NFL Draft guide to bowl season: The best pro prospect to watch at every position

For fans of the holidays and NFL scouts, alike, it really is the best time of the year.

The 46 bowl games this winter provide talent evaluators and college football fans with quite the smorgasbord of tasty matchups. And, of course, this year is different from the past, with the introduction of the College Football Playoff, providing the country's best 12 teams with a true path to a national title.

[NFL Mock Draft: Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, to go 1-2?]

Even the most passionate college football fans might find themselves overwhelmed by this many bowl games, however. So, we've waded through the gauntlet to identify the top NFL prospect at each position to help focus your own scouting, avoiding the players who have already announced their intentions to either opt out of the bowl game to begin their preparation for the draft, or those electing to return to college football next year.

QB: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Sanders, of course, needs little introduction for most college football fans. He and his father, "Coach Prime," have helped Colorado go from bottom-feeder to bully in just two years, with the quarterback winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Big 12's Offensive Player of the Year this season. Sanders is poised and precise from the pocket, leading the country with a sparkling 74.2% completion rate and the Big 12 in both passing yards (3,926) and touchdowns (35) against just seven interceptions. BYU is an intriguing final matchup for Sanders in the Alamo Bowl, as the Cougars quietly rank among the stingiest pass defenses in the country, allowing just 187 yards and 0.9 touchdowns through the air per game.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st round

How to watch him: Alamo Bowl vs. BYU, Saturday, Dec. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET

RB: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Because of the punishment inherent to the position, top-tier running backs frequently opt out of bowl games, but this year's Heisman Trophy runner-up has plenty to play for with the Broncos in the playoffs. It is almost as hard to describe Jeanty without venturing into hyperbole as it is to tackle him. The back-to-back Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year, he's scampered for 4,665 yards and 50 touchdowns in three seasons at Boise State, showing off the vision, contact-balance and breakaway speed that has earned him comparisons from scouts to New Orleans Saints' All-Pro Alvin Kamara.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st round

How to watch him: CFP quarterfinal at the Fiesta Bowl vs TBD, Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET

WR: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Four Buckeye receivers have been selected in the first round of the past three drafts, and Egbuka is a solid bet to continue that streak. A savvy route-runner who excels out of the slot, Egbuka is one of the few pro-ready receivers in this class, showing excellent body control, vision and courage through traffic, and reliable hands. He lacks the eye-popping size and speed of some of this year's other top receivers, so he may not win the workout portion of the pre-draft process. But he projects as an immediate and long-time NFL starter. 

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st-2nd round

How to watch him: CFB First Round Playoff at home vs. Tennessee, Saturday at 8 p.m. ET

TE: Tyler Warren, Penn State

Warren is among a trio of tight ends to crack the first round in my updated mock draft, but the only one playing in a bowl game this winter. It isn't often that tight ends are so productive that they are in the Heisman Trophy conversation, but Warren was, finishing seventh in voting after leading the playoff-bound Nittany Lions in virtually every receiving category. His 88 catches are nearly 50 more than Penn State's next receiver (wideout Harrison Wallace III). Warren isn't the most fleet-of-foot, but he possesses pillow-soft hands and excellent body control to beat out defenders on contested throws. He's also beastly after the catch, showing balance and toughness to slip tackles.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st-2nd round

How to watch him: CFB First Round Playoff at SMU, Saturday at noon ET

OT: Kelvin Banks, Texas

Banks has been money at left tackle for the Longhorns the past three seasons, emerging as a true freshman to win the Big 12's Offensive Lineman of the Year. He missed the SEC championship game against Georgia due to a left ankle sprain, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian seems optimistic that his star pass blocker will be back this weekend against Clemson. Because he is a tad shorter than your typical tackle (he's listed at 6-foot-4 on the Texas site) and possesses just average arm length, he could face the same kinds of questions that led many to question whether Rashawn Slater could remain on the outside in the NFL. Slater has since emerged as a Pro Bowl left tackle for the L.A. Chargers and Banks possesses similar light feet, core strength and technically-sound hand placement.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st Round

How to watch him: CFB First Round Playoff vs. Clemson, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

OG: Tyler Booker, Alabama

It may be Kalen DeBoer calling the shots in Tuscaloosa now, but the 6-foot-5, 325-pound Booker was recruited to Alabama by Nick Saban, and he is precisely the massive bulldozer we've come to expect from his program. Booker signed with Alabama as a five-star recruit out of Connecticut and earned immediate playing time, emerging as a starter late in his first season on campus. He earned Second Team All-SEC accolades in 2023 and graduated to First Team and All-American honors this year. He's surprisingly quick off the snap, but it his power and girth that stand apart. Booker is an old-school people-mover at his best in a downhill rushing attack.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st-2nd round

How to watch him: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Michigan, Tuesday, Dec. 31 at noon ET

