2025 NFL Draft Risers: September Edition Part II
2025 NFL Draft Risers: September Edition Part II
Andrew Harbaugh looks at his favorite NFL Draft risers on the defensive side of the football from the first month of the college football season.
College football is gearing up for the first of several weekends of crucial games for both teams and players alike. This weekend, we are spoiled by Alabama and Georgia playing in September instead of November. That game will be watched by talent evaluators 10+ times between now and April because each rep will be hard to keep track of who shines where.
The side of the ball that is going to shine is defense.
Both teams' defenses have many players looking to prove something. But Georgia and Alabama are just two teams with critical defenders looking to rise draft boards. Some have already emerged, which I want to highlight here.
My debut article for The Devy Royale shared my risers on offense. Now, I want to shine some light on the defensive side of the ball. Here are my risers on defense as September winds down.
Aeneas Peebles, Defensive Line, Virginia Tech
The defensive line group of the 2025 NFL Draft will need several players to step up between now and April. Aeneas Peebles, out of Virginia Tech, has started to do so. He is likely to fall down boards due to his size, but that doesn’t mean teams shouldn’t capitalize on that discount.
This season, Peebles has shown a high motor and production in defending the run for the Hokies. They have had a stellar defense all year, and he is leading that defensive front. Undersized defenders need to have that trump card when going against blockers, and for Peebles, I trust his motor and hand-fighting to earn him wins against NFL offensive linemen.
Josaiah Stewart, Edge, Michigan
The Michigan defense would have to lead the way for the Wolverines after losing so much of their offense to the NFL. To ensure they had a well-rounded group, they utilized the transfer portal and grabbed Josaiah Stewart from Coastal Carolina, who had 21.5 sacks in three seasons for them.
Stewart immediately proved that his sacks weren’t a result of poor competition but that he is physically dominant against offensive tackles. In 2024, he already had four sacks for the Wolverines, and he looks like he can join a special edge class in 2025. He has several finesse moves in his toolbox, and if he needs to win a physical matchup, he has no problem. Stewart has quickly emerged as one of my favorite defenders in college football and is a fun prospect to monitor.
Jason Marshall Jr., Cornerback, Florida
As a Florida fan, let me tell you there has been absolutely nothing joyful about this football team in 2024 outside of two players, D.J. Lagway and Jason Marshall Jr. For this piece, only one of them is draft eligible, so that is who we are going to discuss.
The Florida secondary has been torched this year, especially in Week 1, by Miami and Cam Ward, but Marshall Jr. hasn’t been victim to those performances. Through four weeks of the year, Marshall has only given up five receptions on ten targets this year for just 42 yards and no scores. When the entire defense has looked lost, Marshall has done well performing triage on this group, and his cover skills are those of an NFL-type cornerback.
Keon Sabb, Safety, Alabama
Keon Sabb and the Alabama defense have not taken a step back despite Nick Saban's departure. The leadership on that side of the ball has stepped up to maintain the high expectations, and Keon Sabb is part of that.
Sabb has been flying around for the Crimson Tide defense, providing both run and pass defense. He has no problem playing near the line and making a play as he reads the offense, just as he has no problem tracking a quarterback's eyes and making a play on the ball. Sabb doesn’t have the ball production you may find impressive, but he is making a difference when you watch him. Look for Sabb as he goes against his toughest test of the year, Carson Beck.