Over the course of a game, a season, a career, there are singular plays that speak volumes about a player, whether it’s talent, effort in a situation or a combination of both that show up in a big way.
That play for Oregon defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell came late in his team’s blowout loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl this past January. It’s one of the many plays that stand out from his tape, one of many that make him this year’s Better-Than Team captain, a team of down-the-line players I like more than the NFL scouts.
The situation for this significant Caldwell play: Ohio State 41, Oregon 21 with 2:36 left in the game with Ohio State having a first down at the Buckeyes’ 49. It’s a play where some players would go through the motions, even if in the game, to move on to get ready for the NFL Draft season, especially with the Oregon championship dreams crushed a lot earlier in that game.
Yet here was Caldwell still playing hard, tough, physical football. The Buckeyes ran to the left side on the play, which was right at Caldwell. They tried to double him with the left guard and tackle, the tackle being Donovan Jackson, who could be a first-round pick next week. At the snap, Caldwell exploded into the double, and when the guard moved to the next level, he ran right through Jackson to grab the jersey of running back Quinshon Judkins as he tried to pop outside. Carroll then bear-hugged him to the ground for a 1-yard gain.
Caldwell, by the way, is 6-2, 332 pounds and plays with a power game. At that weight, you could almost understand not giving it his all late in a blowout, yet here he was making a big-time play with nothing more than individual pride on the line.
One play says a lot, but there is so much more to like about Caldwell, which is why he is this year’s Better-Than Team captain. This is a team I’ve put together for years as part of the pre-draft process. Among the players who have been past captains are Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David and Chicago Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Players who have made previous teams are Travis Kelce, Dak Prescott and George Kittle. Some recent picks were Tampa Bay Bucs receiver Jalen McMillan, Washington Commanders corner Mike Sainristil, Tennessee Titans corner Jarvis Brownlee, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, Green Bay Packers tackle Zach Tom and Texans receiver Tank Dell. There are misses like my 2023 captain, defensive end Viliami Fehoko. He was a fourth-round pick by the Cowboys who they cut and is now with Washington.
Caldwell will not be a miss. Playing on a talented Oregon front, next to the more-heralded Derrick Harmon, Caldwell, who transferred from Houston, was just as good at times — and even better. He is not just a two-gap run stuffer either. He can push the pocket and shows off an ability to move with quickness to go with his strength. He had 6 1/2 sacks for Houston in 2023 but didn’t get any last season despite getting inside push on a lot of plays. He can move.
With teams seemingly always on the lookout for big, strong, tough players who have quickness inside, there is reason to think he will be a third-round pick. Here’s saying he plays better than that during this career and will outplay many of the defensive tackles taken ahead of him.
One play doesn’t make a career. But, in Caldwell’s case, it’s the cherry on top of an outstanding season for the Ducks and shows who he is as a player.
Here’s the rest of the 2025 Better-Than Team:
Although he played outside in college, he has the look of a top-level slot corner because he’s 5-10, 190 pounds. Despite the size, he will throw his body around as a player who plays much bigger. There are a lot of plays on tape that show him more than willing to be a part of the run defense. As a cover player, he is sticky and can run with receivers in man coverage. His 4.4 speed shows up. He can sometimes get a little grabby. But he has nice instincts on tape, such as when he jumped a route against Maryland for a pick six. He can also blitz off the edge, which he showed with a sack against Wisconsin when he beat the back to make it happen. He can play outside because of his speed, but he might be a star nickel corner on the next level.
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Even before his impressive LSU Pro Day, Taylor was a tight end I had my eye on because of his natural pass-catching skills. The son of Hall of Fame edge player Jason Taylor, Mason has developed into a quality tight end and should be a good one on the next level. He is 6-5, 251 pounds and ran 4.68 at his pro day. He is a willing blocker, even if he isn’t a great one. But he will be drafted for his ability to catch the football. I see him as a 60-catch, eight-touchdown type of player. He had 55 catches and nine touchdowns for LSU last year. He started 37 games in three seasons for the Tigers. I think he could end up as the best pass-catching tight end in this class.
He transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse last season and really developed as a passer, leading the country in passing yards. He is a tough kid who will stand in the face of pressure to make throws. He has good size (6-3, 218), a good arm and likes to rip it down the field. He isn’t a great athlete, but he is good enough to move outside of the pocket to throw. At times, he seemed to predetermine where he was going with the football like in his five-interception game against Pittsburgh, where two were taken back for scores. But he is a player who can spend a year or two learning the NFL game and then become a quality starter. There is a bit of Baker Mayfield to his game, with less ability to run.
