The NFL Draft gives teams an opportunity to get young stars on cost-friendly contracts.
If they play their cards well, they will get someone who can contribute right away and/or for years to come without having to spend big bucks.
Ideally, this could allow bottom-feeding teams to stack up talent and become competitive.
In reality, that’s not always the case.
Drafting players isn’t an exact science, and there are countless factors that can make or break a young man’s career in the league, some of which cannot even be measured.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Trevor Sikkema of PFF shared his thoughts on the five potential X-factors ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft:
The biggest X-factors in this year’s draft class ❌ pic.twitter.com/28wLE6gxpe
— PFF (@PFF) April 20, 2025
He named WR Jaylin Noel, RB Savion Williams, WR Jaylin Lane, WR Luther Burden III, and RB Bhayshul Tuten.
Of course, neither of these players is among the most talked-about or highest-touted prospects entering this class, which is the whole point of calling them X-factors.
There’s never something like a ‘can’t-miss’ player in the NFL Draft; it doesn’t matter what the measurables or the tape say.
We’ve seen players outgrow their draft stock almost right out of the gate, and we’ve also seen would-be superstars be out of the league in no time.
Scouts and experts spend hours upon hours digging deep into the tape, gathering intel, and assessing hundreds of prospects year in and year out.
At the end of the day, however, nobody knows how any player’s career will turn out, and that’s the beauty of the draft.
