The NFL Draft provides an intriguing peek at the future, not only for professional football teams but also for their collegiate counterparts. While all of the focus is, understandably, on which prospects landed where, college programs are left with questions of their own.
Namely: who steps up in the wake of major draft departures? Some of the biggest vacancies are left by prospects that get selected in the first round, which is reserved for the absolute brightest stars in the sport.
For instance, Miami has to move one from No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2024 after throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns. Not to be outdone, Colorado has many holes to fill after losing Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to the draft, where he was selected at the No. 2 spot.
The transfer portal has alleviated some of the pressure when it comes to replacing draft picks — for major programs, at least. Other schools still prioritize development. Whatever the approach may be, it felt appropriate to look at one college football player that needs to step up during the 2025 season to help his program replace a first-round pick.
Players are listed in the order that their predecessors were drafted Thursday night. Got it? Good.
Replacing: Cam Ward (No. 1 overall to Tennessee Titans)
Beck might not have Ward’s play-making ability, but he does bring a ton of high-level experience to the Hurricanes. He won 24 games as a starter at Georgia and is fresh off a 2024 season in which he led the Bulldogs to an SEC title (though he did hurt his elbow in the SEC Championship Game) while throwing for a career-high 28 touchdowns. He also tied for the SEC lead with 12 interceptions and saw both his completion percentage and yardage…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/miamis-carson-beck-ohio-states-carnell-tate-among-top-replacements-for-first-round-picks-in-2025-nfl-draft/
Author : Will Backus
Publish date : 2025-04-25 16:05:00
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