Most Overrated/Underrated 2025

kccrow · 04-01-2025, 11:12 PM

I would love to hear you guys give your most overrated and underrated at each position. Overrated doesn't necessarily mean you think they'll bust; it just means you don't feel like the projected draft position matches the talent. The converse would be true for underrated.

Here are mine for this year:

QUARTERBACK
Overrated: Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Talk was the first round; now it's the second round. He's not even in the fifth round. Honestly, he should play RB or WR because he's an athlete, not a quarterback.
Underrated: Kyle McCord, Syracuse
He's accurate, smart, and has a good touch. He can rip it down the seam and hit outside the numbers. There's a lot to like, and he's better than a fifth-rounder.

RUNNING BACK
Overrated: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Big back that plays like a little one. Passive runner that runs too upright, lacks quickness, and offers little to no lateral agility. He's not a 2nd rounder.
Underrated: Woody Marks, USC
Decisive, smooth, one-cut runner with good vision. Great hands and can play all 3 downs. Really only lacks true homerun speed. He's going to be a good pro. Deserves to go higher than round 5.

TIGHT END
Overrated: Harold Fannin, Bowling Green
Very linear athlete with marginal athleticism. Don't see him translating as well as the hype. Less than a guy like Noah Gray, who went in the 5th. See him as a middle-of-day 3 player at best, but gets 2nd-early 3rd grades.
Underrated: C.J. Dippre, Alabama
Better athlete and receiving TE than Milroe was able to make use of at 'Bama. Good blocker. Maryland probably better highlighted his skillset, but Alabama made him tougher. Better player than round 7 grades suggest.

WIDE RECEIVER
Overrated: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Very linear and lacks burst off the line. Doesn't have a great release. Doesn't run very polished routes. Doesn't phase routes well. Can't separate. NFL press CBs are going to make his life hell. Makes contested catches but he'll lose a lot more of those in the NFL. Does some good things but looks to have max upside of a Tee Higgins and not so much a top 10 WR. Jayden Higgins shows better potential as a big WR to me (gasp).
Underrated: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Electric. Shows great burst and a good release. Separates at the top of his route with ease. Phases routes and gains distance when he turns on the jets. Will play in the middle for a smaller target. Catches at all levels and can go up and get a ball with his vertical. YAC guy with great agility who I think is going to be pretty damned good in this league.

OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Overrated: Armand Membou, Missouri
I'm not going to knock this one too hard, but two things I see that are of major concern are that he's a waist bender and that he's a catcher instead of a puncher. Neither bode well in the pros. He's solid, but I don't think he's necessarily better than Banks, Conerly, Cambell, or Simmons (when healthy). He's a guy you take at RT and leave at RT, and you probably do it outside the top 15 because he needs some coaching.
Underrated: Charles Grant, William & Mary
The small school knocks him, but man this kid moves. He's got all the NFL traits you want. Long arms, good hands, good placement, strikes and locks out, rides the arc, gets good depth on his sets, attacks the pass rusher, etc. Definitely a guy I think you can take day 2 with some confidence in developing. Play strength and anchor, like with all rookie LT prospects, will be paramount.

INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE
Overrated: Tyler Booker, Alabama
Absolutely stuck in a phone booth. Little lateral movement ability, very marginal athleticism, and relatively poor hand placement. Takes more than he gives and is not a real mauler. He'll make a team happy enough if they don't ask much of their interior guys. He won't make all teams happy, and he's absolutely not the best guard in this class.
Underrated: Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech
I'm reaching way down there for this one, but I feel as though this OT to OG conversion is going to go swimmingly. Exhibits exceptional initial shock in his punch and has outstanding core strength that allows for a good anchor. Lacks length outside but has enough at OG. Has great athleticism at OG. He can crash hard on down blocks and create movement. He sticks to his man. In limited reps at OG in his career, he showed great awareness for stunts and even caught him blocking two guys at once on multiple occasions.

