Eagles draft

2025 Eagles Draft Big Board: Top-20 prospects to watch this college football season

I know — another way too early look at some collegiate players entering the draft before the season even starts. However, this one is a little different as it’s specifically focused on the Eagles draft in 2025 and based on their potential team needs.

I mainly concentrated on interior defensive linemen, with Milton Williams set to become a free agent after this season, and edge rushers to create more depth behind Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, and Nolan Smith. A second tight end beside Dallas Goedert is a must for the 2025 Eagles draft, as is another versatile running back on offense. Vic Fangio needs plenty of dynamic playmakers at safety and linebacker, which I also included, given that Avonte Maddox will be a free agent and there’s much-needed depth at that position. Lastly, I purposefully did not put any interior offensive linemen and offensive tackles for the casual reader’s sake. That will be a post on its own as the season progresses because you know Howie will take at least two players at those positions in the next Eagles draft.

2025 Eagles Draft Big Board

1. IDL Deone Walker, Kentucky (6-6, 345 lbs)

Deone Walker is the standout “Create A Player” of this year’s draft class, thanks to his rare mix of size and athleticism. In a recent PFF interview, Kentucky’s unicorn defender shared that he’s aiming to run in the high 4.6-second range in the forty-yard dash—remarkable for someone of his stature. To put it in perspective, Calijah Kancey holds the record at 4.67 seconds and is 70 pounds lighter.

While most interior linemen with Walker’s size are typically gap stuffers like Jordan Davis, Walker brings an impressive arsenal of pass-rush moves. Last season, he led all interior defensive linemen in the country with 51 pressures. Walker topped all Power Five players with eight sacks. Suppose Deone lives up to expectations this season. In that case, he’s the kind of player Howie Roseman might trade up to grab in an Eagles Draft if he still has not been solidified as a Top 10 pick.

2. IDL Kenneth Grant, Michigan (6-3, 339 lbs)

While his running mate Mason Graham is receiving most of the hype to be a Top 15 pick, Grant is quietly one of the nation’s most dominant interior defensive linemen. Like Deone Walker, his size does not affect his pass-rushing ability. He registered 3.5 sacks, five pass deflections, and an interception. Again, Grant’s size and athleticism are the exact combination of what Howie Roseman is looking for in an interior defensive lineman, and Kenneth Grant might be less costly than Deone Walker if Howie were to trade up.

3. EDGE/LB Abdul Carter, Penn State (6-3, 259 lbs)

After playing for two years as an off-all linebacker, the Nittany Lions’ defensive star moved to defensive end. Wearing Penn State’s coveted #11 since his freshman year, Abdul Carter is a ball-seeking missile when blitzing. He posted a 24.8 pass-rush win rate, ranking third in the FBS among all edge rushers and linebackers. The Philly native has the perfect combination of a superior quick first step and coverage skills from his experience playing a linebacker. If Vic Fangio’s defense is successful this season, Abdul Carter is a perfect fit for next year’s Eagles draft.

4. S Kevin Winston Jr, Penn State (6-2, 205 lbs)

Winston is as dependable as they come. In 2023, the sophomore had a remarkable 2% missed-tackle rate, second-best among all safeties nationwide, and earned a 90.6 PFF run-defense grade, ranking third among FBS safeties. But Winston’s skills go beyond just stopping the run—he was the only safety in the country last year to earn 85-plus PFF grades in both run defense and coverage. His versatile game will likely draw comparisons to recent Penn State standouts like Ji’Ayir Brown and Jaquan Brisker.

5. IDL Howard Cross III, Notre Dame (6-1, 288 lbs)

Cross is the top returning defensive tackle in college football, earning a 90.1 PFF grade in 2023. Only two players, T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II (both top-40 NFL draft picks) graded higher. Last season, the fifth-year senior tied for the second-most run-defense stops among all interior linemen and ranked fifth in pressures among Power Five players. Though he’s smaller at 6-foot-1, 284 pounds, Cross compensates with his explosive jump and quickness in his pass rush moves.

6. EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia (6-5, 255 lbs)

With Nolan Smith entering a crucial year to prove he’s a starter/rotational edge rusher, the Eagles could bring in another Georgia Bulldog edge rusher. One word that jumped to mind when watching some of Williams’ tapes is powerful. His vice grip for hands moves linemen out of the way in run defense. Williams uses all his might to bullrush quarterbacks, ranking second on the Bulldogs with 4.5 sacks last season. The 20-year-old junior has another year of eligibility but would be a phenomenal choice for the 2025 Eagles draft.

7. EDGE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State (6-5, 269 lbs)

Like his fellow edge rusher Jack Sawyer, Tuimoloau decided to return for his senior season despite being projected as a Day Two pick in last year’s draft. Sawyer might garner more Eagles draft hype because of his consistency and well-rounded game. Still, Tuimoloau is an athletic freak who can personally take over a game against some of college football’s best tackles. The big knock on the Ohio State edge rusher will be his inconsistency. He has all the tools to be one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the nation; JT Tuimoloau needs to put it all together every week.

