Sanders or Ward? Hunter or Carter? NFL execs, scouts on the top of the draft class
The 2025 NFL draft is just over two months away. It kicks off on April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and the Tennessee Titans will be on the clock first with the No. 1 pick. But what does the top of the draft board look like right now?
We used the recent Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl events as opportunities to get a sense of the top of this class. Who is the top overall prospect? Who is the top quarterback? Will the top pick be a QB or non-QB, and will it be the Titans making the selection? Four of our NFL Nation reporters who were on the ground — Turron Davenport, Jeff Legwold, Daniel Oyefusi and Katherine Terrell — polled NFL executives, coaches and scouts to help answer those questions. (Each reporter asked one question, and the number of responses differs from question to question.)
Let’s start with a look at whether Tennessee is more likely to trade or keep the No. 1 pick.
Jump to a question:
Will the Titans trade the No. 1 pick?
Will the top pick be a QB or non-QB?
Who is this class’ QB1?
Who is this class’ top prospect?
Will the Titans trade or keep the No. 1 pick?
Trade the pick: Five votes
Keep the pick: Three votes
The overall feeling is the Titans will trade the top pick of the draft. The execs, coaches and scouts who voted that way believe the Titans lack true game-altering players and say none of the quarterbacks in this draft class can elevate the current supporting cast. So moving back with a QB-needy team for more picks could be the way to go for Tennessee.
“The Titans’ roster has a lot of holes,” one AFC personnel executive said. “They need more than just a quarterback. I mean, who would Shedeur [Sanders] or Cam [Ward] throw to if they take them? They need help!”
An NFC scout weighed in with a similar thought: “They can’t put these rookies behind that offensive line and expect them to succeed. The Titans’ protection was so bad their quarterbacks had no chance. They have to build the roster up before they add a quarterback.”
The Titans were 31st in QBR this past season (37.3), but to the evaluators’ point, the rest of the team struggled around Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. Tennessee was 27th in pass block win rate (56.1%), 21st in run defense (4.5 yards allowed per carry), 25th in defensive pressure rate (29.0%) and tied for 30th in turnover margin (minus-16) en route to a 3-14 record.
The Titans have made it known they’re willing to entertain offers for the first pick. President of football operations Chad Brinker said he wants to acquire picks, especially in the top 100. Trading out of No. 1 is the best way to add more draft capital.
“They want more picks, so I think they’d come off that first pick,” an AFC scout said. “But it takes two to tango. Someone has to fall in love with one of these quarterbacks enough to give up a ransom to get to the top. I’d say it would take a pick swap no later than No. 7 overall and a [second-rounder] this year to go with a first-round and at least third-round pick next year.”
Not everyone feels that the Titans will trade the pick, though. “You don’t want to find yourself making the first pick often,” an AFC assistant coach said. “You have to make it count and get your quarterback. I think that’s what the Titans will do. Keep the top pick and draft Cam Ward.” — Davenport
Will the No. 1 pick be a quarterback?
Yes: Three votes
No: Four votes
Undecided: Two votes
There doesn’t seem to be any firm consensus on whether the top pick will be a quarterback or another position right now. Opinions were mixed among NFL execs, coaches and scouts at the Senior Bowl. The quality of the QB class was the biggest concern of those polled.
“Who’s the best quarterback? Shedeur’s not going No. 1,” said one NFC South coach.
Of nine people polled, three believed a quarterback would be selected with the top pick, four said another unspecified position would go first and two more said it was still just too early to know.
“To be honest, I haven’t thought that far ahead,” said one NFC East coach. “I haven’t gone deep enough to know who’s going to do this or that. Who has the first pick? Tennessee? That’s where I’m at.”
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An NFC South executive said they don’t think it’s a strong quarterback class but still believed a QB would go first due to a lack of clear standouts at any other position. “Not a year you’d be pumped about having a top-five pick,” the exec said. — Terrell
Who is the top quarterback in the class?
Cam Ward, Miami: Four votes
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: Three votes
Ward and Sanders have established themselves as the headliners of this year’s quarterback class, and Ward narrowly edged out Sanders in our poll of league execs, coaches and scouts. While both are expected to be the first two signal-callers selected in April’s draft, multiple people at the Shrine Bowl noted that this class is watered down compared to the 2024 group, which saw a record six quarterbacks taken in the first 12 picks.
