Football <\/p>\n
Think of the best third-round and lower picks over the last few decades, and how many of them have either slam-dunks or at least future pathways to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick in 2000. Marshal Yanda was a third-round pick in 2007. Frank Gore was a third-round pick in 2010. Jason Kelce was a sixth-round pick in 2011. Jason\u2019s brother Travis was a third-round pick in 2013. Richard Sherman was a fifth-round pick in 2011. Fred Warner was a third-round pick in 2018. <\/p>\n
On and on it goes. <\/p>\n
We never really know how things will turn out for those prospects whose playing potential far outstrips their draft destinations for whatever reasons. Perhaps the prospect in question played at a smaller school, and strength of competition is a question. Maybe they\u2019re pushed down in a class packed with too much talent for everybody to get their just due. Or it could be that off-field issues get in the way. <\/p>\n
Regardless, every draft class has those players who ascend far beyond where they were drafted. This list of prospects from the 2025 draft class is meant to feature those players who will likely be selected on the late second or third days of the draft, and who could be NFL starters far sooner than anybody imagined based on what the tape says. Because there are those players every year, and it\u2019s our firm belief that more than one of the names below will make that particular cut. <\/p>\n
They\u2019re not future Hall of Famers just yet, but here are our favorite defensive players in the 2025 draft who could make a lot of NFL talent evaluators look silly sooner than later. <\/p>\n
Last season, the 6\u20194, 305-pound Alexander had four sacks, 37 total pressures, 27 solo tackles, and 27 stops for the Toledo Rockets. And before you slam the strength of competition, consider that Alexander absolutely lit up Pitt\u2019s offense in Toledo\u2019s 48-46 win in the GameAbove Sports Bowl last Dec. 26. The day after Christmas was really Christmas Day for Alexander and his NFL potential, as he logged a sack, four total pressures, three solo tackles, and four stops against an ACC opponent. <\/p>\n
Alexander then went to the scouting combine and blew it up in most of the drills<\/a>, doubling down on what the tape already showed. His high-percentile numbers make you go back to the tape, and you will see a defensive tackle prospect with an unfortunate propensity to come off the snap with high pad level (which leads to less than optimal leverage), but when Alexander has it all together in an technical sense, he\u2019s highly destructive and really tough to stop play after play. <\/p>\n When Toledo’s Darius Alexander (No. 9) minds his leverage and keeps his hands involved, his tape is as good as anyone’s. A few coaching points needed, but this is an angry dude with an intense desire to blow stuff up in the backfield. pic.twitter.com\/ek48vS8cQR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 22, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n West was another scouting combine superstar<\/a> who likely had NFL teams going back to the tape after the fact, and those NFL teams most likely loved what they saw. Last season, the 6\u20191, 316-pound West had one sack, 25 total pressures, 28 solo tackles, and 22 stops. Factor in the six tackles for loss West had last season, because that\u2019s a big part of his play style. <\/p>\n West\u2019s arm length (31 \u00bd inches, which is sixth percentile for defensive tackles since 1999<\/a>), will give some teams pause. But as is always the case, you must go back to the tape to see if the prospect in question has developed the right strategies to overcome and mitigate any physical shortfalls. West explodes out of his stance, and he\u2019s all about striking the first blow, which tends to minimize those short-arm issues. He has also developed an array of moves to blast through single blocks and double teams. Think of how Grady Jarrett has dominated for years everywhere from head-over nose tackle to three-tech outside the guards, and that\u2019s a fair comparison.<\/p>\n CJ West’s killer combine will have people going back to his tape with fresh eyes, and that’s a good thing. He’s a pure attack dawg everywhere from 0-tech to 3, and given my love for undersized D-tackles, I’m in. Some Grady Jarrett spice here. pic.twitter.com\/g1gfHX7BBX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 1, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Going back to smaller-school players, what NFL teams really want to see is dominance against equivalent competition. Not that Boise State is some Division III school \u2013 not with Ashton Jeanty on the roster since 2022 \u2013 but in projecting NFL futures for any Broncos of note, you have to see more moments of grown-ass man reps when you\u2019re not playing Ohio State, Michigan, or the SEC week after week. <\/p>\n In the case of Ahmed Hassanein, the dominance