Let’s see if I can do it again.
Every year, teams, analysts, and fans fall in love with new prospects throughout the evaluation process. They can be top-tier players in the top 5, middle-round prospects with potential, or late-round sleepers. In 2024, I had three guys that stood out to me as prospects who would do well in the league no matter the team they went to. The three prospects were Braden Fiske, who went to the Rams and had a great year; Cooper Beebe, who was the starting center for the Dallas Cowboys and did well; and Cam Hart, who shined throughout the season but dealt with injuries. That is three of three on the prospects I chose, so now it is time to see if I can do it again.
Grey Zabel OG/C – NDSU
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After the last draft, I have made it my mission to find my “Braden Fiske” in every future draft. A player who fills this requirement is someone who would fit any team he goes to and will be a great player in the NFL. Also, they need to have massive rises on the board that get them close to the first round by draft night. This is exactly what happened to Fiske last season, who was projected to be around a 4th round pick before the CFB season started. My “Fiske” for the 2025 NFL Draft is NDSU offensive lineman Grey Zabel.
In November, I made my first big board for the draft, and I had Zabel ranked 21st. This was definitely high compared to most people’s boards, but I saw something that made me believe there was something there. I loved his athleticism, aggression, and excellent in both pass protection and run blocking. The issue was his arm length, which is just too much of an issue to play tackle, in the NFL. That is one of the reasons he is not higher for me on my big board, but at guard or center, he can be a perennial Pro Bowler for his whole career.
Damien Martinez RB – Miami
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With the amount of talented running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, at times, it is hard to really differentiate between some of the later prospects. They all have talent with some drawbacks, but Miami’s Damien Martinez sticks out to me.
When rushing, he does well to deal with contact, break off tackles, and fight for more yards, even with players draped over him. Martinez also has a type of burst that allows him to run right past defenders. One of the reasons he may not be drafted earlier is because of his speed. He will not be a running back who can consistently run for long touchdowns just off of his ability to outrun players. Still, the burst of acceleration that he has is still lethal and mixing that with his ability to deal with contact, plays will be made every Sunday. In the passing game, Martinez does well as a receiver, which brings some flexibility to an offense.
Ashton Gillotte DE – Louisville
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Like with Zabel, I have been high on this player for a while. Defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte is one of the most underrated players in the class. Gilotte brings a combination of strength and speed to pass rush, making him a defensive line coach’s dream. He has a highly effective ability to push offensive linemen back into the quarterback’s lap, and at 6-foot-3, 264 lbs., Gillotte has closing speed that a much smaller edge rusher should have. At his pro day, Gillotte ran a blistering 4.65 40-yard dash and had a 6.94 3-cone drill, which has been one of the potential indicators of success at the next level for edge rushers. In run defense, he does get turned around at times and may not be able to adjust to plays, but as I mentioned before, his track-down speed to wrap up ball carriers stands out. Gillotte also uses his strength to close rushing lanes and stop rushers from gaining more yards. In the NFL, he can be played in both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes as an edge rusher, but if he has to also go in at defensive tackle when needed, Ashton Gillotte can do that.
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