We’ve made it to the third and final part of this Devy RB series, where I give you my tier ranks of the Top 20 RBs who are eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft. If you missed either of the first two articles, you can check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here. I have covered my first three tiers of RBs, as well as the strengths and weaknesses for each.
As a quick recap, here were my tiers thus far:
Tier 1: Quinshon Judkins, Nicholas Singleton, Trevor Etienne, TreVeyon Henderson, Ashton Jeanty
Tier 2: Raheim Sanders, Ollie Gordon II, Devin Neal, Omarion Hampton
Tier 3: Kaytron Allen, Jonah Coleman, Donovan Edwards
We still have two more tiers and eight total players to cover, so let’s jump right in!
Tier 4
My fourth tier of 2025 draft-eligible RBs include Jaydn Ott, Jordan James, Jarquez Hunter, and Dylan Sampson. These are guys I think could be worth a dart throw in the late-third or early-fourth round of your 2025 rookie drafts, depending on draft capital and landing spot. I’ll briefly break down the profile of each guy below.
Jaydn Ott
Jaydn Ott was a hot commodity from a young age, initially committing to play for Oregon as a freshman in high school. He later decommitted to sign with California, where he’s been an integral part of the offense from Day 1.
Strengths
Established himself as a true workhorse back in college, already over 400 carries through his first two seasons. Been a major part of the receiving game, especially as a freshman. Soft hands out of the backfield. Great raw numbers.
Weaknesses
Plays with a high pad level. Sometimes indecisive in the backfield looking for running lanes. Somewhere between 200-210 pounds at 6’0” tall, so he doesn’t have a large frame. Best season 3.39 YCO/A is not very good. Also, best season YPRR is just 1.05, so he’s not been an efficient pass catcher despite his involvement.
Jordan James
Jordan James is expected to step into a larger role for Oregon, alongside Noah Whittington, as Bucky Irving has taken his talents to the NFL.
Strengths
Clean analytical profile. Last season, he hit 7.1 YPA and had a PFF Run Grade of 94.8, which was best in the class. Natural pass catcher, displays good burst through the line of scrimmage and is not afraid of contact. Adequate pass protector. Set up nicely for a monster junior campaign.
Weaknesses
This Oregon offense is a well-oiled machine and running in this system offense is pretty simple. We saw Bucky Irving look incredible at Eugene but still fell to Day 3 of the NFL Draft. James could very well be a product of the system as well. He’s not overly elusive or shifty either. He could cede quite a bit of work to 5th year senior, Noah Whittington, who is coming off a leg injury in 2023.
Jarquez Hunter
Hunter enters his senior year for the Auburn Tigers as the clear RB1, hoping to build on his junior year numbers and establish himself as a true NFL back.
Strengths
Hunter is a reliable pass catcher, with his best season hitting an 18.75% target rate in 2022. He is technically sound, keeps a low pad level through contact, and has the patience to let his blocks develop. Shows some nice burst and quickness through the hole. Hit 6.7 YPA as a freshman.
Weaknesses
Heading into his senior season, he’s a year older than a lot of these guys. He’s a jack of all trades but a master of none. There’s no real elite characteristics to his game that tell me he could be a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft.
Dylan Sampson
Similar to Jordan James, Sampson is entering Year 3 of his college career and his first season as the projected RB1 in his offense. Jaylen Wright is gone, and this is now Sampson’s backfield to lose.
Strengths
Great efficiency from a rushing standpoint. Averaged 6.7 YPA and 4.57 YCO/A as a freshman, both incredible marks. The kid has absolute burners. Don’t let him break into the second level, or he’s taking it to the house. Great pass catcher and quite impressive after the catch. He’s deadly in open space.
Weaknesses
These Tennessee prospects are so tough to grade out, as that Volunteer offense is so unique. Like Jaylen Wright, Sampson has faced a number of light boxes, helping to inflate his numbers. He’s only 192 pounds, according to Tennessee’s website. Unlikely he has the size to ever carry a full workload in the NFL.
Tier 5
Now onto our fifth tier, which includes my 17-20th ranked RBs in this draft class. As it stands today, I would assume the underclassmen in this tier will elect to stay in college one more year, seeing how deep this RB class is. But tons can happen between now and next April, and I think they have a high enough ceiling to keep on our radar. This tier includes DJ Giddens, Tahj Brooks, Damien Martinez, and Gavin Sawchuk.
DJ Giddens
Giddens posted some big-time numbers as a redshirt sophomore this past season, exceeding 1500 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns. Let’s see how he fares as a dynasty asset.
Strengths
Established himself as a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield. Displayed good one-cut ability. Willing blocker, plays bigger than his size. Has some wiggle to his game.
Weaknesses
Listed at 6’1” and 212 lbs. on Kansas State’s website, but I think he’s lighter than this. No elite traits that tell me he could become an every-down player at the next level. Doesn’t have breakaway speed.
Tahj Brooks
Brooks is heading into Year 5 for the Red Raiders, hoping to build on his senior year breakout. Many were surprised he elected not to declare for the 2024 Draft in a weaker draft class.
Strengths
Showed us he could handle a three-down workload in 2023, finishing with nearly 300 rush attempts. He’s a bruiser, listed at 5’10” and a whopping 230 lbs. Quick one-cut ability, highly competitive grinder.
Weaknesses
Brooks isn’t very fast and won’t be outrunning any DBs at the next level. He’s virtually a non-factor in the receiving game, totaling just 347 receiving yards through four seasons. Best season 0.77 YPRR is awful. Will be 23 years old with a ton of mileage before he plays in an NFL game.
Damien Martinez
Martinez has had one heck of a start to his college career and has the potential to be an early-declare with a great junior season. He’s officially transferred to the Miami Hurricanes to pair up with former Washington State QB Cameron Ward.
Strengths
Already amassed over 2,100 rush yards through his first two seasons, finding the endzone 16 times for the Beavers. Average over 6 YPA in each season. He’s a tank, listed at 6”0” and 232 lbs. PFF Run Grades of 90.2 and 88.1, respectively.
Weaknesses
He’s not going to be catching any passes for your dynasty team. Best season 10.2% target rate and 0.64 YPRR, just 15 receptions in two years. Not a great pass protector despite his size. Doesn’t have any real explosion or breakaway speed. Projects to be more of a plodder in the NFL.
Gavin Sawchuk
Sawchuk is entering his true junior season for the Sooners, one of the more exciting offenses in the FBS.
Strengths
Quality rusher outside the hash lines. Has the quickness and speed to beat linebackers to the sideline and turn it upfield. Impressive long speed, always a homerun threat.
Weaknesses
Analytically, he’s been pretty bad across the board thus far. He’s not great after contact and isn’t overly elusive. Sawchuk has not had much of a role in the receiving game yet, averaging 0.64 YPRR in his career. He’s a poor pass blocker and his slender frame suggests he’ll never be a 200+ carries guy in college. Highly likely he’ll need to stay for his senior year as well.
Conclusion
And there you have it – my Top 20 RBs in this 2025 Draft-eligible class! Between breakouts, injuries, and NIL, so much can change in a year’s time, so I may revisit this list next offseason and bring you an updated tier list. For now, this should be a solid tier list to reference in your upcoming Devy startup and supplemental drafts.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
