The tumblers for the 2025 NFL Draft class are starting to fall into place, for better or worse.
Trade deadlines are looming, which makes it an important time for dynasty managers. The window to materially impact your team via trade is closing, and should your team be underperforming, now is the time to move aging assets that only serve to increase your production while decreasing your potential draft capital. To that end, each manager needs to understand the complexion of the 2025 draft class as it relates to talent and depth.
In September, I offered my top five would-be rookies at each position while also discussing the talent and depth of the class. It’s time to update my thoughts.
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2025 class depth
When I last reviewed this class, I saw a top-heavy running back group for the first time since 2020, followed by a somewhat broad receiver group. Quarterbacks were somewhat equal in potential, while tight ends were fair at best, if not uninspiring. A stronger running back class would be a welcome sight for dynasty managers.
In less than two months, I’ve made material changes to my depth and talent grades. As expected, a combination of injury, production variability and time has provided more understanding of the class. In some cases, time allows new players to climb the ladder of my rankings or rise from obscurity altogether. In other cases, the names remain the same, and I grow more or less confident in the overall strength of the class.
In short, this class has flattened since my last update, and I now have a top tier of only a single player. It’s not uncommon to have a single headlining player who is the consensus top selection in dynasty. My fantasy tiers ultimately represent the level of confidence I have that the players within will produce in the NFL. I’m not ready to release my tiers because we still have a lot of football yet to be played, but it’s safe to say they are coming together, though not in a positive way.
Spoiler alert: There’s every possibility that, for the first time in my ranking history, I may not have any players in Tier 2, creating a massive talent gap between my only Tier 1 player — Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State) — and the next player. That’s not to say there aren’t talented players fleshing out the positions, but this will be a very difficult class to rank, and my confidence in those rankings is suboptimal at this juncture. It won’t surprise me if my opinion changes by the end of the season, but I still expect a gold rush for the 1.01 and the right to select Jeanty.
I also still project a good draft year for the running back position. There is enough talent and depth at the position to provide upside, which is impacted by where these players ultimately land in the NFL. At receiver, I’m not seeing the development that leaves me more intrigued than I was two months ago. There’s still time, but I’m forecasting a lot of risk in this position. The same goes for the quarterbacks and tight ends, for which I expect little movement for the remainder of the season. What we see is what we get in this area.
Let’s get into my top five players at each position.
Running Backs
- Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
- Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
- Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
- TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Outside of Jeanty, this is a very difficult class to get my head around in the way of ranking a top five. There are at least 10 backs who could appear on this list, and the one taking the largest fall — now off the list entirely — is Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State). The big risers are Tahj Brooks and TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson was close to the top five in my first ranking and now appears primarily due to his flexibility as both a runner and a receiver.
Grinders with NFL profiles, Hampton and Johnson are consistent and powerful. Other backs just outside of this ranking are also in play, primarily Nicholas Singleton (Penn State), RJ Harvey (UCF), and new names Jordan James (Oregon) and fast-rising Jonah Coleman (Washington).
Make absolutely no mistake — Jeanty is the clear 1.01, regardless of format.
Wide Receivers
- Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- Tre Harris, Ole Miss
- Travis Hunter, Colorado
- Luther Burden, Missouri
- Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
When considering my tiers, the receiver group factors most into my malaise. At the top, I see NFL talent, but not without material risk. This risk only increases as we descend through my rankings. There are no “can’t miss” assets, and without that “glue” holding the draft together, this draft class is extremely risky for dynasty rookie drafts.
There is talent within this group and those below, but next-level talent potential doesn’t win championships. Given this draft class, moving bottom-half first-round picks for known production and offloading draft risk to other managers may be a good strategy — unless something changes over the next two months.
McMillan and Harris are the purest NFL prospects. They possess the size and skill set to be difference-makers at the next level but also come with more risk than I like to see at the top. Hunter has the most upside, but his dual-role potential is a risk factor that cannot be underestimated. Burden is slipping while Egbuka is rising, but neither possesses that true “it” factor I like to see in receivers.
Quarterbacks
- Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
- Jalen Milroe, Alabama
- Cam Ward, Miami (Fla.)
- Quinn Ewers, Texas
- Carson Beck, Georgia
Superflex managers are in trouble here. Much like the receiver rankings, there’s talent here, but I see plenty of risk, suggesting dynasty teams looking to rebuild a struggling quarterback room will remain in trouble. The problem with this class becomes more apparent when surveying past QB classes’ recent successes and overlaying them onto this class.
Shedeur Sanders now projects as the top quarterback in the class, but he isn’t nearly as intriguing to me as last year’s QB2 Jayden Daniels. Ward possesses upside but is hard to tie down as a top prospect. There’s no questioning his arm strength, but his mechanics and decision-making are suspect. Ewers and Beck have potential but aren’t anywhere near the top of Superflex drafts.
Tight Ends
- Colston Loveland, Michigan
- Tyler Warren, Penn State
I’m only listing two tight ends here, and my previous ranking included only Loveland, who still projects as the top prospect from this lackluster class. Neither will push for the fantasy first round and may not factor in the second round unless the drafted situation elevates their potential.
Summary
The changes that have taken place in the past two months are not ideal.
I’ve grown less intrigued by the quality and depth of all positions apart from running back. When considering running back talent, one only needs to review previous drafts to understand the position’s minefield. Drafted situation, team role and propensity for injury continue to dog the NFL running back. While quality talent tops the rankings, at least half of the players will likely land in less-than-ideal NFL situations, significantly reducing the impact and increasing the risk of all draft positions outside of 1.01 in 2025.
If rebuilding, this is not a draft I would be leaning into. Instead, I’d be looking to move aging players in return for known production or upside, allowing other managers to risk the draft. If competing, this is a draft where I’m content to hold on to my late-round draft picks as talent will fall or move late-first picks for aging production to anchor my team for the playoffs.
In my next draft forecast, I will rank my top 24 players and potentially release my first tiered list for the class.
Be happy, be well and, please, be good to each other!
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please consider leaving a comment below. I look forward to interacting with my readers. Please follow me on Reddit, Twitter, and Threads (@DLF_Jeff).
(Photo of Ashton Jeanty: Loren Orr / Getty Images)
