The NFL announced a long list of players granted specialty eligibility for the 2025 NFL Draft, a list mostly comprised of underclassmen. Per a league press release, here’s the list of 55 underclassmen:
And here is the list of 15 additional players who graduated early and are draft-eligible.
| The following underclassmen, have in timely fashion under NFL rules, officially notified the league office that they have fulfilled their degree requirements. Consequently, they are eligible for selection in the 2025 NFL Draft: | ||
| Name | Pos. | College |
| Elijah Arroyo | TE | Miami (Fla.) |
| Tyler Booker | G | Alabama |
| Joshua Farmer | DT | Florida State |
| Thomas Fidone | TE | Nebraska |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | Syracuse |
| Ollie Gordon | RB | Oklahoma State |
| Mike Green | DE | Marshall |
| Maxwell Hairston | DB | Kentucky |
| Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | DT | Georgia |
| Drew Kendall | C | Boston College |
| Nick Martin | LB | Oklahoma State |
| Tristan Michaud | WR | South Dakota |
| Jalen Milroe | QB | Alabama |
| T.J. Sanders | DT | South Carolina |
| Malik Verdon | DB | Iowa State |
Notable names especially for the Steelers include Texas WRs Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden, Georgia RB Trevor Etienne, Michigan DT Mason Graham, North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, and Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan.
Pittsburgh figures to pay attention to the offensive skill positions to improve its roster throughout the season. Bond and Golden could be two of the top wide receivers with Golden building plenty of buzz during the College Football Playoffs. In a win over Arizona State, he caught seven passes for 149 yards and one touchdown while hauling in two passes for 51 yards against Ohio State, missing part of the game due to injury. A Houston transfer, he finished first on the Longhorns in receiving yards and touchdowns in 2024. Though he lacks great size, his route running, hands, and body control/tracking are excellent and would make him a good fit in the Steelers’ offense.
Bond didn’t have as strong of a season but still caught 34 passes for 540 yards and five scores. He spent two years at Alabama in 2022 and 2023 before transferring. McMillan was one of the buzz-worthy prospects early in the season who put up gaudy numbers throughout his college career. In three seasons, he caught 213 passes for 3,423-yards and 26 touchdowns. In 2023, he went off for 266 yards against Arizona State and in 2024, threatened Troy Edwards’ single-game record with a 304-yard outing against New Mexico.
Running back is deep this year for a Steelers team likely looking to replace Najee Harris. Etienne, younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars runner Travis Etienne, underwhelmed with just 609 rushing yards in 2024. But he had a nose for the end zone with 23 touchdowns across the last three seasons. Hampton has put together back-to-back excellent seasons, rushing for 1,500 yards in 2023 and 1,600 yards this season. Consistent, he had 15 rushing scores in each of his last two years.
Graham is a blue-chip prospect unlikely to be on the board when the Steelers pick at No. 21. He was named a 2024 All-American. Milroe could be a Day 2 quarterback option but is coming off a rocky 2024 with 16 touchdowns and 11 picks with some poor showings in the post-Nick Saban era. Be sure to check out Ross McCorkle’s Senior Bowl primer on quarterbacks that includes Milroe.
The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off April 24 in Green Bay. Look for reports on all these players before things kick off.
