- Travis Hunter is reminiscent of another two-way college star who dominated in the NFL: Champ Bailey is one of the few prospects in recent history who was productive on offense and defense in college like Hunter.
- The obvious comparison is the right one for Abdul Carter: Micah Parsons wore the same number as Carter in college, and Carter hopes to have as productive of a start to his career as his mentor.
- 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
As we charge head first into draft season, we wanted to give people an idea of what we really think of these players who are ranked at the top of the PFF big board.
Here are the NFL comparisons for each player currently in PFF’s top 20.
1. Travis Hunter – Champ Bailey
Hunter’s unique ability to play both sides of the ball as well as he does limits who we can even compare him to. Bailey is a lofty comparison, but it fits. Bailey was a standout cornerback at Georgia and a contributing wide receiver with over 700 receiving yards in his final year. He went on to be an All-Pro corner in the NFL, something I can see for Hunter, too.
2. Abdul Carter – Micah Parsons
I understand this one might feel lazy since Carter not only went to the same school but also wears the same number as Parsons during his time at Penn State, but they are built very similarly and have the same type of freakish athleticism. The shoe indeed fits.
3. Tetairoa Mcmillan – A.J. Green
McMillan, the 6-foot-5 and 210-pound receiver from Arizona, has some lofty NFL comparisons from those who have watched his games over the years. Some go with Mike Evans, but I think McMillan is better after the catch than Evans has been (on a per-catch basis) in the NFL. With that in mind, I see more A.J. Green in McMillan – hard to go wrong with either All–Pro comp.
4. Mason Graham – La’Roi Glover
I am going back into the archives for this one. Graham comes in shorter and doesn’t have the great length that typical difference-making NFL defensive tackles have, which was the same for Glover as a fifth-round pick out of San Diego State in 1996. Nonetheless, Glover went on to have an All-Pro career thanks to his first step explosiveness and strength, two traits Graham also boasts to be a presence defending the run and rushing the passer.
5. Ashton Jeanty – Alvin Kamara
After rushing for over 2,600 yards in 2024 and earning back-to-back rushing grades above 94.0 over the last two seasons, Jeanty’s NFL comparisons should be notable names. Alvin Kamara is the one that sticks out to me due to how Kamara-like Jeanty is at taking contact for a very high yards-after-contact average, as well as what he can do in the receiving game.
6. Will Johnson – Patrick Surtain II
Johnson’s 2024 season was disappointing due to injuries, but his 6-foot-2 and 205-pound frame reminds me of Patrick Surtain II, who wasn’t shut down the second he got into the league but has ascended to be such as this year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
7. Malaki Starks – Kevin Byard
Starks’ best not only comes from his versatility but also his ball skills when playing both safety and slot. That reminds me of Kevin Byard, who has had five career seasons where he has recorded at least four interceptions.
8. Will Campbell – Ryan Ramczyk
The mental makeup and how Campbell approaches the position should be coveted by every NFL team. However, there are questions about his overall foot speed and whether or not he has the length to play tackle in the NFL. Ramczyk had similar length questions heading into the NFL out of Wisconsin, as his 33 ¾-inch arm length was just 33rd percentile for the position. Yet, he has made it work due to how smart he is. That can be Campbell.
9. James Pearce Jr. – Randy Gregory
When I see James Pearce Jr., I have flashbacks to what Randy Gregory was at Nebraska. He didn’t pan out in the NFL as much as his talent projected he could when he was a prospect, but there are multiple factors that go into why. Prior to the 2015 NFL draft, Gregory was seen as a top 10 player due to elite athleticism and production. He and Pearce were built similarly with good height, a leaner frame and an incredible first step as a speed rusher.
10. Luther Burden III – Deebo Samuel
Burden is one of the best yards-after-catch receivers in this class – and he would still be even if you included some studs in previous draft cycles. He reminds me of Deebo Samuel in how the objective should just be to get the ball in his hands and watch him make magic happen. Burden has recorded over 1,100 yards after the catch over the last two years.
11. Mike Green – Robert Quinn
Quinn is a bit bigger than Green when it comes to height, weight and length, but I feel as though they win in similar fashions as pass-rushers. Both have a great first step that they convert into power quickly and effortlessly and have some good bend to their speed rushes (Green feels even more flexible due to being a little smaller). Quinn has recorded five seasons of double-digit sacks, which is a lot. But I do think highly of what Green can do in the league to win in a similar style.
