2025 NFL draft All-Film team: 11 prospects with upside

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the tulips are beginning to bloom. That means one thing: The NFL draft is here.

You already know the big names in this class: Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. Plenty has been written on them already, and plenty more will be before the draft cycle ends. This piece isn't about them: It's about the rest of the class below them.

Throughout this past NFL season, I regularly updated my All-Film team rankings to include players who weren't necessarily dominating in fantasy or even advanced metrics, but who were playing well and deserved their shine. For the 2025 draft class, I wanted to do the same exercise. This is meant to highlight those players who jumped off the screen to me, though they may not have the name recognition that some first-round names with gaudier résumés enjoy.

Some positions were easy (linebacker, defensive tackle). Some positions had so many names I struggled to choose (wide receiver, cornerback). To split the hairs, I tried to identify the players whose tape I trust the most -- players who have the film of NFL contributors despite red flags elsewhere on their résumés. This is the All-Film team for the 2025 draft.

Quarterback: Tyler Shough, Louisville

Let's get the elephant out of the room early: Shough is 25 years old and will turn 26 in September. He'll turn 26 before Trevor Lawrence does, which is absurd until you remember they were in the same recruiting class. Lawrence was in college for three seasons; Shough was in college for seven.

I struggle to calibrate to older quarterback prospects. The general rule of NFL talent is that if you have it, it's obvious after a couple years of college football -- that the best prospects could declare by their junior season, even if they don't. We should expect older quarterbacks to succeed by the time they're dramatically older than their opponents. Shough was 25 when he was throwing against ACC defenses riddled with 20-year-olds. His body and mind were both far more mature; his preparation and habits were far better. So when Shough finally had a healthy, productive season because he started playing 2000s babies, I'm immediately dubious.

Older quarterback prospects have become more common because of the transfer portal and additional years of availability from COVID-19 cancellations. For every success story (Bo Nix, maybe?) there's a cautionary tale (Kenny Pickett).

Of course, Nix and Pickett were both first-round selections, and Shough is more likely to go on Day 2. Taking a gamble on an older prospect worries me far less because the opportunity cost isn't nearly as high. If Shough indeed figured things out last season, getting a starting quarterback outside of the first round will do the same thing the Jalen Hurts contract did for the Eagles, the Dak Prescott contract for the Cowboys and the Brock Purdy deal for the 49ers: create enough cap space to build a superteam.

Which brings us to Shough's film. It's intriguing. He's a lot more interesting to me than Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart or Texas' Quinn Ewers. Shough has a big body and a legit NFL arm with great downfield touch. While his pocket management is as panicked as you'd expect from a quarterback with three straight season-ending injuries, he has a nice throw on the move when he extends plays. It's not hard to find some Jared Goff in his game.

Shough is the trust-the-film quarterback because that's exactly what you're betting on: Despite his injury history and age, the quality of play is good enough that he'll be a starter available for a discount contract. A healthy Shough can play right now, too. Other intriguing midround quarterbacks, such as Alabama's Jalen Milroe, are a year or two away.

Running back: Devin Neal, Kansas

When you draft a prospect on Day 3, you understand something is limiting them from being a three-down player. In the case of running backs, there's usually a tradeoff between explosiveness and frame. The quick, elusive backs can be drafted here, but often aren't big enough to take a full season's worth of drubbing between the tackles. Similarly, backs with NFL size can be found here, but often lack the explosive traits necessary to get a high volume of carries in a league predicated on big plays.

Neal falls into the second category. At 5-foot-11 and 213 pounds, he has a dense frame and took a pounding with aplomb at Kansas. He carried the ball 760 times over the past four seasons, the third most of any player in the FBS over that span, yet he averaged 5.7 yards per carry. As to be expected of a high-usage back, the details of Neal's game are squeaky clean: He rarely fumbles, rarely hits the wrong hole, rarely finishes runs by ducking out of bounds and rarely fails to move the sticks in short yardage. He stonewalls blitzers from the backfield and catches everything thrown his way outside of it. He is as reliable as the sunrise.

The problem is the lack of home run potential. Neal ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the combine. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, his max speed of 21.78 mph was the second slowest of any back in this class. It's so frustrating because Neal has explosiveness -- he can go from idling to top speed in the blink of an eye and accordingly beats defenders to the corner or the crease. It's just that his top speed is not fast enough to turn 10-plus-yard gains into 50-plus-yard house calls.

