins his NFL team.
MATTHEW GOLDEN – Wide Receiver – Texas – 5-11/191 (Rd 1)
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has described Matthew Golden as a "natural football player and a quarterback's best friend." That is a pretty strong endorsement as we head towards the first round on Thursday night/Friday morning.
Golden does appear to be the complete package. He boasts good hands, runs precise and polished routes and can blow away from defenders with 4.29 speed. That said, the production does not impress that much at the college level. After two so-so years at Houston, Golden moved to Texas in 2024 and recorded a career-high 987 receiving yards. But the potential and skillset should see him selected in the first half of round one.
WILL CAMPBELL – Offensive Tackle – LSU – 6-6/319 (Rd 1)
While some scouts have expressed concerns that his arms are a shorter-than-ideal length, Will Campbell has the height, weight and athleticism to be a prototypical left tackle in the NFL. There is a very good chance he goes fourth overall to the New England Patriots. If not there, Campbell is highly likely to be a top 10 pick.
The talent is there for Campbell to be a Pro Bowler in the NFL and teams should resist the urge to move him inside. Campbell played all but four of his 2,451 college football snaps at left tackle and excelled in that spot, at one point riding a 27-game streak without giving up a sack.
