As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, we’ll be able to see the upcoming crop of prospects in various ways.
The national championship concluded the season on Monday, Jan. 20. From then until the draft, we’ll see the East vs. West Shrine Bowl game, the Senior Bowl, the NFL scouting combine, and Pro Day.
We’ve seen a couple of days of Shrine Bowl practice to this point, and Senior Bowl practices are coming this week.
Below are two risers and fallers as we close out January 2025.
- 2025 NFL Draft Guide
- Dynasty Trade Value Chart
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
- Fantasy Football Dynasty Rankings
2025 NFL Draft Risers & Fallers
Riser: Will Howard (QB – Ohio State)
While I’m not ready to declare Howard a first- or potentially a second-round pick, his performance throughout the College Football Playoff and the national championship game certainly turned some heads.
He played what I’d consider his best game of the season against Notre Dame in the title game, completing 17 of 21 passes (81%) for 231 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t have any turnover-worthy plays and averaged 11 yards per attempt. He also ran 16 times for 57 yards.
He capped the game off with a third-down conversion on a deep ball to Jeremiah Smith.
With Ohio State, Howard’s performance was dramatically improved compared to his Kansas State days. His completion percentage jumped from 61.3% in 2023 at Kansas State to 73% at Ohio State.
He had a much better supporting cast at Ohio State, so it could leave some to wonder if he was a product of his environment or if this is more the type of player NFL clubs can expect.
I think it’s somewhere in the middle, and I believe he has a chance to be one of the first four quarterbacks off the board. He’ll certainly come after Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, but I believe he’s in a group of Jalen Milroe, Dillon Gabriel, Quinn Ewers, and potentially even Riley Leonard.
As of now, I’d say Howard is likely a mid-Day 2 pick, but we’ll see how he does at the Senior Bowl and all other activities in the pre-draft process.
Faller: Nick Nash (WR – San Jose State)
A massive name heading into the Shrine Bowl practices, Nash had a phenomenal season, catching 104 passes for 1,382 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, but he’s shown some limitations thus far in these practices.
He had a massive season, but he was pumped 171 targets. The next closest player on San Jose State had 104, and after that, 50.
He had a drop in one-on-one drills that resulted in an interception, and I’m not sure how fast he’ll ultimately run.
He’s six-foot-three and 195 pounds, so he’ll be fine at contested catches over the middle, but I think his role in the NFL will ultimately be out of the slot, and he’ll struggle to create separation
Nash is a Day 3 draft pick and will go later than many will expect after his 2024 campaign.
Riser: CJ West (DT – Indiana)
A transfer from Kent State, West showed up big for Indiana this past season and was arguably the anchor behind their nation-leading run defense.
He was excellent at Kent State but, of course, had an uptick in competition moving to the Big Ten. Against Notre Dame, he played well, mustering up three tackles.
However, at Shrine Bowl practice thus far, he’s showing he can do something as a pass rusher. He’s been dominating the Shrine Bowl practices and is showing he’s capable of playing three downs at multiple positions along the defensive line.
There were some questions as to where he’d go, but now, I’d say he’s a surefire top-100 selection and could go even higher if he continues to maximize his opportunities.
The problem for West is that this defensive line class is loaded with talent, but I think he has the makings of a consistent producer at the NFL level.
Faller: Quinn Ewers (QB – Texas)
Viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick heading into this season, Ewers simply didn’t play all too well in 2024 despite the Longhorns going to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
He did suffer an oblique injury earlier this season, which could’ve hindered things, but he took a step back in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and interceptions. He had more passing touchdowns and yards but also had a few more games than in 2023.
Against Arizona State, he had three passing touchdowns but had an interception and two turnover-worthy plays.
He followed that up with a forgettable performance against Ohio State, completing 59% of his passes, throwing an interception, he had a fumble, and two more turnover-worthy plays.
Watching him, he doesn’t look comfortable in the pocket. When pressured this season, he completed just 50.5% of his passes, averaged six yards per attempt, and had four touchdowns, four interceptions, and eight turnover-worthy plays.
I wouldn’t be at all shocked to not hear his name called until Day 3 at this point. Ewers is a player that, to me, wants to be Baker Mayfield but isn’t remotely there yet.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn