Bold Predictions For the 2025 NFL Draft: Rounds 3 and 4

John delivers his biggest bold predictions for Rounds 3-4 of the 2025 NFL Draft. What are the most surprising things that will happen in the third and fourth round?

The 2025 NFL Draft is coming up soon. Every season, many things happen in the draft that surprise us, so it's always worth trying to cook up some bold predictions ahead of time. Teams tend to keep their cards close to their chest, though they often also try to leak misleading information to try to get what they want.

That can be confusing, but regardless, useful information is often leaked that helps us get a clue on what teams are doing. And they often have obvious positions of need, some of which stay that way for years due to shortages of good players at that position.

So, there are plenty of scenarios in which teams can make moves that surprise us. The third and fourth rounds are less consequential than the first, as all of the players known to be elite prospects are long gone. We've progressed down the tiers to players who have plenty of question marks, but here are this season's bold predictions for the third and fourth rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft anyway.

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Los Angeles Rams Draft Kyren Williams' Eventual Replacement

This one would come as a shocker to me as well because the Rams have stuck by Williams' side, even as his rushing efficiency has plummeted and his fumbling issues have come to the forefront.

Williams was a highly productive back in his first two seasons with the team, but his highly efficient 2023 season was driven by elite run-blocking, which gave him sky-high yards before contact per attempt. And his highlight reel shows that most of his big plays were created by the OL giving him wide-open holes to run through.

In addition, he struggles with fumbling issues. He fumbled away the team's Divisional Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles, forcing the Rams to attempt a comeback, which eventually proved futile. Williams has lost more fumbles than any other running back in the NFL in the past two seasons.

He also hasn't been able to produce many explosive plays. He's not very fast, so he's easily caught on what could be breakaway runs. And with the lanes he's given, a faster RB would have been able to turn many of these carries into long plays or even touchdowns.

Kyren Williams has 15 fumbles combined in his final 2 seasons at ND and the past 2 seasons in the NFL.

The only RB with 200+ carries this season to have fewer 15+ yard rushes was 29-year-old plodder Kareem Hunt.

Something has to give.

— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) January 20, 2025

Giving Williams the ball so much inevitably leads to points left on the board. He's been a monster in fantasy football and has a ton of scores, but he also has the most opportunities by far of any back with similar measurable athleticism.

I don't see why Los Angeles would be motivated to hand him a big contract when his rookie deal is done. Though it has typically focused on other positions, especially the trenches, it'd be well-suited to draft an RB who can house long runs with any kind of space.

The #Patriots met with RB Dylan Sampson at Tennessee’s pro day, per @TonyPauline.

The 5’8 200-pound back ran a 4.35s 40-yard dash and has incredibly quick footwork.

Sampson was a leader for the Volunteers and was often in the center of pregame huddles.pic.twitter.com/GU692Qi7Ze

— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) March 16, 2025

Former Tennessee Volunteers RB Dylan Sampson and former Virginia Tech back Bhayshul Tuten are two RBs who could fall to the later part of the third round and be ripe for the picking for the Rams, who are set at their receiver and quarterback positions on offense, and would be well-suited picking up an offensive lineman in the first two rounds. But they lack backfield juice, so they could address that issue.

Cleveland Browns Select A Quarterback Who Ends Up Starting

The Cleveland Browns are down badly for good quarterback play. They could choose to kick the can down the road further if they select pass-rusher Abdul Carter in the first round, opting to stick with the best player available plan and ignoring that they have a desperate need at the most important position in football.

Their current starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is terrible at football. He's torn his Achilles tendon twice in the span of a few months now, so he'll be even worse in 2025 (if he plays).

#Browns owner Jimmy Haslam says the team is still recovering from 'a big swing and a miss' on Deshaun Watson and to hold "me and Dee accountable."