DEFENSIVE END
Overrated: Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. Horrendous play against the run. Can't finish against the pass. He's just not a guy that makes plays in any facet. Not worth a 1st or 2nd round pick, much less a top 10-12. Football isn't about how good you do in shorts. My most overrated prospect in this entire class, and it's not close.
Underrated: J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State
Bottom of the 2nd? No way. Watch the 2023 game against Penn State, and that will tell you all you need to know about the makeup of Tuimoloau. Or, the 2024 playoffs. Led the Big 10 in sacks. Has everything you want with great size, very solid length, high motor, excellent strength and power, dominant run fit, and pass rush disruption. He locks out to set the edge. He sheds blocks quickly. Has multiple quality pass rush moves. He just keeps getting better. He's an NFL-ready player.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Overrated: Mason Graham, Michigan
He's not even the best DT on his own team, much less the entire college landscape. He's undersized, with short arm,s and lacks power. His quickness and hand usage help him win, but he's going to get stalemated at the NFL level because he cannot get an OG off his spot, and he can't take on double-teams. Must play in a 1-gap scheme as a 3T only.
Underrated: Vernon Broughton, Texas
Elite first step. Can split double-teams. Length for days to gain initial punch and lockout blockers and stacks and sheds well. Has shown good rush diversity. Has some range as a tackler. Once he improves his lower body power, he could become dominant.

LINEBACKER
Overrated: James Pearce, Tennessee
I don't have any off-ball guys to bang on, but in terms of 3-4 OLB, I sure do. Pearce is light with short arms and is a completely linear athlete with no bend. Betting on purely speed to win at the NFL level on the edges is a tough play. He's going to get beat to shit in the run game and he's going to struggle to keep NFL tackles off his frame and controlling him before he can get going. Looks like a one-trick pony that carves out a career as a situational guy and not a star. Not worth a 1.
Underrated: Josaiah Stewart, Michigan
The little engine that could. He doesn't have the height or the length you want, but he sure has the rest: elite get-off, elite bend, elite closing burst, and good tackler. He's passionate and tough and plays with a high motor. You know, a lunchpail dude.

If I'm running a 3-4, I want this kid on my team because he just makes plays.

CORNERBACK
Overrated: Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
Propped up by eye-popping speed but has some fundamental flaws to his game that might land him on the bench faster. Finding the football and drifting when locating cause major issues. He gets manipulated off his spot by good QBs due to an overaggressive tendency to try to be a playmaker. He has a slight, injury-prone frame. He won't be able to press NFL receivers with regularity. Putting his back to the football is nearly a non-starter at the next level, relegating him to a zone defender and wasting a lot of his speed. He's going to get pushed around by most NFL outside WRs. His tackling is subpar at best. I can't see a 1st round grade on this kid.
Underrated: Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
Striking similarities to Trent McDuffie. Good bulk for a shorter corner and great speed. Exceptional footwork and silky-smooth hips in transition. Great route recognition and pattern matching. Excellent in press. Phenomenal closing burst to the ball carrier. Maintains good spatial awareness and position between him and his man. Finds the football downfield. Will be a top-notch slot defender in the NFL so long as he continues to improve as a tackler like he did in 2024.

SAFETY
Overrated: Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Solid safety, but the tape doesn't match the workouts. Artificially being elevated to top safety in class. Slow mental processing and delayed run trigger more often than you want from a big safety with elite speed. Doesn't show great hips in coverage; very leggy. Can match up on TEs, but zone tradeoffs onto WRs could cause problems. Not a violent hitter, more of a wrap-and-drag type. Plays more like a centerfielder looking for the big play than a big box guy that will dominate the middle of the field.
Underrated: Jonas Sanker, Virginia
Plays like a big-boy safety. Has great size and great athletic traits for the position. Triggers downhill with authority and hits you when he gets there. Good coverage with good route matching in man coverage. Can play on big slots, TEs, and RBs. Keeps discipline in zone, though eagerness against the run can get him caught on play action. Disrupts throwing windows with solid length and excellent timing. Might not end up an A+ guy, but may end up very similar to Justin Reid.

