SNS 2025 NFL Draft & UDFA Analysis - AFC South
- John B. Everett
- May 1
- 7 min read
Houston Texans
2 (34) | Jayden Higgins | WR | Iowa State |
2 (48) | Aireontae Ersery | OT | Minnesota |
3 (79) | Jaylin Noel | WR | Iowa State |
3 (97) | Jaylin Smith | CB | USC |
4 (116) | Woody Marks | RB | USC |
6 (187) | Jaylen Reed | DB | Penn State |
6 (197) | Graham Mertz | QB | Florida |
7 (224) | Kyonte Hamilton | IDL | Rutgers |
7 (255) | Luke Lachey | TE | Iowa |
UDFA Signings | |||
Daniel Jackson | WR | Minnesota | |
Junior Tafuna | IDL | Utah | |
Alijah Huzzie | CB | North Carolina | |
Austin Brinkman | LS | West Virginia |
2025 NFL Draft & UDFA Analysis |
The Texans, liking the depth at WR and OT, traded out of the first round, acquiring additional trade capital in the process. With the third pick of the second round, Houston drafts Higgins, a big and physical WR who looks poised to start as a rookie. In the third round, the Texans drafted Noel, Higgins' team mate at Iowa State, who figures to push for immediate playing time as a slot receiver as a rookie. Ersery is raw but talented, having the length and feet to be developed into the eventual starting OLT. Smith and Reed gives the Texans two versatile DBs who can line up all over the secondary and provide depth to a talented group of players. Marks provides Houston with a talented RB who should compete for playing time as a third down back as a rookie. Mertz was highly recruited and started as a true Freshman at Wisconsin but struggled with inconsistency in Madison before transferring to Gainesville for the last two seasons. Mertz started showing signs of development prior to having his senior season ended by injury. Mertz realistically has an excellent opportunity to make the practice squad as rookie. Lachey has starting potential and should compete for playing time as the team's second TE this fall. |
Houston signed a small class of UDFA but each prospect signed has an opportunity to make the 53-man roster and seem like locks to at least make the practice squad. Jackson was the Golden Gophers go-to receiver for two plus seasons but was injured for much of his senior season. Jackson has reliable hands and his toughness and competitiveness serves him well at the catch point. Tafuna earned a third-round grade from SNS but went undrafted despite possessing an NFL body, plenty of good game film, and a great postseason run up to the NFL Draft. Huzzie is quick and feisty and should compete for a roster spot in the fall. Brinkman is an experienced long snapper who will push for a roster spot when training camp opens this summer. |
Draft & UDFA Grade - B+ |
Indianapolis Colts
1 (14) | Tyler Warren | TE | Penn State |
2 (45) | JT Tuimoloau | EDGE | Ohio State |
3 (80) | Justin Walley | CB | Minnesota |
4 (127) | Jalen Travis | OT | Iowa State |
5 (151) | DJ Giddens | RB | Kansas State |
6 (189) | Riley Leonard | QB | Notre Dame |
6 (190) | Tim Smith | IDL | Alabama |
7 (232) | Hunter Wohler | S | Wisconsin |
UDFA Signings | |||
Ulysses Bentley | RB | Ole Miss | |
Chandler Brayboy | WR | Elon | |
Blayne Taylor | WR | Abilene Christian | |
Coleman Owen | WR | Ohio | |
Landon Parker | WR | Troy | |
Tayler Kahmann | WR | Emporia State | |
Marshall Foerner | IOL | Minnesota State | |
Desmond Little | EDGE | UAB | |
Caiden Woullard | EDGE | Oklahoma | |
Joe Davis | DL | UTSA | |
Devonta Davis | IDL | FAU | |
Solomon DeShields | LB | Texas A&M | |
Tevin Shipp* | LB | Tennessee-Martin | |
Johnathan Edwards | CB | Tulane | |
Maddux Trujillo | K | Temple | |
*Mini-Camp Invitee |
2025 NFL Draft & UDFA Analysis |
