AUSTIN, Texas — The three-day 2025 NFL Draft is happening in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the first round set to kick off on April 24.
After having 11 players taken in 2024, the Texas Longhorns will once again be well represented, with as many as 14 players eligible to hear their names called.
This year’s class hopes to join a growing list of Texas alumni who have gone on to become superstars in the NFL, which includes 2024 first round picks Xavier Worthy and Byron Murphy, as well as 2023 first-round pick and Pro Bowl running back Bijan Robinson.
Here are the Longhorns eligible to be taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jahdae Barron
Winner of the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, Austin native Jahdae Barron saw his draft stock rise over the course of the 2024 season to a point where he is now widely projected to be a top 15 pick.
Barron, who played his high school years at Connally High School, was integral to Texas having the best pass defense in the country this past season. He finished the 2024 season with five interceptions, tied for second in the conference, and was named First Team All-SEC as a defensive back.
Barron has also been praised for his ability to defend the run and contain receivers at the point of catch, as well as his positional versatility having played snaps at both safety and linebacker.
ESPN ranks Barron as the draft’s No. 11 overall player and the second-highest rated defensive back, trailing only reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who is a projected top five pick.
Kelvin Banks Jr.
Kelvin Banks Jr. was an anchor on the Texas offensive line for three seasons, and is seen as one of the best offensive line prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Banks was one of head coach Steve Sarkisian’s first recruits and started every game (42 total) at tackle since his freshman season. He won the Lombardi Trophy and Outland Trophy and was a unanimous All-American during the 2024 season, all while helping to lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff Semifinals for the second straight year.
Banks has garnered recognition for his effectiveness as a run blocker, with his ability to effectively combo block while easing to the second level, while his larger frame frequently allowed him to effectively latch on to rushers in passing situations.
At the scouting combine, Banks’ arms measured at 33-and-a-half inches, which is considered just below average for an offensive tackle in the NFL. Some analysts think the team that drafts him could move him inside to play guard.
Banks was projected as a top 10 pick for much of the season, but his stock has dropped slightly since the scouting combine, with some analysts now believing him to be a mid-to-late first round pick. Teams like the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans – all of whom possess picks in the middle to late first round and are viewed as being in need of offensive line help – are seen as likely landing spots for Banks.
Matthew Golden
Perhaps the biggest star at this year’s scouring combine was former Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden, who was one of only two players run a sub-4.3 second 40-yard dash time, which in turn placed him atop the position group.
With his impressive combine performance, he likely solidified his status as a first round pick.
Golden only spent one season on the Forty Acres, but established a quick rapport with quarterback Quinn Ewers, becoming his favorite target by the second half of the season.
Golden finished the 2024 season with 58 catches, 987 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, leading the Longhorns in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Some of Golden’s strengths include his route running, downfield speed and vertical ability. He is also noted for his ability to make difficult catches, exhibiting an impressive catch radius.
Golden is viewed as a likely late first round pick, although with the 2025 wide receiver class being viewed as one of the weaker ones in recent years, it’s entirely plausible that Golden could be the first receiver taken.
Alfred Collins
In a draft class considered to be strong at the defensive tackle position, Bastrop native Alfred Collins has been under the radar despite grading out as a second round pick.
A hulking 6-feet-6-inch, 332 pound defensive lineman, Collins played five seasons at Texas, spending four of them as a reserve player before finally getting his chance to start in 2024.
Collins did a formidable job taking over for T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II on a full-time basis, finishing the 2024 season with an impressive 55 total tackles to go along with a sack and a forced fumble. His efforts earned him First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-American honors.
Collins has earned praise as a run defender, and will likely be used primarily on running downs early in his NFL career. The biggest questions surrounding Collins has been his work in passing situations, where he accounted for only seven sacks across his five seasons.
Collins is projected to be a second or third round pick.
Isaiah Bond
Coming into the 2024 season, Isaiah Bond was viewed as the heir apparent to Xavier Worthy. The Alabama transfer known for his speed and catch radius put him in prime position to inherit the role Worthy occupied in the offense.
