Which 2025 NFL Draft prospects should your AFC team be watching in 2024?

It’s too early to talk about the 2025 NFL Draft. After all, we don’t even know what numbers the 2024 draftees will be wearing during the regular season, let alone which underclassmen will declare for the 2025 draft.

However, it’s not too early to take a look at the 2024 college football season. Teams around the NFL are already working up plans for scouting trips and anticipating which players they want to watch this year. For our purposes, we can look at what the 32 teams did during the 2024 offseason and what their weaknesses appear to be at the moment, and what they may need to address after the 2024 season.

Which players might each team want to keep an eye on during this year’s college football season?

AFC East

Buffalo Bills – Tyleik Williams (DL, Ohio State)
There aren’t many glaring weaknesses or holes on Buffalo’s roster at the moment. So they could look to continue to reinforce a defensive front that seriously missed DaQuan Jones following his mid-season injury in 2023. Williams is a powerful and explosive athlete who could see the field on a variety of downs.

Miami Dolphins – Jonah Monheim (OL, USC)
The offensive line has been the Dolphins’ biggest weakness. While they moved to address it in 2024, they should continue to do so in the future. Monheim is an elite pass protector who can play inside or out, and could emerge as a five-tool lineman who can play tackle, guard, or center.

New England Patriots – Luthor Burden (WR, Missouri)
Ja’Lynn Polk should be a solid possession receiver in the NFL, and Javon Baker could wind up being one of the big steals in the draft. However, their receiving corps lacks the weapons to keep up with Miami or Buffalo, or crack the Jets and Bills’ defenses. Clemson OT Blake Miller is in consideration here, but Burden can provide a versatile and explosive weapon for Drake Maye as he develops.

New York Jets – Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)
The Jets are a team that’s built to win now, and their roster reflects that. Quarterback could, or should, be in consideration, but they might not find anyone better than Jordan Travis (or the remainder of Tyrod Taylor’s career, for that matter). However, it was shocking to see that they have no tight ends on their roster who scored a touchdown in 2023. Rookie Zach Kuntz was the most prolific scorer, with two touchdowns for Old Dominion. Loveland was the second-leading receiver for the 2023-2024 National Champion Michigan Wolverines, with 649 yards and 4 touchdowns.

AFC South

Houston Texans – Walter Nolan (iDL, Ole Miss)
The Texans’ turnaround from 2022 to 2023 was simply remarkable, though it remains to be seen if they’ll replicate (or build upon) their success in 2024. If their offense continues to roll, adding a player like Nolan could help make the Texans truly dangerous. Nolan is long, an explosive athlete, and could wreak havoc alongside Will Anderson. Of course, the Texans might be too good to draft Nolan, but finding a successor for Denico Autry would be a wise move.

Indianapolis Colts – Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
You build to win your division first, and the Colts have a pair of good passing attacks to deal with in the Texans and Jaguars. Indy already has two good corners in JuJu Brents and Kenny Moore II, but adding a good-sized, explosive, and fluid corner is usually smart. Cornerback has a high rate of attrition, and strong depth is always a must, particularly when one of your good starters (Moore) is entering his 8th season.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Harold Perkins (LB, LSU)
Jaguars fans hope their team isn’t bad enough to pick a player of Perkins’ caliber, however the draft stock of linebackers is always tough to anticipate. Perkins is an incredibly athletic and productive ‘backer for the Tigers, to the tune of 26 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 7 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. He would make life miserable for any team that wants to attack the middle of Jacksonville’s defense.