One player personnel executive called the top of the draft “generally good, not great.” And a national scout said Ward and Sanders would have been ranked similar to Bo Nix, who went No. 12 overall to the Broncos this past April.
“The top guys in this class wouldn’t be in the top three from last year’s crop, in my opinion,” that scout said. “Good debate on if they would be in the top five actually.”
The general consensus from those polled was that Sanders is a more refined pocket passer, but Ward’s arm talent and mobility give him the upper hand as a long-term prospect. Ward led the nation with 39 passing touchdowns at Miami, while Sanders was just behind with 37 at Colorado.
“The experience, arm talent, decision-making … I think he has a nice package,” an AFC area scout who voted for Ward said. “Overall, I think he’s the top prospect and should be the first [quarterback] off the board.”
An AFC coach who voted for Sanders acknowledged Ward had a higher ceiling but had one cause for concern: “The thing that scares me with [Ward] is some of the risks he does take … you can’t do that at this level,” the coach said.
That coach went on to call Sanders “the safer pick,” saying, “He’s very accurate and has really good footwork.” — Oyefusi
Who is the best prospect in the class, regardless of position?
Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State: Seven votes
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: Five votes
An informal poll of a dozen evaluators at the Senior Bowl gave the narrow edge to Carter over Hunter here — with an asterisk of sorts that one NFC general manager might have described the best.
“Carter is everything you want in a prospect — highest grade on the board with a very specific, defined path into your lineup. You know exactly what he is, how you’ll project him,” he said. “But you can’t deny [Hunter] is the most uniquely talented guy. I mean, [he] did things we haven’t seen in a long time and might not see again. It’s just a matter of where the coaching staff sees him, where a team sees him and how quickly everybody finds a rhythm with how it looks. … You just know how gifted he is and just find a way to play him.”
Carter, an explosive snap-to-whistle force, was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year with 12 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and 61 pressures this past season. Most of those polled added that elite pass rushers routinely adapt to the NFL quicker than rookies at other positions, so that enhances Carter’s value at the top of the board.
Hunter, meanwhile, finished with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver to go with four interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 36 tackles at cornerback. While the lure of offense in the public domain has many saying Hunter’s future is at receiver — one scout said he could see team owners preferring Hunter on offense — most of the evaluators polled actually think Hunter is more refined as a cornerback.
“You just really don’t want to stifle his development. He has some rough edges in technique as a receiver. He wins with talent now, and NFL corners will force him to be a better route runner,” another NFC executive said.
It’s typically more difficult to find a cornerback of his talent, and it would likely be easier in the day-to-day world of the NFL to have Hunter primarily on defense and then carve out a situational role on offense (rather than the other way around). But regardless, those polled acknowledged it will be a big decision for the coaching staff who ultimately drafts Hunter. — Legwold
It’s 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby day in Atlanta!
Some of the most dynamic home run hitters in baseball will be taking aim at the Truist Park stands on Monday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) in one of the most anticipated events of the summer.
While the prospect of a back-to-back champion is out of the picture — 2024 winner Teoscar Hernandez is not a part of this year’s field — a number of exciting stars will be taking the field, including Atlanta’s own Matt Olson, who replaced Ronald Acuna Jr. just three days before the event. Will Olson make a run in front of his home crowd? Will Cal Raleigh show off the power that led to 38 home runs in the first half? Or will one of the younger participants take the title?
We have your one-stop shop for everything Derby related, from predictions to live updates once we get underway to analysis and takeaways at the night’s end.
MLB Home Run Derby field
Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners (38 home runs in 2025)
James Wood, Washington Nationals (24)
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays (23)
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins (21)
Brent Rooker, Athletics (20)
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves (17)
Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees (17)
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates (16)
Live updates
Who is going to win the Derby and who will be the runner-up?
