8 stellar prospect-team fits in the 2025 NFL Draft
Which teams and prospects fit like a glove?
Every year, there are too many selections that make too much sense, and the 2025 NFL Draft will be no different.
Just a year ago, some of these players who landed in perfect team fit include defensive tackle Byron Murphy II to the Seattle Seahawks, wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Indianapolis Colts, and cornerback Terrion Arnold to the Detroit Lions.
In 2023, selections like cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, safety Brian Branch to the Lions, and running back De’Von Achane to the Miami Dolphins were picks that would fall under this category of players who fell right into the ideal situation for them.
So what players could find situations like this and with what teams? Here are eight that have jumped out thus far through my first chunk of work on this 2025 NFL draft class.
Missouri WR Luther Burden III and the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have sought ways to create explosive plays, and they have mostly come with Deshaun Watson not on the field. Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman have become legitimate threats down the field, but what they are missing is a player who can become an extension of their run game.
Elijah Moore is not that player, and he is a free agent at the end of the season. Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III is that player. Not only is he Deebo-like with the football in his hands and hard to bring to the ground, but his ability to win down the field and along the boundary elevates his game even more.
This would not be drafting a gadget player high. This would be drafting a Swiss Army Knife and playmaker early on.
Penn State TE Tyler Warren and the Indianapolis Colts
The Colts desperately need to overhaul their tight end room. Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Jelani Woods (when healthy), and Andrew Ogletree are not cutting it for quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Indianapolis, under general manager Chris Ballard (which could be up in the air this offseason), has also drafted high-end athletes early on. Tyler Warren checks off just about every single box that Ballard tends to look for and immediately gives the Colts a viable, trustworthy, and versatile threat.
Tyler Warren can win vertically, on manufactured touches, and even as a wildcat quarterback if the Colts want to take some of the brunt off of Richardson’s body in short-yardage situations. Warren is not getting out of the top-20 and he might not make it past Indianapolis.
South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori and the Seattle Seahawks
Head coach Mike MacDonald received a ton of praise as the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. That’s what got him a head coaching job in the first place. And a big part of his defensive success was because of his ability to deploy a talented playmaker like Kyle Hamilton in his secondary.
While the likes of Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon can provide some fun versatility out of the slot, neither have the high-end ability to transform a defense like a 6-foot-3 and 225-pound athletic freak can. South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori can become MacDonald’s Kyle Hamilton in Seattle.
Ball production, range on the back end, and ability to fit the run are all strong suits of Emmanwori’s game, and all will be valuable to a defensive mind like MacDonald. You cannot convince me this player is not high on Seattle’s draft board.
Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka and the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver room lacks quite a bit that Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka can bring to them via the 2025 NFL Draft. A sense of level-headedness might lead the way in that regard.
From a football perspective, Egbuka dominates where the Steelers lack. I could make a joke about Russell Wilson not throwing over the middle here if I wanted to, but in all honesty, the Steelers have boundary bullies and gadgets, but nobody who has proven to operate as a consistent and reliable force on crossers, finding green grass against zone coverage, and someone to present a number to his quarterback as a safety valve outside of structure.
Egbuka would bring a great nuance to the Pittsburgh offense and counter-balance the lethal but volatile George Pickens well. Throw in tight end Pat Freiermuth up the seam and Calvin Austin or Roman Wilson as twitchy gadgets and the Steelers have a fun room of pass catchers with Egbuka included.
East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr. and the Minnesota Vikings
Look at the length and athletic profiles of the cornerbacks that Brian Flores has deployed over the years. Look at the twitch, transitional burst, and ball skills of Shavon Revel Jr. out of East Carolina.
Before tearing his ACL after entering the season as a top 20 player in the class, Revel was off to another hot start that included a fantastic track of a crosser across the field, an interception, and a touchdown. He’s still going to go in the first round despite the injury.
Currently starting veterans on stop-gap contracts, Shaquill Griffin and Stephon Gillmore, the Vikings need a young player in their cornerback room as well to take the baton. There isn’t a box Revel doesn’t check for Flores and the Vikings.
LSU OG Will Campbell and the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears need to take the best interior offensive lineman they can find. LSU’s left tackle Will Campbell is regarded as the best offensive lineman in the draft, but his draft stock is all over the map as scouts and NFL personnel project him inside to guard given his lower half stiffness and short arms.
As the Bears continue to falter under head coach Matt Eberflus despite the continued improvement of No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, they may just find themselves in the perfect territory to land the services of Campbell to immediately overhaul the interior of their offensive line.
Despite his average athleticism at offensive tackle, Campbell is a bull when he can stay frame-to-frame with defenders. It’s nearly impossible to work through his chest. So a move inside would cut down his set depth and make Campbell an absolute force, even as a rookie.
Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams and the Philadelphia Eagles
(Insert joke about Georgia to Eagles pipeline here)
Mykel Williams’ draft stock is all over the map. Some have him as a top-10 player in the class given his elite, alien-like body type and athletic ceiling. However, he has just two sacks this season in nine games and shows a great deal of youth in developing a pass rush plan.
Williams still relies heavily on his tools to get to the quarterback. With 36-inch arms he can get into the chest of offensive tackles at will to convert speed-to-power. However, whenever that plan is stifled, Williams has a tough time constructing a counter to continue his pursuit of the quarterback.
If he does drop, however (again, his stock is all over the map), this is 100 percent a player that Howie Roseman and the Eagles take a shot on. Especially considering their pass rush depth chart enters 2025 with so much uncertainty. They just traded Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat is a free agent after the season, and Nolan Smith has not taken a step forward in his second season.
If Williams is on the clock when the Eagles select, a team that has not been shy about trading up either, it seems like an obvious selection.
Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson and the Houston Texans
It’s hard to find a smoother runner in the 2025 NFL Draft class than Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson. He may not be the most explosive once he hits green grass, but Johnson has plenty of initial burst to hit holes. This is not the key part of his game, however.
Johnson is a patient runner who lets his blockers get to work before looking to explode through a hole. This is a bit where the likes of Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton lack. While Johnson waits for rushing lanes to develop, he plays with such fast, light feet to make any backside cut he sees without compromising any acceleration built up.
With Joe Mixon entering year nine next year, despite playing well after being traded over by the Cincinnati Bengals, the Texans would be wise to institute a succession plan. With in their scheme that incorporates a wide zone, inside zone, and gap/power in bunches, it’s hard to find a better fit for them than Johnson.
Great article!