2025 NFL Draft Stock watch: Risers & Sliders after Week 2 - Riley Leonard tanks, Texas OT makes his case and Arkansas WR barely survives
Week 2 on the college football schedule will be remembered for Northern Illinois going to South Bend and pulling one of the greatest upsets of all time, beating Notre Dame in the game's waning minutes.
It was also a weekend where, for the second season in a row, South Florida gave Alabama more than it bargained for. We also saw several outstanding performances from prospects who will impact the 2025 NFL Draft, starting early in Round 1. Here are the risers and sliders for Week 2.
2025 NFL Draft stock: Risers after Week 2 of college football
#1 Kelvin Banks Jr. (T/Texas)
The Longhorns dominated the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines and stamped themselves as a team to be reckoned with this season.
The Texas offense had its way with the Wolverines, and Longhorns left tackle Kelvin Banks was dominant in all aspects of the position. He was a stalwart in pass protection, protecting the blind side of Quinn Ewers, who finished the game with 246 yards passing and three TDs.
He showed terrific strength in run blocking and on certain snaps slid inside and handled Kenneth Grant, the Wolverines’ talented defensive tackle expected to be a first-round pick. And Banks looked smooth and fluid on the second level, blocking in motion.
Expected to be a first-round pick next April, Banks presently grades as the second-highest-rated tackle on my position board.
#2 Ashton Jeanty (RB/Boise State)
During week one of the college season, Jeanty put up massive numbers, rushing for 267 yards and 6 TDs, albeit against Georgia Southern. This week’s performance against Oregon, which included 192 yards and 3 TDs, was probably more impressive.
Jeanty was responsible for more than 50% of the Boise State offensive output against a Duck defense that lines up as many as a half dozen draftable players at any single time.
The fact Boise State has no more than two offensive linemen considered NFL caliber makes Jeanty’s work even more incredible. Just a third-year junior, Jeanty is a hard-charging back with great vision and quickness.
He grinds it out on the inside, beats defenders around the corner, or makes opponents miss. Scouts have already graded him as an early day two pick and if Jeanty enters the draft—which he is expected to do—he will compete to be the first running back selected next April.
#3 Nick Martin (LB/Oklahoma State)
In a wild game highlighted by an offensive output that saw Arkansas register 648 yards of total offense yet lose the game, Martin was a demon for the Cowboys.
His stat line, which included 16 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and three QBHs, tells a fraction of the story.
The junior linebacker was a force, making plays all over the field, and took command of the OSU defense after Collin Oliver, the senior leader on defense, was lost early in the game with a leg injury.
Martin is hard not to notice on film as he is an explosive presence on the field. He’s graded as a fourth-round prospect on my board and comes with Day 2 potential.
#4 Harold Fannin Jr. (TE/Bowling Green)
It was a game that almost got away from Penn State, who played from behind most of the game before taking control in the second half. And Fannin was the main reason Bowling Green got off to a fast start.
The big tight end finished with 11 receptions, 137 receiving yards, and one TD to lead all Falcons pass catchers. He was so dominant in the early portion of the game that Penn State double-teamed him late in the second half to prevent BGSU from taking the lead.
Scouts already have a Day 3 grade on Fannin, unusual for a junior tight end from the MAC.
This is likely to be his final season at Bowling Green, as Fannin is expected to enter the 2025 NFL Draft or transfer to a major program next season. If he chooses the former, he’s a good fit in the fifth round.
#5 Andrew Armstrong (WR/Arkansas)
It was an outstanding performance by Armstrong, despite the Razorbacks ending up on the short end of the scoreboard against Oklahoma State. Finishing with 10 receptions for 164 yards, Armstrong was responsible for more than 70 percent of the Razorbacks passing output.
He’s a long (6-foot-4), surehanded receiver who always comes away with the reception. Armstrong is smart, displays a sense of timing, and wins out for contested passes. He’s not very fast and is unlikely to time under 4.5 seconds in the 40 leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Scouts graded Armstrong as a free-agent prospect before the season, but I gave him a sixth-round grade. If a team is looking for a nice-sized, sure-handed possession wideout in the later rounds, Armstrong should be a player they target.
#6 Glendon Miller (CB/Maryland)
During my summer preview of Maryland’s next-level prospects, Miller was someone I highlighted, as I mentioned, I believed he was “woefully underrated.”
I took it one step further and said that despite the fact NFL scouts had free-agent grades on the senior cornerback, I rated him as a Day 3 prospect. Thus far, Miller has exceeded my lofty expectations and has looked terrific for the Terrapins.
He stood out during the team’s last-second loss to Michigan State on Saturday, intercepting two passes and recording seven tackles.
One week ago, he posted six tackles and one INT during the win over UConn. As mentioned over the summer, Miller has next-level size and ball skills, and he’s putting both to good use this season.
#7 Melvin Smith Jr. (CB/ Southern Arkansas)
Entering the season, Smith was not only rated by scouts as one of the best small-school cornerbacks in the nation, but he was also one of the top prospects from a non-FBS program. And with good reason.
Last year Smith intercepted four passes and broke up 24, an extraordinary number. He also registered 130 tackles in the past three seasons -- a testament to his physical play.
The Muleriders have played just a single game this season, yet Smith is off to a hot start with nine tackles and one PBU during the victory over Southeastern Oklahoma. Measuring over 5-foot-10, 190 pounds and with 40 speed estimated to be in the low 4.4s, Smith is also a productive kick returner.
The small-school player needs to continue to build upon his terrific campaign of 2023 and then perform well in predraft workouts. If he does, Smith will cement himself as a Day 3 pick.
2025 NFL Draft stock: Sliders after Week 2 games
Riley Leonard (QB/Notre Dame)
No, this is not a kneejerk reaction to the loss Notre Dame suffered at the hands of Northern Illinois on Saturday. Rather, it’s based on game film the past three years.
I never bought into the Riley Leonard hype, grading him no better than a Day 3 pick at any time in the past three years, and he continues to prove that opinion credible.
Leonard is a good athlete trying to play quarterback, rather than a good passing quarterback who consistently beats opponents with his arm, and his game has shown little improvement over the past three years.
His performance against Northern Illinois, when he passed for just 163 yards with two interceptions, was the latest in a long line of head-shaking performances.