Player comparisons can be a tricky game in NFL Draft evaluations, as every player brings something different to the table. That said, it’s a fun exercise that can provide some insight into what a prospect’s potential impact could be at the professional level.
Using our PFSN staff’s consensus top 15 players in the 2025 NFL Draft as a reference, these are my player comparisons for the top prospects in this class.
Abdul Carter: Micah Parsons
It seems like the easy way out using Micah Parsons as Abdul Carter’s comparison. After all, they’re both Penn State players who wore No. 11 and converted from linebacker to edge rusher. That’s not all that draws the two together, though.
Carter has the elite athleticism, high motor, and pass-rushing instincts that Parsons has displayed in the NFL. The latter ran a 4.36 40-yard dash, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Carter’s was close to that. This is what has made Parsons one of the best players in the league, and it’s what should make Carter one of the first picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Cam Ward: Jordan Love
Cam Ward appears likely to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and for good reason. Not only does he benefit from a weak quarterback class, but he himself is a talented passer with a high ceiling at the NFL level.
I’ve swayed back and forth on a comparison for Ward, but Jordan Love feels like a good fit. Both have impressive arms with above-average mobility and the flashes of playmaking brilliance down the field.
That said, both are inconsistent decision-makers prone to making turnover-worthy throws. Love is a solid starter, though, and that would be a great outcome for Ward.
Travis Hunter: Champ Bailey
It’s not easy to find a player who compares seamlessly to Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner with rare two-way capabilities.
To find a good match, you have to go back a few decades to another two-way player in college who recorded three interceptions and five offensive touchdowns in his last year at Georgia before becoming a Hall-of-Famer.
Champ Bailey was one of the best defenders of his generation, and while that’s a high bar for Hunter to reach, he seems capable of at least coming close. Both have tremendous ball skills, elite athleticism, the ability to play in all three phases of the game, and sharp instincts in coverage.
Mason Graham: Geno Atkins
Mason Graham figures to be one of the top players in the 2025 NFL Draft, so when looking for an NFL comparison, you have to shoot high.
Geno Atkins is similarly undersized with the same 32″ wingspan that ranks 12th in defensive tackle percentile, yet he’s also a tremendous DT, so he feels like a good choice.
When you watch Graham’s tape, you see a refined skill set consisting of tremendous quickness, good pad level, a strong anchor, and polished hands. All of those tools helped Atkins become an eight-time Pro Bowler.
Will Campbell: Bernhard Raimann
Those who don’t follow offensive line play too closely might see this as a low ceiling for Will Campbell, who’s seen as arguably the top lineman in the 2025 NFL Draft. That said, Bernhard Raimann has quietly been one of the best tackles in football the last few years.
Though Campbell and Raimann lack significant arm length for the tackle position — coming under the 33″ threshold — both are strong, athletic offensive tackles with unique, upright approaches that get the job done.
Their agility, spatial awareness, and hand placement help them shine, and as Raimann looks to be in line for a massive extension, so too could Campbell down the line.
Ashton Jeanty: LaDainian Tomlinson
With LaDainian Tomlinson being one of the best running backs of all time, this might feel like a lofty comparison for a rookie running back coming out of college.
That said, he and Jeanty both had collegiate seasons with over 2,000 rushing yards. Jeanty actually tied with Tomlinson’s record for the most 70+ yard rushing touchdowns (five) in a single season. If you watched Jeanty’s phenomenal 2024 season for Boise State, you’ll understand why he deserves this praise.
Both are stout, low-to-the-ground runners with tremendous contact balance. Jeanty has the relentless running style and overall shiftiness in a similar sense that made Tomlinson a Hall-of-Famer. Whether Jeanty reaches the same heights as L.T. remains to be seen, but he certainly has similar hype coming out of college.
Armand Membou: Jason Peters
Armand Membou is a significantly more polished lineman than Jason Peters was coming out of college as a converted tight end. However, Peters became a nine-time Pro Bowler and had a career that Membou might not reach. Still, the two have very similar athletic profiles.
Both are freak athletes over 320 pounds with 40-yard dashes in the 4.9 range, and the way that Membou and Peters move on tape is truly a sight to behold. Both also have impressive anchor strength and powerful jabs at the point of attack.