12. Josh Simmons – Christian Darrisaw
I have been a big Josh Simmons fan even going back to 2023 – I saw a lot of potential in his movement skills and foot speed in pass protection to play tackle well in the league. Then he looked like one of the best offensive linemen in the country before suffering a knee injury five games into 2024. I saw this comparison from Brandon Thorn of Trench Warfare and I loved it. Darrisaw plays with more natural power, but both he and Simmons have this loaded, powerful, low stance pre-snap that allows them to be incredibly explosive in pass protection and when run blocking. I can’t get that comparison out of my head since I read it. Shoutout to Brandon for that one.
13. Tyler Warren – Dallas Clark
I promise I am not just number scouting with this one, as Warren wears No. 44 for Penn State and Clark wore that same number for all those years in Indianapolis. Both Clark and Warren bring so much reliability to the position. They have great hands and were good athletes, but they could also hold up inline as blockers.
14. Emeka Egbuka – Amon-Ra St. Brown
I feel like the Amon-Ra St, Brown comparison has been overused over the last few years. If a receiver was smaller and not the most athletic but produced a lot, people would gravitate towards St. Brown as their NFL comparison. In my opinion, the frequency with which that comparison was used didn’t give enough respect to how good St. Brown is, but I do believe Egbuka fits this time. Egbuka is bigger, but their games are very similar – winning with savvy route running and reliable hands on the outside or in the slot.
15. Kelvin Banks Jr. – Alijah Vera-Tucker
Banks Jr. is a great athlete for the offensive line, and though it appears his arms are long enough to be a projected tackle at the NFL level, he could also be a smooth-moving and versatile guard/tackle type of player. For that reason, I see Alijah Vera-Tucker as a good NFL comparison, as Vera-Tucker has been fantastic at guard for the Jets, and has also been able to fill in at tackle when needed.
16. Benjamin Morrison – Paulson Adebo
Morrison’s entire scouting report and where he will be drafted will depend on his medical rechecks for the hip injury that kept him out almost all of the 2024 season. When he’s fully healthy, he has good foot quickness and ball skills, much like Paulson Adebo. Both are built very similarly as well.
17. Cameron Ward – Ben Roethlisberger
Ward is an unorthodox gunslinger, and the NFL comparison my mind keeps going back to is Ben Roethlisberger. Both had some scoot with their escapability, but you wouldn’t exactly call them mobile. Both were also fearless in pushing the ball deep down the field. It’s a high-end comparison, but I believe Ward sees the game like Big Ben did.
18. Mykel Williams – Jermaine Johnson
Williams might never be a prolific pass-rusher after two seasons of six sacks and an 11.0% pass-rush win percentage, but even right now, he is strong as an ox in run defense and is versatile enough to play as a 4i defensive end all the way to a standup outside linebacker position. That reminds me of how I saw Johnson coming out of Florida State, who has largely been that when he’s been healthy. I will say, Johnson has improved as a pass-rusher every year, and that same potential is there with Williams, who is one of the younger prospects in the class.
19. Walter Nolen – Milton Williams
Williams just put on a show in the Super Bowl – and the 2024 season in general – as a difference-making interior defensive lineman. The former five-star recruit Nolen really came into his own this past season due to unique explosiveness and strength, resulting in an elite run-defense grade and much-improved pass-rush productivity. Williams tested like an elite athlete when he was coming out of Louisiana Tech in 2021. Similarly, Nolen could turn some heads with how well he moves at his size.
20. Shemar Stewart – Deatrich Wise Jr.
Stewart’s NFL projections seem to have a wide range right now. Some would tell you he’s destined for the top 10, and his NFL comparisons are lofty because of it. I see a very athletically gifted defensive lineman who brings a lot of versatility due to his size (6-foot-5, 290 pounds) and explosiveness. Yet, there is something to his limited production, as he did not record a sack total above 1.5 in each of his three seasons at Texas A&M. Stats aren’t everything, of course, but it is hard for me to compare him to some of the top difference-making defensive linemen in the NFL when we haven’t seen close to that kind of production from Stewart in college. I like the Deatrich Wise NFL comparison for him. Stewart and Wise are built similarly, and Wise is an underrated but very important versatile defensive lineman for the Patriots.
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