• Can Benjamin Morrison rebound from his season-ending injury? He’s as talented a man coverage cornerback as there is in this class. The big question will be more so about his long-term mobility after surgery.

• Jaxson Dart is one of the class’ most polarizing prospects: The challenge will be in separating Dart as a player from Lane Kiffin’s quarterback-friendly offense, which provided him with many easy vertical throws.

• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Previously, we examined some of the most NFL-ready prospects in this year’s draft class with an eye on who could have the easiest transition to the league.

Now, we will look at some big-name prospects with extremely high upside but also a fair amount of bust potential based on their college production and how their skills translate to the NFL.

T Josh Simmons, Ohio State

PFF Big Board Rank: 12th

Simmons is a very athletic tackle whose good tape stacks up with any tackle in the class. However, that hasn’t always translated to an elite grading profile, as he is still refining his technique. The former San Diego State transfer topped out at a 74.4 PFF overall grade this past season before tearing his ACL in Ohio State’s Week 7 game versus Oregon.

As a result, Simmons didn’t get to prove if he could sustain his improvement later in the season against top teams like Michigan, Tennessee and Texas. The raw potential is there, but there is a question now as to whether he can recover from a major injury and consistently dominate at the NFL level. He may be the most high-risk, high-reward offensive lineman in this draft.

On talent alone, Morrison is undoubtedly a top-20 player in this class. The issue lies in whether he can recover from a hip injury that ended his 2024 season early. At the time of his injury, Morrison was carrying a career-low 68.4 PFF coverage grade, as well.

Across his first two seasons, Morrison earned a 90.4 PFF coverage grade, which put him in the neighborhood of elite players like Devon Witherspoon and Cooper DeJean. He’s as talented a man coverage cornerback as there is in this class, with a skill set similar to Kamari Lassiter of the Houston Texans. The big question will be more so about his long-term mobility coming off surgery than his talent.

EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia

Williams has a coveted build and athletic traits. He is a young player who still has a lot of development left in front of him. What is clear is that he will be at least a competent run defender in the NFL, as he posted 80.0-plus PFF run-defense grades in each of the past two seasons.

The tough part of Williams’ projection will be figuring out if he can become an elite pass-rusher. He posted a true PFF pass-rush grade below 70.0 in each of his three seasons at Georgia, bottoming out at 61.0 in 2024. There are plenty of viable run defenders in this draft class who can be had in the middle rounds. If a team is to take a chance on Williams early, they need to be sure they can develop him into an above-average pass-rusher.

EDGE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State

At times, Tuimoloau flashed a level of dominance at Ohio State worthy of his being a top-25 player in this class. His performance in two matchups against 2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu showcased his pass-rushing ceiling.

Inconsistency is the primary issue for Tuimoloau. There were many weeks where he was relatively quiet. He posted a PFF pass-rush grade of at least 80.0 just once in each of the past two seasons. Though he may be the more physically gifted of the two, it often felt as though his teammate Jack Sawyer was more consistently productive on a week-to-week basis.

Ersery is a monstrous left tackle, standing at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds. He’s a strong zone run blocker who had a dominant 2023 but a more reserved performance in 2024. His upper-body strength matches any tackle in this class, but his ability to bend and pass protect will be the biggest key for him in the NFL.

Ersery’s 62.9 true PFF pass-blocking grade in 2024 ranked him outside the top 100 FBS tackles. He was often protected from true one-on-one situations as Minnesota tried to get the ball out quickly and stay out of obvious passing situations. Ersery’s ability to win in those situations will be highly scrutinized by whichever team elects to draft him.

LB Jalon Walker, Georgia

Walker is nominally listed as a linebacker, but he will likely be moved to the edge in the NFL. He earned an elite 90.0 PFF pass-rush grade over the past two seasons, which shows he is capable of impacting quarterbacks in the pocket. 

However, his PFF pass-rush grade when lined up as an edge defender this season was a more modest 72.5. He also could check in around the same size as Dallas Turner, who didn’t make much of an impact in his first year with the Minnesota Vikings. Walker could very well flourish after a full-time switch to the edge, similar to Abdul Carter at Penn State, but there could be some bumps along the way as he adjusts.

WR Savion Williams, TCU

Williams is an oddity in this class. He is built like a tight end, plays like a running back and belongs somewhere in between. By the end of 2024, he was taking reps as a Wildcat quarterback on the way to earning a 90.5 PFF rushing grade for the season. 

He has legitimate ability with the ball in his hands, but he isn’t the most natural separator as a receiver and struggles with drops. If he can’t improve his fundamentals as a wide receiver, then he could be relegated to something of a Cordarelle Patterson-esque role as a player who needs touches crafted for him, possibly as a kick returner along with ambiguous offensive responsibilities.

T Cameron Williams, Texas

NFL teams that deploy an outside-zone run scheme could find themselves loving the potential of Cameron Williams, who was Texas’ starting right tackle this past season. He’s athletic enough to stay at tackle, and his 84.0 zone PFF run-blocking grade ranked ninth best among Power Four tackles in 2024.

Pass protection is the main problem for Williams, whose 56.0 true PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 100th among qualified Power Four tackles this season. He allowed five pressures in each of his two games against Georgia as well as in the Longhorns’ playoff loss to Ohio State. A gamble on Williams’ potential is a worthy one, but it will all be for naught if he doesn’t substantially improve in pass protection.

Milroe has perhaps the most tantalizing physical tools in this year’s quarterback class. There were plenty of moments during his two years as Alabama’s starter when he was the best athlete on the field and simply couldn’t be stopped. His 88.8 PFF rushing grade leads all Power Four quarterbacks who played in each of the past two seasons.

Still, Milroe needs a lot of work in the passing game. He has high-variance tendencies as a passer and struggles to maintain his accuracy, especially when he is sped up in the pocket. Perhaps an NFL team can develop his immense talent behind the scenes and turn him into a dynamic starter, but he seems just as likely to be unable to overcome his flaws as a passer.

QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Dart has suddenly become the most polarizing quarterback in the draft. He certainly has talent, as he led the FBS with a 91.9 PFF passing grade in 2024. The challenge will be in separating Dart as a player from Lane Kiffin’s quarterback-friendly offense, which provided him with so many easy vertical throws. When he struggled, it was generally because the better defenses on Ole Miss’ schedule took away those deep shots and made him work underneath.

Dart’s average depth of target this past season was 11.9 yards, the second-highest average in the Power Four. His five highest-graded games came against Furman (FCS), Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern, Arkansas and Florida — none of which ranked inside the top 70 in PFF coverage grade. Dart is talented, but he still has plenty to prove against better competition that denies him free access to downfield shots.