2025 NFL Draft Prospects: YA BOY List

For the past several years, I have planted my flag on several NFL draft prospects that I believe I am higher on than consensus. I call it my “YA BOY” list.  For several years, I’ve kept my lists to myself, tweaking my process as an amateur “scout.” But starting last year, in my fifth year of refining my process, I felt good enough to go public with it. 

For transparency’s sake, you can find prior years’ lists here. You can see both the good and the bad; I don’t hide my misses.  You’ll notice that in earlier years, I focused a lot on Top 100 picks.  As time has gone on, I’ve tried to take a deeper dive, and focus on players throughout every round of the draft.  My hope is that, moving forward, the annual edition of this article will provide context into my rationale for each player, and help me further refine which characteristics, stats, and measurables are meaningful and which are not.  

Now, the disclaimer:  I have no training to scout NFL players.  I do not watch film.  Rather, I rely on statistics, advanced analytics, and scouting reports.  Based on that information, and based on the data that has had a high correlation with success in past years, I identify the guys that I believe in more strongly than the general public does. I intentionally write this column before the NFL draft so that my views are not influenced by landing spot. I use PFF’s “Big Board” as an estimation of where each player is likely to be drafted, so when you see a projected round next to a player’s name, that’s where the projected round comes from.  Beneath each player, I’ll list the reasons why he is MY BOY for this draft class.  You’ll notice a consistent theme: I love guys who graded well per PFF, and I love guys who were All-Americans. 

1. Armand Membou, RT, Mizzou (Round 1, 12 overall) 

Membou lined up exclusively on the right side of the line in college.  He was a dominator in the SEC as a true junior and will be just 21 years old this season.  He looks the part of a top offensive tackle: 6’4 and 332 lbs. with 33.5” arms.  His PFF grades were tremendous: overall grade of 90.6, run block grade of 87.6, pass block grade of 86.6.  He is also insanely athletic, with a RAS (relative athletic score) of 9.82.  My favorite thing about him is that he posted a success rate of 96.10%, and was one of just three tackles to post a success rate above 96% in this class.  Success rate is a proprietary metric I developed years ago that takes into account a player’s penalties and pressures allowed in pass blocking, because the best tackles in the NFL are the ones who are the most consistent.  A success rate above 96% is generally my threshold, as it tells you that the player is successful on 96% of his snaps. Membou is my OT1 in this class and should be a Day 1 starter for the team that drafts him.  

2. Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame (Round 2, 37 overall) 

I am a Notre Dame fanboy, so you will typically find at least one Golden Domer on my YA BOY list.  Watts is one of two that makes the cut this year.  The 5th-year senior was a 2-time captain for the Irish, and was also a first-team All-American in back-to-back years.  He grades well on PFF (best-season grade of 86.8), and is an absolute ballhawk: he was 1 of only 2 safeties in this class with double-digit career interceptions, with his 13 picks overall leading the class.  He would be a great fit for the Cincinnati Bengals to run new defensive coordinator Al Golden’s scheme, as Golden was previously the coordinator at Notre Dame. 

3. Tate Ratledge, RG, Georgia (Round 3, 69 overall)

This guy is a DAWG (pun intended).  Team captain with a great mullet and great mustache. He spent all 5 years at Georgia, starting for 4 and earning 2nd-team All-American honors in 2023 and 3rd-team All-American honors in 2024.  His PFF grades (which are notoriously hard on iOL) were fairly good, with an overall grade of 78.1, a run-blocking grade of 70.2, and a pass-blocking grade of 82.8.  What I like most about him is his athleticism: he posted a RAS of 9.96, with was 8th best among all guards since 1987.  There is a high, high correlation between athleticism and NFL success at guard.  Athleticism might matter more for interior offensive linemen than for any other position on offense.  This kid is worth a pick in the top two rounds. 

4. Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss (Round 3, 71 overall) 

This is one for the analytics nerds.  Scouts generally HATE Tre Harris due to his athletic limitations, particularly in terms of his lack of agility.  But the analytics bros (me included) love him.  He posted a yards per route run of 5.15 as a senior in 2023, which is just bonkers.  For his career, he posted a Y/RR of 3.0.  In 3 of 5 seasons in college, his Y/RR was above 3.0.  If Y/RR matters to you, this guy is a gem.  But the tape guys don’t like him because he played in a gimmicky offense and runs a limited route tree.  But you can’t ignore the fact that he was a double-digit touchdown scorer in the SEC who posted an 89.6 PFF grade.  His favorite route is the slant, and there are a lot of very successful wide receivers who have made their living in the NFL off that route. 

5. Ashton Gillotte, DE, Louisville (Round 3, 97 overall)

I’ve long been accused of being a Louisville hater (and probably for good reason), so I’m trying to rectify that with this choice. Gillotte is a really good all-around football player that has starter traits.  At the combine, he posted a 10’ broad jump and a 36.5” vertical jump (which measure explosion).  Both of those numbers have a high correlation with pass-rushing success in the NFL.  Unlike a lot of the pass rushers in this class - who either have good production but bad testing, or bad production but good testing - Gillotte has both solid athleticism and the college numbers to back it up.  He posted an 87.9 rush defense grade in college, along with an 89.9 pass rush grade.  He also had 57 pressures in 2024, which was better than more highly-touted EDGE prospects like Abdul Carter, Shemar Stewart, and Mike Green.  He may well turn out to be a better pro than some of those dudes, but at a fraction of the cost. 

