2025 NFL Draft: Best Team Fits for Top Defenders to Contribute as Rookies
Quarterbacks get all the cabbage and the $50 million a year contracts. The highest-paid non-quarterback in the league is a pass-catcher in Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
But as we saw quite clearly in Super Bowl LIX, defense still wins championships.
Will a quarterback be the first player drafted in 2025? Probably. But on most Big Boards, the No. 1 prospect overall is a defender—either Colorado unicorn (and cornerback) Travis Hunter or Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter. This most assuredly will not be a repeat of 2024, when the first defensive player picked wasn’t selected until the 15th overall pick.
Every one of the players listed in this column is ranked among the top-20 prospects overall on the Bleacher Report NFL Draft Scouting Department’s Big Board in 2025. All have the potential to be stars in the pros.
But this time out we’re going to be a bit more myopic. Rather than examine the best team fits for each of these star defenders overall, we’re going to look at the ideal landing spot for each youngster to make a dent in 2025.
After all, you have to live in the now.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
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Best Team Fit: New York Giants
Travis Hunter is arguably the most fascinating draft prospect to come along in the past decade—largely because we just haven’t seen a player like him at years.
At Colorado, Hunter played full-time at both wide receiver and cornerback, topping 100 total snaps in 11 of 13 games. But per ESPN’s Matt Miller, quite a few NFL teams view the 6’0” 188-pound Heisman Trophy winner as a cornerback first and a wide receiver second.
“Depending on which NFL scout you ask,” Miller said, “Hunter can play either wide receiver or cornerback in the pros (or maybe both). One exec from an NFL team told me his franchise views Hunter as a cornerback who could play a handful of offensive snaps in the pros, and I think many other teams agree with that thinking. Multiple scouts remarked that finding an elite cornerback is harder than finding an elite receiver, and that's pushing teams to prefer that the two-way star start on defense, where he had four interceptions in 2024.”
Hunter has made it no secret that he believes he can play both ways in the NFL, and Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders told reporters that he thinks limiting Hunter to one or the other is just silly.
“He doesn’t know any other way,” Sanders said. “What else would he do, just sit there by the water cooler while the offense is getting their butts kicked, and you’ve got the best receiver probably on your team over there with the coach waiting for his turn to go back on the field? That doesn’t make sense to me. Just because a person hasn’t done this in the majority of the NFL, don’t say what another man can’t do.”
The Giants added Paulson Adebo in free agency, but the cornerback corps could still use help. So could the team’s wideouts behind Malik Nabers. This isn’t to say Hunter should be a full-time two-way player.
Only that the Giants have a need at both spots he plays.
Just saying.
Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
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Best Team Fit: Cleveland Browns
There’s no question that Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter is one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft. In fact, he’s arguably the best prospect overall regardless of position. Yahoo’s Charles McDonald expects the 6’3” 250-pounder to begin wreaking havoc at the professional level in short order.
“Carter is oozing with 10-sack potential in the NFL,” he said. “He is an explosive, agile player who spent all last season knifing through offensive lines as he racked up a monster final season for the Nittany Lions. Carter has a slender build, but he’s often able to mitigate that with blinding speed — which allowed him to lead FBS with 24 tackles for loss last season. Carter will be able to make an impact early with his speed while he gets stronger and puts on weight for the NFL.”
There’s a reason why so many mock drafts are projecting that Carter will go second overall to the Cleveland Browns. Not only is Carter an immensely talented young pass-rusher, but landing in Cleveland would be the best-case scenario for Carter’s NFL prospects, especially in the short-term.
With the Browns, Carter would be playing for a defensive coordinator in Jim Schwartz whose “wide nine” scheme emphasizes speed and explosiveness from Cleveland’s edge-rushers. He would also be playing opposite arguably the best player at his position in the entire NFL in Myles Garrett, which means minimal double-teams.
It’s hard to envision a better spot for Carter to begin his professional career than in a scheme that plays to his strengths opposite an absolute monster in Garrett.
Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
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Best Team Fit: Jacksonville Jaguars
It has been lost a bit in the immense amount of hype surrounding Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter, but Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham is an elite defensive prospect in his own right. In his scouting report on the 6’3”, 296-pounder, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder wrote that, “Graham has the potential to be one of the best defensive tackle prospects to come out of college in the last few years.”
Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team also believes that Graham could be an immediate impact player at the NFL level.
“Graham is a scheme-transcendent talent who can afford value to any and all defensive ideologies,” he said. “Graham is a stout point-of-attack defender who can win with leverage, hands, instincts, or first-step quickness and penetration. As a pass rusher, he showcases a variety of ways to attack interior pass sets and figures to continue to develop as a budding disruptor in the pass game. Teams looking for a high floor, high ceiling tone setter on the interior will undoubtedly be drawn to his consistent teach tape in the middle.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars possess a solid due of edge-rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but the team’s starting defensive tackles aren’t especially imposing. Having Hines-Allen and Walker crashing from the edges should help keep opponents from focusing too much on the interior.
And with Graham collapsing the pocket, those edge-rushers could easily find themselves in position to make more plays.
Taking Graham at 1.05 might not be an especially “sexy” pick by the Jaguars. But it would be a sound one.
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Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
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Best Team Fit: Minnesota Vikings
Georgia safety Malaki Starks is the first player listed here with a wide variance between where he’s listed on Bleacher Report’s Big Board and where he’s tentatively expected to be drafted.
B/R’s Cory Giddings wrote that Starks is a top-five prospect overall in his class and a player who could make an immediate impact in the NFL.
“Starks projects as a first-round pick with the potential to make an immediate impact in the NFL,” he said. “His combination of athleticism, ball skills, and physicality make him a versatile safety capable of excelling in both coverage and run support. While he may need to refine his technique against faster receivers, Starks' overall skill set and football IQ give him a high ceiling as a defensive playmaker. With the ability to contribute from day one, Starks is poised to become a key player in any NFL secondary, offering the potential to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber safety.”
However, Starks is widely expected to fall into the second half of Round 1, with the Minnesota Vikings a popular landing spot for draftniks.
“Put aside for the moment that Starks is an elite athlete who can line up anywhere in the secondary -- he's also one of the smartest players on the field who was a team leader from the moment he stepped on campus in Athens,” Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports wrote.
The Vikings lost Camryn Bynum in free agency, and while Harrison Smith is back, he’s also 36. Given the value Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores places on versatility from his safeties, the 6’1”, 205-pounder would appear an ideal fit in the Twin Cities.
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
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Best Team Fit: New Orleans Saints
Yep. That’s right. B/R’s top-five prospects in this draft class are all defenders.
The 2024 season was a bumpy one for Michigan cornerback Will Johnson—the 6’2” 194-pounder entered the year widely regarded as a top-five pick, only to see a turf toe injury wipe out a chunk of his season. Add in a hamstring pull that has prevented him from working out for scouts, and Johnson’s draft stock is suddenly all over the place.
Johnson told reporters he’s confident that when his name is called in April, he’ll land where he’s supposed to.
"It's been frustrating," he said. "I mean, I've missed some games this season because of injury, 'cause the toe and then this hammy, but I mean that's just what comes with it. So, I know what I can do on the field and like you said, I got a lot of film out, so I'm just — I know I'll go to the team that's supposed to pick me, so I'm not too worried about it."
For B/R’s Scouting Department, that ideal spot in their latest mock draft is the Big Easy.
“The New Orleans Saints need some special voodoo to somehow find their way out of the current setup,” they said. “The organization is caught somewhere between a full rebuild and still trying to compete. Basically, the roster could use upgrades at nearly every position group. The Saints' secondary did take a significant hit this offseason after Paulson Adebo signed a free-agent deal with the New York Giants. Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry remain on the roster, but Michigan's Will Johnson is a superior prospect.”
Given that a healthy Johnson would be the team’s best cornerback the moment he got off the plane. It’s rather difficult to argue against their point.
Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
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Best Team Fit: Miami Dolphins
We’re going to bounce around the big board a little now, highlighting players who have become more interesting as draft season has progressed.
