2025 QB Class Generating More Skepticism
As the NFL regular season comes to a close and college prospects are making their final amateur appearances, focus for many NFL teams is shifting to the 2025 NFL Draft. While many sources seem to have narrowed the field of potential first-round quarterbacks to two players, there are reportedly some scouts who believe taking any quarterback on Day 1 “would be a mistake,” per Dane Brugler of The Athletic. 
According to a post from Brugler, an AFC scout commented on the matter, saying, “Man, I feel bad for the teams trying to find one (quarterback) in this group.”
There are two obvious options for teams currently looking at a first-round quarterback: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. After Ward and Sanders, there’s a big perceived dropoff in quarterback talent in this year’s draft class with other prospects like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart all being projected as Day 2 or 3 picks. Georgia passer Carson Beck, who recently declared for the draft, forgoing one final year of eligibility (granted because of COVID-19), was at one point viewed as a first-round option, but after a disappointing redshirt season and UCL surgery, his draft stock took a considerable hit.
As for Ward and Sanders, it’s hard to imagine a world in which neither prospect hears their name called on the first night of the draft. The Giants sent general manager Joe Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell to the Pop-Tarts Bowl to watch Ward play in the first half this past weekend. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly was in attendance, as well. Schoen, along with scouts from his Giants and the Falcons, was also in attendance to watch Sanders take on the Utes about a month and a half ago.
The Giants (currently set to pick fourth overall) are one of six teams inside the projected top-10 picks of the draft with an interest in adding a quarterback. The Titans (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), Panthers (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), and Raiders (No. 8) have all been viewed as possibilities to go after a first-round passer, as well.
The need to fill such a crucial role as quarterback has a tendency to inflate some prospects’ draft stocks. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and according to some sources, Drake Maye were all viewed as the likely first-round passers for most of the draft process. As the draft drew nearer and it became more obvious that some teams would need additional help at quarterback, prospects like Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix all found their draft stock being bumped from Day 2 or 3 to Day 1.
Because this phenomenon is likely to take effect once again this year, even if Ward and Sanders were not considered first-round options — which, to be clear, many scouts do view them to be — they would still likely find themselves on stage at Lambeau Field on April 24. In order to simulate this effect, some have claimed that this year’s versions of Ward and Sanders would’ve ranked as QB4 and QB5, in any order, in last year’s quarterback crop, placing them firmly in the top ten draft picks for that class, as well. In fact, the often-desperate need for young quarterback talent may even bring players like Beck, Milroe, or Dart back into first-round consideration with Ward and Sanders.
There’s still plenty of time until we arrive at Day 1 of the draft. Between now and then, we will see College Football Playoff performances, the NFL Scouting Combine, and pro days around the country. Many quarterbacks and other prospects will see their draft stock rise and fall throughout the next few months. At this point, though, Ward and Sanders seem to have cemented themselves as top five picks, regardless of what some scouts believe their value to be.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.
Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.
Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:
- New England Patriots (3-13)
- Tennessee Titans (3-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-13)
- New York Giants (3-13)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-12)
- New York Jets (4-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
- Chicago Bears (4-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-11)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
- Miami Dolphins (8-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
- Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
- Houston Texans (9-7)
- Denver Broncos (9-7)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
- Green Bay Packers (11-5)
- Washington Commanders (11-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
- Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
- Buffalo Bills (13-3)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
Patriots Move Into Top 2025 Draft Slot
With surprising wins today by the Giants and Raiders, the top of the draft order was shaken up once more. The Raiders, now on a two-game winning streak, have plummeted from a top-two pick to No. 8 overall, and a win by the Giants knocked the Colts out of playoff contention and knocked New York down three draft slots to No. 4 overall. Here’s a quick look at some other consequences of today’s games. 
Today’s wins and losses have now placed New England in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall spot. If the Patriots lose in their season finale to the Bills, they will secure the rights to the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. This opens up a number of possibilities for New England. The Patriots have holes on the offensive line, receiving corps, pass rush, and cornerbacks group.
For some time, the top picks have been projected to be Miami quarterback Cam Ward or Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, but with no need to draft a quarterback with a top pick for the second year in a row, the Patriots are poised to shake things up. With no elite options at offensive line in this year’s draft class, they could go for Heisman-winning athlete Travis Hunter from Colorado, who could fill holes at both cornerback and receiver. Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan is another top receiver option who projects as a stronger receiving prospect than Hunter. They could also go for Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, though that would seem like a bit of a reach in the top spot.
