1 week Ago By JAKE HARPER
n a league where talent at the quarterback position is increasingly scarce and valuable, players in other positions are often overlooked, whose recruitment can also be critical to changing the face of a team. While a quarterback is the sexiest position in the NFL, last year's draft showed that running backs and quarterback hunters can still be a key factor in winning a By 2025, experts estimate that there is a wealth of talent at the positions, particularly in the middle rounds. There is also thought to be plenty of talent for teams looking for a running back Finally, tight ends are also expected to be deeper than wide receivers, while there is expected to be a shortage of talent at other positions such as According to an assessment by NFL Draft expert Lance Zierlein, which weighs the number of players who will be selected by position in the first five rounds of the draft, this is the estimated depth at each of the 11 positions that make up an NFL team: 1) EDGE (26.
5 points out of 30 possible) For teams that need to rush the opposing quarterback, this draft promises to be a good one. heads the list, but other names such as Mike Green, James Pearce Jr. and Donovan Ezeiruaku are also being mentioned.
There are also other talented prospects to develop such as , who are players with impressive physiques. The expert estimates that on the second day of the draft there will be many future starters available, both as defensive ends and 3-4 scheme linebackers, as well as a significant number of high-quality rotation players from the fourth round onwards. 2) Running back (24 out of 30 points) The main prospect is , with talent similar to .
Other notable names include , who could have an immediate impact on their teams. Bhayshul Tuten and Dylan Sampson are expected to go around the third round, while Trevor Etienne and Jaydon Blue offer speed and pass-catching talent in the middle rounds. Good fourth- and fifth-round prospects are also expected as productive backups or committee runners.
3) Interior defensive line (22 points) Something similar to what happened in 2016 is expected: a draft with more than 11 defensive tackles taken among the first 100 picks (in that year there were 14). It is possible that up to four of these players will come out in the first round and become stars: But that's not all. Other names to watch include TJ Sanders, Joshua Farmer and Tyleik Williams, who could come out in the second round.
But for the following days, the position is not only deep, but also has a lot of potential for pass-rush 4) Closed wing (18.5 points) For this position, there is not much depth available, nor is there much quality. However, there are standouts such as , so players taken in the first two rounds will serve their teams well.
Beyond the top four, experts only anticipate having "good backups" or "below average starters," including the likes of Thomas Fidone II and Jackson Hawes 5) Offensive tackle (18 points) Last year, there was a lot of talent at the tackle position, but this year, although five tackles are expected to go in the first round, led by in the following days there are players such as Ozzy Trapilo and Anthony Belton, who could be immediate impact starters. However, there is also average talent from the second day onwards. There are not many "rough diamonds" to exploit this year, the expert points out.
6) Open receiver (17.5 points) Again for this year, it is not expected to happen what in 2023 with people like Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas Jr.
and Ladd McConkey, who went out in the first 34 selections. This year the available talent will be sought to recruit future stars, but they are considered rising talents: The rest look like solid secondary receivers, like 3 and 4, from the fifth round: Nick Nash, Dominic Lovett and Dont'e Thornton Jr. for Day 3.
While Heisman winner Travis Hunter is only considered a cornerback, although at Colorado he also played as a dominant receiver T-7) Cornerback (17 points) While this generation contains more quality than in 2024, it is actually expected to have less overall talent. is the big star. After him, Will Johnson needs to increase his speed to take advantage of his tremendous ball instincts as a first-round talent.
The rest look like good prospects to develop from the second and third rounds. After that, the availability of quality looks very poor T-7) Interior offensive line (17 points) While names such as stand out, there is a noticeable drop in quality after them. Tate Ratledge and Wyatt Milum are candidates for the second day, provided their teams do not need someone of immediate impact and the final rounds will offer prospects for depth.
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