is clear on tape, and given Hassanein\u2019s lack of football experience, you start to think of what he could be with a couple years of NFL coaching. Hassanein was born in America, but moved to Cairo, Egypt to live with his father at age six. He didn\u2019t start playing football until 2018, when he moved back to the United States, and his brother (a football coach) got him into it. <\/p>\n You could say that Hassanein is lacking a pass-rush plan given his level of experience, but the same could be said of Texas A&M\u2019s Shemar Stewart, and Stewart has a lot more experience, Stewart will also probably be taken in the first round. <\/p>\n What really shows up on Hassanein\u2019s tape is that at 6\u20192 and 267 pounds, he\u2019s got a surprising burst off the edge to beat tackles with speed, and he can also push guards right into the backfield when he\u2019s asked to kick inside. I am eager to see what Hassanein can become over time. <\/p>\n Boise State EDGE Ahmed Hassanein (91) is a fascinating prospect. Didn’t start playing American football until 2018 after growing up in Egypt. There are holes in the technique as a result, but you don’t just fall into 24 sacks and 115 total pressures over the last two seasons. pic.twitter.com\/LDuAkKKnfF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 4, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Some people might not know what to do with Josaiah Stewart, because at 6\u20191 (second percentile for edge-rushers since 1999<\/a>) and 249 pounds (13th percentile), he\u2019s not going to fit everybody\u2019s ideal size qualifications. But when you go to the tape, you see that this dude is a power pig trapped in an off-ball linebacker\u2019s body. <\/p>\n Over and over, Stewart will work speed into power off the edge, and the results for offensive tackles can be downright embarrassing. You don\u2019t want to be thrown around by somebody you outweigh by 80 pounds, but when Stewart gets up to full speed (which doesn\u2019t take long at all), the power of a man weighing 30 pounds more kicks in, and the kung-fu starts to happen. <\/p>\n Last season, the 2023 transfer from Coastal Carolina had nine sacks and 37 total pressures in just 247 pass-rushing reps. And that\u2019s no one-year wonder; Stewart had six sacks and 29 total pressures in 177 pass-rushing reps for the Wolverines in 2023. He also had 22 solo tackles and 28 stops in 2024, so Stewart can defend the run just fine. <\/p>\n Michigan EDGE Josaiah Stewart is a smaller rusher at 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds, but the speed-to-power reps are ridiculous. He’ll just throw tackles around at times, and he can blow right by protections to his side. Needs more of a plan, but the basics are there to annoy NFL QBs. pic.twitter.com\/twEQpQ8KOD<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 4, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Talk about underrated guys \u2013 Dolac wasn\u2019t even invited to the scouting combine after a 2024 season in which he totaled (deep breath) five sacks, 16 total pressures, 125 solo tackles, 76 stops, 13 tackles for loss, and he allowed 43 catches on 58 targets for 317 yards, 220 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 56.5.<\/p>\n Anytime you have a linebacker with the same number of sacks as interceptions in a season, that\u2019s a pretty good indicator that he\u2019s an ideal candidate for the NFL, which demands just about everything from the position these days. Dolac does indeed have the ability to win in all kinds of roles \u2013 everywhere from the line of scrimmage to curl\/flat coverage \u2013 and this is another case in which the dominance against smaller-school opponents is both evident and transferable to the next level. <\/p>\n Buffalo (college) LB Shaun Dolac. If I’m an NFL defensive coordinator, this is a guy I want in the building, thank you very much. If there’s something he can’t do, I’d like to know what it is. pic.twitter.com\/WLN1Jg2wVH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) January 11, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Another combine snub, Oladokun had his best season to date in 2024, The 2022 transfer from Samford allowed 26 catches on 61 targets in 2024 for Bowling Green for 219 yards, 128 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, five interceptions, nine pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 18.4. That was the second-lowest opponent passer rating in the 2025 FBS draft class among cornerbacks taking at least 50% of his team\u2019s snaps. <\/p>\n Who ranked first? We\u2019ll get to that guy in a second.