Dunerdr · 04-02-2025, 09:15 AM

Love this! Great write up.

JPH83 · 04-02-2025, 11:16 PM

I love this Crow and agree with a lot, special hat tip for the Josaiah Stewart love. Feel like I've been on that train forever. I know you've said you'd like him in a 3-4, what are your thoughts on him as a Chief? I know Spags will have no interest, but he's a smaller guy I'd really have no issues with taking more snaps against the run, he holds up damn well imo.

Maybe he'd only be a rotational pass rusher, I think he's got more value personally, but if so I'd have no problem spending our 2nd or 3rd on him. Plenty of sims have him available, I think it's highly unlikely.

I get all the knocks, but man what I'd do for that speed at DE.

Dunerdr · 04-03-2025, 08:08 AM

In my better late than never attempt to get caught up on prospects this put Sanker and Broughton on my radar. Thanks Crow!

kccrow · 04-03-2025, 08:14 AM

I was a little harder on a couple of my "overrated" guys than I maybe intended, especially Mason Graham but it's ok. It gets more difficult to win in the NFL the way he wins, but he's still going to be a good player.

Dunerdr · 04-03-2025, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kccrow

I was a little harder on a couple of my "overrated" guys than I maybe intended, especially Mason Graham but it's ok. It gets more difficult to win in the NFL the way he wins, but he's still going to be a good player.

You kind of have to be. But all the points you made are valid at least on him I think. I have trouble evaluating DT's and deciding who's benefiting from who but I think you hit the nail on the head.

Shoes · 04-03-2025, 09:14 AM

Hi, long time listener, first time caller. Couple of things:

1. Tet McMillian- what does "doesn't phase routes well" mean? Honestly just curious, haven't heard that expression before in my football days. I don't know if I agree if he is overrated or not, I think the Tee Higgins comparable is solid in regards to his upside. I think the WR class as a whole is very underwhelming so I can understand the high draft capital being used on a top WR might end up not panning out. I can get behind Higgins over Tet when you factor in where they'll be taken.

Harold Fannin- I completely understand why people are out on this guy. Doesn't have the size, no top end speed, and runs with his toes facing east and west direction. I don't want to like this player but man when you watch the tape and highlights I have a hard time dismissing him. All the guy does is make plays- albeit schemed up by his Bowling Green staff at times. Agree on the early 2nd day projections being too high but I still like this player.

Anyways thanks for all your draft/prospect write ups. Really enjoy reading all of it.

**SAGA45** · 04-03-2025, 11:57 AM

Crow, I'm with you on Marks. I like his 2nd gear once he finds a lane. Tough too.

kccrow · 04-03-2025, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shoes

Hi, long time listener, first time caller. Couple of things:

1. Tet McMillian- what does "doesn't phase routes well" mean? Honestly just curious, haven't heard that expression before in my football days. I don't know if I agree if he is overrated or not, I think the Tee Higgins comparable is solid in regards to his upside. I think the WR class as a whole is very underwhelming so I can understand the high draft capital being used on a top WR might end up not panning out. I can get behind Higgins over Tet when you factor in where they'll be taken.

Harold Fannin- I completely understand why people are out on this guy. Doesn't have the size, no top end speed, and runs with his toes facing east and west direction. I don't want to like this player but man when you watch the tape and highlights I have a hard time dismissing him. All the guy does is make plays- albeit schemed up by his Bowling Green staff at times. Agree on the early 2nd day projections being too high but I still like this player.

Anyways thanks for all your draft/prospect write ups. Really enjoy reading all of it.

It was meant to be an add-on to the previous sentence and say, "doesn't go through the entire phase of his route well." But phasing in that regard would mean his release package, his route path, and then his breaks.

