The pool of players available in the 2025 NFL draft officially grew by 70 on Thursday.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler reported 70 underclassmen filed for the NFL draft and will be eligible to be selected this year. That group of 70 includes a handful of players who could be on the San Francisco 49ers radar with the No. 11 overall pick.
A dream selection like Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter was in that group, but the likelihood Carter makes it all the way to the 49ers at No. 11 is very slim. He appears to be a lock to go in the top five.
More realistic options like Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly, Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and George edge rusher Mykel Williams were also among the slate of underclassmen who will be in this year’s draft. That trio has all been mocked to the 49ers at some point early in the pre-draft process. Other recognizable names from mock drafts include Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton, Tennessee defensive end James Pierce, Mississippi defensive tackle Walter Nolen and Mizzou offensive lineman Armand Membou.
Perhaps the most interesting name on the list is a player the 49ers may give a lot of thought to even if they won’t ultimately take him at No. 11. That’s Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty who racked up a whopping 2,601 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns this season. He did that after posting 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023. The 49ers don’t necessarily need a running back, and they certainly don’t need one in the first round, but Jeanty is an excellent player head coach Kyle Shanahan will almost certainly like.
Here’s the full list provided by Brugler:
News: Here is the official list of 70 underclassmen who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft before the deadline, per a source.
(Reminder: Ohio St. and Notre Dame have until Jan. 24 to declare) pic.twitter.com/Qsmr81vrxh
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 16, 2025
Notre Dame and Ohio State’s underclassmen have until Jan. 24 to file for the NFL draft. Those two teams face off in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 20.