Anthony Wilson
2024 NFL Draft saw a record 23 offensive players picked in the first round, including 14 consecutive picks on that side of the ball to start the April event. Five of the first 10 picks were quarterbacks. Oregon’s Bo Nix made six play-callers off the board in his first 32 selections when the Denver Broncos drafted him 12th overall.
UCLA edge rusher Laitu Latu had to wait nearly two hours before the Indianapolis Colts took him off the board at No. 15, breaking the historic streak of several quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive linemen.
While the top of the 2024 crop was filled with players whose main goal is to score the football, the class of 2025 is highlighted by an elite group of guys with the sole purpose of stopping them. Add in what appears to be a relatively weak group of quarterbacks and — as of this writing — no superstars (think Marvin Harrison Jr.-level) at the skill positions, 2025 appears to be loaded with defenders.
Several players at every level of the defense could evolve into Day 1 picks. Call it the year of the quarterback, a resurgence of football’s often underheralded unit after all the glitz of 2024. Here are some defensive stars who could dominate the year 2025 NFL Draft.
James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
Pay attention to Pearce’s name because you might hear him called first next April. The former under-the-radar recruit from Charlotte, North Carolina has quickly emerged as one of the best players in the entire United States. college football – regardless of position. He tied for the SEC lead with 10 sacks last season and racked up well over 40 pressures while single-handedly destroying opposing backfields. While his 6-foot-2, 242-pound frame may seem light against SEC offensive tackles, Pearce has deceptive power and packs a punch at the point of attack. He also jumps out of position to get past offensive linemen and has a large arsenal of pass-rush tools. If Pearce continues to develop, NFL teams They will be tripping over themselves in search of their talent.
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Scourton, who is ranked as the No. 15 overall player and No. 1 edge rusher in 247Sports’ Transfer Rankings, was a huge get for first-year Texas A&M coach Mike Elko. Scourton led the Big Ten with 10 sacks last season while starring with Purdue. He had two against Michigan, which boasted one of the best offensive lines in the country throughout its journey to a 15-0 season. Scourton recorded at least half a sack in eight of 11 games and finished the year with 42 pressures, averaging nearly four per game. At 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, he comes with an NFL-ready frame. A strong season with the Aggies will land him on NFL Draft boards.
Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky
It’s kind of strange how well Walker moves, given his immense frame. A 6-foot-3, 348-pound giant, he is Kentucky’s best pass rusher despite frequently drawing double teams on the interior. He led the Wildcats with 7.5 sacks last season and recorded well over 50 pressures. This type of production from a true nose tackle type player is almost unheard of, especially when fighting in the trenches in the SEC. He is obviously a gap filler and an effective run stopper in addition to his ability to stop. Walker is the complete package and it wouldn’t take him long to acclimatize to the professional level.
Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
It didn’t take long for Graham to make an impact on Michigan’s coaches. He carved out a key rotational role as a freshman in 2022, despite the presence of several veteran players ahead of him, and parlayed that into becoming a starter in 2023. He flourished in the spotlight, finishing the year with 30 pressures generated, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks while helping the Wolverines win their first national title since 1997.
Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
Ole Miss struggled against the run at times last season. In its two losses against Alabama and Georgia, it gave up a combined total of 431 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Nolen will go a long way toward solving this problem. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 class and the No. 3 player in 247Sports’ transfer rankings, Nolen is a monster against the run. He moves well laterally and fills gaps with his 6-foot-2 frame, clogging running lanes and preventing running backs from getting space. That translated to 8.5 tackles for loss at Texas A&M in 2023. Nolen has suffered some injury issues in the past and needs to work on consistency before reaching the next level. But when he’s on the field, few interior defenders compare.
Harold Perkins, LB, LSU
LSU moved Perkins all over the field during his relatively brief collegiate career. He blossomed into a starter as a freshman, where he played mostly off the edge and recorded 7.5 sacks. The team tinkered with him at inside linebacker early in the 2023 season before moving him back to the line of scrimmage. Amid the transition, his production dropped a little. Now he is back in the box with the hope of establishing himself as a playmaker in midfield. Perkins certainly has the athletic traits to flourish as a sideline-to-sideline attacking machine. It’s not a bad idea to release him and let him chase the ball.
Travis Hunter, ATH, Colorado
Hunter is an athlete in the purest sense of the word. He excels at both cornerback and wide receiver and in the return game. The jury is still out on where he will find a home in NFL but at worst, Hunter is a ball of clay that can be molded into almost any role. If teams decide to use him as a defense, no one can blame them. Hunter is a sticky corner with excellent ball skills thanks to his offensive experience. Although limited to just nine games due to injury last season, he still managed three interceptions and five pass breakups while playing more snaps than any other non-quarterback in the country. It can handle that load, although it will almost certainly settle into a position on the NFL.
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
A former top-40 prospect from Grosse Point, Michigan, Johnson started five games for the Wolverines in 2022 as a true freshman before taking on a more permanent role last season. He was a steady presence on the defense that led Michigan’s run to the national title and earned first-team All-American honors after recording four interceptions and four pass deflections. Additionally, he was named Defensive MVP of the College football Playoff National Championship after recording an interception of 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. to start the second half. The 6-foot-2 Johnson has excellent length at the corner boundary and was clocked at 20 miles per hour during a pick-six return against Minnesota. He’s also a willing defender, a trait NFL front offices love in their cornerbacks.
Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Morrison has been one of Notre Dame’s leading defenders from the moment he stepped on campus. He immediately landed a starting job in 2022 and earned 247Sports Freshman All-American honors after recording six interceptions, which led the Fighting Irish and tied for seventh-most nationally. He added three more interceptions to his career total in 2023, while also leading his team with 10 pass breakups. Opponents are slowly learning that testing Morrison is not a wise decision, which only makes it easier for him to completely shut down their side of the field.
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
This was the first interception of Starks’ career, in his first quarter at the college level:
This set the tone for one of the most prolific careers we’ve seen as a security guard in some time. Starks finished his junior year as a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award after pacing the Bulldogs with seven pass breakups and intercepting two passes. In 2023, Starks was a 2023 CBS Sports First Team All-American and a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe Awards, while collecting three interceptions and seven pass breakups. Starks is the ideal modern safety: he can move like a wide receiver in open space, has excellent ball skills, and isn’t afraid to get into the zone and play run support.
