The rumor mill never stops spinning, and with the 2025 NFL Draft right around the corner, speculation continues to heat up. Not every rumor comes to fruition, but they can be very insightful into how front offices are approaching the draft.
To help cut through the noise, let’s look at some of the latest 2025 NFL Draft rumors and news surrounding some of the draft’s most notable prospects, including Shedeur Sanders, Ashton Jeanty, and Abdul Carter.
Coaches, Execs Unload on Shedeur Sanders
Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, is PFSN’s second-ranked quarterback in the class. He’s been widely considered one of the top two signal-callers in this group, alongside Cam Ward.
However, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, several people within NFL circles aren’t as high on the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
A longtime NFL assistant coach said his conversation with Sanders was “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life. He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”
“It didn’t go great in our interview,” said a longtime AFC executive. “He wants to dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”
One NFC general manager didn’t see enough progression from the Colorado star in 2024, suggesting he preferred Jaxson Dart’s tape.
“I don’t think it was particularly close,” he said.
Still, this class isn’t exactly deep at quarterback, and many believe that Sanders is still at least the next-best behind Ward. Multiple teams have a glaring hole at the position, including the Cleveland Browns (last in yards per pass attempt, 5.9), New York Giants (31st in EPA per dropback, -0.11), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (waiting on Aaron Rodgers).
Ashton Jeanty Is Most Likely Trade-Up Target in Top 10
Boise State’s Jeanty is the unquestioned top running back prospect in this year’s draft class. The Heisman Trophy runner-up and Doak Walker Award winner racked up 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024.
There are few running backs in recent memory that are entering the draft with as much hype as Jeanty, and with good reason. He offers outstanding playmaking ability and has the game-breaking attributes that can justify a team spending high draft capital at a non-priority position.
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, if a team is going to trade up within the top 10, it won’t be for a quarterback — it’ll most likely be for Jeanty. Although Jeanty has been heavily linked to the Las Vegas Raiders leading up to the draft, they may not take him after all.
One potential trade-up candidate could be the Chicago Bears. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Bears are “praying” that Jeanty falls to them at No. 10 overall.
“They think new Bears coach Ben Johnson could feature Jeanty and D’Andre Swift as a two-headed duo the way the Lions did with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs when Johnson was Detroit’s offensive coordinator.”
While that could happen, it doesn’t appear very likely. The Bears may have to move up to get their guy.
Chicago’s rushing attack didn’t fare too well in 2024, ranking 27th in yards per rush attempt (4.0), 28th in third-down conversions on rushes (42.6%), and 30th in yards after contact per rush (2.51). Adding Jeanty would go a long way to improving their efficiency and form a dangerous 1-2 punch that would take immense pressure off Caleb Williams.
Giants Likely To Draft Abdul Carter at No. 3
The Giants own the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with multiple pressing needs, there are a few avenues they could take. However, speculation is heating up that New York could be zeroing in on one player.
On the latest episode of “The McShay Show,” Todd McShay suggested that while some people within the Giants organization are “pushing” for Sanders, all signs point to New York selecting Penn State’s Carter.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports that the Giants could opt to trade 2022’s No. 5 overall selection, Kayvon Thibodeaux, if they land Carter. Thibodeaux has recorded 21 sacks, 121 pressures, and 46 quarterback hits over three seasons, but his 9.9% pressure rate does leave much to be desired.
The Giants finished 20th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric last season, but they had a solid pass rush. New York ranked third in sack rate (8.2%) but was 16th in pressure rate (34.6%).
Edge rusher may not be the most urgent need for the Giants, but imagine a defensive front that features Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Carter. Keeping Thibodeaux would make the unit even more dangerous.
Carter is the No. 1 overall prospect on PFSN’s NFL Draft Big Board. A unanimous All-American and Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, he took the country by storm in his first year as a true pass rusher. He’s a rare athlete, even for NFL standards, and has the potential to be a true difference-making pass rusher. There’s little reason to believe Carter won’t be an immediate impact player at the next level.