Not every running back in the NFL has that skill, of course. But it's what separates the Tyler Allgeiers from the Bijan Robinsons; the Zack Mosses from the Chase Browns. Neal reminds me of Moss in a lot of ways, and the Bills drafted Moss in the third round despite a 4.65 40-yard dash because of his value as an early-down bruiser, a reliable short yardage back and a surprisingly good pass catcher for a player weighing 215-plus pounds. Moss also had a quasi-breakout with the Colts in 2023 (183 carries for 794 yards) playing in a similar offense to Neal's at Kansas: an option-heavy, play-action-heavy approach that used the threat of a mobile quarterback to displace second-level defenders. Decisive, balanced backs thrive in those environments.

So no, Neal is not lightning in a bottle like Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten or a bowling ball on the loose like South Carolina's Raheim Sanders. But he's good. Not game-breaking, franchise-changing good like Saquon Barkley or Jahmyr Gibbs, but he's a player a team can get on Day 3, give the ball to 18 times and expect its offense to thrive -- not for the one big play he makes, but for the 18 reliable, mistake-free plays he accumulates.

Wide receiver: Jack Bech, TCU

I cannot remember the last college receiver I watched who transitions as quickly and naturally to a runner as Bech does. This is an unheralded but critical skill for an NFL receiver, especially as offenses increasingly become reliant on yards after the catch. Bech has the flexibility, strength and field sense to make defensive backs miss their tackles or take bad angles altogether. Lots of receivers try to become runners quickly and effectively but suffer concentration drops as they get ahead of themselves -- not Bech. His hands are ever-reliable, both in and outside of his frame.

Watch how fast Bech gets upfield -- and often at what extreme angles he does so -- after not only underneath catches, but also those in the deeper areas of the field.

Cooper Kupp's name has been mentioned in the same breath as Bech, which is a very rich comp, but it does hold some merit. Kupp tested at 6-foot-2, 204 pounds at his combine -- a bit of a different body composition than Bech, who is 6-foot-1, 215 pounds as a converted tight end. Both Kupp and Bech tested above average in the agility drills (three-cone and short shuttle) despite playing north of 200 pounds. Neither are particularly fast for a wideout, but they can change direction and catch the ball so well that they deliver a smooth, reliable game that suddenly pops for a big play when a tackler is sleeping.

Wide receiver is such a deep and varied position that we can be almost certain at least one Day 2 or 3 player will pop as highly valuable in 2025. Ladd McConkey, Jayden Reed, Rashee Rice, Tank Dell, Puka Nacua and George Pickens are recent examples. If you made me bet on a rookie receiver outside of the top tier (say Tetairoa McMillan, Matthew Golden, Emeka Egbuka and Luther Burden III) to deliver a 1,000-yard season, I'd place my chips on Bech.

He is an immediate and obvious fit in a Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay-inspired offense. A clever offensive coordinator will mess with his alignments and stick Bech in the backfield to create easy pass-catching opportunities. He will immediately earn high volume from his quarterback, because he's tough as nails and catches just about everything. And if his blocking improves, he can evolve into a quasi-H-back in the run game.

I have my eyes on the Texans' pick at No. 58 for Bech -- he's a perfect fit with Nico Collins and Dell. If the Dolphins trade Tyreek Hill, their spot at No. 48 also makes sense to me.

Tight end: Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame

"Trust the film on the Notre Dame tight end" is never a bold ask, given the storied history of the position at the school. Michael Mayer, Cole Kmet, Tommy Tremble, Brock Wright and Durham Smythe are all active right now; Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert came before them.

But with Evans, you do have to trust the film -- the 2023 film, that is. His 60.3 receiving yards through seven full games would have been third best for the position as a season-long number. One of the two players more productive than him? Brock Bowers, whom I heard was pretty good in the NFL last season. Evans had a seven-catch, 75-yard effort against Ohio State one week before a six-catch, 134-yard outing against Duke: emphatic performances as a primary pass catcher and coverage mismatch. Three games later, he tore his ACL.

The 2024 version of Evans was clearly still recovering from the late-season injury. He didn't have more than 50 receiving yards in a game until November, and didn't look like he trusted his cuts until Notre Dame's postseason run. There's a chance Evans will never completely bounce back to his 2023 form -- that's what teams will use medical checks to uncover. The more likely explanation is he rushed back into action for the 2024 season, never really returned to 100% and will be better in 2025 and beyond.

