5 prospects John Kosko is higher on than most

• Shedeur Sanders‘ deep ball ability is undervalued: Sanders’ arm talent is better than many believe, as he attempted the second-most passes over 40 yards and was accurate on 58.8% of them, second-best since 2024, behind only Jayden Daniels.
• Jaxson Dart is a top-15 prospect in this class: Dart has the natural playmaking ability and plenty of arm talent to succeed at the next level.
• 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: 5 minutes

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NFL draft season is officially here with the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror. With this comes a plethora of draft takes, hundreds of big boards and thousands of mock drafts, enough to cause paralysis by analysis if you’re not sure what to look for.

We’re still early in formulating draft grades for each prospect and the PFF Big Board is still an evolving product as we get more information and deep dive into the film. I’ll be using a combination of the consensus big board at NFL Mock Draft Database and the PFF big board to determine who I’m higher on than most. I’ll state which board I’m stating my opinion against for each player and give my analysis on that prospect.

All that said, let’s start by talking about the most polarizing player in this year’s class.

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QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Buffalo

Consensus big board: 4th
PFF big board: 42nd

While I haven’t finalized a big board yet, I will likely be closer to consensus on Sanders rather than PFF’s big board. Sanders comes from arguably the best bloodline for NFL superstardom ever with his dad, Deion Sanders Sr., considered the greatest cornerback in NFL history. Shedeur does not possess his father’s athleticism, not even close, but he does have solid athleticism to extend plays and evade pressure. Just don’t expect to see Deion’s speed and athleticism with the ability to throw a football.

When you ignore the name recognition from the equation and look at the individual, Shedeur brings all the attributes you look for from the quarterback position. The reason Trevor Sikkema, PFF’s lead draft analyst, is lower on Shedeur than consensus is he “may be below average in stature and arm talent compared to NFL quarterbacks.” I believe his size is perfectly adequate for an NFL QB, as he’ll come in at about 6-foot-1 (if not half an inch taller) and 215 pounds. Last year’s first overall pick, Caleb Williams, measured 6-foot-1 ⅛ and 214 pounds at the NFL combine, and no one considered that a weakness for Williams.

The important knock is the arm talent criticism. No, Sanders does not have Williams’ arm talent, nor does he have the arm strength of some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. Nonetheless, I believe he has enough arm strength and talent to be a top-tier quarterback at the next level. On film, his deep passes (40-plus yards in the air) sometimes flutter, and he can underthrow them on occasion, but when you look at the data and compare the first-round QBs from 2024 and the expected top three this year (Sanders, Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart), he’s attempted the second-most passes over 40 yards and was accurate on 58.8% of them, second-best behind Jayden Daniels.

If you want to nitpick other parts of Sanders’ game, such as taking too many sacks, that’s valid. But for me, I’m higher on Sanders than my colleague because I don’t think his stated weaknesses are reasons to not take him in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft.

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QB Jaxson Dart, Mississippi Rebels

Consensus big board: 39th
PFF big board: 118th

Planting my flag, Dart is a top 15 prospect in this class. Dart is absolutely a starting quarterback at the next level and the knocks on him by the media, draft analyst, and the community are circumstances that don’t make much sense to me. He’s knocked by most because of the system he played in but that was a big reason analysts didn’t believe Patrick Mahomes could succeed in the NFL. I’m not saying Dart is Mahomes as a prospect (and trust me, no one was higher on him than I was), but Dart has the natural playmaking ability and plenty of arm talent to succeed at the next level.

Dart has his warts and yes, the Ole Miss scheme didn’t have much in the way of full-field defensive reads, but there are not many quarterbacks in college football doing that. He’s made his fair share of mistakes, but he’s also shown the ability to adapt and learn from them. I could write an entire article with my Jaxson Dart analysis, but the key metrics to know: Over the past two draft classes, he was the highest-graded passer on early downs, second under pressure and utilizing play action, and third in positive grade percentage, from a clean pocket and avoiding negatives.

Do not be shocked if you hear Dart’s name called in the first round of the 2025 draft. His profile is more than worthy and he has the talent to be a successful QB in the NFL.

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WR Jack Bech, TCU Horned Frogs

Consensus big board: 90th
PFF big board: 38th

As of this writing, I’m definitely in line with the PFF big board’s ranking, as we’re much higher on Bech than the community consensus. Of the top 100 WRs on PFF’s big board, Bech’s receiving grade ranks second, and he dropped just one pass all year, which was the fewest of the group.

He was rarely used at LSU in 2022 and at TCU in 2023 due to injuries but in 2024, he exploded with 80 catches on 121 targets for nearly 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a freshman in 2021 at LSU, Bech forced a whopping 17 missed tackles on just 43 receptions as he gained 489 yards.

At the Senior Bowl, Bech impressed with his ease of gaining separation in one-on-one drills and in the game, he scored the game-winning touchdown as time expired and earned the game’s most valuable player.  A feel-good story after a tragic event where his older brother was killed in the New Year’s terrorist attack in New Orleans, Bech has the route running chops, speed and size to be a successful WR in the NFL.

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CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas Jayhawks

Consensus big board: 147th
PFF big board: 103rd

Bryant wouldn’t qualify for Bill Belichick’s draft board, as he measures 5-foot-11 and 171 pounds, but that doesn’t bother me because he plays much bigger than his size. Bryant is a physical and experienced press cornerback with multiple years of high-quality play for the Kansas Jayhawks.

Bryant participated at the Shrine Bowl and was dominant in one-on-ones, as he forced three incompletions and allowed zero receptions. This drill is designed to make the offense look good, but Bryant just blanked the competition. 

Bryant posted an 80.9 grade in 2024 and his highest graded facet the past two years was in run defense finishing with an 88.8 run-defense grade in 2023 and a 91.3 in 2024, showing his willingness to show up in the run game and exert his physicality. With 13 career interceptions and 24 forced incompletions, Bryant has all the tools and the mentality to thrive in the NFL.

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DI Darius Alexander, Toledo Rockets

Consensus big board: 67th
PFF big board: 64th

In a draft class deep at the defensive line, it’s going to be hard to stand out amongst the crowd, especially coming from the MAC. One way to stand out is to attend the Senior Bowl and have a great week. Or you can do what Alexander did and just absolutely obliterate the competition in the one-on-one drills. 

In 10 one-on-one pass-rush snaps, Alexander won eight times, earning himself a 95.8 pass-rush grade. He was unblockable. Over the past two years at Toledo, Alexander wasn’t that dominant, as he earned 87 pressures and 11 sacks for an 83.9 pass-rush grade and a 90.6 overall grade. His 13.5% pass-rush win rate for a defensive tackle is excellent, ranking fifth among draft-eligible players at his position.

Alexander is a player I’d slot in the mid-30s as of this writing. He’s big and physical with a varied pass-rush repertoire while also being dominant against the run. In class with lots of depth at the position, Alexander should see his name called early on Day 2 and if not, he will be a steal come late April.