Although the Colts have good depth in their TE room, adding Warren gives them a day one starter who will improve both the rushing and passing attack in Indy. Tuimoloau gives the Colts a physical run defender with a non-stop motor to add to a talented group of EDGE defenders. Walley is highly experienced and should compete for a roster spot and possibly start during his rookie year. Travis has starting potential and should be Indy's swing tackle backup as a rookie. Giddens gives Indy an excellent handcuff to Jonathan Taylor and should serveas the team's primary backup. Leonard is an athletic QB in the mold of Jones and Richardson and will likely start his career on Indy's practice squad. Smith is a strong and physical presence who provides valuable depth up front. Wohler could be developed into an eventual starter but will have to prove himself on special teams first to gain a spot on the 53-man roster. |
The Colts added Bentley in UDFA and he will push for a spot on the practice squad. Bentley is a well-rounded RB without any standout attributes. He should earn a practice squad spot this fall. Evans has the size and strength to line up at EDGE on run downs and slide inside on passing downs. His career likely starts on the practice squad. Edwards displayed the competitiveness and foot speed at the Senior Bowl and will push a roster spot this summer. Trujillo will push Spencer Shrader for the kicking job next season. |
Draft & UDFA Grade - C+ |
Jacksonville Jaguars
1 (2) | Travis Hunter | CB-WR | Colorado |
3 (88) | Caleb Ransaw | CB | Tulane |
3 (89) | Wyatt Milium | OL | West Virginia |
4 (104) | Bhaysul Tuten | RB | Virginia Tech |
4 (107) | Jack Kiser | LB | Notre Dame |
6 (194) | Jalen McLeod | LB-EDGE | Auburn |
6 (200) | Rayuan Lane | S | Navy |
7 (221) | Jonah Monheim | IOL | USC |
7 (236) | LeQuint Allen | RB | Virginia Tech |
UDFA Signings | |||
Seth Henigan | QB | Memphis | |
Ja'Quinden Jackson | RB | Arkansas | |
Cam Camper | WR | Boise State | |
JJ Jones | WR | North Carolina | |
Eli Pancol | WR | Duke | |
John Copenhaver | TE | North Carolina | |
Patrick Herbert | TE | Oregon | |
Ethan Downs | EDGE | Oklahoma | |
BJ Green | EDGE | Colorado | |
Danny Striggow | EDGE | Minnesota | |
James Carpenter | IDL | Indiana | |
Eli Mostaert | IDL | North Dakota State | |
Kelvie Rose | IDL | Arkansas | |
Jabbar Muhammad | CB | Oregon | |
Aydan White | CB | North Carolina State | |
Jordan Wright | CB | UCONN | |
Doneiko Slaughter | DB | Arkansas | |
Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig | S | Colorado |
2025 NFL Draft & UDFA Analysis |
The Jags' new front office promised to make a splash at the draft and they fulfilled that promise by trading up for Hunter, a generational talent that will play both ways in Jacksonville. Now coach Liam Coen and the coaching staff have to figure out how to use their new toy. Ransaw should immediately compete to be the team's primary slot CB as a rookie. Milium looks like a long-term starter at either OT or OG and will compete for a starting job as a rookie. Tuten has tremendous speed and burst and will push for regular playing time as a rookie. Kiser and McLeod are both listed as LBs but they will have different roles with the Jags. Kiser is an off the ball LB with the speed and range to excel as the dime LB in passing sets while McLeod is a pass rusher who needs to demonstrate the ability to play in space on run downs to be more than a situational pass rusher. Monheim looks like a potential starting center in the next few seasons and will provide valuable depth as a rookie. Allen is a well-rounded RB without any special qualities. He is a quality pass protector and that may be his ticket to earning a practice squad spot to start his career. |
