With only one game remaining, the 2024 football season is about to be a thing of the past. As the calendar turns from January to February, the pre-draft process kicks into full gear. Like their slogan states “the draft starts in Mobile,” and that couldn’t be more accurate with the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl set to kick off on February 1, 2025.
The Senior Bowl all-star game is the premier postseason exhibition game for NFL hopefuls to make a lasting mark. Not only do these players get an opportunity to put one more example of quality game tape for scouts, but the practices all week in front of NFL coaching staffs can be invaluable.
We have seen hoards of future NFL stars play in this game over the years, including QBs Justin Herbert (Oregon), Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma), Jordan Love (Utah State), as well as 2024 attendees Bo Nix (Oregon) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington). The talent that has come through Mobile, AL of late extends beyond the signal callers to the likes of RB Najee Harris (Alabama), WRs Terry McLaurin (Ohio State), Nico Collins (Michigan), Ladd McConkey (Georgia), TE Trey McBride (Colorado State), and countless others.
However, while it draws top-tier collegiate prospects year after year, this game provides an opening for less-heralded prospects like Tony Pollard (Memphis), Chase Brown (Illinois), Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Puka Nacua (BYU), among others, to put themselves under the bright lights and prove their worth as they enter the alliance that is the NFL.
This article will focus on a combination of big-name prospects that you may already be somewhat familiar with and undervalued players that could be sleepers in your 2025 rookie drafts.
Height Measurements: The Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and pro-day measurements will reflect the NFL/scouting listing for height. It provides feet, inches, and eighth-of-an-inch measurements in one four-digit “code.” For example, a player that measures at 6 feet, 1 and 3 eighths of an inch tall would be listed at “6013.” Or, a player who is 5 feet, 11.5” tall would be listed at “5114” for 11 and 4/8 of an inch. The easiest way to remember it is to read the first three digits as a traditional height and that the last digit represents eighths of an inch.
2025 Senior Bowl | QBs
Jalen Milroe | QB | Alabama | HT 6014 | WT 220
Jalen Milroe is the No. 13 player on my 2025 Rookie Big Board. Milore has had one of the wildest 18 months of draft and player valuation that I can recall. During the 2023 season, he was benched during the South Florida game. He bounced back and nearly led the Crimson Tide to a National Championship appearance. In 2024, he started the year strong, garnering some discussion as the potential top QB in this class. However, after a sub-par end to the year, Milroe’s draft stock is muddling.
He has all the physical tools that entice NFL and Dynasty GMs alike. Milroe’s athleticism is easily the top in this class. However, athleticism alone won’t always be enough at the NFL level. Will Jalen Milroe develop from a run-first quarterback to someone that can dissect a defense on the ground or through the air (like Lamar Jackson or Cam Newton)? Or, will he sputter against players who are also world-class athletes, and struggle with the NFL game (like Trey Lance or JaMarcus Russell).
Jaxson Dart | QB | Ole Miss | HT 6017 | WT 226
Unlike Milroe’s inconsistency, Jaxson Dart has steadily risen up draft boards this season, currently sitting at No. 14 on my 2025 Rookie Big Board. The battle this year at the QB position is two-fold. Who is QB1 and who is QB3? Right now, Jaxson Dart is gaining momentum to lock down that QB3 spot. However, for fantasy, the allure of Jalen Milroe’s rushing upside has him ever so slightly ahead of Dart.
Jaxson Dart may not be an athletic freak, but he’s much more mobile than he gets credit for and can be a dual-threat at the NFL level. He’s not going to have a ton of designed runs or break aways for highlight reel scores, but Dart can keep the chains moving with his legs. When he throws the ball, his arm is above-average, but not elite. These practices and the game will do a lot to answer the question of if he can make the NFL-level throws needed to be an impact starter.