6. R.J. Mickens, S, Clemson (Round 4, 108 overall) 

Mickens is the son of former Jets cornerback Ray Mickens.  I always like to see players with NFL bloodlines.  I just think they are better prepared for the rigors and professionalism demanded in the NFL.  Mickens is a 5th year senior who can play a variety of roles on defense.  He had the second-best coverage grade among P4 safeties this past year, and posted an overall grade of 86.6 in his best season.  His overall PFF grade was above 81.5 each of the past 3 years, which shows he is consistent. He also has sub-4.5 speed, which helps him on the back end. He might not be a star, but it seems that he has the potential to be a viable NFL starter. 

7. Aeneas Peebles, DT, Va. Tech (Round 5, 143 overall) 

Peebles, a third-team All-American, is a 5th year senior who spent the first 4 years of his college career at Duke.  He is slightly undersized at 6’0, 289, but he should be able to give a team some pass-rush juice as a situational interior rusher.  His pass rushing production was off the charts.  He is the only defensive tackle in the class to post a pass rush grade above 87 each of the past two seasons.  He had a 91.2 pass rush grade in 2024. 

8. Willie Lampkin, iOL, UNC (Round 5, 146 overall)

Lampkin was a first-team All-American for a P4 school who was somehow a combine snub.  He is overlooked due to his size, as he is only 5’10 - 3 inches shorter than any OL prospect ever - and just 279 pounds.   He played all three iOL spots in college, lining up at right guard in his All-American season, but some project him best at center in the pros.  He may not look the part, but this cat can play. He held up well at the Senior Bowl against top competition like Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen (a projected first round pick), and his PFF grading was outstanding: 85.6 overall, 87.6 RBLK, 88.8 PBLK.  No other P4 interior offensive lineman cleared a grade of 85 across all 3 categories.  

9. Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana (Round 6, 207 overall)

Rourke, a 6th year senior, spent his first five seasons at Ohio University before leading Indiana to an 11-2 record and college football playoff berth this year.  He’s a 3x captain, including being elected captain his sole season at IU.  He had 47 starts in college (anything above 30 is a plus), and an 85.7 QBR (with 81.5 generally being the cutoff for what I like to see at minimum).  He has prototypical size at 6’4, 220 lbs.  He was the third-best graded QB by PFF in 2022, and again graded in the Top 20 in 2024.  His production in 2024 is even more impressive when you consider that he tore his ACL in August and played the entire season anyway.  This is a tough kid who is a proven leader. In addition, he grades exceptionally well under pressure: 91.1 pressure grade, 90.1 blitz grade.  In my view, a quarterback’s performance under pressure is the best way to measure the elusive “it” factor.  If I’m a team taking a backup quarterback on Day 3 who has long-term potential as a starter, this is my guy. 

10. Ricky White III, WR, UNLV (Round 7, 239 overall) 

“Slick Rick” might be my favorite player in this draft class.  He had a breakout age of 18.6 at Michigan State - an elite breakout age - and earned a 43.6% (!) target share in college.  He was productive, with best season totals of 88 receptions, 1487 yards, and 11 touchdowns.  He averaged 71.1 yards per game through his first 3 seasons - including a year where he had to sit out when suspended by Michigan State (and leading to him suing the university) - and an average of 105.9 yards per game his final season.  He’s got the ability to play both inside and out, with 27% of his snaps coming in the slot and the rest out wide.  He has a career Y/RR of 2.69.  He was a 3rd-team All-American in 2023, when he posted 3.83 Y/RR.  People knock him because of his slight frame, because he’s a tad slow (4.61 forty-yard dash), and because of the level of competition in the Mountain West Conference, but those things don’t bother me.  Body type doesn’t matter all that much for wide receivers. Speed has a fairly low level of correlation with NFL success as long as a guy is at least faster than 4.7, which he is.  And even though he played a lower level of competition, he absolutely dominated it: he posted a 90.6 best-season PFF grade.  

Even if White doesn’t make it as a starting-caliber wide receiver, his special teams chops should endear him to coaches and keep him on NFL rosters.  He posted a 91.9 special teams grade in 2024, which was the highest special teams grade for any college player over the past six seasons. He blocked 4 punts in 2024, returned another blocked punt for a TD, and played on the kick return unit. Given his variety of skills, I’d be shocked if he actually lasts until Round 7 of the NFL draft. 

11. Howard Cross III, DT, Notre Dame (UDFA, 300 overall)

I couldn’t help myself with this one.  I had to put Howard Cross III on the list.  He is a 6th year senior who, like RJ Mickens, is the son of an NFL player.  His dad, Howard Cross, was a tight end for the New York Giants.  The younger Cross was a team captain for the Fighting Irish, this year’s National Champion runner-up.  Cross is a former 2nd-team All-American who posted best-season grades of 84.7 in run defense and 84.5 pass rush.  He is one of only 5 tackles in this class with 90 or more career pressures in college.  Because he’s a bit of an undersized 3-tech at 6’1, 285, he may be best suited to a rotational role in the NFL unless someone takes the plunge and tries to shift him to 3-4 defensive end.