The Jaguars are rebuilding the depth of their team and signed nearly two dozen UDFA to speed up the process. Henigan should be able to at least earn a practice squad spot. He has more upside and starting potential than his competition for the backup job. Jackson will compete with Allen for a roster and/or practice squad spot this fall. Jackson is a powerful inside rusher who needs to improve his pass blocking ability to beat out Allen. Herbert, the younger brother of Chargers' QB Justin, offers and intriguing blend of size and athleticism. Copenhaver is a quality in-line blocker. Wormley started more than two dozen games at guard at Penn State and will compete for a practice squad spot. Green had the best season of his career last year in Boulder and is an ascending talent that will use the preseason to audition for the practice squad. Carpenter does not look the part - he just produces down in, down out. Striggow is an athletic overachiever with the perfect skill set to excel on special teams. Downs is a big, physical power rusher who sets a strong edge in the ground game. Muhammad and Slaughter are slot CBs likely competing for one roster spot. White is an experienced, big, physical CB who lacks speed and is tight in the hips. Silmon-Craig offers good size and will need to excel on special teams to have a chance of continuing his NFL career. |
Draft & UDFA Grade - B+ |
Tennessee Titans
1 (1) | Cam Ward | QB | Miami, Fl |
2 (52) | Oluwafemi Oladejo | EDGE | UCLA |
3 (82) | Kevin Winston | S | Penn State |
4 (103) | Chimere Dike | WR | Florida |
4 (120) | Gunnar Helm | TE | Texas |
4 (136) | Elic Ayomanor | WR | Stanford |
5 (167) | Jackson Slater | IOL | Sacramento State |
6 (183) | Marcus Harris | CB | California |
6 (188) | Kalel Mullings | RB | Michigan |
UDFA Signings | |||
Micah Bernard | RB | Utah | |
Xavier Restrepo | WR | Miami, Fl | |
Brandon Crenshaw-Dixon | OT | Florida | |
Kaden Moore | IOL | Tennessee | |
Isaiah Raikes | EDGE | Auburn | |
Devonte O'Malley | IDL | Northern Illinois | |
David Gbenda | LB | Texas | |
Jermari Harris | CB | Iowa | |
Jalen Kimber | CB | Penn State | |
Garnett Hollis | CB | West Virginia | |
Jerrin Thompason | S | ||
Lee Elzinga | P | Oklahoma |
2025 NFL Draft & UDFA Analysis |
The Titans hope that by drafting Ward first overall, they have their first real franchise QB since Steve McNair was drafted 30 years ago (sorry, Vince Young fans!). Now, the Titans have to develop him and surround him with better talent. Oladejo is an ascending talent who is raw but extremely athletic. Winston missed almost the entire 2024 season but his combination of size and athleticism fills a hole in the Titans' secondary that has been unfilled since Kevin Byard departed. Dike gives Tennessee a quality returner who is still developing as a WR. Helm could earn the starting TE job before the end of his rookie season. Ayomanor is a tall, long WR who wins at the catch point. Slater will compete for a backup IOL position as a rookie. Mullings is a powerful runner with average speed who will fight for a job as a short yardage runner and backup RB. |
If you were to assess NFL prospects based solely on how they performed on Saturday afternoons in 2024, both Bernard and Restrepo would have been drafted. Bernard is a powerful rusher who will compete with Mullings for a roster spot this fall. Restrepo ran an abysmal 4.82 40 at the Miami Pro Day, ruining his draft chances. But watch his film and you see a playmaker with the quickness out of his break to create separation. Restrepo, Miami's all-time leading receiver, is a productive, go-to player who will push for a spot on the 53-man roster this fall. Crenshaw-Dixon started more than three dozen games in college at ORT and should compete for a backup spot as a rookie. Gbenda is an old-school ILB who owns the second level between the tackles. His coverage ability and special teams ability in camp will be key to his NFL future. Harris plays like a future starter but his workout numbers are subpar. He should at least make the practice squad in Nashville this fall. |
Draft & UDFA Grade - B+ |
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