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 31, 2025

Owner Jimmy Haslam has finally admitted they made a massive mistake trading so much draft capital and handing a huge contract to Watson. They'll have their backs to the wall, but Cleveland could be forced to select a QB in the third round, like former Syracuse Orange QB Kyle McCord.

He'd be a good fit for the team because he's pretty solid at avoiding sacks and using his mobility to spin out of pressure and buy time to make throws down the field. McCord obviously has a lot of flaws to his game, or else he wouldn't fall this late in the draft.

I was told Kyle McCord has no mobility.#CuseFootball | #HolidayBowl | @BarstoolCuse | @CuseFootball pic.twitter.com/t9ZHNkPPhS

— Depressed New York Fan (@JudgeEnjoyer) December 28, 2024

Most teams would benefit from a backup quarterback who successfully processes pressure and makes sure to get out ahead of it. McCord does a pretty good job of this, and while his arm strength leaves something to be desired, that's an issue around which Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski can build an offensive game plan around. Watson's inability to be accurate, terrible processing of the game, and general lack of effort on tape aren't things that can be compensated for.

Denver Broncos Select Their Future RB1

The Denver Broncos had an awful running-back-by-committee system last year. Featuring rookie RB Audric Estime, second-year pro Jaleel McLaughlin, and veteran back Javonte Williams, they proceeded to do virtually nothing in the running game.

This forced head coach Sean Payton to continually adjust each player's usage in an attempt to find the best formula, eventually leading to nothing, because you can't make position groups work well when all their players are just not good enough.

How can the Broncos help Bo Nix in Year 2?

In Sean Payton's eyes, it's to get better around him with targets in the "interior triangle" -- at tight end, running back and at No. 3 receiver -- starting with Evan Engram.

Payton explained more at the NFL League meeting this… pic.twitter.com/qNwdVYysaa

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) March 31, 2025

As has been repeated and broken down exhaustively, this year's RB class is one of the best in recent memory, in large part due to its sheer depth. Well into the fourth and fifth rounds, there should still be tailback prospects who will go on to have long and successful careers in the NFL.

Perhaps the Broncos will opt to select someone like Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo or Kansas RB Devin Neal, both of whom would be immediate upgrades over the mediocrity that the Broncos feature right now.

ASU RB Cam Skattebo

🔱 5’9 1/2’’, 219 pounds
🔱 39.5’’ vertical jump
🔱 4.65 40-yard dash at pro day
🔱 1,711 rushing yards and 21 TD (2024)
🔱 605 yards on 45 catches (2024)
🔱 5th in voting for the Heisman Trophy

Would you draft him in the third round? pic.twitter.com/XMay8C2GWp

— SleeperCowboys (@SleeperCowboys) March 28, 2025

Both would be welcome improvements, and both are skilled backs who are at least slightly underrated due to their lack of explosive athleticism that jumps off the page. However, especially in Skattebo's case, Payton would appreciate a back who could actually force missed tackles, carry defenders on his back, and just run over guys from time to time.

He lacked backs that could do any of those things last season, and the rookie experiment with Estime was likely a failure, as he didn't bring any juice at all.

One Rookie RB I’m hearing nothing about is Devin Neal.. Why?

🔹 Productive at young age: Averaged 1,430 yards last THREE SEASONS (still only 21) 🔥
🔹 Pass-Catcher: 77 Receptions in College 🙌
🔹 Workhorse potential 📈
🔹 Elusive + Ball security 🔒

pic.twitter.com/sfiAiUcwa0

— The Dynasty Grill (@FFDynastyGrill) March 28, 2025

The Broncos could even opt to select two running backs with their third- and fourth-round picks, though that's probably less likely. But it's undeniable that a backfield featuring either Neal or Skattebo and a speedier back like former Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter would be a big improvement over what they have now. And they could develop into a nice Mark Ingram II/Alvin Kamara-lite backfield, though that could take two drafts to set up.

Still, the Broncos would be well-served in investing a pick here at this position.

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