He has kind of a slow/labored release at the LOS, and he doesn't have much variance with footwork or hand usage to evade the DB.

Footwork will tend to set-up what you do. Like on a split release, you'll see the receiver bring his feet under his shoulders at the snap so he's almost in a basketball or linebacker stance so he can release inside or outside instead of immediatelyf driving vertically off the snap. He can use slow and go, crossover, slide step, wide step, and so on. It's just how he starts his route with his feet. He has to use his hands to gain against press with a swim or a rip or just try to get around it.

Once he's running, how does he run his route? Does he sag or drift, or does he run his lines? Does he snap off cleanly at the top of the stem, creating a clean break point? (like sinking your hips on the snap step and pivoting their next step on a comeback without adding gather steps, without slowing down, not raising pad level, etc).

04-01-2025, 11:12 PM
kccrow MVP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Casino cash: $-1010000	Most Overrated/Underrated 2025 I would love to hear you guys give your most overrated and underrated at each position. Overrated doesn't necessarily mean you think they'll bust; it just means you don't feel like the projected draft position matches the talent. The converse would be true for underrated. Here are mine for this year: QUARTERBACK Overrated: Jalen Milroe, Alabama Talk was the first round; now it's the second round. He's not even in the fifth round. Honestly, he should play RB or WR because he's an athlete, not a quarterback. Underrated: Kyle McCord, Syracuse He's accurate, smart, and has a good touch. He can rip it down the seam and hit outside the numbers. There's a lot to like, and he's better than a fifth-rounder. RUNNING BACK Overrated: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa Big back that plays like a little one. Passive runner that runs too upright, lacks quickness, and offers little to no lateral agility. He's not a 2nd rounder. Underrated: Woody Marks, USC Decisive, smooth, one-cut runner with good vision. Great hands and can play all 3 downs. Really only lacks true homerun speed. He's going to be a good pro. Deserves to go higher than round 5. TIGHT END Overrated: Harold Fannin, Bowling Green Very linear athlete with marginal athleticism. Don't see him translating as well as the hype. Less than a guy like Noah Gray, who went in the 5th. See him as a middle-of-day 3 player at best, but gets 2nd-early 3rd grades. Underrated: C.J. Dippre, Alabama Better athlete and receiving TE than Milroe was able to make use of at 'Bama. Good blocker. Maryland probably better highlighted his skillset, but Alabama made him tougher. Better player than round 7 grades suggest. WIDE RECEIVER Overrated: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona Very linear and lacks burst off the line. Doesn't have a great release. Doesn't run very polished routes. Doesn't phase routes well. Can't separate. NFL press CBs are going to make his life hell. Makes contested catches but he'll lose a lot more of those in the NFL. Does some good things but looks to have max upside of a Tee Higgins and not so much a top 10 WR. Jayden Higgins shows better potential as a big WR to me (gasp). Underrated: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State Electric. Shows great burst and a good release. Separates at the top of his route with ease. Phases routes and gains distance when he turns on the jets. Will play in the middle for a smaller target. Catches at all levels and can go up and get a ball with his vertical. YAC guy with great agility who I think is going to be pretty damned good in this league. OFFENSIVE TACKLE Overrated: Armand Membou, Missouri I'm not going to knock this one too hard, but two things I see that are of major concern are that he's a waist bender and that he's a catcher instead of a puncher. Neither bode well in the pros. He's solid, but I don't think he's necessarily better than Banks, Conerly, Cambell, or Simmons (when healthy). He's a guy you take at RT and leave at RT, and you probably do it outside the top 15 because he needs some coaching. Underrated: Charles Grant, William & Mary The small school knocks him, but man this kid moves. He's got all the NFL traits you want. Long arms, good hands, good placement, strikes and locks out, rides the arc, gets good depth on his sets, attacks the pass rusher, etc. Definitely a guy I think you can take day 2 with some confidence in developing. Play strength and anchor, like with all rookie LT prospects, will be paramount. INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE Overrated: Tyler Booker, Alabama Absolutely stuck in a phone booth. Little lateral movement ability, very marginal athleticism, and relatively poor hand placement. Takes more than he gives and is not a real mauler. He'll make a team happy enough if they don't ask much of their interior guys. He won't make all teams happy, and he's absolutely not the best guard in this class. Underrated: Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech I'm reaching way down there for this one, but I feel as though this OT to OG conversion is going to go swimmingly. Exhibits exceptional