South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori fits that bill—largely because the 6’3” 227-pounder blew the roof off this year’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Emmanwori posted ridiculous numbers in athletic testing—a 43” vertical, 11’6” broad jump and blazing 4.38-second 40-yard dash. Per Justin Melo of Draft Network, Emmanwori became just the fourth prospect since 2003 to run a sub-4.4 and top 40 inches in the vertical at 6-foot-3 or taller, according to ESPN Research.
That performance has vaulted Emmanwori well into first-round consideration, and Melo believes that the Miami Dolphins would be well served to take a hard look at Emmanwori on April 24.
“The Miami Dolphins have completely rehauled their safety position in free agency,” Melo said. “Budding superstar Jevon Holland cashed in elsewhere, signing a three-year contract worth $45.3 million with the New York Giants. His partner last year was Jordan Poyer, who remains available after performing poorly last season. General manager Chris Grier responded by signing veteran safety Ashtyn Davis to a one-year deal. That's not going to satisfy defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Safety is a massive need for the Dolphins entering the draft and Emmanwori could be a target for Grier at No. 13 overall.”
The Dolphins may have the weakest safety duo in the NFL, and frankly the linebacker situation in front of them isn’t ideal. Emmanwori would step in as a Day 1 starter, and it wouldn’t be that stunning if he led Miami in tackles in 2025.
Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
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Best Team Fit: Atlanta Falcons
When it comes to production vs. potential, no one in the Class of 2025 has a more intriguing gap between the two than Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M.
In the former regard, Stewart was quiet in college—just 4.5 sacks in three years. But Stewart oozes the latter—the 6’5” 281-pounder possesses a rare blend of size and quickness—including a sub-4.6 second 40-yard dash.
Per Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports, Stewart has already shown he can be a formidable edge-setter.
“The biggest selling point with Stewart’s game is that he’s already physically built for life in the NFL, which mostly shows up in his run defense.” He said. “At his best, Stewart can be a load to move off of the end of the line of scrimmage, and can do a great job holding his ground against tackles and compressing room on the edge.”
Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports sees Stewart as an optimal fit for an Atlanta Falcons team desperate to get better on the edge.
“For an edge rusher, Stewart is enormous but also freakishly athletic.” Wilson wrote. “He'll play too high at times but can collapse the pocket with his size, power and strength. A quick first step, even for his size, with the power to shoot gaps. And when the bull rush doesn't get home, his huge frame allows him to knock down passes. He has a hair-on-fire motor and consistently plays with power and athleticism.”
The Falcons already added veteran Leonard Floyd, but given how bad Atlanta has been rushing the quarterback in recent years, it will be something of an upset if the team doesn’t take an EDGE in Round 1.
Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
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Best Team Fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell is the No. 1 off-ball linebacker prospect in 2025 on most Big Boards this year—including Bleacher Report’s. The 6’3”, 235-pounder has great size, plus athleticism and the range to play all three downs at the NFL level. He’ll also be just 21 years old when drafted.
There are a number of teams that could use a linebacker with Campbell’s potential, and ESPN’s Field Yates believes that he would be a perfect fit as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Tampa Bay retained franchise icon Lavonte David for another year, and he'd be the ideal mentor for Campbell to learn from,” Yates said. “Campbell -- my No. 18 prospect -- would also fill an important hole alongside David, giving the Bucs a legitimate three-down linebacker who checks every box required at the position. And few coaches love to dial up a blitz more than Todd Bowles, who would surely maximize Campbell's underrated pass-rush skills (both as a blitzer and off the edge). Campbell finished last season with 112 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 12 run stops, 5 sacks and an interception.”
It’s hard to envision a better scenario than Campbell learning the NFL game from one of the best players at his position of the past 20 years. On a team led by a head coach in Todd Bowles who loves A-Gap blitzes so much that one is tattooed on his backside.
OK. Not really. But Bowles loves to blitz, and Campbell has already shown that he can do so effectively.
Kwon Alexander topped 90 tackles as a rookie playing beside David back in 2015. The following year, he led the league in solos.
Campbell has that kind of talent.
Again, just saying.
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