It hasn't been easy for talent evaluators to make sense of the 2025 NFL draft class. The combination of COVID-19 seasons, prospects in their mid-20s, transfers and NIL have created several obstacles for scouts to sift through.
"Maybe this is how it's going to look [from now on], but this year feels different," a longtime AFC scout said. "[It's] pretty thin on top [of the board], thick in the middle, and NIL probably carved out the back end [of Day 3]."
That leaves a class with fewer players with first-round grades than usual.