Every year, there are players in the NFL Draft who shockingly get selected late. A lot of the time, at least I believe, those players that end up slipping down the board tend to pan out. For whatever reason, there is always a select group of players that end up falling down the draft board.
Today, we’ll go through seven players, one for every round, that I believe should be taken higher, sometimes significantly higher, than where they are being projected. Let’s get into it!
Round 7: Louisville DT Thor Griffith
Thor Griffith will be a contributor right away for an NFL team. He is a big, strong defensive tackle who excels in the run game — something every team is interested in.
He was best at Harvard, where he played his first four seasons of collegiate ball before transferring to Louisville for his senior season. Griffith is also an extremely smart defensive lineman who quickly reacts to what the offensive line throws at him.
While being a good run defender, he lacks those same skills in pass rush. This is his least attractive trait, as many teams would like to have some pass rush ability from the inside, which I believe Griffith doesn’t bring.
He is also an undersized player when it comes to height, which may hurt him against bigger blockers. But, he has proven that his strength and motor will be able to get him to where he wants to be.
It is going to be much different in the NFL for Griffith, but I believe he could be a solid DT 2, or at the minimum, a good rotational defensive tackle.
Round 6: Texas OL Jake Majors
NFL teams interested in a durable and experienced interior offensive lineman will be all over Jake Majors from Texas. He is by no means a flashy lineman, going out of his way to plant defensive players in the dirt. But, he is extremely smart, and understands the game like some of the best.
Majors has good speed and is a good pass blocker, while needing improvement in the run game. He played 57 games in his college career, which broke a Texas record for most. This shows his durability, consistency, and how reliable he is.
In the NFL, Majors could be a solid starting center, but he has flaws. Physically, he is not perfect. He lacks lateral quickness and the length you would be looking for in an offensive lineman.
He also has flaws in the run game, but could be coached up to improve on those. I don’t believe he will be an All-Pro talent, but I think he can be something NFL teams are always searching for. Reliable, dependable, and consistent play from a smart offensive lineman.
Round 5: Cal LB Teddye Buchanan
Similar to Williams, Teddye Buchanan, out of Cal, has great athleticism for a linebacker. And with having great athletic ability, Buchanan knows exactly how to use it. He always seeks the ball and looks to be the first player to hit someone every play.
His tackling ability is great, as he is a secure tackler who would be a big benefit to many teams, plus special teams units. This past season, you saw a lot more pressure coming from him as a pass rusher, which I believe could be an outstanding role for him in the NFL, especially on third downs.
I think this may be the best fit for Buchanan, because he is not a great coverage linebacker in depth. He seems much more comfortable on run plays and loves to play downhill.
He is, however, very good in the short-range coverage, and has a ton of ability to guard backs and tight ends leaking out. Another ‘problem’ for the Cal product is that he is undersized for the position, but I believe his physical abilities can make up for it. I love Teddye Buchanan as a prospect.
Round 4: TCU WR Savion Williams
The athletic freak out of TCU, Savion Williams, looks to be one of the most slept on players in the whole draft. His name has been coming up much higher in recent talks, some having him going in the 3rd round. But he was definitely a player that I couldn’t miss out on talking about.
6’4, 220 pounds, and ran an official 4.48 forty. He is a very physical player who seeks out contact and will break tons of tackles for a receiver. That is by far his most attractive trait. He is not afraid to take big hits across the middle, although he needs to sure up his hands while doing so. If you are looking for an entertaining highlight tape, Williams is definitely your guy. Big play threat at all times, with potential to be an every-down receiver if he hits his stride.
But, there are some knocks with the receiver. His hands aren’t perfect, and to be successful at the NFL level, he needs to improve them. His motor and effort on blocking plays are not always there, but if he were to have a ‘fire lit underneath him, he will easily be able to change that. And while I believe he is a capable route runner, many believe he needs improvement, especially on inside-breaking routes. With slight touchups, Williams can be a phenomenal player from the 2025 class.
Round 3: Ole Miss EDGE Jared Ivey
Jared Ivey is a massive edge defender whose athletic ability will be put on full display in the NFL. In 2024, Ivey had 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and was one of the leading players on Ole Miss. He is very physical, with an outstanding frame that is very projectable for the NFL. He has the potential to be a great pass rusher, but he does need some work within the run game.
As I was saying, the run game isn’t his strong suit, but I wouldn’t call it a weakness. What I would say is the main reason Ivey is not being talked up more is his first step. While being a quick player, and having long speed, Ivey needs to improve on his burst right out of the gate against linemen.
He is also a bit inconsistent, but similarly with Derrick Harmon, with good coaching, this can be changed. If I were a team in the second round, I would be looking at the possibility of taking Ivey. So if he falls to the third like projected, I would be all over him, and take him with no hesitation.
Round 2: Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor
With this being deep on the defensive line, it also has a lot of good receivers. Specifically in the middle of the draft, from rounds 2-6, I project there being up to 25 wideouts taken.
One of those, which I believe should be getting looked at earlier in this class, is Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor. The extremely slept on 6’2 product had a solid season this year, especially not being used at a high clip, which is typical for a Stanford offense. He is extremely efficient in the middle of the field and is one of my favorite receivers from this class.
There isn’t one specific reason for what I would say may be the lack of talk on Ayomanor, but if I had to take a guess, it would be the decrease in production from last season. I think he is seen around football as a solid-good prospect, but I think he projects to be much more.
He has a good frame, ran a 4.44 forty, and is a polished route runner. Elic Ayomanor will be a good player in the NFL, and for what his draft projection is, will be a steal for a team at the end of the second round.
Round 1: Oregon DT Derrick Harmon
This is an extremely deep defensive line class, and a player near the top of this class is Derrick Harmon. The Oregon senior was outstanding this season, after transferring in from Michigan State. He led all FBS defensive tackles with 34 pressures in his senior season and was a phenomenal run defender.
While being one of the best at the combine in the 40-yard dash, running at 4.95, he is also seen as having good character. He was a leader on the Oregon defense, and as he discussed in an interview at the combine, stayed at Michigan State to “play ball” last season after his coach was fired. He plays with an extremely high motor and is a great player.
What may be the reason for Harmon being projected near the back third of the first round is his lack of finishing plays. This is definitely fixable, as he can improve on securing the back once he does all the hard work. With a good defensive coaching staff, I think you will see Derrick Harmon become one of the better defensive tackles in the NFL.