NFL Analysis
9/4/24
8 min read
2025 NFL Draft: Ranking 10 Best Prospects In The SEC
Week 1 of the 2024 college football season is in the books, and the feeling of fresh football action lived up to the hype. The 2025 NFL Draft is shaping up to be better and deeper than the 2024 class, thanks to a host of defensive stars from the SEC. Now that the SEC has Texas and Oklahoma, the conference is even more of a go-to NFL pipeline.
Here are the top 10 SEC prospects you must know as the 2024 season continues. The 2025 NFL Draft will see each of these players selected by the end of Round 1, so knowing the best players in the country now will have you ready for the water cooler before your friends.
>> READ MORE: Latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Top 10 SEC Prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft
10. Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU 
Harold Perkins Jr. was an immediate star upon arriving at LSU, producing 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 13 tackles tackles for loss as a true freshman. He almost matched those numbers as a sophomore in 2023 despite receiving more attention from offenses. It's even more impressive he became a dominant edge-rushing threat at only 6-foot-1, 225 pounds.
However, Perkins moved from a defensive weapon role to a more off-ball linebacker alignment as he prepares for the NFL. Few NFL pass-rushers can survive when they're under 6-foot-2, and virtually none are under 240 pounds. Perkins' frame is too limited to survive on the edge full-time, so his adjustment to playing more in space will determine his draft upside.
The best-case scenario for Perkins is that he lands with a defensive coordinator who unleashes him as a blitzer. Like Micah Parsons, Perkins is too explosive and smart to pigeonhole. However, his size presents a dilemma for teams drafting in the top 10, so Perkins will likely go later than most would expect based on his impact.
9. Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M 
At 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, and coming off a 10-sack season, Nic Scourton is a terrifying defensive presence for Texas A&M. His power is already NFL-caliber, and his agility for his density makes him a top-20 lock in the 2025 NFL Draft. Guys his size simply do not move as well as Scourton does without earning a huge draft investment.
Scourton's more reliant on his motor and traits than refined moves and anticipating what blockers are doing. Experience and fine-tuning are required for Scourton to be more than just an athletic presence, and the expectation is for that development to show throughout 2024 and into his early NFL years.
His upside is as high as a top-five pick, so Scourton is a must-watch player every week.
8. Carson Beck, QB, Georgia 
Some regard Carson Beck as the top quarterback in the 2025 class, and Beck is clearly good. He's a high-level pocket passer with an accurate arm. His pre-snap processing allows him to play efficiently and avoid turnovers, so there's a lot of value in what Beck brings to a team.
Beck rips the dig pic.twitter.com/ae7NJIVLXg
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) August 31, 2024
The concern with Beck is whether he has the playmaking and physical upside to be a top-10 NFL quarterback.
His aggressiveness when passing into tight windows and ability to thread the needle with velocity are areas for improvement. Is Beck someone who can carry an offense, or is he more of a high-end game manager who struggles when his surrounding cast isn't great?
7. Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas 
Since arriving at Texas, Kelvin Banks Jr. has started all 28 games at left tackle. Standing 6-foot-4, 324 pounds, Banks is a massive presence who bullies defenders away from his frame. What separates Banks from other heavy blockers is his movement ability, showing off nimble feet and reactive hands that keep up with smaller, faster pass rushers.
Allowing only three sacks in more than 1,000 pass-protecting reps, Banks will be a franchise blindside blocker quickly in the NFL.
His balance could use some fine-tuning, and he could better identify and anticipate secondary moves, as NFL defenders will be more equipped to give Banks trouble. But the raw talent and current baseline are stellar.
6. Malaki Starks, SAF, Georgia
There's a special safety who comes along only every few years, and rest assured, Malaki Starks is that dude in 2025. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Starks can do it all. He has top 10 overall talent.
If a secondary wants a playmaker who can be a rangy deep presence with great ball skills, Starks is one of the best of the last decade. He's comfortable in man assignments and plenty fluid enough to run with speedsters. His run support is reliable, and he's tallied 122 tackles through 30 games.
Teams haven't valued safeties as highly in recent years, but Starks' resume is too good to overlook as teams scramble to add talent.
>> READ MORE: CFB Week 1 Stock Report
5. Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
There's an element of "what if" with Mykel Williams that we're hoping to see unlocked this fall as he gets more experience. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder is every bit of the athlete that Travon Walker was, and Walker went No. 1 overall because of his explosiveness. Like Walker, though, Williams' production hasn't caught up yet.
Some of that is because Georgia is loaded. Williams has nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss in his career, but he looks incredible. NFL coaches will want to mold Williams into a consistently disruptive force, so it's likely he will land in the top 15 despite the lack of stats.
4. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri 
Watching Luther Burden III is like seeing Deebo Samuel's film all over again. Burden isn't quite as thick as Samuel, standing 5-foot-11, 208 pounds, but he's as difficult to bring down as any running back in the nation. He knows how to withstand a hit and continue downfield.
Catching 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023, Burden is perfectly equipped to be an immediate star in the NFL.
He can do anything at a high level, boasting high-end speed, agility, hands, and focus. His ability to create after the catch will help an NFL offense remake its attack to maximize his touches.
Watching Kentucky DT Deone Walker (No. 0).
— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) July 28, 2024
A man listed at 6-foot-6 345 pounds should not move this well.
Here he quickly beats the puller to get in on the tackle pic.twitter.com/nrmTPRfuZp
3. Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky 
The last time we saw someone as large and mobile as Deone Walker, Jalen Carter was selected ninth overall. Carter would've been considered the top talent in his class if not for character concerns. At 6-foot-6 and 348 pounds, Walker has more positional flexibility than Carter despite being so large.
There are obvious limitations and concerns with someone Walker's size, but he largely uses his bulk to his advantage. Walker's power is as expected for his size, but his agility, first step, and closing ability are rare.
He racked up 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 2023, and that type of impact from a defensive tackle or 3-4 end spot makes Walker one of the rarest prospects in recent memory.
2. Will Campbell, OT, LSU
This offensive tackle class is loaded, and Will Campbell should be in consideration for the top overall pick. He's quicker than Banks and more technically sound, but just as athletic with more size. At 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, Campbell is an elite blocking prospect.
He's given up only two sacks in 27 games, and his impact as a run-blocker has become defining for the LSU offense. There aren't many legitimate knocks to his game, and the need for left tackles couldn't be higher across the NFL.
1. James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee 
James Pearce Jr. checks every box for what teams look for in a star edge rusher. He's been hyper-productive, totaling 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2023 as a first-year starter. His build is perfect as a speed rusher, bringing both elite length at 6-foot-5 and an explosive 242-pound frame.
Pearce is reminiscent of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor in many ways. He's not just fast, but his control of speed and ability to react makes him deadly for blockers who don't have the tools to keep a hand on his body. The proof is in the pudding, as Pearce ranked third in pressure rate amongst all FBS pass rushers last year.
Best of all, Pearce has the core and lower-body flexibility that allows him to bend through contact, maintain speed, and finish sacks on quarterbacks. He's the type of talent who elevates a bad defense significantly and can be the cornerstone piece of a Super Bowl-winning unit.