At his best, Evans is a legit three-down tight end -- a rare thing to find outside of the first two rounds of the draft. He is a sound run blocker with a particular knack in space, a quarterback's best friend because of his catch radius and toughness over the middle, and a surprisingly quick mover at 260 pounds. Forgive the helmet comparison, but Kmet seems like a fair expectation for Evans as a league-average starting tight end.

Offensive tackle: Will Campbell, LSU

Trust the film. Trust three years of starting at tackle in the SEC. Trust Campbell, who was left isolated against the SEC's best rushers again and again and again, to port over his elite flexibility, hand usage and football IQ to the NFL. Trust the film. Don't trust a tape measure, which at the combine had Campbell's arm length at 32⅝ inches -- below the threshold most NFL teams look for at tackle -- and then on LSU's pro day had him at 33 inches flat. Trust the film.

The arm length threshold for tackles absolutely holds some credence -- if a tackle is not long, he may be a more impactful player at guard. But any good rule has its exceptions, and Campbell is clearly worth the swing. If a team is going to draft a tackle with suboptimal length, make him a multiyear starter in the SEC. Give him elite productivity -- he surrendered two sacks in three seasons. And give him elite performance at a young age -- he won the starting job as an 18-year-old freshman.

Turn on Campbell's film, and you'll absolutely find plays where he loses because of length deficiencies -- it's the weakest part of his game. But I remember watching Penei Sewell lose to heavy-footedness on contact, which allowed crafty rushers to slip by him -- it remains the weakest part of his game to this day. I remember watching Andrew Thomas lean and lunge at Georgia, and in his first seasons with the Giants, before he learned how to shine in pass protections. The next perfect tackle prospect I see will be the first one.

I am confident the team that drafts Campbell will at least give him a shot at tackle, if not solely because teams willing to draft him as a tackle will grade him higher than teams that grade him exclusively as a guard. But any team that doesn't want to give Campbell at least one long look at left tackle simply is not watching the same tape as me. This was one of the best players in college football from the moment he stepped onto the field to the moment he stepped off it. Trust the film.

Interior offensive line: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina

College football fans will remember a plucky Coastal Carolina team in the early 2020s: Jamey Chadwell at coach and Grayson McCall at quarterback. That offensive line was anchored by Lampkin, who started as a freshman in 2020 at left guard; at right tackle in 2021; and at center in 2022. He was under-recruited out of high school as he moved between his sophomore and junior year -- well, that and the fact he's 5-foot-11.

5-foot-11! He would have been the shortest offensive lineman in the NFL Next Gen Stats combine database, which goes back to 2003, by over an inch had he been invited. And as a five-year starter at three different positions, one would have expected an invite. As a first-team All-ACC offensive lineman and winner of the conference's award for the best blocker, one would have expected an invite. But alas -- 5-foot-11!

Lampkin played center his two seasons at North Carolina, which is where the shortest offensive linemen can find the most success. A.Q. Shipley, Aaron Brewer and Brian Allen were all shorter than 6-foot-2 and had respectable NFL careers at the position. Jason Kelce, who was just over 6-foot-2, had more than a respectable career. Centers don't often have to absorb defensive tackles in one-on-one pass sets, so shorter and lighter players can be protected on pass downs. When they are asked to anchor, that low center of mass can be a benefit for natural leverage.

That's amply present on Lampkin's film: He is always the low man on blocks and holds the point of attack for far longer than expected as a result. Were Lampkin as successful of a pass blocker in a 6-foot-3, 305-pound frame, I'm confident he'd be discussed as a top-100 pick. I also think Lampkin has a body that's a little bigger than the 5-foot-11 measurement would belie: He just has a very squat neck and short head. (Fellas, feel free to use that explanation on the dating apps.)

It's likely Lampkin just isn't big enough to hang at the NFL level at center. But it's equally, if not more likely, that most of the Day 3 centers can't hang because they aren't good enough technically. The interesting thing about betting on Lampkin, as such an enormous size outlier, is that his unique build opens up creative possibilities for his usage. Lampkin confirmed at his pro day that some teams have gauged his interest in moving to fullback -- surely a Patrick Ricard-esque role that often places him in tight end alignments as well.

Why not draft Lampkin, let him take a crack at center and then explore a six-OL package if he fails? Even if you don't need to draft Lampkin, he seems like a great add as an undrafted free agent. The ceiling -- starting center with a unique skill set -- is really high for that low of a number.