Instead, Bond underwhelmed, ultimately being usurped by Matthew Golden on the depth chart and seeing his draft stock fall from first round status all the way to a potential third or fourth round ranking.
Bond didn’t necessarily have a poor season, as he still finished five receiving touchdowns, which was a career high. But his yardage total notably slipped, as he finished the 2024 campaign with 540 receiving yards – more than 100 yards fewer than the prior season while he was at Alabama.
To further complicate his draft stock, Bond didn’t show out as expected at the scouting combine. While he did clock an impressive 4.39-second 40-yard dash time, it was only good enough to place him ninth among all receivers. His performance also earned him a playful chiding from Worthy.
Bond is projected to be third round pick, but could conceivably be picked in the back half of the second round by a team looking for an explosive receiver. His draft stock may also be affected due to legal troubles off the field.
Cameron Williams
Had it not been for an injury he sustained during the 2024 season, Cameron Williams quite possibly could’ve been a potential first round pick. Despite only playing one season as a starter, the Duncanville native was given a 72.6 grade as a pass blocker and 70.8 as a run blocker by PFF for his work during the 2024 season.
Williams appeared in 37 games over the course of his Longhorns career. Standing at 6-foot-6-inches and weighing 317 pounds, he has the standard measurables to be a starting tackle at the NFL level, but the consensus surrounding him is that he needs to clean up and refine much of his game if he hopes to reach that point. He had 16 penalties in 2024, averaging one per game.
At the scouting combine, Williams revealed to teams that he played the 2024 season with an injury, which ultimately required him to get surgery.
Williams is projected to be a third or fourth round pick.
Gunnar Helm
Even in a draft chalk with high-end talent at tight end, Gunnar Helm is viewed by many as one of the best pure receivers at the position.
Quickly becoming one of quarterback Quinn Ewers’ favorite targets in 2024, Helm finished the season with 60 receptions, 786 yards and seven touchdowns, breaking the Texas record for catches by a tight end in a single season.
Helm has been noted for his ability as a route runner, to break tackles, high-point catches away from his body and be an effective target in the middle of the field when facing zone defenses. His work against man defenders, however, is a question mark.
The main questions surrounding Helm at the NFL level surround his ability as a blocker. While he was effective in blocking scenarios against linebackers, there are questions about his ability in run blocking scenarios where he will be tasked with taking on larger edge defenders.
Helm is projected to be a third or fourth round pick.
Andrew Mukuba
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Austin, Andrew Mukuba joined the Longhorns in 2024 after spending his first three collegiate seasons at Clemson, providing a veteran presence in the defensive backfield.
As it turned out, joining the Longhorns was an excellent move for the senior, as he finished the season with five interceptions and 69 total tackles, both career highs.
Mukuba is noted for his athleticism, with good length and twitch. His interceptions are a byproduct of his effectiveness while in zone defense, and he has shown an ability to make plays after forcing turnovers.
The biggest negatives against Mukuba are his size and frame, both of which are lean for a safety. Because of this, it is possible he could be utilized more as a nickel cornerback at the NFL level.
Mukuba is projected to be a fourth round pick, although it’s plausible that he could be taken toward the end of the third round.
Quinn Ewers
Unquestionably the most polarizing Texas Longhorns draft prospect in some time, Quinn Ewers’ effective, yet volatile career as the quarterback at Texas has put him under a unique microscope.
Ewers has plenty of positives in his game: he throws a tight spiral, he’s effective on short and intermediate throws and can effortlessly throw the ball down the field, indicating a uniquely powerful arm.
Despite the evident talent, Ewers was very inconsistent throughout his college career, and given Texas’ status as one of the biggest brands in college football, his mistakes were often magnified.
