[Bootleg Football] The 10 Offensive Gems of the 2025 NFL Draft

[Icege]

EJ Snyder's five gems:

• Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
• Jonah Savaiinaea, OT/OG, Arizona
• Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
• Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
• Omarion Hampton, RB, UNC

Brett Kollman's five gems:

• Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
• Charles Grant, OT, William & Mary
• RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
• Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
• Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State

Honorable Mentions:

• (Brett) Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
• (Brett) Logan Brown, OT, Kansas
• (Brett) Tate Ratledge, iOL, Georgia
• (Brett) Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
• (Brett) Woody Marks, RB, UC
• (EJ) Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
• (EJ) Jack Bech, WR, TCU
• (EJ) Jordan James, RB, Oregon
• (EJ) Moliki Matavao, TE, UCLA

They said that Ashton Jeanty isn't listed because he's a bit of a superhero and they're going to be creating plenty of draft highlighting him leading up to the draft. Also said that there is an embarrassing amount of riches at the RB position this year.

Edited March 19, 2025 by Icege

[CPF4LIFE]

Give me Noel, Higgins, or Ricky white in the later rounds.

[Waldo]

If we don't take a RB later because they made the huge mistake of taking one in the 2nd last year then I hope Morgan gets fired. Any GM that can't admit they made a mistake isn't it and the sooner they are gone the better. Let the young guys compete next year, lol, after the 1 year rental is up.

Edited March 19, 2025 by Waldo

[Captain Morgan]

OP thanks for telling us who they were.  No time at work to watch a video

[mrcompletely11]

27 minutes ago, Waldo said:

If we don't take a RB later because they made the huge mistake of taking one in the 2nd last year then I hope Morgan gets fired. Any GM that can't admit they made a mistake isn't it and the sooner they are gone the better. Let the young guys compete next year, lol, after the 1 year rental is up.

it would be insanity to not take one

[grimesgoat]

7 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

it would be insanity to not take one

Just a thought, but if RB is super deep - there should be some that fall out.  Why not just wait until after the draft and grab one?

Use the draft to grab the depth where there is a more limited supply.

[mrcompletely11]

1 minute ago, grimesgoat said:

Just a thought, but if RB is super deep - there should be some that fall out.  Why not just wait until after the draft and grab one?

Use the draft to grab the depth where there is a more limited supply.

why would you do that?  We have the picks to get a really good one, why not draft one and have him locked for 4 years under a cheap contract?  I would feel better about taking a top 6-10 ish rb in the 4rth or 5th then some top 15-20 corner prospect.

[Icege]

36 minutes ago, Waldo said:

If we don't take a RB later because they made the huge mistake of taking one in the 2nd last year then I hope Morgan gets fired. Any GM that can't admit they made a mistake isn't it and the sooner they are gone the better. Let the young guys compete next year, lol, after the 1 year rental is up.

I can't call drafting JB a mistake. Did the move work out? Not yet, and it's reasonable to be concerned that it won't pan out due to the re-injury. However, the team had zero RBs under contract for 2025 and Canales' offense leans heavily on the position. They also needed to give the young QB the team just made a heavy investment in a run game to help take some pressure off of him (especially after the previous season's poo show). Jumping ahead of the Giants who had just lost Saquon to take RB1 was the right move on paper. Sure, Frazier was there, but Mays handled things well (and posted a better PFF pass blocking grade) and JB looked like he belonged on the field until the re-tear.

Sometimes, bad luck just happens.

The team having not gone out and picked up an RB3 has me thinking that they're going to take one from this deep draft class. It will give them competition for RB2 if JB comes back the following year while giving the team a true three-headed monster in the backfield. Chuba's contract is also set up to allow for his release following this season (2026: $2M saved, 2027: $6M saved, 2028: $9M saved), so there's some moneyball that can be played as well by drafting another RB.

[grimesgoat]

2 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

why would you do that?  We have the picks to get a really good one, why not draft one and have him locked for 4 years under a cheap contract?  I would feel better about taking a top 6-10 ish rb in the 4rth or 5th then some top 15-20 corner prospect.

If the choice is a top 15-20 corner and a RB that will be either 3rd or 4th on the depth chart, my choice is CB.  We have 2 good corners and 3 average backups.  The CB will get reps and play special teams.