Dillon Gabriel | QB | Oregon | HT 5104 | WT 202
Dillon Gabriel has a lot to prove this week, and throughout the rest of the pre-draft process. After measuring in at 5’10.5’’, Gabriel will undoubtedly hear questions about his size. For me, the bigger question is about his arm. My concern is that Dillon Gabriel doesn’t have NFL-caliber arm strength. This week can answer that question, but right now I’m in a wait-and-see mode before I’d consider adding Gabriel to my draft board.
Tyler Shough | QB | Louisville | HT 6047 | WT 224
Standing at nearly 6’ 5’’, Tyler Shough doesn’t have any questions about size or arm strength. The major red flag is durability. Shough started his career at Oregon (3 years) before a stop at Texas Tech (3 more years) and ultimately ended up playing his final season of college football at Louisville. His biggest problem was staying on the field. Shough played more than seven games only once in his career (2024). If he checks out medically, he could be a late riser up draft boards.
2025 Senior Bowl | RBs
Devin Neal | RB | Kansas | HT 5106 | WT 220
Devin Neal is an intriguing running back prospect. He’s not in the top tier for this class but likely would have been the RB2 in last year’s class. Neal doesn’t have any elite traits, but he doesn’t really have any areas of concern either. The only minor question is if he has the top-end speed to break away from defenses in the NFL. I’m not sure that he does, but Neal could be an early fantasy producer with this three-down skillset.
Trevor Etienne | RB | Georgia | HT 5084 | WT 202
The biggest question for Trevor Etienne, like many backs in this class, is his speed. He has plenty of acceleration and power and is a more-than-capable receiver out of the backfield. There are many running backs who are going to slide in the 2025 NFL Draft and your rookie drafts because of the plethora of talent at the position in this class. Unfortunately for Etienne, I think he’ll be on that list. Fortunately for dynasty players, it means you can get him at a value.
LeQuint Allen | RB | Syracuse | HT 6002 | WT 207
The 2025 RB class is chock-full of fast risers and free fallers. Syracuse’s LeQuint Allen is a part of the former. Of late, Allen is receiving some draft love as a three-down prospect that blossomed in 2024 for the Orange. Like many, there are some speed questions, but if he runs well, he could shoot even higher up draft boards.
Donovan Edwards | RB | Michigan | HT 5110 | WT 215
On the other side of that coin is Donovan Edwards. He came into the year with sky-high expectations after being featured on the cover of the revitalized College Football 25 video game. Sadly, that was the height of the hype for Edwards in 2024. The decline of the Michigan offense has him no longer in the discussion for a top-5 back in the class, but Edwards isn’t even the top ranked RB on his own team for many people. This is a great opportunity to regain some of that preseason excitement.
Bhayshul Tuten | RB | Virginia Tech | HT 5086 | WT 211
Another player that is gaining 2025 NFL Draft buzz is Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten. Our own senior writer Keith Ensminger is a big fan of Tuten, ranking him at No. 22 overall in his 2025 Rookie Big Board. Tuten profiles as a do-it-all back for the Hokies and could take on a similar role in the right offense.
Ollie Gordon II | RB | Oklahoma State | HT 6011 | WT 233
One of the enigmas of the 2025 NFL Draft is Ollie Gordon II. Like the aforementioned Donovan Edwards, Gordon’s production fell off in 2024 and his draft stock followed. It was a little surprising to see Gordon declare after he had reportedly considered entering the transfer portal. There aren’t many backs in this class that can move the way Ollie Gordon does, especially at over 230 pounds.
2025 Senior Bowl | WRs
Xavier Restrepo | WR | Miami (FL) | HT 5093 | WT 200
Xavier Restrepo profiles as an immediate starting slot wide receiver at the NFL level. He has elite short-area quickness which allows him to routinely create separation against defenders in man coverage. Restrepo also natural feel for finding soft spots in zone coverage. If Restrepo goes to a team that heavily targets the slot, he could be a fantasy monster.
Tez Johnson | WR | Oregon | HT 5092 | WT 156
As I’ve written before, the biggest question I have for Tez Johnson is his size. After the official Senior Bowl measurements came out, those questions got louder. Johnson measured at just over 5’9’’ and a meager 156 pounds. That’s one of the slightest-built wide receiver prospects in recent memory. Even a player like Trindon Holliday who stood at a modest 5’5’’ weighed 10 pounds more than Tez Johnson. He’s looked good in the practices, but there’s no escaping the durability and size questions.