The other option available to New England opens the door for any of the quarterback-needy teams to trade up into the No. 1 overall pick. The Titans (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), and Giants all have interest in adding a top quarterback to the roster. One of these teams may pursue that quarterback through free agency with Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and Kirk Cousins all currently on their way to free agency. If not, they can take a chance and hope to land Ward or Sanders in their current slots.
They may also want to keep an eye on teams like the Panthers (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), and Raiders, though, as all of those teams may have interest in trading into the top draft slot. All three of those teams have quarterback situations that could greatly benefit from the addition of Ward or Sanders, and the Patriots could likely still fill a major need — even offensive line — after moving back later in the top-10 picks. It would also make selections like Carter or Michigan cornerback Will Johnson seem like less of a reach.
There are way too many possibilities to speculate on from this situation at this point in time, but New England’s prospective hold on the No. 1 overall pick introduces a litany of fun potential outcomes. They will need to close it out with a home defeat at the hands of the Bills next week, but the chaos from today’s games has provided plenty for draft nerds to drool over in the days to come.
Browns Could Target First-Round QB
Deshaun Watson will remain with the Browns for (at least) one more season, with his latest restructure now on the books. Cleveland will look to add competition at the quarterback spot this offseason, though, and the draft is an avenue which could be used in that effort. 
The Browns enter Sunday’s action with a record of 3-12, making them a candidate for a top-five pick in April’s draft. Holding such a premier selection could open the door to adding one of the top passers in the 2025 class, depending on how the rest of the order at the top of the board shakes out. Provided the team is in position to do so, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes the Browns will be a candidate to select a Day 1 quarterback.
Trading for Watson and committing to a fully guaranteed five-year, $230MM contract was of course meant to provide the Browns with a long-term solution under center. The former Texan has dealt with an 11-game suspension followed by major injuries in consecutive seasons during his Cleveland tenure, however, and there is a chance he could miss time at the start of the 2025 campaign while recovering from his Achilles tear. At least one outside passer will likely be brought in to compete with Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who unlike veteran Jameis Winston is under contract for next year.
The 2024 draft produced six quarterbacks in the first 12 picks, but a repeat of that showing is not expected this time around. Only two passers are currently slated to receive consideration at the top of the board in 2025 – Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland could land within range of one or both, and in that event the team would no doubt spend considerable time evaluating each QB. Not long after paying three first-round picks as part of the price to acquire Watson, using a Day 1 selection on his successor would obviously not represent a wanted move on the part of general manager Andrew Berry, but Watson’s play when healthy would justify bringing in a replacement starting option.
Of course, the Browns could do so well before April. Several quarterbacks are set to hit the market, with Sam Darnold beingthe top option in free agency provided he does not re-sign with the Vikings. Minnesota wants to keep him in place (on a deal which will entail a considerable raise compared to his current pact), but failing that there will be several outside suitors. Cleveland could be one of them, and adding Darnold would provide the team with a multi-year starting option while riding out the remainder of Watson’s cumbersome contract and its salary cap implications.
Outside of Darnold, a mix of journeymen veterans and younger passers like Justin Fields and Mac Jones are on track to be available. Short-term commitments to quarterbacks in that tier could help the Browns meet their stated goal of returning to the playoffs in 2025, and success could pave the way to a new direction under center beyond that. If Cleveland elects to steer clear of a lucrative QB deal this spring, though, adding a rookie passer would increasingly become a possibility to watch for.
Michigan DT Kenneth Grant Declares For Draft
The mass exodus out of Ann Arbor continues as another Wolverine who won a national championship under Jim Harbaugh has announced his intention of following his former head coach into the NFL. Following the likes of teammates like tight end Colston Loveland, cornerback Will Johnson, and defensive tackle Mason Graham, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant has foregone his remaining college eligibility in order to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Grant made the announcement from his X account. 
As a four-star recruit out of Merrillville HS, Grant was ranked the eighth-best prospect coming out of Indiana. As is typical of top recruits coming out of the Midwest, Grant’s recruitment involved offers from lots of Big 10 schools, while the decision ultimately came down to Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan. Taking official visits to all three schools, the final visit he took to Ann Arbor ultimately swayed his decision, prompting a commitment two weeks later at the start of his senior year.