C: Jake Majors, Texas

The most experienced player in this article, Majors' start against Clemson in the opening round of the 2024-25 playoffs on Saturday will be the 52nd of his college career. And it isn't just his experience as a starter that has scouts interested, as Majors was matching up against elite defensive tackles — including 2024 top-40 picks Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat — every day in practice, as well. Majors possesses a legitimate NFL-caliber frame at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds. He's also savvy, winning battles inside with good balance, hand placement and anticipation. Majors isn't an elite athlete, and he could even slide to the third day of the draft, but no one should be surprised if he emerges as a longtime NFL starter, even if drafted in the middle rounds.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 4th-5th round

How to watch him: CFB First Round Playoff vs. Clemson, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET

DE: Mykel Williams, Georgia

The NFL is all about upside, and few prospects eligible for the 2025 draft offer more of it than Williams, an imposing 6-foot-5, 265-pound junior just scratching the surface of his potential. Williams has the burst and bend to be an effective pass rusher, but currently he is overly reliant on his strength. Given his size and pro-ready power, however, that is an excellent starting point. A Grade Two left ankle sprain limited Williams' effectiveness earlier in the year, but he's played better as the season has gone on, recording two sacks against Texas to help Georgia win the SEC Championship and earn a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st round

How to watch him: Sugar Bowl vs TBD, Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 8:45 pm ET

DT: Derrick Harmon, Oregon

Michigan's Mason Graham will be the first defensive tackle selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he opted out of the ReliaQuest Bowl to begin his workout prep early, creating more of a platform for his Big Ten rival. Harmon, a Detroit native who began his college career at Michigan State, is even more powerful than his listed 6-foot-5, 310-pound frame suggests. He wins with girth, strength and pad level to anchor against double-teams, and boasts enough agility to split gaps, earning AP All-American honors while racking up career-highs in tackles (42), tackles for loss (nine), sacks (five), passes broken up (four) and forced fumbles (two).

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st round

How to watch him: Rose Bowl vs TBD, Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET

Rush LB: Abdul Carter, Penn State

With the transfer portal and NIL dollars keeping many underclassmen in college football, the 2025 NFL draft is lacking in blue chip prospects. Should Carter, a junior, give up his remaining eligibility to head to the NFL, I believe he'll emerge as one of them. In his first two seasons in Happy Valley, Carter played in an off-ball linebacker role, but he transitioned to more of a pass rush specialist this season for Penn State, showing the explosive burst and power that will earn him at least a similar grade as his former teammate, Chop Robinson — who was selected 21st overall by Miami last spring. Carter led the Big Ten in tackles for loss this season with 20, along with 10 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. He's got the best feet of any rusher in this class.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st round

How to watch him: CFB First Round Playoff vs SMU, Saturday, at noon ET

Off-Ball LB: Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon

Among the more underrated contributors to the Ducks' No. 1 ranking is Bassa, a former safety who has grown into a full-service linebacker, recording 231 tackles, including 14 for loss over his career. He is not as stout at the point of attack as some of the other top linebackers in this class and is perhaps generously listed by Oregon at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds. But the NFL is no longer looking for "just" run-stuffers at linebacker. Bassa's awareness and athleticism stand out in coverage, and he's a slippery pass rusher, as well. An early Senior Bowl invitee who will perform well in workouts, expect Bassa's stock to rise as the draft approaches.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 2nd-3rd round

How to watch him: Rose Bowl vs TBD, Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET

CB: Travis Hunter, Colorado

Folks, I've been evaluating NFL prospects for a long time, and I've never seen someone quite like Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. I toyed with the idea of listing him at wide receiver because, frankly, he's a star on that side of the ball, as well. But the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder is at his best on defense, showing the mirroring skills to project as a Day 1 lockdown cover corner. Most drafts boast a potential Pro Bowl cornerback or two, but rarely does one come along with Hunter's instincts and ball skills. It isn't often that I feel so strongly about a player that I write about him after watching him play one game. That was the case with Hunter back in Sept. 2023, when it was already obvious that he was "him."

No cornerback has ever been selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft, and because the league prioritizes quarterbacks and pass rushers more than defensive backs, perhaps that will continue. But there is no question in my mind that Hunter, a true junior, is the elite prospect potentially eligible for the 2025 draft.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st round

How to watch him: Alamo Bowl vs. BYU, Saturday, Dec. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET

S: Malaki Starks, Georgia

While the aforementioned Hunter has understandably dominated all talk about first round picks among defensive backs, Starks is just as clearly this draft's elite safety prospect. Frankly, it is hard to find fault in Starks' game. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder moves like a cornerback, showing the awareness and athleticism to shrink passing lanes, as well as rare ball skills for the position, breaking up 17 passes (intercepting six of them) in just three seasons of action. Further, he's aggressive and highly physical against the run, triggering downhill for big hits and reliable open-field tackles. It isn't often that safeties generate top-10 selections, but should Starks, a true junior, head to the draft, he deserves that kind of consideration.

Projected NFL Draft Grade: 1st round

How to watch him: Sugar Bowl vs TBD, Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 8:45 pm ET

Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang.