The 2025 NFL draft will take place in just over two months. Teams have been preparing ahead of time to evaluate the talent in this year’s class.
NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently published his second mock draft for 2025. For the first time since 2018, Jeremiah believes more than two RBs could be selected in the first round.
Will three RBs be selected in the first round of the 2025 draft?
In his second mock of the 2025 NFL Draft, @MoveTheSticks forecasts something we haven’t seen in years: a first-round run on running backs. See his full first-round projection, 1-32. pic.twitter.com/7tym2G3uTK
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) February 18, 2025
In 2024, there was a resurgence of RBs in the NFL. They’ve always been a valuable piece on the football field but the 2024 season helped immensely. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards in 16 games. Additionally, Derrick Henry, James, Cook, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs all had stellar seasons. With how prevalent RBs were in 2024, draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes three will taken in the first round of 2025.
The last time three RBs were selected in the first round was the 2018 draft. Saquon Barkley was the #2 pick by New York, Rashaad Penny was selected 27th by Seattle, and Sony Michel was 31st by the Patriots. Two of those three were not with an NFL team in 2024. Daniel Jeremiah predicts Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and TreVeyon Henderson will be first-round picks.
Jeanty finished second in Heisman Trophy voting in 2024. His 344 carries for 2,601 yards let the nation. He was a first-team All-American in 2024 and was the Mountain West Player of the Year. Omarion Hampton led the ACC in rushing yards in back-to-back seasons. From 2023-2024, Hampton had 3,164 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns. Finally, there is TreVeyon Henderson. He’s coming off a national championship win with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Henderson has overcome injuries in his career and he’s still one of the top RB prospects in this year’s class.