Coming into Michigan as a part of the same signing class as Loveland, Johnson, and Graham, Grant was the only one of the four who failed to make much of an impact as a true freshman. While he appeared in all 14 games like his teammates, he contributed very little as a depth piece, totaling only eight tackles.
In his sophomore season, Grant joined forces with Graham to form a formidable duo in the middle of the defensive front. Graham led the way with 36 tackles (eight for loss), three sacks, and a forced fumble, while Grant kept pace with 29 tackles (five for loss), 3.5 sacks, and an interception en route to a national championship title largely led by the Wolverines’ top scoring and top total defense in the nation.
Though Michigan’s defense wasn’t tops this year, the team still finished admirably at 21st in scoring defense and 14th in total defense, thanks to a rushing defense that ranked fourth. Graham continued to dominate in the middle with 45 tackles (seven for loss) and 3.5 sacks, while Grant continued to match his peer with 32 tackles (seven for loss) and three sacks. In both years, Grant also showed an irritating penchant for interrupting passing lanes, collecting five passes defensed in each season, as well.
While the consensus around draft analysts indicates that Graham is the superior draft prospect who is trending towards the top of the first round as the top defensive tackle across the board, Grant doesn’t rank far behind. ESPN’s Matt Miller slots Grant in as the fourth-best defensive tackle and the 19th-best prospect overall, giving him a first-round grade, as well. Miller’s peers at ESPN all seem to agree, with Mel Kiper and Jordan Reid also ranking him as the fourth defensive tackle and Field Yates ranking him fifth. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s midseason draft rankings are right in step with ESPN, ranking Grant as the fifth-best defensive tackle in the draft and the 25th-best prospect overall.
While Grant may be a little disappointed by continuing to play second fiddle to his classmate, Graham, that disappointment will be short-lived when he likely hears his name called shortly after on the first night of the draft. He’ll hope to be among a host of other names all hailing from Ann Arbor as part of a strong Wolverines 2025 draft class.
Raiders Expected To Target 1st-Round QB
The Raiders’ 2024 season has made one thing very clear: one way or another, Las Vegas needs a new quarterback next year.
Their quest to find a new signal-caller may have taken a hit in Week 16, as the Raiders’ victory over the Jaguars dropped them from second to sixth in the projected order for the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Las Vegas will take a hard look at any quarterback available in free agency, the team is expected to draft a quarterback in the first round at the direction of owner Mark Davis, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. But with up to three other teams in the first five picks targeting quarterbacks – including the Giants, the Titans, and even the Browns – the Raiders’ front office may have to get aggressive to fulfill Davis’ mandate.
Only Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedur Sanders are currently viewed as surefire first-round quarterback prospects, but that view may not be shared by new Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. He is expected to play a major role in the team’s personnel decisions and will surely have strong opinions about the available quarterback talent. That could expand Las Vegas’ search beyond Ward and Sanders or narrow it down to just one of the two. If it’s the former, staying at the sixth overall pick could still net the Raiders their desired prospect. If it’s the latter, trading up in the draft becomes an expensive necessity.
The Raiders will also have to decide on the futures of head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco, which will impact their quarterback plans. Even if one or both are retained, they’ll be on the hot seat next season. Waiting until the 2026 draft won’t be an option if they want to keep their jobs, further incentivizing a first-round quarterback selection next April.
The Raiders play the Saints in Week 17 before hosting the Chargers in Week 18. Pierce insisted on Monday that the Raiders don’t play “for anybody’s draft projections,” per Breer, but Davis, Telesco, and Brady could see it differently.
Franchise trajectories have been altered by late-season wins and losses, including a memorable Week 18 win by the Texans in 2022. That gave the Bears the No. 1 overall pick, kicking off a chain of events that resulted in Bryce Young going to Carolina in 2023 and Caleb Williams landing in Chicago a year later.
First-Round QB Not Out Of Range For Raiders?
When last we looked at the updated order for the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders were in prime position, poised to have the No. 1 overall pick. They were tied for the league’s worst record at 2-12 with tie breakers over the Giants. However, with a win over the similarly lowly Jaguars this past Sunday, Las Vegas plummeted in the most recent draft order and now slots in at No. 6.
Many view the biggest need for Las Vegas to be a quarterback. Three different passers have started games for the Raiders this season, and none of Gardner Minshew (2-7), Aidan O’Connell (1-4), or Desmond Ridder (0-1) have a winning record. Likewise, none seem to have much in the way of promise, as all three seem to have been written off as considerable quarterbacks of the future. Therefore, the plan would likely be to draft one, a prospect that’s become much more difficult with their recent victory.