Perhaps most concerning is his dip in accuracy from 2023 to 2024. In 2023, Ewers completed 69% of his passes, which is considered impressive at the college level. In 2024, that number dropped to 65.8%, which is considered more in line with average college quarterbacks. He also threw 12 interceptions in 2024, which equaled his total from the previous two seasons combined.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where Ewers will be picked. ESPN ranks him as the seventh-best quarterback and the 112th best player in the draft, which would qualify him as a fourth round pick. However, given that he’s a quarterback, it’s conceivable that he could be picked anywhere from the second round onward.
Barryn Sorrell
While at Texas, Barryn Sorrell was often overlooked due to the talent surrounding him on the Longhorn defensive line. But despite being surrounded by future NFL players, the New Orleans native was still productive.
Sorrell finished his Longhorns career with 15.5 sacks across his four seasons on the Forty Acres, punctuated by a career high six sacks in 2024. His tackle production also increased as his college career progressed.
Sorrell has also shined in the pre-draft process, registering 28 reps in the bench press at the scouting combine and registering a 9.27 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which measures overall athleticism.
Sorrell has been knocked for having shorter-than-average arms (33 inches, which is below average for an NFL defensive lineman), and his pass rushing consistency.
Sorrell is projected to be a Day 3 pick, being selected possibly as early as the fourth round.
Vernon Broughton
Another member of Texas’ outstanding defensive line, Vernon Broughton spent five seasons with the Longhorns, playing behind the likes of Keondre Coburn, Moro Ojomo, T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II before finally getting a chance to start full-time in 2024.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Broughton had his best season as a Longhorn in 2024, finishing with four sacks and 39 total tackles playing alongside fellow prospects Collins and Sorrell. He also forced two fumbles and recovered three.
The Houston native is viewed as a developmental prospect by most scouts, who highlight his impressive frame but lack of explosion and tendency to play with a high pad-level that could limit him in pass rushing scenarios at the NFL level.
Broughton is projected to be a Day 3 pick, likely being selected somewhere around the fifth or sixth round.
Jaydon Blue
After spending his first two years in Austin as a rotational running back, Jaydon Blue took on an increased role in the Longhorns offense in 2024 following the injury to CJ Baxter prior to the season.
Blue, along with then-sophomore Quintrevion Wisner, spearheaded the Longhorns rushing attack, with Blue accounting for 730 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground last season.
Where Blue did his most damage last season was as a receiver, where he caught 42 passes for 368 yards and six touchdowns, good for fourth-most on the team.
At the NFL level, it appears as though Blue will be used more for his capabilities as a receiver rather than as a traditional every down running back, which has limited his draft stock.
Blue is projected to be picked between the fifth and seventh rounds.
Hayden Conner
Hayden Conner spent four seasons at Texas, appearing in eight games his freshman season and taking over as the starting left guard in 2022.
Conner was part of both units, along with Kelvin Banks and Jake Majors, that were finalists for the Joe Moore Award in 2023 and 2024.
Conner has been noted for his sturdy build and effectiveness in pass protection, but has been docked due to his perceived lack of athleticism.
Conner is projected to be picked in either the sixth or seventh round.
Jake Majors
A fifth-year senior who’s been on the Forty Acres since 2020, Jake Majors became the Longhorns starter in 2021 and held down the position ever since.
Majors, along with Banks and Conner, were part of units nominated for the Joe Moore Award in both 2023 and 2024.
Majors has been praised for his ability to block in zone run schemes, which is what most NFL offenses run, but his smaller frame and lack of power while impact blocking means he will likely be picked no earlier than the sixth or seventh round, if he gets picked at all.
David Gbenda
After spending a remarkable six years at Texas, David Gbenda may finally hear his name called during the NFL Draft.
Gbenda joined the Longhorns in 2019, and as his role increased so has his production. In 2024, he finished with a career-high 61 tackles, to go with a forced fumble and interception while manning the weakside linebacker spot on the Longhorn defense.
Gbenda will likely find himself as a special teams player in the NFL, at least at first, due to his prolific tackling ability.
Gbenda is projected to either be picked in the late seventh round or go undrafted.
It is important to note that about one-third of players on NFL rosters were undrafted free agents. So while some Longhorns may not be selected, they could still make the most out of whatever opportunity they’re given.