The Athletic 2025 NFL Draft Big Board
The Athletic published their consensus big board for the 2025 NFL draft (just top 25), combining various rankings. Here were some relevant names:
2. Mason Graham
3. Will Johnson
18. Colston Loveland
Only other Big Ten players were Abdul Carter from Penn St at #14 and then OSU had 4 in the 20's (Egbuka, Burke, Sawyer, and Judkins)
https://theathletic.com/5474836/2024/05/08/nfl-draft-2025-rankings-big-board-johnson-beck/
I have insider info that Shedeur Sanders will be a top 5 selection.
perfect timing
From an insurance standpoint, I wonder if a first round proforma grades like this helps an athlete secure his insurance policy?
The only thing a player needs to "secure his insurance policy" is money. You can insure anything you want (almost) if you're willing to pay the premium to insure it.
What it does determine, IMO, is the amount of insurance the player will want to take out on himself. Graham would want to look at the past several drafts and figure out just how much money the 2nd pick in the draft made over their career to date and then take out a policy against career-ending injury in that amount.
[NIL] should pay for that insurance.
Glad to see Big Will Campbell has finally reached his potential.
I was told OSU was loaded with the best players and won the offseason. No one in the top 20? that can't be right. I was told it was a joke if you didn't have someone drafted in the top 10. Only one WR in the first round? I was told they were going to be more dangerous this year without MHJR...nothing about this adds up.
It adds up perfectly.
Have you ever attended a school in Ohio? If so - you'd understand this.
Just look at the spelling... 0 .. High... 0... Yes - begin with a zero - and end with a zero - and get high in-between. Is it 4:20?
One of many reasons why the Michigan Marching Band had to teach the Ohio Band how to perform their signature formation - "Script Ohio".
I'm also willing to bet Judkins won't be a first round pick. Also nothing explains the Ohio State program more than Sawyer and JTT, two top 5 recruits, being projected a borderline 1st rounder and not even in the 1st round, respectively. Development is not a strong suit of that program.
Larry Johnson Sr is a highly regraded DL coach and has coached up multiple 1st round picks at DL from both PSU and OSU. It's quite possible that both Sawyer and JTT were overrated as a recruit. If there's one position group that OSU should be strong at in terms of development, it's at DL.
It's quite possible that both Sawyer and JTT were overrated as a recruit.
Nailed it.
We shouldn’t treat recruiting rankings like they’re objective data, like a 40 time. No one is a top-5 recruit; that’s just someone’s projection.
In the aggregate, the projections have meaning. But we treat them like an immutable baseline for the individual, and we shouldn’t.
It’s one thing to expect an MLB player who had an 800 OPS last year to replicate that this year. It’s quite another to make projections for someone jumping from Triple-A to the majors.
Larry Johnson is also like 80. He’s lost his fastball. They’ve had multiple 5 stars on the D-Line since Chase Young that didn’t live up to their hype.
Running behind that OSU O-Line, Judkins is going to have be Kenneth Walker III, the sequel if he wants to get drafted in the first round. Larry Johnson is also phoning it in. Should have moved on to be a DC somewhere years ago, now he's on autopilot, hence why they can't develop anyone anymore
And Grant ? I would think he's a first rounder.
Just digging around a few sites, I'm seeing him pegged in the pick 30 range.
I'm willing to bet its mostly because of a lack of tape on him. When he pops off this season he'll be a first round pick. If Mazi Smith can be a first round pick, so can Kenneth Grant.
I can't wait to hear what Grant's 40 time ends up being at the combine. Can a man that big run 4.6 or faster?!
Assuming the first 15 picks aren’t all offensive players again, I can see Kenneth Grant going in the top 15-20 in the first round.
Sorry, I know I must be missing something but where is Kenneth Grant's name?
Edit: Beaten by OldSchool above but same question.
Can't help but notice Deone Walker at 8. I can't recall exactly how close Michigan was to getting him before he chose Kentucky, but I thought it was perceived to be quite close at the time.
That said, things turned out pretty okay with Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant so I'm not complaining.
Would have been nice if Benjamin Morrison joined his sister in Ann Arbor !
The athletic is making up for the sins of the first defensive player not coming off the board until pick 15 in this years draft
Insane to think we have Graham and Grant and yet we were also in on Cass Tech product Deone Walker until Kentucky did their usual BS. Three 1st round DTs in one draft.
Whoever was doing the scouting during this time period is a genius
Remember when Harbaugh called Kenneth Grant the gift from football gods in fall camp his freshman year? He was right. They knew it from the get-go.
Carson Beck at 10? I admit the only Georgia game I watched was the SEC Championship but he wasn't impressive at all in that game.