[RELATED: Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order]
At No. 1 overall, the Raiders had their pick of the litter with the ability to choose whatever quarterback they desire. At No. 6, the choice is taken pretty far out of their hands, especially considering that only two passers, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, are currently receiving first-round grades. It will definitely take some maneuvering to land one of those two quarterbacks from their current slot, but according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it’s not impossible.
Firstly, they stand to likely move up a spot. Two of the teams ahead of them, the Jaguars and Titans, play each other in the final two weeks of the season, guaranteeing that one of them will earn a victory. For reasons to be explored shortly, Las Vegas fans should be rooting for Tennessee to pull off the divisional victory.
This year’s draft doesn’t appear to be shaping up much like last year’s. If the current order holds, two of the top three teams likely won’t be looking for quarterbacks, unlike last year, which saw the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots select Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye successively in the first three picks. While the Giants, current holders of the No. 1 overall pick, certainly have a need for a quarterback after releasing veteran Daniel Jones, the holders of pick Nos. 2 and 3 do not.
The No. 2 spot is currently held by the Patriots. Despite their disappointing record, the rookie Maye has shown promise at different points in the season, especially since he had to earn the starting job over veteran passer Jacoby Brissett and didn’t start until Week 6. He’ll have to figure out how to protect the ball a bit better — he’s thrown 10 picks in 10 starts — but New England likely has not given up on his potential, yet.
The No. 3 pick is owned by the Jaguars, who just recently signed a 25-year-old Trevor Lawrence to a five-year extension that made him the highest-paid player in the league at the time. This season saw Lawrence battling quite a few injury issues, but it’s hard to imagine that Jacksonville would be looking for anything other than an upgraded backup passer in this year’s draft.
Between those two and Las Vegas sit the Browns and Titans. If the abovementioned rooting interests pay dividends and Tennessee wins in Jacksonville, that problem should take care of itself. The Browns, though, have been thoroughly evaluating the 2025 quarterback draft class, per Chad Reuter of NFL.com, as they research potential successors to one of the worst quarterback contracts in NFL history.
So, in order to get into a position where they are one of the top two teams in position to draft a quarterback, Las Vegas would need to get ahead of Cleveland and Tennessee, another team with interest in a new, young passer. In order to do so, though, they’ll likely have to trade up into the spot. If the Titans lose to Jacksonville, Las Vegas will likely enter into a bidding war for New England’s No. 2 overall pick in order to leapfrog the Browns and Titans. If the Titans win, though, the Raiders’ route is a little cleaner as they’ll have options to trade up with either New England or Jacksonville, and they’ll only be looking to leapfrog one team, though they will have to fend off teams behind them, like Tennessee, from leapfrogging them.
In short, despite a situationally disappointing win this past weekend, the Raiders still have lanes open that lead to them obtaining Ward or Sanders. It may cost them some draft capital to make it happen, but Las Vegas could still end up in a top-three slot.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order
Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.
The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.
Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:
- New York Giants (2-13)
- New England Patriots (3-12)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
- Carolina Panthers (4-11)
- New York Jets (4-11)
- Chicago Bears (4-11)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
- Miami Dolphins (7-8)
- Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
- Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
- Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
- Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
- Houston Texans (9-6)
- Denver Broncos (9-6)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
- Washington Commanders (10-5)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
- Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
- Green Bay Packers (11-4)
- Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
- Buffalo Bills (12-3)
- Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
- Detroit Lions (13-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)
NFL Injury Updates: Fashanu, Dolphins, Beck
The Jets will be without rookie swing tackle Olu Fashanu for the remainder of the season, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The 2024 first-round pick suffered a foot injury in Sunday’s loss to the Rams and was taken on a cart directly to the locker room, forgoing the blue medical tent. According to Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post Sports, Fashanu was seen on crutches after the game as his camp declined interviews.
Fashanu was taken with the Jets’ first overall pick last year, following a trade one spot back so that Minnesota could take Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. He was the third offensive tackle taken in the draft, behind Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Alabama’s JC Latham, both of whom have been full-time starters for the Chargers and Titans, respectively, as rookies.