Interior defensive line: Tyleik Williams, Ohio State

Williams is one of my favorite players in this class. I couldn't stop watching his film, and any time I caught more Ohio State defensive film, my eyes were drawn to him. A four-star recruit with multiple years of starting experience, he is one of the best run-defending defensive tackles I've seen in recent drafts. Because the Buckeyes played almost exclusively with four-man fronts, he doesn't get the narrative of a gap-stuffing nose tackle. But goodness gracious: He's 330 pounds of solid, immovable rock.

What impresses me most with Williams is his play recognition. He understands what formations, backfields and splits are telling him about the run schemes he's about to see. As such, he's dangerous on the front side of runs as a double-team eater or stack-and-shed playmaker, and he's dangerous on the backside as a penetration or pursuit player who ruins the timing of opposing running backs. There isn't a tool lacking in Williams' arsenal.

Well, at least as a run defender. Williams has the pocket-pushing strength and the hand fighting necessary to create pressure, but it only comes in flashes. The physical tools are clearly there, and I wonder if a team will have the long-term vision to make him a three-down player. I've seen an Alim McNeill comp for Williams, and he could enjoy a similar developmental arc from run stuffer to complete defensive tackle.

Because Williams does not have the pass rush presence of Ole Miss' Walter Nolen or Oregon's Derrick Harmon, he's in jeopardy of going later than both. I get that it's a passing league. The plays Williams makes aren't as valuable as the ones we might expect of a defensive tackle taken late in the first round. But if all plays were equal, Williams would be one of the 20 best players in this class. The film is that good.

EDGE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville

Gillotte's case is less of a "trust the tape" and more of a "see the truth through the tape." He was the keystone of a creative, multiple defensive front for the Cardinals. They regularly lined up with one front and suddenly shifted to another, bringing a linebacker to the line of scrimmage and bouncing a defensive end inside. Gillotte was asked to line up in a myriad number of techniques and stances, and as such, half of his film is pretty useless.

Gillotte got stuck playing the "4i" often -- an alignment on the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle, which makes rushing the passer nearly impossible. Ideally, 4i players have length and two-gap ability, but that isn't Gillotte. He's only 6-foot-2 and has extremely short arms for the position (under 32 inches). What Gillotte does have is explosive play strength, surprising quickness and a solid repertoire of pass-rush moves born from 42 college starts. When he is allowed to just go after the passer, he consistently wins. He won't be a sack artist in the NFL, given his lack of length and his struggles to win through opposing tackles, but he can be useful in a complementary pass rush.

In the NFL, Gillotte would best fit a defense that plays him at defensive end and features him on stunts and blitzes. From a wide alignment, he can immediately compromise pocket integrity, while still winning in space when he gets a two-way go. That sort of skill is handy for defenses such as Tampa Bay's, Denver's or Detroit's. Retired linebacker Markus Golden, who actually delivered a few peak seasons of high sack production, is a good comp for Gillotte if he's cast into a more appropriate role.

Linebacker: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

The book on Schwesinger looks suspicious at first. A one-year starter for the Bruins, he walked on to the program and converted from safety to linebacker. In 2023, he was a special teams demon but couldn't break into the starting lineup behind Darius Muasau (a sixth-rounder in the 2024 draft), JonJon Vaughns and Kain Medrano. Give me that profile, and I expect to see an uncertain, light linebacker who fears contact and cannot thump.

It could not be further from the truth. Schwesinger took the Bruins and the Big Ten by storm last season, starting the last 10 games and totaling double-digit tackles in nine of them. He has one of the hottest motors of any prospect in this class. Despite his lack of size, he flies into contact and hits ball carriers with legit stopping power. He's not perfect in how he addresses blockers, but he shows no fear and improved as this past season went on, with the easy quickness and bend to slip climbers in tight spaces. He still needs to learn how to defend routes going behind him, but he has the range, length and awareness to become a highly impactful coverage linebacker.

Watch him check the backside routes, work frontside, bait the throw and make the snag on this play. You don't see a lot of college linebackers with this sense of space.

Schwesinger tipped the scales in Indianapolis at 242 pounds, but I'll eat my hat if he really plays north of 240. Regardless, his longer, leaner build reminds me of Fred Warner. If that comparison is too lofty for you, try Ernest Jones IV, a silky smooth mover with multiple gears of acceleration and a great knack for space. I am usually the first to doubt a safety convert, and I'm wary of Schwesinger's one productive season (see Shough above). But the film on Schwesinger is so good, I'm ready to jump in with both feet.

