As coaches, scouts and executives prepare for the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, the battle for the No. 1 spot on the draft board is underway, with the Tennessee Titans likely choosing between four candidates should they hold onto the pick. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward, Penn State’s Abdul Carter, and Colorado’s Travis Hunter are poised to make their cases next week in Indianapolis with interviews and workouts in front of 900-plus NFL personnel.
Though the decisions will ultimately come down to the tape and how evaluators project each player to perform as a pro, the No. 1 pick is sacred ground in the football world. Players worthy of being selected at the top of the board should exhibit gold jacket-caliber qualities that project to a career as a perennial Pro Bowler and future Hall of Fame candidate.
While setting such a lofty standard for a player taken first overall will dramatically shrink the prospect pool, the Hall of Fame team-builders (Ron Wolf) and Super Bowl champion coaches (Mike Holmgren, Tom Coughlin, and Jon Gruden) I have been around believed players earning top-five grades should display elite traits and post eye-popping production as dominant collegiate players. There should be few questions about their long-term potential as a transcendent player with a scheme-friendly game that suits any system.
Considering the challenge of finding prospects who fit those criteria, the No. 1 overall pick should be considered a unicorn in draft circles. With that in mind, I wanted to take a closer look at the best of the 2025 class to build a case for the four prospects vying for the top spot.
He’s the most polarizing prospect in the class based on his brand name and legacy as Coach Prime’s son. The mere mention of Sanders in a conversation elicits a strong response from evaluators and casuals, but it is hard to deny the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder’s worthiness after a spectacular four-year run that included a pair of program turnarounds that showcased his playmaking talents and leadership skills.
In turning Jackson State and Colorado into winners, Sanders flashed “franchise” quarterback traits as a classic dropback passer. He completed 70.1% of his passes for 14,327 yards with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions, displaying superb timing, anticipation and touch on throws routinely delivered inside the numbers. Sanders’ pinpoint ball placement makes the game easy for “catch-and-run” playmakers to produce explosive plays on the perimeter. In addition, the star’s superb strike-zone efficiency enables the offense to move the chains and control the game.
While Sanders’ propensity to hold onto the ball and take bad sacks is concerning, he takes care of the ball and plays winning football as a QB1. With a 23-3 record at Jackson State, including a 16-0 mark in conference games and a 13-11 mark at Colorado, transforming a 1-11 squad into a bowl game qualifier (9-4 in 2024), Sanders’ winning pedigree should not be ignored when contemplating his qualifications as the potential No. 1 overall pick.
Franchise quarterbacks should possess elite tools and an alpha-dog mentality as the team leader. Ward checks the boxes as a blue-chip prospect with exceptional leadership skills. He has dominated at every level, leading Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami to highly successful seasons under his direction. As an underdog who entered the college ranks as a zero-star recruit, Ward’s success is a testament to his “hustle hard” mentality and relentless competitive spirit.
As a player, Ward merits consideration for the No. 1 overall pick due to his impressive arm talent and improvisational ability. He can make every throw in the book with spectacular velocity and zip. Moreover, he can toss darts from various arm angles, including a side-arm delivery that enables him to throw around incoming pass-rushers on short and intermediate routes. With the standout passer dropping rainbow tosses into the arms of speedy receivers on vertical routes, offensive coordinators can expand the playbook with him in the game.
From a critical standpoint, Ward’s gunslinger mentality is a concern given some of his bad decisions and costly turnovers made in the red zone. He has made a series of “oh no!” throws near the goal line, costing his team points in crucial moments. While some of his carelessness can be corrected with hard coaching, the ultra-competitive gunslinger must toe the line between aggressiveness and recklessness to maximize his potential as a star quarterback. If Ward masters the art of playing “hero ball” in optimal moments, he could be a steal as the No. 1 pick.
In a passing league, premier pass rushers are coveted at a premium, particularly when they flash “take over the game” potential. Carter has caught the eyes of coaches and scouts looking for a difference-maker off the edge. The 6-3, 252-pounder is a blur off the corner with his cat-like quickness and burst overwhelming offensive tackles in one-on-one situations. In addition, Carter’s athleticism and ability to convert speed into power on bull rushes and power maneuvers make him nearly impossible to contain in “gotta have it” moments.
As a three-year player with 23 career sacks, including 12.0 in 2024, Carter is a disruptive force as a hybrid linebacker/edge rusher. He’s just starting to scratch the surface of his immense potential as he sequences his moves with counterattacks that could make him unstoppable as a pro. With more experience and an expanded toolbox, Carter’s athleticism and technical skills could make him an unstoppable force as a designated pass rusher for a team that features him prominently in that role.
The Heisman Trophy winner is the most intriguing prospect in the class as a two-way playmaker with superb instincts, awareness and ball skills. As a natural pass catcher with sticky hands and center fielder-like tracking skills, Hunter is a ball hawk with the potential to shine as a standout offensive and defensive player as a pro.
Hunter is a natural zone corner as a defender with exceptional diagnostic skills and reactions on the island. He is at his best playing with vision on the quarterback, allowing him to read routes and make aggressive breaks on throws in his area. Hunter’s anticipation, instincts and ball skills are extraordinary for a young defender still mastering the nuances of the position. Given more time to refine his game within a zone-based system that enables him to play to his strengths as a ball-hawking playmaker, Hunter can transform a defense into a turnover machine with his presence on the island.
On offense, Hunter is more of a playmaker than polished receiver. Despite his eye-popping production and highlight plays, the Biletnikoff Award winner remains a work in progress as a route runner. He lacks the route-running precision needed to win consistently against elite cornerbacks on the perimeter. That said, Hunter is an acrobatic catch specialist with remarkable hand-eye coordination and ball skills. In addition, he is a spectacular runner with stop-start quickness, burst and wiggle to turn short passes into long gains on the perimeter.
Though he projects as a WR2/WR3 based on his size (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) and skill, Hunter’s value as a CB1 and “gadget” offensive player make him a viable option as the No. 1 pick.
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and as a cohost of the “Moving the Sticks” podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.
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