If Membou can reach the same level of football IQ and hand usage that Peters eventually did, it’ll be game over for NFL edge rushers.
Will Johnson: James Bradberry
I’d argue that James Bradberry has been one of the more underrated cornerbacks in the NFL, as he’s been a high-level starter for a long time with just one Pro Bowl to show for it. Nevertheless, his level of play is still a high bar for Will Johnson to reach.
I do think Johnson eventually gets there, though. Both he and Bradberry are well-built cornerbacks with solid speed, but they win more with very sharp route-recognition abilities and the ball skills needed to make consistent plays on the ball in coverage. Bradberry has averaged 14 pass deflections per year in the NFL, and I see Johnson hitting that caliber.
Shedeur Sanders: Geno Smith
Shedeur Sanders seems like a strong bet to be the second quarterback off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. There’s no blue-chip quarterback to make clickbaity Patrick Mahomes comparisons to in this year’s class, but Sanders plays quite a bit like Geno Smith.
Like the Las Vegas Raiders QB, Sanders is an accurate thrower of the football who can read the field and deliver passes into tight windows. They’re both very confident passers — sometimes to their own detriment — but it sometimes helps their respective offenses pull off big plays.
Tetairoa McMillan: Drake London
Wide receivers who are 6’4″ don’t grow on trees, making it easier to narrow down a comparison for Tetairoa McMillan. Though some have gone with Mike Evans as a popular comparison, I think Drake London is a better fit.
McMillan has tremendous ball skills, a large catch radius, and impressive body control for the wide receiver position. All of those traits have helped London, who’s the same height and just four pounds lighter, turn into a 1,000-yard receiver in the NFL.
Tyler Warren: Pat Freiermuth
I don’t necessarily love comparing players who play the same position and went to the same school. That said, while thinking of a comparison for Tyler Warren, I kept coming back to Pat Freiermuth, who was only half an inch shorter and five pounds lighter than Warren coming out of college.
Though I’d argue Warren is a superior prospect coming out due to his production and versatility, both he and Freiermuth are big-bodied tight ends with great ball skills, body control, and reliable hands. It helps that they both work hard as run blockers, too.
Jalon Walker: Frankie Luvu
Given Jalon Walker’s off-ball and EDGE versatility, Haason Reddick has become a popular comparison for him. That said, I think Frankie Luvu is a better fit for what Walker’s role should look like in the NFL.
An off-ball linebacker first who can also rush off the edge at a high level, Luvu was a second-team All-Pro in 2024 and has turned into a legitimate difference-maker in the NFL. Walker brings similar versatility and pass-rushing instincts as well as arguably superior athleticism.
Shemar Stewart: Jadeveon Clowney
Armed with tremendous size, strength, and speed, Shemar Stewart reminds me a lot of Jadeveon Clowney coming out of college. The two are both physical specimens with loads of upside to work with. Both ran 40-yard dashes in the 4.5 range, and both surpassed 37-inch broad jumps, which is no easy feat for a defensive end.
Granted, Clowney was a lot more productive in college than Stewart was. Stewart is inconsistent as a technician, just as Clowney was coming out of college. In the right system and with the right coaching staff, Stewart could reach Clowney’s level of production in the NFL.
Malaki Starks: Minkah Fitzpatrick
As a five-time Pro Bowler in his seven seasons in the NFL, Minkah Fitzpatrick has solidified himself as one of the best safeties in the game today. Malaki Starks brings a similar ceiling at the professional level.
Though I’d argue Fitzpatrick was more explosive coming out of college, Starks has the ball skills, fluidity, and coverage instincts needed to make a big impact at safety like his NFL counterpart. He’s a worthy first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Kelvin Banks Jr.: D.J. Humphries
As a physically gifted offensive tackle with an impressive frame and great athleticism but inconsistent technique, Kelvin Banks Jr. reminds me a lot of D.J. Humphries when he was coming out of Florida.
Lunging is the big issue with the two coming out of school, but Humphries has carved out a strong career for himself with 100 career starts and over $80 million in career earnings. Banks would likely be very happy with a similar result for his career.