Tennessee Titans – Carson Beck (QB, UGA)
The Titans are a team in need of a concerted rebuild, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. They got shut out of the 2024 quarterback class and will instead go with Will Levis, hoping that he can replicate the promise he showed back in 2021. Levis may yet take a step forward, but the Titans should keep an eye on this year’s quarterback class too. It isn’t expected to be as strong as the 2024 class, but Beck could be the best of the bunch.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens – Isaiah Bond (WR, Texas)
The Ravens have tried, and tried, to build a good receiving corps for Lamar Jackson. Bond was Alabama’s second-leading receiver in 2023 before transferring to Texas this year. He was one of the most explosive receivers in the country last year with 4 touchdowns on passes of 20 yards or more. He isn’t just a speedster and also boasts great quickness and agility as well. Not only could the Ravens use a receiver like him in the short-to-intermediate area of the field, but an explosive field stretcher could make life easier for Jackson as a runner as well as their prolific tight end unit.

Cincinnati Bengals – Nic Scourton (EDGE, Texas A&M)
The Bengals could have tough decisions to make with defensive ends Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson. Both are nearing 30 and could enter free agency in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Scourton is very young and will only turn 20 on August 25th, but was also highly productive at Purdue (15 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks) before transferring to Texas A&M. He’s an explosive and violent rusher who already possesses a prototypical frame for a defensive end. He obviously still has work to do as a technician, but we could be hearing a lot about him in 2024.

Cleveland Browns – Blake Miller (OT, Clemson)
The Browns have one of the top offensive lines in the NFL, and keeping it that way should be a priority. Miller is a highly experienced tackle, having started immediately as a true freshman and is already a dominant run blocking right tackle. That said, he does still need to hone his craft as a pass protector, which is something to watch this year. A player like Miller could be an option for the Browns if they decide to move on from Jedrick Wills after the 2025 season.

Pittsburgh Steelers – Kyren Lacy (WR, LSU)
There are a lot of ways the Steelers could go in 2025. They could look for a QB like Jaxson Dart if neither Russell Wison or Justin Fields work out. They could select a potentially dominant defender like Mason Graham if the NFL lets a player like him fall to the Steelers. That said, one of Pittsburgh’s strengths has been identifying high-upside receivers and getting steals on the second day of the draft. Lacy is a bit off the radar and was overshadowed by Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. However, he is a very good receiver in his own right and might get first-round consideration before all is said and done. And in a similar vein, keep an eye out for Georgia’s Colbie Young, who could burst onto the scene after transferring from Miami to Georgia.

AFC West

Denver Broncos – Kelvin Brooks (OT, Texas)
Much has been made of Bo Nix’s fit in Sean Payton’s offense. However, it gets overlooked that the Saints built a very good offensive line under Payton as well. They were never shy about drafting one highly and Brooks is expected to be one of the top offensive linemen in next year’s draft. Continuing to build their offensive line is necessary in a division that boasts a number of talented defenders.

Kansas City Chiefs – Emeka Egbuka (WR, OSU)
The Chiefs added the fastest player in combine history in Xavier Worthy, but questions about their receiving corps remain with regards to Rahsee Rice and Kadarius Toney. Egbuka was overshadowed by Marvin Harrison Jr., but is a first-round caliber receiver in his own right. Adding a good-sized receiver who’s already a sophisticated route runner would be a good counterbalance to Worthy’s speed.

Las Vegas Raiders – Shedeur Sanders (QB, Colorado)
The Raiders are another team who was expected to draft a quarterback in 2024, but they were shut out of this year’s quarterback class. Shedeur Sanders won’t be for every team, not the least because of the “Coach Prime” factor. Antonio Pierce knows how to deal with big personalities after playing with Michael Strahan and Tiki Barber. Sanders’ game and personality would fit well within the Raiders’ team culture, and he could wind up being the best quarterback to come out of the 2025 class.

Los Angeles Chargers – Kenneth Grant (iDL, Michigan)
The Chargers were widely expected to draft a wide receiver at 5th overall in 2024, but instead selected OT Joe Alt out of Notre Dame. Head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the pick that they consider linemen to be weapons. Connecting Harbaugh to a Michigan player is a bit of a gimme, however Grant is also a very good defender. He’s a powerful tackle with upside as a run defender and as a pass rusher.