Stewart is the most violent defensive lineman in the draft. He plays the game with a nasty streak that shows up on tape. He loves taking on pullers to blow up plays and never shies away from contact. The problem is he’s just under 6-feet-1 tall and he weighs 250 pounds. That’s short by NFL standards, but there are guys who are just exceptions to the rule. He will be one of those players. He is a talented pass rusher who has a lot of moves. He isn’t the explosive-first-step guy, but his get-off is good enough. He has the other skills that show for him to win as a pass rusher. He is good in the run game. Some teams will see him as a stand-up linebacker, but I also think he can be an effective rusher with his hand on the ground. Transferred to Michigan from Coastal Carolina for the last two seasons. He had 8 1/2 sacks last season and 30 in his career.
He’s 6-4, 310 but looks bigger, especially his upper body. He needs to fill out his lower body to gain more power, and he plays high at times, but he didn’t play a lot of football at Texas. He played behind some NFL players for a few years before becoming a starter in 2024. He’s raw and can be a player who a team can mold on the next level. He has the ability to push the pocket and he has some good quickness inside. For a down-the-line pick, he’s a player who could develop into a nice rotational piece.
If teams are looking for a later-round defensive lineman, Batty should be that guy. He’s older at 25, so there is some age concerns since he went on a Mormon mission for two years. But he’s a big end at 6-5 1/2, 271 pounds who ran a 4.78 40. He isn’t a twitchy edge player, but he makes due with his power and his hand usage and effort. He had some good rushes against Arizona tackle Jonah Savaiinaea, which shows he can compete against some of the best. In that same game, he ran down Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita clear across the field on a play, showing off his athletic ability. He will be a nice rotational piece early in his career who can develop into a starter with some refinement.
He is 6-4, 302 pounds and started games at guard, tackle and center for the Trojans. He developed into the best offensive lineman for USC after moving to center last season. Just put on the Michigan tape. Matched up against Mason Graham and Kennth Grant, two first-round picks, he more than held his own. Graham got a sack on a play where Monheim took him behind the QB with a nice block, but Graham was able to step up and get the sack with effort. I gave that rep to Monheim. Graham did beat him a few times, but for the most part he more than held his own when matched up with Graham and Grant in one-on-one situations. He can move and get out in space too, which is a must in today’s game. Might need to get a little stronger. Has short arms, but he made up for it with his quickness and technique.
He had 43 starts in four seasons, the first eight coming at right tackle and the last 35 at left tackle. But he doesn’t have the feet to play left tackle in the NFL, which is why he is being projected inside to guard. At 6-5, 310 pounds, he has the frame to move inside and the strength and power to handle himself. He was also solid when asked to move in their run-heavy offense and showed the ability to get to the second level. He’s a tough guy who will brawl when need be, which is a good thing. He had one play against Abdul Carter where he moved him in the run game and then finished with Carter on the ground. I’d like tough guys on my line, and he fits that perfectly. As a guard, he should be a good starter who can spot in at right tackle.
He first caught my eye a few years ago watching other Clemson prospects. He is a perfect run-and-chase linebacker for the modern game. At just over 6-feet tall and 230 pounds, he has the speed to run down plays and excel in coverage. He was also the green dot at Clemson, which means he called the defenses. He’s smart, tough, athletic and will be a player in the Lavonte David mold on the next level. He wasn’t as good in 2024 as he was the year before, but the speed and talent to chase down plays is there.
He doesn’t have the great sideline-to-sideline speed, but he is one of those players who will find a way onto a roster, play a lot of special teams, and work his way onto the field in a year or two. He is 6-feet, 206 pounds and plays a lot bigger in the run game. He is a tough tackler and likes to throw his body around. His might not have the coverage skills to play deep safety all the time, but he showed up on the Ohio State tape a lot on a defense loaded with talent. Think Josh Mettellus of the Vikings as a perfect comp.
He’s a lean receiver at 6-1 183 pounds who needs to add some bulk to his frame. But he can fly. He ran 4.37 at the combine and plays to that speed. The tape shows him running away from corners and getting separation with that speed. He also ran a lot of different routes to showcase that speed. He took crossers and turned them into big gains. He did a lot of damage after the catch. He had 96 catches and nine touchdowns. He just needs to get stronger, but it’s hard not to love his big-game speed.