Fashanu was drafted to be an offensive tackle for the future in New York after the team signed two 33-year-old veteran tackles in free agency. It didn’t take long for the future to come as injuries to the Jets’ aging bookends opened the door to playing time for Fashanu. A knee injury to Morgan Moses in Weeks 4 and 5 allowed Fashanu to make his first two starts at right tackle after playing mostly special teams in his first three games. Then, in Week 11, left tackle Tyron Smith was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, and Fashanu has started on the blindside ever since.
The 22-year-old still has some developing to do, he ranked 61st of 79 graded offensive tackles this season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but the starting experience was good for him to get. New York doesn’t have a third left tackle listed on their depth chart, but depth right tackle Max Mitchell, a fourth-round pick from two years ago, filled in for Fashanu after the injury. Mitchell had 12 starts in 20 appearances over his first two years and will likely earn his first start of this season next week.
Here are a few other injury updates from the NFL world:
- The Dolphins have had to get creative at long snapper this season, employing Zach Triner, Matt Overton, and Jake McQuaide at different points of the season in the absence of Blake Ferguson. Ferguson, the team’s primary long snapper since 2020, played in the first five games of the season before being placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in October. The team has released no information on what’s going on with Ferguson, and special teams coordinator Danny Crossman claimed it would be “illegal” to reveal what he’s going through, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Whatever it is, Crossman says he hopes it will put Ferguson’s mind at rest that he will not be snapping for the remainder of the season. McQuaide, signed to the practice squad eight days ago and the active roster a day later, will be filling in for the remainder of the year.
- Additionally in Miami, head coach Mike McDaniel said that wide receiver Grant DuBose is “in good spirits” following the head injury that hospitalized him in the team’s Week 15 trip to Houston, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. DuBose was placed on IR two days later, but McDaniel confirmed that he would not be playing again this year.
- This isn’t quite yet injury news for the NFL, though it will affect the subject’s stock in the 2025 NFL Draft. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck underwent successful surgery on his UCL yesterday. According to Field Yates at ESPN, he is expected to begin throwing again in the spring, which makes it sound as if he’ll miss most, if not all, pre-draft activities.
Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor Declares For Draft
As we make our way through the NCAA’s bowl season, we continue to see a number of college players make their intentions for the future known. One such player is Stanford redshirt sophomore receiver Elic Ayomanor. After three years in school, the Canada-native announced on X that he would forgo his remaining eligibility and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. 
Despite being born in Alberta, CAN, Ayomanor attended high school at The Peddie School (NJ) and Deerfield Academy (MA), ranking as the fourth-best recruit in Massachusetts, according to 247 Sports. He fielded a number of offers from several Ivy League schools and other schools from different conferences such as Tennessee, Arizona, Ole Miss, and Kentucky, but ultimately, he chose to cross the country in order to attend Stanford, a school with a mix of strong academics and athletics.
Not the most exciting recruit coming out of high school, Ayomanor redshirted with no appearances in 2022. He established himself as a contributor on the offense as a redshirt freshman, having his first strong performance against Sacramento State. Ayomanor exploded onto the scene four weeks later, when the Cardinal traveled to Boulder.
Against the 4-1 Buffaloes, Ayomanor embarrassed Travis Hunter and Co. (pictured above) to the tune of 13 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns. He had a couple other big performances last year in losses against Washington and Oregon State, and he ended the year as the team’s leading receiver with 62 catches for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns. In 2024, Ayomanor renewed his role as the Cardinal’s leading receiver with 63 receptions for 831 yards and six touchdowns, delivering big performances against TCU, Syracuse, Wake Forest, NC State, and San Jose State.
Ayomanor has shown that he can deliver in an underwhelming offense against some impressively tough competition. He’s clearly intelligent and has tools that will be desirable at the next level. That being said, he’s not likely to hear his name called on Day 1 of the draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Ayomanor ranked as the eighth-best wide receiver in the class, and Kiper’s colleagues tend to agree, excluding him from all of their top-five lists. Dane Brugler’s mid-November ranking seems to project him the highest as the third-best receiver (fourth if considering Hunter), but even Brugler has Ayomanor treading the line between the first and second round as the 28th-best overall prospect.
It’s curious to see Ayomanor declare for the draft following his redshirt sophomore season, especially with most draft rankings listing him as a Day 2 or 3 option. In these days of the ever-popular transfer portal, there are so many examples of such players transferring to greener pastures and having seasons that establish them as clear first-round options. Instead, Ayomanor will be satisfied with his current body of work and will hope that his combination of size, speed, and ball skills will shine in the leadup to the draft and help his draft stock peak.