Ranking Top 10 2025 NFL Draft prospects in CFP National Championship
2025-01-18
Category: sports

NFL scouts might be even more excited about Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship game than the most ardent of Notre Dame and Ohio State fans, as these two rosters are loaded with future draft picks.&nbsp; The majority of the draft-eligible prospects will be in crimson and grey, including a trio of plug-and-play stars along Ohio State's defensive line that could very well prove the story of this game, as well as the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Given that this is a preview of prospects playing Monday night, the list below does not include Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons and Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison, both top-20 candidates recovering from significant injuries which, sadly, will keep them out of the national championship.&nbsp; Perhaps the greatest testament to all that talent, however, is the fact that the top prospects on both sides are actually not yet eligible for the draft, namely Ohio State standout freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Notre Dame's star sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love.&nbsp; With that, here is a look at the top 2025 NFL Draft prospects playing in Monday night's national championship game. Players are listed in descending order with the projected earliest 2025 NFL Draft picks listed last.&nbsp; 10. Jordan Clark, CB, Notre Dame When it comes to a supremely gifted Notre Dame secondary, ball-hawking stars Benjamin Morrison and Xavier Watts have justifiably received the majority of the NFL draft buzz, but don't forget about Clark. He might not look the part of an NFL starter at 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds, but he possesses the linear speed, instincts and competitiveness to help a team at nickel cornerback. Clark is one of the many top prospects playing Monday night, who, at least tentatively, have one more game remaining, as he has agreed to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl later this month.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: In both his style and stock, I see similarities between Clark and another former Shrine standout – Avonte Maddox – a 2018 fourth round steal by the Philadelphia Eagles, now in his seventh season with the club.&nbsp;  9. Xavier Watts, FS, Notre Dame It is appropriate that Watts plays for Notre Dame as some of the All-American's seven interceptions this season felt like divine intervention. Watts has an uncanny knack for being around the ball, reading quarterbacks like road signs and showing a late burst to close. He's highly aggressive, resulting in occasional reckless pursuit angles and missed tackles.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: The same volatile mix spooked off some last year with Miami's All-American Kamren Kinchens, who has since maintained his playmaking ways for the LA Rams, intercepting four passes as a rookie, after being picked No. 99 overall.&nbsp;  8. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State This game features future early NFL draft picks at running back on both sides. The 5-10, 208-pound Henderson is a sledgehammer on skates, alternately blasting his way through defenders or leaving them frozen with his stop-start balance and burst. Perhaps because he ran through some gaping holes at Ohio State, some don't view Henderson among the top backs in this class, but I certainly do and am confident NFL teams will, as well. While I view him as being well worth a Day 2 investment, great depth in this year's RB class will push some talented runners down the board.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: If Henderson is still available on Day 3, he could prove a similar steal to the Rams' Kyren Williams – a fifth round pick in 2022 – who, ironically, played at Notre Dame.&nbsp;  7. Donovan Jackson, OT/OG, Ohio State Jackson slid over from left guard to take over for an injured Josh Simmons at left tackle back in October and, at first, the results weren't always pretty. Jackson's play has steadily improved as he's acclimated to the position, however, and he was viewed as a possible Day 2 candidate at guard entering the season. Jackson is powerful and his 6-4, 320-pound frame would seem better suited inside in the NFL, but his recent play is intriguing, and he appears to have the requisite arm length to stick at tackle. That versatility will be appreciated by the NFL with a top 75 pick likely.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: In terms of size and style, there are flashes of the pancaking power and finishing mentality that has helped Tytus Howard find a fit at left guard for the Houston Texans.&nbsp;  6. Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State Battle-tested, productive and boasting a prototypical 6-1, 193-pound frame, Burke is a good bet to end a surprising three-year drought for Ohio State defensive backs in the NFL Draft. While he has started every game the past three years for the Buckeyes – collecting 28 passes defensed during that time – Burke is questionable for Monday night, after suffering an injury to his "upper body extremity" in the Orange Bowl win over Texas. He is a springy athlete and an instinctive, physical player, but one who can get caught sneaking looks at the quarterback.