Jeff Passan: Raleigh. His swing is perfect for the Derby: He leads MLB this season in both pull percentage and fly ball percentage, so it’s not as if he needs to recalibrate it to succeed. He has also become a prolific hitter from the right side this season — 16 home runs in 102 at-bats — and his ability to switch between right- and left-handed pitching offers a potential advantage. No switch-hitter (or catcher for that matter) has won a Home Run Derby. The Big Dumper is primed to be the first, beating Buxton in the finals.
Alden Gonzalez: Cruz. He might be wildly inconsistent at this point in his career, but he is perfect for the Derby — young enough to possess the stamina required for a taxing event that could become exhausting in the Atlanta heat; left-handed, in a ballpark where the ball carries out better to right field; and, most importantly, capable of hitting balls at incomprehensible velocities. Raleigh will put on a good show from both sides of the plate but will come in second.
Buster Olney: Olson. He is effectively pinch-hitting for Acuna, and because he received word in the past 72 hours of his participation, he hasn’t had the practice rounds that the other competitors have been going through. But he’s the only person in this group who has done the Derby before, which means he has experienced the accelerated pace, adrenaline and push of the crowd.
His pitcher, Eddie Perez, knows something about performing in a full stadium in Atlanta. And, as Olson acknowledged in a conversation Sunday, the park generally favors left-handed hitters because of the larger distances that right-handed hitters must cover in left field.
Jesse Rogers: Olson. Home-field advantage will mean something this year as hitting in 90-plus degree heat and humidity will be an extra challenge in Atlanta. Olson understands that and can pace himself accordingly. Plus, he was a late addition. He has got nothing to lose. He’ll outlast the young bucks in the field. And I’m not putting Raleigh any lower than second — his first half screams that he’ll be in the finals against Olson.
Jorge Castillo: Wood. His mammoth power isn’t disputed — he can jack baseballs to all fields. But the slight defect in his power package is that he doesn’t hit the ball in the air nearly as often as a typical slugger. Wood ranks 126th out of 155 qualified hitters across the majors in fly ball percentage. And he still has swatted 24 home runs this season. So, in an event where he’s going to do everything he can to lift baseballs, hitting fly balls won’t be an issue, and Wood is going to show off that gigantic power en route to a victory over Cruz in the finals.
Who will hit the longest home run of the night — and how far?
Passan: Cruz hits the ball harder than anyone in baseball history. He’s the choice here, at 493 feet.
Gonzalez: If you exclude the Coors Field version, there have been just six Statcast-era Derby home runs that have traveled 497-plus feet. They were compiled by two men: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. James Wood — all 6-foot-7, 234 pounds of him — will become the third.
Olney: James Wood has the easy Stanton- and Judge-type power, and he will clear the Chophouse with the longest homer. Let’s say 497 feet.
Rogers: Hopefully he doesn’t injure himself doing it, but Buxton will break out his massive strength and crush a ball at least 505 feet. I don’t see him advancing far in the event, but for one swing, he’ll own the night.
Castillo: Cruz hits baseballs hard and far. He’ll crush a few bombs, and one will reach an even 500 feet.
Who is the one slugger fans will know much better after the Derby?
Passan: Buxton capped his first half with a cycle on Saturday, and he’ll carry that into the Derby, where he will remind the world why he was baseball’s No. 1 prospect in 2015. Buxton’s talent has never been in question, just his health. And with his body feeling right, he has the opportunity to put on a show fans won’t soon forget.
Olney: Caminero isn’t a big name and wasn’t a high-end prospect like Wood was earlier in his career. Just 3½ years ago, Caminero was dealt to the Rays by the Cleveland Guardians in a relatively minor November trade for pitcher Tobias Myers. But since then, he has refined his ability to cover inside pitches and is blossoming this year into a player with ridiculous power. He won’t win the Derby, but he’ll open some eyes.
What’s the one moment we’ll all be talking about long after this Derby ends?
Gonzalez: The incredible distances and velocities that will be reached, particularly by Wood, Cruz, Caminero, Raleigh and Buxton. The hot, humid weather at Truist Park will only aid the mind-blowing power that will be on display Monday night.
Rogers: The exhaustion on the hitter’s faces, swinging for home run after home run in the heat and humidity of Hot-lanta!
Castillo: Cruz’s 500-foot blast and a bunch of other lasers he hits in the first two rounds before running out of gas in the finals.
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