I felt differently before we signed Dowdle.  After the draft, we should be able to grab someone to field punts and kickoffs and with some upside for the practice squad.

[CarolinaLivin]

3 minutes ago, Icege said:

I can't call drafting JB a mistake. Did the move work out? Not yet, and it's reasonable to be concerned that it won't pan out due to the re-injury. However, the team had zero RBs under contract for 2025 and Canales' offense leans heavily on the position. They also needed to give the young QB the team just made a heavy investment in a run game to help take some pressure off of him (especially after the previous season's poo show). Jumping ahead of the Giants who had just lost Saquon to take RB1 was the right move on paper. Sure, Frazier was there, but Mays handled things well (and posted a better PFF pass blocking grade) and JB looked like he belonged on the field until the re-tear.

Sometimes, bad luck just happens.

The team having not gone out and picked up an RB3 has me thinking that they're going to take one from this deep draft class. It will give them competition for RB2 if JB comes back the following year while giving the team a true three-headed monster in the backfield. Chuba's contract is also set up to allow for his release following this season (2026: $2M saved, 2027: $6M saved, 2028: $9M saved), so there's some moneyball that can be played as well by drafting another RB.

Many would and will call it a mistake. Were they sort of right in thinking to get ahead of the ball and select a RB last draft, sure. Did they take the right guy in the right spot, no.  Regardless of bad luck being involved, it was a bad pick. 

[mrcompletely11]

8 minutes ago, Icege said:

I can't call drafting JB a mistake. Did the move work out? Not yet, and it's reasonable to be concerned that it won't pan out due to the re-injury. However, the team had zero RBs under contract for 2025 and Canales' offense leans heavily on the position. They also needed to give the young QB the team just made a heavy investment in a run game to help take some pressure off of him (especially after the previous season's poo show). Jumping ahead of the Giants who had just lost Saquon to take RB1 was the right move on paper. Sure, Frazier was there, but Mays handled things well (and posted a better PFF pass blocking grade) and JB looked like he belonged on the field until the re-tear.

Sometimes, bad luck just happens.

The team having not gone out and picked up an RB3 has me thinking that they're going to take one from this deep draft class. It will give them competition for RB2 if JB comes back the following year while giving the team a true three-headed monster in the backfield. Chuba's contract is also set up to allow for his release following this season (2026: $2M saved, 2027: $6M saved, 2028: $9M saved), so there's some moneyball that can be played as well by drafting another RB.

using 4 picks for a player thats losing 2 years from the jump is an absolutely horrific mistake

[shaqattaq]

27 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

why would you do that?  We have the picks to get a really good one, why not draft one and have him locked for 4 years under a cheap contract?  I would feel better about taking a top 6-10 ish rb in the 4rth or 5th then some top 15-20 corner prospect.

EJ mentions that really good RBs will still be there in the 4th, potential starters, so I'm all in on that plan. I just can't see spending a top 100 pick when we have 2 1000 yard rushers on the roster this year and invested a 2nd round pick last year on a potential stud that we still haven't seen play. Hell, I might slot in a RB for 1 of our early 5th round picks and let him develop this year and be insurance JUST IN CASE Brooks never fully heals (which I think he will). If neither work out as RB2, we can always get another 1 year rental for 2026. 

[Icege]

20 minutes ago, CarolinaLivin said:

Many would and will call it a mistake. Were they sort of right in thinking to get ahead of the ball and select a RB last draft, sure. Did they take the right guy in the right spot, no.  Regardless of bad luck being involved, it was a bad pick. 

I cannot agree that a pick is bad just because a player gets hurt. That would imply that people should know that a career ending injury will happen which just isn't rational. There have been plenty of players that have torn their ACL and come back the following season and go on to have successful careers.

Hell, this is the same team that believed in Thomas Davis after his third tear.

Way, way, way too early to declare the pick good/bad.

 

[mrcompletely11]

Just now, Icege said:

I cannot agree that a pick is bad just because a player gets hurt. That would imply that people should know that a career ending injury will happen which just isn't rational. There have been plenty of players that have torn their ACL and come back the following season and go on to have successful careers.

Hell, this is the same team that believed in Thomas Davis after his third tear.

Way, way, way too early to declare the pick good/bad.

 

He didnt get hurt, he was already hurt.  Slight difference.  And I knew we would get a Thomas Davis sighting today.