Each week, Yardbarker is monitoring the 2025 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay.
From a Colorado two-way star to an Ole Miss cornerback, here are five players we are tracking.
Would AFC North team continue to let Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter play both ways?
In a Tuesday interview with CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, Hunter said if he doesn’t continue to play both ways in the NFL, he’ll quit playing football.
The Cleveland Browns could take the 2024 Heisman winner with the No. 2 pick. In his Thursday news conference, Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said he sees Hunter as a WR first and a DB second, but won’t try to limit the CB/WR if he selects him.
“It’s a little bit like [Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers],” Berry said. “Pitcher or hitter, he’s an outstanding player. You get a unicorn if you use him both ways.”
Hunter (6-foot, 188 pounds) had four interceptions and 15 touchdown catches in 13 games last season. Still, don’t expect him to play both ways extensively in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, he played 1,552 snaps (753 offensive, 776 defensive and 23 special teams) in 2024.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty shares why teams should grab him
Jeanty (5-foot-8.5, 211 pounds) certainly doesn’t lack confidence.
“If you pick me, it’s simple: I’m coming to your franchise to do what Saquon [Barkley] and the Eagles just did,” wrote Jeanty in a story published in The Players’ Tribune Wednesday. “I’m coming to win, big, soon. It’s TACKLE football … you know what I’m saying. I’d draft the guy they can’t tackle.”
Whether Jeanty will reach the same heights as Barkley remains unclear. In seven seasons with the New York Giants and Eagles, he has won a Super Bowl and made three Pro Bowls.
Like Barkley, however, Jeanty is difficult to tackle. PFF credited him with 152 missed tackles forced in 14 games in 2024, which was the most in the FBS.
Is the hype surrounding Louisville QB Tyler Shough legit?
Shough (6-foot-5, 219 pounds) continues to generate more buzz days before the draft. In a story published Thursday, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero listed the QB as one of five potential surprise first-rounders.
On a Tuesday episode of the “Scoop City” podcast, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said a coach told her Shough is “better than” Miami QB Cam Ward (6-foot-2, 219 pounds), the presumed No. 1 pick. Still, some of this could be smoke.
“There has also been some talk that Shough could be the second quarterback off the board behind Ward, and that just doesn’t make any sense,” wrote The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher in a story published Thursday.
Shough turns 26 on Sept. 28 and broke his collarbone and fibula in his seven-year college career at Texas Tech, Oregon and Louisville. In 2024, he completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards and 23 TD passes in 12 games.
Respected analyst names Missouri’s Luther Burden III as his favorite WR
NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth — a former Cincinnati Bengals WR — said Burden is his favorite WR in the draft on PFF’s “2025 NFL Draft Show” on Wednesday.
“I think Luther Burden is a guy that is going to take the league by storm,” Collinsworth said. “When you talk about Deebo Samuel, he plays like that. But he’s faster.”
Burden (6-foot, 206 pounds) ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. In Tankathon’s latest mock draft, the Titans take him with pick No. 35 in the second round.
Assuming the Titans take Ward with pick No. 1, he and Burden could form an explosive duo. In three seasons at Missouri, the wideout finished with 192 receptions for 2,263 yards and 21 TD catches.
Ole Miss CB Trey Amos could be a late riser
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler told ESPN’s Kevin Clark he wouldn’t be surprised if Amos is a “top-30 pick” in a clip posted to Clark’s X account on Tuesday.
On his updated big board, ESPN’s Field Yates rated the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder as his No. 4 CB in the class.
In his final season at Ole Miss, Amos displayed impressive ball skills, with three interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 13 games. He also showcased exceptional athleticism.
Reel Analytics gave Amos an IGA (in-game athleticism) score of 91, which is considered elite. IGA is calculated using player movement and a proprietary algorithm that includes advanced analytics.
