NFL Draft
12/9/24
7 min read
2025 NFL Draft Stock Report: New Stars emerge in Conference Championships
If the old saying is true about iron sharpening iron, then the college football conference championship round was incredibly helpful in predicting how today's collegiate stars will play in the NFL. The nation's top teams squared off throughout Friday night and Saturday, producing some of the most competitive contests we've seen all year. You can bet the NFL's evaluators were carefully watching every eligible prospect.
Whether eyes were on the SEC showdown between Texas and Georgia, the Mountain West rematch of Boise State and UNLV, or even Marshall's takedown of Louisiana-Lafayette, there was plenty to learn this week. We watched each of them and noted their very best performances. That has led to clear risers and fallers for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Let's examine the three stars who pushed their 2025 NFL Draft stock up and those who fell.
CFB Week 15 Stock Up Players
We saw enough quality performances to name a couple of other risers who dominated their competition. Here are three more players who caught our eyes in the conference title games.
Honorable Mentions
- Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
- Mario Williams, WR, Tulane
- Alfred Collins, DL, Texas
Reminder: Marshall has a potential first-round pick in pass rusher Mike Green. Complete game-wrecker pic.twitter.com/zK6gimJ9xE
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) December 8, 2024
📈Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Stats: 4 tackles, 1 sack
The nation's most productive pass-rusher added to his leading sack total against ULL. Mike Green has been rapidly becoming a fringe first-round prospect over the last six weeks as scouts have caught up to his game and athleticism. He made it into last week's first-round mock draft, and Dane Brugler's first mock draft shortly followed suit.
An explosive speed rusher who has racked up 17 sacks and 63 quarterback pressures, the 6-foot-4, 248-pounder might end up being the first edge defender drafted. While he doesn't boast the 280-pound frame of some prospects, Green is much better at using his physical gifts and has built an impressive array of moves. It's no accident he's so dominant.
Adding another sack to his total this past week, Green proved effective even as the Ragin' Cajuns sent help his way throughout the game. While it'd be a stretch to compare Green's upside to Khalil Mack's, there are a lot of similar vibes when watching Green overpower and manhandle lower competition. That's what you need to see when projecting talent from non-Power 4 teams to the NFL.
REC: 11
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 8, 2024
YDS: 181
TD: 1
Relive every catch that led to Tez Johnson becoming the first WR to win @bigten title game MVP 👇#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/AiNavLkcyZ
📈Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon
Stats: 11 receptions, 181 yards, 1 TD
Speed is never out of style, and it's time to reconsider whether Isaiah Bond is the top vertical receiver in the 2025 class. While Bond caught just one pass for 22 yards against Georgia, giving him only 532 on the year, Tez Johnson dismantled a solid Penn State defense. No receiver outproduced Johnson this week, and he's closing in on some key benchmarks.
With 77 receptions for 866 yards and 10 scores on the year, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound slot presence punches well above his weight. He's so quick off the line that defenders always guess where Johnson is headed. Johnson has played almost 80 percent of his snaps inside, so while that might limit his NFL outlook, he's also comfortable in a realistic NFL role.
Penn State had no answer for Johnson's quickness and open-field creativity. He forced five missed tackles and created six first-downs, making this his best showing of the year. While the first round is a tougher sell because of Johnson's weight, the senior shouldn't last long on Day 2.
Tez Johnson's Full Scouting Report, Pro Comp
📈Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
Stats: 1 tackle, 2 INTs, 1 pass breakup
Allowing three completions on nine targets for 47 yards and one penalty, Daylen Everette had his hands full against Quinn Ewers and the terrific Texas receivers. He more than held his own, forcing two interceptions and breaking up an additional pass in the biggest game he's played this season. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior only had one interception entering this week, so he saved his best game for the moment he was needed most.
The second half of the season has brought noticeable growth and improvement in Everette's performance. He started 2024 slowly, but his effectiveness in coverage shows the confidence he thrived with throughout 2023. Teams will naturally be interested in his size, speed, and competitiveness at the catch point.
Since Week 8, Everette has allowed only one team to have an NFL passer rating over 94. He's also drawn only three penalties all season, so there's far more positive to build around than not. If Everette can re-find his tackling efficiency of 2023, or if his 21 percent missed tackle rate is deemed fixable, he can be selected in the top 100.
CFB Week 15 Stock Down Players
Kaytron Allen is on the move! pic.twitter.com/GF2tcOWUH9
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 8, 2024
📉Jordan Burch, EDGE, Oregon
Stats: 2 tackles
A knee injury has hampered Jordan Burch over the last month, but playing 57 snaps against Penn State, it was fair to have expectations the 6-foot-6, 295-pounder would make his presence known at least once. Unfortunately, the game didn't play out that way. Penn State easily gashed Oregon's run defense, and Burch was often the victim of their targeted attack.
Burch's best attribute is his blend of density and speed, leading to effective power moves and closing ability. However, when that doesn't work, Burch is left trying to do it with pure athleticism. That doesn't work against quality college football teams often, let alone NFL competition.
Considering Burch was also shut out against Michigan and missed the Ohio State matchup, evaluators have to question how much of his 8.5 sacks this season are translatable to the next level. Burch must bring his A-game moving forward.
📉Phil Mafah, RB, Clemson
Stats: 13 carries, 28 yards; 1 reception, 2 yards
Saturday's ACC Championship game marked the third game in four outings where Phil Mafah totaled under 30 yards rushing. An injury against Citadel contributed to getting only three touches, and Dabo Swinney cited that Mafah was banged up entering this SMU battle. However, the NFL offers even less reprieve when playing at less than 100 percent.
Slow-footed, indecisive, and lacking the power you'd expect for a 230-pound back, Mafah isn't consistently the big-bodied beast he should be, given his frame. His high pad level is a consistent issue, and he doesn't have the lateral agility to shake defenders. Mafah is only especially dangerous when he has a straight line to sprint through.
There's value in that, even at the NFL level, but Mafah might be an undrafted free agent after this last month's struggles.
📉Ricky White, WR, UNLV
Stats: 4 receptions, 21 yards
Despite being tied for the most targets seen this week, Ricky White was one of the least productive receivers on the field this weekend. It wasn't all of his fault, as UNLV aggressively attacked downfield routes that inherently are less likely to be completed. However, White, who relies on quickness and route-running to win, struggled to separate against Boise State far too often to be comfortable with.
White's 1,032-yard, 11-touchdown season was a product of his terrific body control, trustworthy hands, and overall quickness. However, his quiet outings against Houston, Kansas, and Boise State led to only nine catches for 36 yards total. Even with a young quarterback at the helm, White's inability to break through in season-defining games is tough.
White still has an opportunity to become a top-100 prospect, though. This receiver class isn't deep, and White should do well in an all-star game and NFL Scouting Combine. Unfortunately, he didn't go out with the bang he had hoped, though.
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