He is an explosive runner with dynamic speed. He was timed at 4.38 in the 40 at the combine but was said to be under 4.3 at his pro day. He’s more of a speed back than a between-the-tackles runner since he’s smaller at 5-9, 195 pounds. But I think he can do more of that on the next level because he did average 4 yards per carry after contact last season. He also doesn’t have a lot of wear-and-tear on his body because of deep backfields at Texas, so that’s a good thing. He is a capable receiver out of the backfield. He does fumble too much, which is a concern. But he’s a smooth runner who can be an asset in the passing game. His type of speed puts fear into defensive coordinators.
He’s just under 5-9 but he’s solidly built at 218 pounds. The biggest draw is his speed. He ran 4.32 at the combine and that speed shows. He’s a home run threat every time he touches the football. His low running style allows him to run through tacklers and show he is just more than a speed guy. He is also a willing blocker in pass protection. But it’s the speed to go with his toughness that stands out on tape. Against Virginia, he ran into the back of a lineman, stopped for a second, and then popped out and ripped off a 59-yard touchdown where he looked like he was shot out of a cannon. He has had some fumbling issues that need to be cleaned up but he is a runner who will produce in a big way on the next level.
He weighed 400 pounds when he first came to Clemson, but he has trimmed over 100 pounds off his body. He is 6-3, 300 and looks like he can be even heavier. He played behind a lot of quality NFL players in his first few years but became a starter last season. He flashed with his power and ability to push the pocket, even if he didn’t get the sack numbers. With a little seasoning, he can become a productive NFL rotational player for a third-day pick. There is a lot to like.
He is 6-3, 265 pounds and plays with a lot of strength and power. He had 16 sacks over the last two seasons, which shows he can rush the passer. He ran 4.63 at his pro day and has some good athletic tools. He isn’t a twitchy edge player but can win with power and effort. He is the kind of player who can come in as a backup and potentially earn a spot in the rotation in his second season. He is one of those guys who plays hard all the time, knows how to do the little things and always seems to be in the middle of the action.
This 6-1, 232-pound linebacker excels in the run game, bringing the ability to attack downhill and bring pop. The Ohio State defense was loaded with talent but he showed up a ton with his ability to diagnose in the run game and get to the football. He was named the Defensive MVP of the national championship game. He isn’t great in coverage, but he understands how to drop into zones. It’s the man coverage that will be a problem for him at times. But there is a spot for a smart, good-diagnosing linebacker who will bring some thump in the run game.
Jones was a right tackle at LSU, but I think he can become a dominant guard in the NFL. Teams I talked with still think he can play right tackle but they also like the idea of him at guard. There were times where he was the better tackle in games than Will Campbell, his much more-heralded teammate. But the consistency isn’t there. He needs to be better on a game-by-game basis. At 6-5, 315 pounds, he can play the power game but he sometimes lunges and ends up on the ground. A good line coach can develop him into a physical guard who can also play right tackle if need be.
He is 6-3 1/2, 220 pounds and ran 4.48 in the 40 at the combine. He has all the tools to be a big-time player on the next level. He does need to refine his route running, but he can do a lot of things. He ran the ball out of the backfield at TCU, played in the wildcat and lined up at slot and outside as a receiver. So he can be a gadget type of player. He can also return kicks. He did have some issues with drops and his route running is raw. But there is talent to work with for a good receiver coach. The comparisons are naturally to Cordarrelle Patterson, but I think he can be a better receiver than that. He is fifth-year senior, so he’s 23 years old. The numbers he put up at TCU don’t reflect the talent. A good coach will turn this kid into a productive NFL receiver.
Hill is a big corner at 6-0, 205 pounds. He is a former receiver who transferred from Arizona State to Nebraska in 2022. Hill is a zone corner who lacks top-end speed but even though he’s relatively new to the position he’s got good ball instincts. If you put on his tape against Colorado and Travis Hunter from early last year, he flashed second-round ability. He had a pick six on a route he jumped, showing off his receiver hands to make the play. He had some solid reps when matched up against Hunter as well. He did suffer a plantar fasciitis injury he tried to play through that limited his ability some when he was on the field and ultimately forced him to miss six games. Hill is worth a third-day flier because he’s a bigger corner who seems to embrace the challenges of playing the position.
The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.