Edge
Widely considered the top defensive prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, Carter enters a situation that is made for his skill set while he develops his game at the pro level. With established veterans Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux ahead of him on the edge and the duo of Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden at linebacker, Carter can play a joker-type role with his ability to rush the passer from all angles to take advantage of mismatches based on the opponent and situation week to week. A pass rush that has the potential to be one of the best in football will be set up for lots of production sent his way.
Maybe the top curveball of the Preseason All-Rookie Team, Umanmielen was the 14th edge defender taken but he may have one of the clearest paths to a lot of playing time. There will be a lot of one on one matchups in his future with the signing of Tershawn Wharton to pair with Derek Brown inside. Umanmielen was top eight in the Power Four two straight seasons at two different programs in pressure rate. He can beat one on one blocking with an array of moves and it already began showing up in the preseason.
Defensive Tackle
Listen to the Niners coaching staff and you’ll eventually hear them proclaim Collins as their most improved player from the start of training camp to the end. He lost about 30 pounds, played both strong and fast, and got the attention of star defensive end Nick Bosa. On a defensive line that will be leaning heavily on first year players, it is the interior that looks most vulnerable which should open the door for Collins, a guy that will remind returning defensive coordinator Robert Saleh of DeForest Buckner from his San Francisco days.
The Browns had a choice to make when they were on the clock at number two overall. Take the haul of a trade offer from Jacksonville or take their highest graded player. They opted for the former and may have still ended up with the latter as well. Graham was a fit for the system and situation respectively and if there is an identity to be built on a team with one of the most strapped salary caps in the NFL for at least another two seasons, it is in the defensive trenches. Graham is surrounded by quality talent and will see a ton of one on one looks, an area he has a phD in against both the run and pass.
Linebacker
The second straight front seven defender from Cleveland has stolen the show over preseason action. Schwesiner finished fifth on the team in tackles despite ranking 30th in snaps played. A sign of things to come as I expect him to be a tackling machine especially with Jeremiah Owusu-Karamoah sidelined for the year. He should be able to run wild with all the talent playing in front of him and don’t be surprised to see him make a few game changing plays in coverage this season and his two-interception year at UCLA last fall.
The lowest draft pick of the Preseason All-Rookie Team is not yet a starter officially, but it is only a matter of time. Simon is a tackling machine with a level of power and interior run defense this team does not have. Head Coach Jonathan Gannon, a defensive minded coach, has always wanted the thumper inside dating back to his days with the Eagles. With the number of investments they’ve made up front over the past two offseasons, the situation is perfect for Simon to rack up the tackles, an area I could see him leading the league’s rookies in before long.
Cornerback
Under Pete Carroll in Seattle, we’ve seen non-first round corners with size and speed thrive right away. Porter’s 6’3”/195 frame with length is an ideal fit for that role and there isn’t much in front of him on the depth chart that can keep him off the field for long. The former wide receiver performed at a historic level in 2024 and even though the sample-size is small compared to the length of his career (six years), I like to lean into what coaches have had success with multiple times and this profile has excelled under Carroll.
A new Head Coach in New York, a second cornerback spot that I expect to be wide open in the coming months, and a rookie I felt had some of the highest upside in the class. Thomas checks a lot of boxes with both his skill set and the situation he’s been drafted into. We have seen rookie defensive backs both receive opportunities and thrive under Glenn and the ballhawk rate of Thomas from college, one of the youngest rookies in the NFL, will create splash plays for the underrated defense.
Safety
A player that left college with the same grade as Kyle Hamilton, Brian Branch, and Cooper DeJean respectively was, just like all three of them, criminally overlooked on draft weekend. Starks, like all three of them, fell into the laps of a defense already set up for success. His role in Baltimore is ideal for the skill set he showed at Georgia and his team will be in the spotlight weekly. Starks can play multiple roles in the secondary and his mistake-free style is going to be magnified by the talent they already have around him.
The Seattle defense has the potential to be special. Emmanwori may not have a week one starting job but his rare talent is going to be impossible to keep off the field for long. Mike Macdonald will see a lot of Kyle Hamilton (who he worked with in Baltimore) in Emmanwori. He can play a few different positions and the potential for versatile production will be there with the amount of talent all around him.
Defensive Back
The first defensive back taken in the 2025 NFL Draft also goes to arguably the top defense in the league. What makes Barron attractive in this situation is the projection to multiple spots in the secondary. A lot of action can be funneled in his direction as he was one of the top tacklers in the class and the ball production from both the middle of the field and at outside corner proves what he can do based on the situation. With Patrick Surtain on the other side, expect him to see more than enough help over the top to help prevent an abundance of negative plays.