NFL Trade Rumors
We’re now over a month into the college football season, and it’s time to start updating NFL draft big boards. With teams now having played four or five games, we can re-examine our summer priors and take note of players who weren’t on our radar before who are balling out this college football season.
Last week, I took a look at the quarterback class, which you can see here. Now, I’m going to break down the rest of the class. In this article, I’ve highlighted some risers and fallers from my Preseason Top 50 Big Board, as well as five new names who weren’t on my summer board but have stood out so far this season.
A five-star high school recruit and the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, Bain exploded onto the scene as a freshman. He had 44 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass defensed that year, announcing himself on the national stage. Unfortunately, Bain suffered a serious calf injury in the 2024 season opener, causing him to miss a chunk of the season and impacting his performance when he returned. But he’s bounced back in a major way so far in 2025, with 22 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, a pass defensed and an interception through four games.
I had Bain as my No. 1 overall player coming out of the summer, and I’m already touting a major scouting win here. Bain’s been unblockable for Miami this season, with a ludicrous 29.7-percent pass rush win rate and 20 total pressures on the season. His combination of size, speed, and athleticism makes him a nearly impossible assignment for any tackle, and he’s technically refined as a pass rusher as well. Bain is one of PFF’s highest-graded run defenders and he can reduce inside on passing downs to create additional mismatches. There isn’t any room for Bain to rise on my board, but he’s gone from a top 20ish player on most boards to consensus top three in the class and the favorite to be the first non-quarterback taken in the draft.
A three-year starter for the Hawkeyes, Dunker was a three-star high school recruit who played a little right guard as a freshman before taking over in 2023 as the starting right tackle, where he’s been since. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 and is on pace to earn even higher accolades this season, as he anchors one of the best offensive lines at the college level.
While Dunker plays tackle in college, he’s a guard at the next level. His play strength is absurd, and he generates powerful, explosive movement in the run game. In space, he has the quickness and foot speed to execute tough reach blocks in zone concepts, and he’s an absolutely terrifying presence for linebackers to see coming at them as a puller. In pass protection, his lack of length...
