"They took the best player on the board."
When you hear that phrase, a team made the safe pick. The 2025 NFL Draft presents several chances to do that. We hit most of those picks in our annual exercise last year – with one miss. We weren't 100% sure about Jayden Daniels in the first round – and he crushed it with the Washington Commanders.
We won't make that mistake with the Heisman Trophy winner again. Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is among our eight safe picks, and he is one of four players who were Sporting News' first-team team All-Americans. We also made our picks relative to draft position in the first round. These are the players who will be safe picks based on where they fall in Round 1.
Who are the eight safest picks for the 2025 NFL Draft based on the Sporting News Top 200 Big Board? Here's a closer look.
Safest NFL Draft picks 2025
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Hunter (6-0, 188) was the best football player in college football last season. He was a remarkable play-maker who totaled 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 TDs and 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups and four interceptions. How many draft picks fit full time as a receiver and a cornerback? The question becomes can he be dominant at either position at the next level – and he did make headlines for saying he would "quit football" if he could not play both sides. Don't read too much into it. Hunter is an ultra-competitive football player willing to play both sides – and among the top five picks in this year's draft he's the best bet to make an instant impact. Why not embrace it?
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Michigan has two excellent defensive tackles in the draft with Graham (6-3, 296) and Kenneth Grant (6-4, 331). Graham will be the higher pick, and he is a force at the point of attack. Graham played primarily as a B-gap defender, and he had five sacks and 20 quarterback hurries. He also had 25 run stops, which ranked fifth in the FBS. Graham dominated in the 13-10 upset against Ohio State with five run stops. Graham could be this year's version of Braden Fiske, who had 8.5 sacks as a rookie for the Rams last season. Fiske was a second-round pick, so Graham will have more pressure as a first-rounder. Graham, however, thrived with defensive coordinators Jesse Minter and Wink Martindale. He will be a high-impact interior defender at the next level.
Will Campbell, T, LSU
Missouri's Armand Membou is probably going to be the first tackle selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to Pro Football Focus, Membou did not allow a sack or quarterback hit in 392 attempts. Campbell (6-6, 319) allowed two sacks and five hits in 524 attempts. That after a 2023 season where he did not allow a sack. Campbell maintained that top-10 value through two seasons, and he had a 1.76 split (first 10 yards) in the 40-yard dash. That is comparable to Membou at 1.74. Both tackles are going to be good, but Campbell will have the benefit of being drafted a touch lower.
Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Sensing a theme here? In the top half of the first round, you're going to want the best players on the field. Warren (6-5, 256) had 104 catches on 135 targets – a 77% catch percentage – for 1,233 yards and eight TDs in 2024. He added 218 yards and four TDs, primarily out of the Wildcat. He had arguably the best performance of the season with 17 catches, 224 yards and a TD against USC. He did have five catches on passes of 20 yards or more, which was part of his development at Penn State as the go-to target for Drew Allar. The first-round tight ends the last three years were Brock Bowers (2024), Dalton Kincaid (2023) and Trey McBride (2022). That is a solid hit rate, and Warren should join the list.
Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Barron (5-11, 194) won the Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back, and he ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. That was the sixth fastest time among cornerbacks. We're more interested in his elite coverage skills. He allowed just two catches of more than 20 yards in coverage all season, and he never allowed more than 43 yards in a single game. Opposing receivers had a 54.4% catch percentage against Barron. He was impressive in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State's receivers after being the Defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl. Texas hasn't had a defensive back drafted in the first round since Earl Thomas in 2010. Barron has a chance to be that kind of player.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Egbuka (6-1, 202) is set to be the fifth Ohio State receiver drafted in the first round in the last four years, along with Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. He had 81 catches on 106 targets – a 76.4% catch percentage that ranked 10th in the FBS. He finished with 1,011 yards and 10 TDs – a bounce-back from a junior season riddled with injuries. Egbuka is the Buckeyes' all-time leader with 205 receptions. He's an excellent route runner who ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash at Ohio State's Pro Day. For teams looking for a reliable pass-catcher from a trusted source, Egbuka is an easy pick.
Tyler Booker, G, Alabama
Booker (6-5, 321) was a five-star tackle in high school who played both right and left guard at Alabama and even started one game at left tackle. He started in 26 games the last two seasons, and he allowed just two sacks in those two seasons. He can fit in either a gap or a zone running attack. Booker did not flash at the NFL Scouting Combine as much as Washington's Troy Fautanu – who was a first-round pick last year, and guards are risky first-round picks. Booker, however, has enough versatility to justify that selection.
Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
This is not a slight to Boise State's Ashton Jeanty – who will be the first running back drafted. Jeanty, however, will be expected to do more as a top-five or top-10 pick. Hampton had back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons as the ACC's leading rusher, and he ranked second behind Jeanty with 1,202 yards after contact. Hampton (6-0, 221) averaged 5.9 yards per carry each of the last two seasons. He also had 38 receptions on 43 targets and was one of three running backs with at least 2,000 all-purpose yards last season. Jeanty and Arizona State's Cam Skattebo made more headlines, but Hampton will be just as productive at the next level.