initial shock in his punch and has outstanding core strength that allows for a good anchor. Lacks length outside but has enough at OG. Has great athleticism at OG. He can crash hard on down blocks and create movement. He sticks to his man. In limited reps at OG in his career, he showed great awareness for stunts and even caught him blocking two guys at once on multiple occasions. DEFENSIVE END Overrated: Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. Horrendous play against the run. Can't finish against the pass. He's just not a guy that makes plays in any facet. Not worth a 1st or 2nd round pick, much less a top 10-12. Football isn't about how good you do in shorts. My most overrated prospect in this entire class, and it's not close. Underrated: J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State Bottom of the 2nd? No way. Watch the 2023 game against Penn State, and that will tell you all you need to know about the makeup of Tuimoloau. Or, the 2024 playoffs. Led the Big 10 in sacks. Has everything you want with great size, very solid length, high motor, excellent strength and power, dominant run fit, and pass rush disruption. He locks out to set the edge. He sheds blocks quickly. Has multiple quality pass rush moves. He just keeps getting better. He's an NFL-ready player. DEFENSIVE TACKLE Overrated: Mason Graham, Michigan He's not even the best DT on his own team, much less the entire college landscape. He's undersized, with short arm,s and lacks power. His quickness and hand usage help him win, but he's going to get stalemated at the NFL level because he cannot get an OG off his spot, and he can't take on double-teams. Must play in a 1-gap scheme as a 3T only. Underrated: Vernon Broughton, Texas Elite first step. Can split double-teams. Length for days to gain initial punch and lockout blockers and stacks and sheds well. Has shown good rush diversity. Has some range as a tackler. Once he improves his lower body power, he could become dominant. LINEBACKER Overrated: James Pearce, Tennessee I don't have any off-ball guys to bang on, but in terms of 3-4 OLB, I sure do. Pearce is light with short arms and is a completely linear athlete with no bend. Betting on purely speed to win at the NFL level on the edges is a tough play. He's going to get beat to shit in the run game and he's going to struggle to keep NFL tackles off his frame and controlling him before he can get going. Looks like a one-trick pony that carves out a career as a situational guy and not a star. Not worth a 1. Underrated: Josaiah Stewart, Michigan The little engine that could. He doesn't have the height or the length you want, but he sure has the rest: elite get-off, elite bend, elite closing burst, and good tackler. He's passionate and tough and plays with a high motor. You know, a lunchpail dude. If I'm running a 3-4, I want this kid on my team because he just makes plays. CORNERBACK Overrated: Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky Propped up by eye-popping speed but has some fundamental flaws to his game that might land him on the bench faster. Finding the football and drifting when locating cause major issues. He gets manipulated off his spot by good QBs due to an overaggressive tendency to try to be a playmaker. He has a slight, injury-prone frame. He won't be able to press NFL receivers with regularity. Putting his back to the football is nearly a non-starter at the next level, relegating him to a zone defender and wasting a lot of his speed. He's going to get pushed around by most NFL outside WRs. His tackling is subpar at best. I can't see a 1st round grade on this kid. Underrated: Jacob Parrish, Kansas State Striking similarities to Trent McDuffie. Good bulk for a shorter corner and great speed. Exceptional footwork and silky-smooth hips in transition. Great route recognition and pattern matching. Excellent in press. Phenomenal closing burst to the ball carrier. Maintains good spatial awareness and position between him and his man. Finds the football downfield. Will be a top-notch slot defender in the NFL so long as he continues to improve as a tackler like he did in 2024. SAFETY Overrated: Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina Solid safety, but the tape doesn't match the workouts. Artificially being elevated to top safety in class. Slow mental processing and delayed run trigger more often than you want from a big safety with elite speed. Doesn't show great hips in coverage; very leggy. Can match up on TEs, but zone tradeoffs onto WRs could cause problems. Not a violent hitter, more of a wrap-and-drag type. Plays more like a centerfielder looking for the big play than a big box guy that will dominate the middle of the field. Underrated: Jonas Sanker, Virginia Plays like a big-boy safety. Has great size and great athletic traits for the position. Triggers downhill with authority and hits you when he gets there. Good coverage with good route matching in man coverage. Can play on big slots, TEs, and RBs. Keeps discipline in zone, though eagerness against the run can get him caught on play action. Disrupts throwing windows with solid length and excellent timing. Might not end up an A+ guy, but may end up very similar to Justin Reid.
Posts: 13,963	1 0