Da’Quan Felton | WR | Virginia Tech | HT 6043 | WT 222
On the other side of the spectrum, one of the biggest receivers in this class is Da’Quan Felton from Virginia Tech. He transferred to the ACC after starting his career as a 0-star recruit at Norfolk State. Felton didn’t put up eye-popping numbers for the Hokies, but his size, body control, and impressive catch radius make him an interesting prospect.
Jalen Royals | WR | Utah State | HT 5113 | WT 210
At No. 20 overall, Jalen Royals is my highest-ranked wide receiver participating in the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl. He opted out of the back half of the 2024 season to prepare for the NFL. But, prior to doing so, Royals totalled 55 receptions for 834 receiving yards and 6 scores. He has good speed, but what intrigues me the most is how he maintains that speed in and out of breaks and as a runner after the catch.
Tai Felton | WR | Maryland | HT 6005 | WT 186
Tai Felton is one of my favorite receivers at the Senior Bowl and in the 2025 NFL Draft class. In 2024, Felton developed into one of the best receivers in the country, tallying the 4th-most receptions and 15th-most receiving yards. Felton is a dynamic receiver after the catch but isn’t afraid to go up and get passes in contested-catch situations. I’m eager to see how he matches up against top-tier corners at the Senior Bowl this week.
Jack Bech | WR | TCU | HT 6012 | WT 214 lbs
If Ollie Gordon II is the running back enigma, Jack Bech is his wide receiver counterpart. Bech began his career as a tight end for the LSU Tigers. He transferred to TCU and moved to the wide receiver position and became a force for the Horned Frogs. He finished 21st in the nation in receiving yards, despite being outside the top 50 in receptions. As a former TE, his athletic testing numbers and performance in the Senior Bowl practices and game are particularly important to see if he’ll be able to create separation against NFL-level defenders.
2025 Senior Bowl | TEs
Harold Fannin Jr. | TE | Bowling Green | HT 6031 | WT 238
As I’ve said before, Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. is tough to project at the NFL level. Fannin had the greatest statistical season for a TE in collegiate history. He caught 117 passes for 1,555 yards and 15 TDs, including a 17-reception performance in his bowl game. I was happy to see that Fannin weighed in at nearly 240 pounds. At this size, I expect teams to view him as a TE prospect rather than something in between a WR and TE. I have Fannin as an end of the 2nd round pick in rookie drafts.
Mason Taylor | TE | LSU | HT 6047 | WT 250
Get used to hearing the name Mason Taylor (followed by “son of hall of famer Jason Taylor”) over the next few months. He didn’t blow anyone away statistically this year, but Mason Taylor is the type of TE we see excel in today’s NFL. He doesn’t have top-level athleticism, but Taylor can use his size to create leverage against smaller defenders and is a natural receiver of the ball. I think Day 3 of the NFL Draft is realistic, but if the landing spot is conducive to TE production, I’ll be scooping him up in the late rounds of rookie drafts.
Key Takeaways
In all-star games like this, we won’t always see dominating performances. In fact, because these players only have one week to work together, the game is often a little sloppy. But, if you’re watching the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl, keep your eyes on some key indicators for different positions.
Do the quarterbacks process defenses quickly and get the ball out on time? Are they throwing with touch when needed and driving the ball on long “NFL-level” throws? Are the running backs making decisive cuts? Do they look natural catching the ball when it is thrown their way? How do the wide receivers create separation and do they do it consistently? Do they catch the ball with their hands or into their body? Do they high-point the ball in contested-catch situations?
These things may be small and are often easy to overlook. But, it can be the deciding factor when taking a shot late on someone like Puka Nacua. Someone will come out of this game and surprise NFL teams and dynasty GMs. Here’s to hoping you pick that player before your leaguemates.
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