8. TE Oscar Delp, Georgia (6-5, 245 lbs)

With generational talent Brock Bowers off to the NFL, Georgia has two intriguing tight end prospects heading into 2024. Delp and Benjamin Yurosek take over the targets vacated by Bowers. Still, I love Delp’s athleticism and natural ability to get open against zone and man coverages. He was one of 12 FBS tight ends to hit 20 miles per hour multiple times in 2023 despite serving as a backup tight end. That athleticism allowed him to get open on 96.6% of his targets, which was in the 99th percentile for FBS tight ends. Delp would be another terrific weapon for Philly’s offense if selected in the 2025 Eagles draft.

9. RB Devin Neal, Kansa (5-11, 215 lbs)

This is the draft class to take a running back from, and the Eagles need depth behind Saquon despite drafting Will Shipley last year. Backs like Ollie Gordon, II Omarion Hampton, Ashton Jeanty, and Quinshon Judkins have first-round or early second-round potential. Devin Neal stands out because of his low wear & tear, playing in every game for Kansas over the last two seasons (high of 203 carries).

Since 2022, the junior has racked up 2,373 rushing yards, ranking just behind Quinshon Judkins and Blake Corum among Power Five backs. Neal’s 25 rushing touchdowns are third only to Corum, Judkins, and Audric Estime. He’s a highly elusive runner with elite change-of-direction skills, often leaving defenders in the dust with his sharp jump cuts.

10. IDL Tyleik Williams, Ohio State (6-3, 327 lbs)

The only reason I have Tyleik Williams listed this low on the Eagles draft big board is his fit. Williams became a full-time starter for the Buckeyes this past season. He tied fourth among Power Five interior defensive linemen with 26 run-defense stops. The Ohio State product has a nose for the football in the run game, and despite being 290 pounds, was terrific in sticking defenders and shedding them to make tackles. Williams posted average pass-rusher numbers, winning 7.8% of his pass-rush attempts last season. Williams is up to 327 pounds this year, making his pass-rushing ability harder to improve.

11. S Xavier Nwanpka, Iowa (6-2, 215 lbs)

According to PFF’s wins above average metric, Nwankpa ended the 2023 season as the nation’s most valuable safety. He earned an 88.4 coverage grade, tying fourth among Power Five safeties. As a rising junior, he’s an athletic player with sharp instincts and will be a crucial piece in one of college football’s top secondaries. Nwanpka is a part of the “freaks” of this draft class with his ability to stuff the run and an 88.4 PFF coverage grade.

12. IDL Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech (6-1, 290 lbs)

Peebles excels at getting after the quarterback, posting a 90.1 pass-rushing grade at Duke in 2023, second only to Byron Murphy II, a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That’s the exact type of interior defensive lineman Howie wants in every Eagles draft. He also ranked fifth among all interior defensive linemen with a 16.2% pass-rush win rate. While Peebles can shoot gaps in the run game, as shown by his 77.0 run-defense grade, his 6-foot-1, 286-pound frame sometimes struggles against double teams.

13. RB Jordan James, Oregon (5-10, 210 lbs)

Another versatile running back I love because of the low “tread on his tires” takes over as Oregon’s lead back with only 153 career carries. Despite splitting time with Bucky Irving, Jordan James ended the 2023 season with a 92.8 rushing grade behind man/gap blocking schemes—the highest in the group. His quick footwork and decisive north-south running style make him highly effective in that type of run scheme. With a full workload this season, we will see Jordan James’s full potential, pairing well with Will Shipley as spellbacks for the Eagles draft in 2025.

14. TE Tyler Warren, Penn State (6-6, 257 lbs)

While ranked low on a few big boards, the Penn State senior has the tools to become a starting tight end in the NFL. Warren follows a long list of Nittany Lions’ tight ends who found pro production, including Mike Gesicki, Pat Friermuth, Brenton Strange, and most recently Theo Johnson. Warren is the definition of a team player and performs whatever task is assigned to him. PFF graded him as the 10th highest-graded run blocker in the FBS last season (75.6). Warren is another big-time red zone Howie can grab on Day Two of the Eagles draft. The Penn State senior was tied for second with seven receiving touchdowns among all tight ends in the FBS in 2023 and looks to improve as the solidified starter this season.

15. TE Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss (6-6, 255 lbs)

After missing the first three games of 2023 with a knee injury, Prieskorn quickly reminded everyone why he was such a sought-after transfer out of Memphis. From Week 4 onward, he racked up 449 receiving yards, ranking ninth among tight ends nationwide. Since 2022, he’s totaled 1,051 receiving yards and 527 yards after the catch, placing him fourth among FBS tight ends in both categories. Prieskorn also has a knack for making tough catches, securing 70% of his contested targets over the past two years. However, he’s not the most productive blocker, with a 55.5 PFF run block grade last season.

16. LB Smael Mondon Jr, Georgia (6-3, 235 lbs)

17. RB Nick Singleton, Penn State (6-1, 227 lbs)

18. S Shilo Sanders, Colorado (6-0, 195 lbs)

19. IDL Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati (6-1, 320 lbs)

20. LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentuky (6-1, 245 lbs)

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