<\/p>\n In Oladokun\u2019s case, it\u2019s not just what he did against Arkansas State and Miami of Ohio. Against both Texas A&M and Penn State, Oladokun gave up easy hitches and curls when he was playing 10 yards off the ball, but when he was asked to trail big-school receivers downfield, those receivers didn\u2019t do much. Oladokun also has an innate feel for the timing and progression of route concepts; it\u2019s why so many of his deflections and interceptions are route jumps in which Oladokun appears to know what\u2019s coming as much as the offense trying to deliver it. <\/p>\n Hopefully, Oladokun\u2019s NFL team will allow him to play closer to the receiver more often, where his acumen and athleticism can combine for some potentially stellar results. <\/p>\n Bowling Green’s @JordanOladokun<\/a> was not invited to the scouting combine, and the scouting combine has some ‘splainin to do with that one. I want to watch tape with this cat, because it seems like he knows what’s coming before it comes. Opponent passer rating of 18.4 in 2024. pic.twitter.com\/WZatiK6LBI<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 22, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Porter is another guy on this list with an outstanding combine<\/a>, and when teams went back to the tape after that, they saw a cornerback who in 2024 allowed five catches on 17 targets for 70 yards, 22 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, three interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of\u2026 4.7.<\/p>\n There\u2019s your FBS leader in the 2025 draft class for cornerbacks when it comes to that all-important metric. <\/p>\n Porter\u2019s on-field movement skills would be more than acceptable for a 5\u20199, 180-pound slot guy; to have a gentleman getting it done with speed and agility at this level at just over 6\u20193 and 195 pounds is pretty ridiculous. <\/p>\n I like Porter in all types of coverage, but he\u2019s especially problematic for receivers when he\u2019s allowed to press right up with them at the line of scrimmage, using his match speed through any route, and then pulling in his 80-inch wingspan (95th percentile among cornerbacks since 1999) to deflect just about anything in his general vicinity. The NFL is in the middle of a press coverage revolution, and press-match coverage is especially important. Having a speed pterodactyl like Porter in your secondary should be seen as a bonus at all times. <\/p>\n Iowa State’s Darien Porter moves pretty darned well for a 6-foot-4, 200-pound cornerback. The rep vs. Kansas from Arrowhead seems pretty on point — methinks Spags would love a guy this big with these press\/match\/transition skills. 4.7 (!) opponent passer rating in 2024. pic.twitter.com\/R49WyuXZlq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 22, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n The days of the free and strong safeties are over, both at the NCAA and NFL levels. Those designations are meaningless in an era where positional versatility isn\u2019t just a fad; it\u2019s the default. If all you can do is play the deep third, you\u2019d better be Ed Reed or Earl Thomas, and most people aren\u2019t. Most of today\u2019s safeties are asked, based on their physical attributes, to play different but meaningful rep rates everywhere from box to slot to free. <\/p>\n Given that reality, one particular safety prospect really stood out in this draft class when it came to that versatility, and how it might be overlooked in his case. That\u2019s South Alabama\u2019s Jaden Voisin, who did most of his work in the box last season for the Jaguars, but also had meaningful snaps in the slot and at free safety. <\/p>\n Overall, Voisin allowed 21 catches on 34 targets for 234 yards, 86 yards after the catch, one touchdown, five interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 52.5. He also had 64 solo tackles, five tackles for loss, and 31 stops. While the 15 missed tackles imply some cleanup work at the next level, Voisin does project well as a do-it-all guy at the NFL level. <\/p>\n South Alabama safety Jaden Voisin is a prospect to watch. No love from the postseason games\/weeks, but the tape is for real. He’s a ball magnet who becomes a whirling dervish in the backfield. Has slot\/box\/deep third experience, and could function at all three in the NFL. pic.twitter.com\/KoN3f5pM00<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Doug Farrar \u270d (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 30, 2025<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
CJ West, DI, Indiana<\/h2>\n
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Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE, Boise State<\/h2>\n
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Josaiah Stewart, EDGE, Michigan<\/h2>\n
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Shaun Dolac, LB, Buffalo<\/h2>\n
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Jordan Oladokun, CB, Bowling Green<\/h2>\n
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Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State<\/h2>\n
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Jaden Voisin, Safety, South Alabama<\/h2>\n
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