Cornerback: Azareye'h Thomas, Florida State

It's March, which means I'm falling for a big, long, strong corner who maybe can't necessarily run as fast as you'd like. I was there on Rasul Douglas (win). I was there on Benjamin St-Juste (no comment). And I'm there on Thomas.

I will always love corners who are reliably disruptive enough in the first 5 yards of the route that they can support a talented pass rush. If I'm building my team through my defensive line, I need corners like Thomas, who has the quiet feet and steady hands of a press man corner in a Cover 1/Cover 3 defense a la "Legion of Boom" Seahawks. Thomas is extremely comfortable playing the catch point with his back to the football, pressing vertical routes into the sideline and playing through a receiver on a slant or a dig. He is, like all great corners, handsy without drawing a disproportionate number of flags. So many would-be catches against him were made more difficult by how craftily he occupies a receiver's space without drawing the flag, and so many more were never even attempted because he swallowed the route at the line of scrimmage.

Thomas ran in the high 4.5s in the 40-yard dash at the Florida State pro day, which is pushing even my willingness to field slower corners. But if you can't be fast, you better be smooth. The Athletic's Dane Brugler summed up Thomas' pro day perfectly: "The main attraction at the FSU pro day was CB Azareye'h Thomas (4.56-4.60 in the 40, A+ position workout)." Sure, he doesn't run as fast as you'd like a corner to, but he moves like you'd expect a cornerback to and makes the plays you'd expect a cornerback to make.

Well, maybe save for one: interceptions. For as disruptive as he is, Thomas is rarely in a good position to intercept a pass, because he's too busy hand fighting and eliminating the receiver's chances on the ball. Fifteen passes defensed over 37 games is solid production; only two interceptions, not so much. I'll drop one more name for you in comparison, given the lack of takeaways: Carlton Davis III. Davis ran a 4.53 ahead of the 2018 draft, and his delightful film was only marred by a lack of ball production: 29 pass breakups, but only four interceptions in three seasons of starting.

Davis is the ceiling outcome for Thomas, and that Round 2 draft capital Davis earned seems about right for Thomas' skill set. It's a good draft for long corners (Michigan's Will Johnson, Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison, East Carolina's Shavon Revel Jr.), but if I needed to lock up an NFL receiver on the boundary tomorrow, Thomas is the most ready.

Safety: Andrew Mukuba, Texas

I like absolutely everything about Mukuba's game. I like my safeties whip-smart, and he had multiple interceptions last season in which he identified route concepts, anticipated throws and undercut the football -- pro stuff. I like my safeties with enough range to play center field in a pinch, if not as a full-time player, and Mukuba has true 4.4 speed with a great first step. His best plays in college were in the slot or closing downhill, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him star as a post safety in the league. And I like my safeties to arrive into contact with bad intentions, and he will throw his body at ball carriers 30-plus pounds heavier than him to get them down. He's a scrappy player who punches far above his weight class and can be a culture-setter in a locker room.

The problem is Mukuba is a starting NFL safety packaged into a nickel's body. He measured in at the combine at 5-foot-11, 186 pounds with 30-inch arms. Since 2003, only five safeties have been lighter. (Ar'Darius Washington, who emerged as a solid starter for the Ravens in 2024, was the smallest at 5-foot-8, 176 pounds and is a good stylistic comp for Mukuba.) The weight is a concern for Mukuba's play style -- he needs to throw his body into tackles to achieve any stopping power, which can lead to early-career injuries -- and his arm length is equally worrisome. He generally plays on the ball well, but he will slide off tackles he should make because of his limited wingspan.

Mukuba's NFL future depends heavily on his future defensive coaching staff -- even the best prospects need a good landing spot. Because he can do everything asked of a safety -- play the post, fit the run from the roof, chase a slot in man coverage, make plays behind the line of scrimmage from the box and tackle in space -- he should be played everywhere. Versatile defensive schemes will benefit from his football IQ and athleticism. But he must be protected by scheme as well. He'll lose to tight ends and bigger slot wideouts who bully him in the route tree and at the catch point; he cannot be asked to set hard edges in the running game.

If Mukuba can add 10 pounds and retain his explosiveness, he's a future C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a highly impactful playmaker from a variety of depths and alignments. If he continues to play at his weight, then he's still a potential Gardner-Johnson, but his risk for injury is that much higher. If you didn't know his measurables and just based your evaluation on his tape, you'd be hard pressed to find four safeties in this class better than Mukuba.