It’s never too early to start looking ahead.
The 2025 NFL draft starts on April 24, and excitement is buzzing not only in classrooms but beyond Carson walls.
Adrian Arce, a seventh-grader on the Majestics Team, thinks that this year’s draft is a good one.
“I think this draft class is good with lots of young superstars,” he said.
Below is a breakdown of four top 2025 NFL draft prospects, plus student opinions on their predictions for these players. The 2025 NFL draft is viewed as an exciting and intriguing class with many different unique players and skill sets.
Travis Hunter-WR/CB
First off, the dual product out of Colorado, Travis Hunter. The 21-year-old college phenomenon plays both wide receiver and cornerback at an elite level, making him a one-of-a-kind player. His explosiveness, hands, and football IQ makes him a force to be reckoned with on offense, and his ball hawk skills in tight man coverage makes him a defensive menace. Even better, he is the winner of the prestigious Heisman Trophy, an award given to the best player in college football every year. However, his lean frame could make him struggle against more physical players and his two way playing may not translate well into the NFL.
Aarush Atmakuri, a seventh-grader on the Trailblazers Team, thinks that Travis Hunter will be a top pick in the 2025 draft.
“He’s really hyped and he plays two positions,” Aarush said. However, just because he was great in college doesn’t mean he will be great in the big league, as Aarush said that Hunter has the biggest chance to be a bust (a hyped player that ends up under performing expectations or sees little success in the NFL) out of all the players on this list.
Adrian Arce, a seventh-grader on the Majestics Team and a Michigan Wolverines super fan, had a very similar opinion. He thinks that Hunter will be a high draft pick, but also thinks that Travis Hunter will be a bust.
“There’s so much pressure on him,” Adrian said. “He isn’t ready for the NFL. He needs to focus on just one position.”
Matthew Chen, a seventh-grader on the Dream Team, believes that Hunter is a very good player, but predicts that he won’t be the dual-positioned player he was in college.
“Hunter is very good, but it’s very unlikely that he’ll play both positions in the NFL,” Matthew said.
Sheduer Sanders-QB
Speaking of Colorado products, Shedeur Sanders is a mobile quarterback with an excellent arm. The son of legendary cornerback Deion Sanders, Sheduer displays great short to intermediate accuracy and anticipation. Even better, Sanders demonstrates an excellent ability to break down defensive coverages and go through his progression. But while an excellent passer, he does have a habit of holding the ball for too long instead of throwing it away, causing many unnecessary sacks and pressures.
Aarush doesn’t think that Sanders is an elite quarterback.
“[He’s] hyped a lot, [and] honestly not that good.”
Adrian believes that Sanders will go to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“They really need a QB, and I think Sanders will be a perfect fit for them.” Additionally, Adrian thinks that Shedeur Sanders’ father and current coach, Deion Sanders, is going to Las Vegas to coach the Raiders and bring his son on the team.
Ashton Jeanty-RB
Next is Ashton Jeanty, a running back out of Boise State. Jeanty displays unmatched balance when hit making him very difficult to tackle, and has elite speed and vision to match it. Fused together with his prowess in the passing game, Ashton Jeanty is a force to be reckoned with on offense.
But while he is widely considered the best running back in the draft class, the Boise State superstar does have some weaknesses. He is slightly undersized, which could result in him struggling to move the pile and his ball security occasionally struggles.
Both Aarush and Matthew think that Jeanty will be the best player in the draft class by the end of his career.
“I’ve seen him put up big numbers against good and bad teams, [and] we saw him put up almost 200 yards against the best team in the country,” Aarush said. “[He] has the potential to be a Hall of Famer.”
Adrian has a similar agreement with Aarush here, stating that Jeanty is a “special player,” and that Ashton Jeanty will break the college rushing record, set by Barry Sanders (who is unrelated to Deion or Shedeur Sanders.)
Matthew thinks Jeanty should’ve been the true Heisman Trophy winner over Travis Hunter, comparing the “big black running back” to NFL superstar Derrick Henry. He also expects Ashton Jeanty to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.
“ [The] Cowboys don’t have a future running back and it seems like [Ashton Jeanty] will be very good,” Mathew Chen. “Even though cowboys will probably not have a top 5 pick, running backs values are going down in the NFL”
Cam Ward-QB
The final prospect is the quarterback out of Miami, Cam Ward. Ward has the ability to make any throw on the field from different body and arm angles. Cam Ward also has a quick release that is essential in today’s NFL and excels at making off-schedule plays. On top of that, Ward displays great dual-threat abilities, adding another layer of planning the defense has to account for.
However, Cam Ward does have some issues, such as his poor ball security in the pocket. Additionally, Ward’s arm strength leaves something to be desired if he aims to be an elite quarterback on the NFL level.
Adrian and Aarush both have a high opinion of Ward.
“He’s nonchalant,” Adrian said with a smile. “He’s a unique player with a unique skill set.”
“He played great in Miami. I think he has the potential to become one of the greatest passers in the National Football League,” Aarush stated. He further elaborated on to say that he would be the first player drafted off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.
However, Matthew has a completely different take on Ward. He said that he expects Ward to be the biggest bust in the draft class.
“He does not perform well under pressure,” Matthew said