04-02-2025, 09:15 AM	#2
Dunerdr MVP Join Date: Oct 2012 Casino cash: $-2600000	Love this! Great write up. __________________ Adopt-A-Chief- Rachel Santschi
Posts: 12,682

04-02-2025, 11:16 PM	#3
JPH83 Veteran Join Date: Feb 2021 Casino cash: $-159600	I love this Crow and agree with a lot, special hat tip for the Josaiah Stewart love. Feel like I've been on that train forever. I know you've said you'd like him in a 3-4, what are your thoughts on him as a Chief? I know Spags will have no interest, but he's a smaller guy I'd really have no issues with taking more snaps against the run, he holds up damn well imo. Maybe he'd only be a rotational pass rusher, I think he's got more value personally, but if so I'd have no problem spending our 2nd or 3rd on him. Plenty of sims have him available, I think it's highly unlikely. I get all the knocks, but man what I'd do for that speed at DE.
Posts: 4,344

04-03-2025, 08:08 AM	#4
Dunerdr MVP Join Date: Oct 2012 Casino cash: $-2600000	In my better late than never attempt to get caught up on prospects this put Sanker and Broughton on my radar. Thanks Crow! __________________ Adopt-A-Chief- Rachel Santschi
Posts: 12,682

04-03-2025, 08:14 AM	#5
kccrow MVP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Casino cash: $-1010000	I was a little harder on a couple of my "overrated" guys than I maybe intended, especially Mason Graham but it's ok. It gets more difficult to win in the NFL the way he wins, but he's still going to be a good player.
Posts: 13,963

04-03-2025, 09:14 AM	#7
Shoes Veteran Join Date: Feb 2018 Casino cash: $3029690	Hi, long time listener, first time caller. Couple of things: 1. Tet McMillian- what does "doesn't phase routes well" mean? Honestly just curious, haven't heard that expression before in my football days. I don't know if I agree if he is overrated or not, I think the Tee Higgins comparable is solid in regards to his upside. I think the WR class as a whole is very underwhelming so I can understand the high draft capital being used on a top WR might end up not panning out. I can get behind Higgins over Tet when you factor in where they'll be taken. Harold Fannin- I completely understand why people are out on this guy. Doesn't have the size, no top end speed, and runs with his toes facing east and west direction. I don't want to like this player but man when you watch the tape and highlights I have a hard time dismissing him. All the guy does is make plays- albeit schemed up by his Bowling Green staff at times. Agree on the early 2nd day projections being too high but I still like this player. Anyways thanks for all your draft/prospect write ups. Really enjoy reading all of it.
Posts: 1,521	1 0

04-03-2025, 11:57 AM	#8
SAGA45 Supporter Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Compton, CA Casino cash: $2274955	Crow, I'm with you on Marks. I like his 2nd gear once he finds a lane. Tough too.
Posts: 1,911