Debating top 2025 NFL draft prospects at every position - ESPN

Who are the best players in the 2025 NFL draft class? The debates will continue for months, and a lot will change before names are called next April, but a handful of prospects are getting early buzz as the top guys at their respective positions. So after reviewing the tape and talking to scouts, I wanted to pick out the early No. 1 player at every spot. Call these my early favorites as I dig into tape from last season, with the expectation that things likely will change based on how the 2024 season plays out.

Does Carson Beck have the pole position at quarterback, or does the edge go to Quinn Ewers or Shedeur Sanders? Which lockdown corner gets the top spot, Will Johnson or Benjamin Morrison? And how do we approach Travis Hunter, who could theoretically qualify for two categories here? I looked at every position's head-to-head battle for the top spot and picked the current leader as we gear up for the college football season. (Names are listed alphabetically at each position.)

Jump to position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | IOL
EDGE | DT | LB | CB | S

Unlike last year, there isn't a clear-cut QB1 entering this season. Sorry, Giants fans, there's no Caleb Williams waiting in the wings. But there is a solid group of pro-level quarterbacks who will battle for QB1 status — and we'll see two of them go head-to-head when Georgia travels to Texas on Oct. 19.

Beck returns as most scouts' top-ranked passer in the upcoming draft after a brilliant campaign as a first-year starter in 2023, tossing 24 touchdown passes to six interceptions and showing the full-field arm strength and vision necessary to be an exciting prospect. A jump is expected — even though receiver Ladd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers have moved on to the NFL — and