Raiders Eyeing Jalen Milroe as Geno Smith’s Backup
Jalen Milroe’s name has been buzzing recently, especially after Browns general manager Andrew Berry claimed that the former Alabama quarterback may be faster than two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. With multiple teams looking for a quarterback of the future, Milroe could have a number of suitors, including the Raiders.
On a recent airing of SportsCenter, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Raiders are keen on the former Crimson Tide standout because they added Geno Smith in the offseason. This is an ideal situation because Vegas now has a veteran in Smith who Milroe can learn behind for the next couple of seasons.
Smith provides an immediate upgrade over what Las Vegas had under center a season ago. Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II finished the season ranked 20th and 35th, respectively, in our QB+ metric. As a team, the Raiders ranked 30th in touchdown passes per attempt (3.0%) and 26th in EPA per dropback (-0.05).
Milroe isn’t the most NFL-ready QB, but he has upside, and this could be the perfect situation for him. From a purely physical perspective, he might be the most talented quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Blessed with a cannon of an arm, a muscular build, and tremendous athleticism, Milroe is the perfect proverbial ball of clay. However, he’s raw as a processor and generally pretty inaccurate, so he’s better suited as a backup early on.
Jahdae Barron Could Sneak Into the Top 10
Jahdae Barron has been one of the draft’s fastest risers over the past few months, and things continue to heat up for the former Texas Longhorns star. In Schefter’s latest NFL Draft intel piece, the insider noted that Barron is “in position to go higher than some realize.” He also named the New York Jets as a potential suitor at No. 7 overall.
Barron, the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner and a first-team All-American, is currently ranked the 19th overall prospect on PFSN’s 2025 NFL Draft Big Board. He’s also the No. 3 cornerback behind Travis Hunter and Michigan’s Will Johnson.
The latter could draw concerns from some teams regarding how his season-ending knee injury could impact his long-term outlook. That would leave room for Barron to potentially rise draft boards even further.
Barron projects immediately as an impact rookie, thanks to his valuable experience against high-level competition and advanced technique. His impact was consistently visible on a snap-to-snap basis for the Longhorns’ impressive SEC debut.
Primarily dominating as an outside corner, Barron was not only a lockdown player in coverage but also a turnover-producing machine with five interceptions in 2024.
With D.J. Reed signing with the Detroit Lions in free agency, the Jets are in desperate need of help on the outside opposite All-Pro Sauce Gardner. New York’s defense took a significant step back last season, finishing league average after being a top-five unit in each of the previous two seasons under Robert Saleh.
The Jets were mostly strong against the pass in 2024, but they allowed a 2.6 TD/INT ratio (23rd in the NFL). Former Baltimore Ravens CB Brandon Stephens isn’t the most reliable in coverage, but Barron is, and he’d be a welcomed addition to this secondary.
Jaguars Could Go Offense at No. 5, Not Mason Graham
For a while, former Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham appeared to be a lock to come off the board at No. 5 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Going in that direction would make plenty of sense for a defense that ranked sixth-worst in the NFL in rush success rate despite finishing sixth in that category in 2023.
Graham’s combination of power, quickness, and a diverse set of pass-rush moves could be the missing piece in the middle. However, intel points to Jacksonville trending in a different direction.
Schefter and Breer have both reported that as we get closer to the draft, they’re hearing it’s more likely that the Jaguars draft an offensive player with the fifth pick.
“The one thing I feel pretty comfortable in saying is I don’t believe that Mason Graham is gonna go No. 5,” Schefter said on the “Unsportsmanlike” podcast.
Interior defensive line seems to be the most pressing need when assessing the Jaguars’ current roster, but they also have holes on offense.
Jacksonville moved on from Christian Kirk and Evan Engram this offseason, so they need to add playmakers in the passing game. Tetairoa McMillan or Matthew Golden could be in play if the front office is high on either wide receiver.
Jeanty could also be an option despite Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby being on the roster. Since 2023, Jacksonville ranks 31st in yards per rush (3.9) and 27th in third-down rush conversion rate (44.5%).
