2025 NFL combine: Ranking top five prospects at each defensive position, including Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter

The NFL Scouting Combine has arrived and some fans will be getting their first glimpse of future league stars. CBSSports.com recently released its updated prospect rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Here are the top five prospects at each defensive position: 

Edge rushers

1. Abdul Carter, Penn State (No. 2 overall)
2. Jalon Walker, Georgia (No. 9 overall)
3. James Pearce Jr., Tennessee (No. 10 overall)
4. Mykel Williams, Georgia (No. 16 overall)
5. Mike Green, Marshall (No. 18 overall)

Coming into the season, the hype had been around Williams, Pearce and the heights they could reach as prospects. Carter was most consistent throughout the season showcasing his first-step quickness and pliability in his full-time role as a pass rusher. He had been making the transition from off-ball linebacker. It just so happens that Carter is the top prospect overall as well. 

Walker is built more like an off-ball linebacker, but there is no denying his ability to rush the quarterback. Undersized pass rushers like Nolan Smith and Haason Reddick have paved the way for a talent like Walker. Pearce’s first three steps off the snap are insanely quick, but the young prospect is still growing into his body and must learn how to win more often with power. 

Williams has the height, weight, speed and athleticism of a prototypical NFL pass rusher but is still an unfinished product. The Georgia native will still be 20-years-old on draft night. Green is the only non-Power 4 representative on the list, but his presence is largely due to how he fared against Power 4 competition in the Senior Bowl weeks ago.

Defensive linemen

1. Mason Graham, Michigan (No. 3 overall)
2. Walter Nolen, Ole Miss (No. 17 overall)
3. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M (No. 23 overall)
4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon (No. 29 overall)
5. Kenneth Grant, Michigan (No. 30 overall)

Graham has essentially gone wire to wire as the top defensive tackle prospect. He wins with quickness and a refined pass-rush arsenal. Nolen was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school and has shown improvement year over year in college with his best being saved for his one and only season at Ole Miss. Nolen is an upfield charging 3-technique that will immediately upgrade a team’s pass rush. 

Stewart spent most of his time lining up on the edge for the Aggies despite measuring 6-feet-6, 290 pounds. His positional flexibility is an endearing trait at the next level. His athletic ceiling is very high and fans should expect him to be one of the top performers later this week. 

Harmon transferred from Michigan State last offseason. He was an immediate impact performer for the team that spent the majority of the season No. 1 in the rankings. Grant is built more like a run-stuffing nose tackle than his Wolverines peer, but the anticipation is building regarding what he could accomplish this week in Indianapolis. 

It is an honor to be included among this group considering it is the deepest defensive tackle group in years. 

Linebackers

1. Jihaad Campbell, Alabama (No. 21 overall)
2. Carson Schwesinger, UCLA (No. 51 overall)
3. Barrett Carter, Clemson (No. 92 overall)
4. Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia (No. 99 overall)
5. Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss (No. 112 overall)

Campbell has differentiated himself as the LB1 in this class. He has the best combination of size, football IQ and athletic potential. Folks around the league are expecting him to test well in Indianapolis. Schwesinger is an instinctual player who does a good job avoiding blocks in the box and hits hard. 

Beyond Campbell and Schwesinger, there is ample opportunity for linebacker prospects to make money at the NFL combine with good performances. 

Cornerback

1. Travis Hunter, Colorado* (No. 1 overall)
2. Will Johnson, Michigan (No. 5 overall)
3. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame (No. 31 overall)
4. Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina (No. 32 overall)
5. Jahdae Barron, Texas (No. 35 overall)

Hunter is the top cornerback prospect, but he could also be the top wide receiver prospect. It will be interesting to learn how teams feel about him through this process and whether it is feasible to see action on both sides of the ball at the next level. Hunter is a bit more high cut than some of the other cornerback prospects, but his ball skills are second to none. 

Johnson had been arguably the top prospect overall following the 2023 season. His upside was reminiscent of Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II. Johnson did not play up to his standards in 2024, but a case could be made that he was dealing with a nagging injury. Teams will be seeking to ascertain just how impactful that injury had been on his regression.

Morrison and Revel are also coming off significant injuries and it would be surprising if either performed in Indianapolis. Morrison has a larger body of work, but Revel possesses tantalizing length. 

Barron is the first nickel cornerback on the list. He is an instinctual prospect with insatiable competitive toughness. Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas and Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston are a few who could get into this group before all is said and done.

Safety

1. Malaki Starks, Georgia (No. 12 overall)
2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina (No. 26 overall)
3. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State (No. 44 overall)
4. Andrew Mukuba, Clemson (No. 60 overall)
5. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame (No. 78 overall)

Starks is a rangy, ball-hawking safety with high-end athleticism. He has been starting at Georgia since his freshman year and now makes his way to the NFL. Emmanwori is a larger safety who can also play down in the box. Winston is the next Penn State defensive back to enter the league. There have been several in recent years.

Mukuba and Watts combined for 11 interceptions in 2024. 

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.