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: Burke reminds me a bit of Cincinnati Bengals' cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt – now a three-year NFL starter - who was drafted 60th overall back in 2022, after back-to-back All-Big Ten seasons at Nebraska.&nbsp;  5. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State Running back is the most talented position group in the 2025 NFL Draft and Judkins might be the best-looking athlete of the bunch. He possesses an exciting combination of size, power and speed that could generate some eye-popping results in workouts. He is a classic slasher who slalom-skis his way through traffic, gobbling up yardage with long, strong strides. Like his backfield mate, Henderson, Judkins is also a reliable receiver out of the backfield.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: His game and frame remind me of a young Joe Mixon back at Oklahoma, whom the Bengals nabbed at No. 48 overall back in 2017.&nbsp;  4. Jack Sawyer, DE, Ohio State As mentioned earlier, the steady improvement shown from left tackle Donovan Jackson has played a key role in the Buckeyes' recovery since their loss to Michigan, but make no mistake, Sawyer's clutch play has been the spark to Ohio State's postseason run. In fact, the comparison for Sawyer at this point could arguably be LA Dodgers' slugger Freddie Freeman for the 4.5 sack and fumble returned for a touchdown tirade Sawyer has unleashed on opponents in the playoffs. The 6-5, 260-pound Sawyer has always looked the part of an early-round NFL Draft pick, but it's the improved timing of the snap and refined hand play this season that has his stock soaring.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: Sawyer is a good athlete but an even better football player due to his instincts and passion, reminding me a bit of Kansas City's George Karlaftis coming out of Purdue.&nbsp;  3. Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State Williams is a bit of a throwback, overwhelming opposing linemen with a rare blend of size (the Buckeyes officially list him at 6-3 and 327 pounds), power and quickness. He can be shockingly quick off the ball when he times the snap right and his girth and strength make him difficult to move off the line of scrimmage. It will be interesting to see how NFL teams evaluate Williams, as he is more effective stuffing the run than chasing down quarterbacks, registering just 5.5 sacks over his last 25 games. I love his passionate play and ability to reset the line of scrimmage and would happily draft Williams in the first round. NFL Player Comparison: I see plenty of similarities to Detroit's stud DT Alim McNeill, though with Williams, teams won't likely make the mistake of waiting until the third round, like they did with McNeill in 2021.&nbsp;  2. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State Ohio State's seemingly never-ending run of gifted wide receivers to the NFL is going strong with the aforementioned Smith, but don't forget about Egbuka, a silky-smooth senior whose pro-readiness stands out in a relatively lean year at the position. Egbuka is one of this year's elite route-runners, consistently gaining separation due to his coordinated shoulder fakes and staggered gaits which leave corners guessing at the stem. He plucks the ball cleanly and looks to get upfield quickly, showing the kind of reliability that could make him a QB favorite out of the slot even as a rookie.&nbsp; NFL Player Comparison: There is a lot of Amon Ra-St. Brown in Egbuka's game. Expect him to be one of the first receivers off the board in 2025, not the 17th like St. Brown, who was a fourth-round steal for GM Brad Holmes and the Lions back in 2021.&nbsp;  1. JT Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State Along with running back, edge rusher is one of the relative strengths of this year's draft class and few can match Tuimoloau's pro-ready blend of size (6-5, 279 pounds) and power. There are quicker and more agile pass rushers (like Penn State's Abdul Carter, for example) who might generate an even earlier selection on draft day, but Tuimoloau's bull-rush is one of the defining skill sets of this class. Most rookie edge rushers struggle with the physicality of the NFL, but I don't see that being the case with Tuimoloau. Physically-speaking, he'll be able to step right in as a traditional hand-in-the-dirt defensive end, capable of setting a firm edge in the running game, generating consistent backside pressure on quarterbacks and using his long arms to bat balls at the line of scrimmage. NFL Player Comparison: Tuimoloau might lack the 10-plus sack ceiling of some of the others in this class, but his power and career-long consistency against elite competition mean he's safer than a Subaru, projecting as a Cameron Jordan-like decade-long anchor for some lucky NFL squad.&nbsp;  Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated,&nbsp;CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo,&nbsp;NFL.com&nbsp;and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang. 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