While many of the league’s best players were drafted in the first three rounds of the draft, there are also a lot of great players who were draft sleepers and taken in the later rounds of the draft. The 2025 draft class has several under-the-radar prospects who have the potential to outplay their draft position in the NFL. Here are five potential NFL Draft sleepers on the defensive side of the ball in this year’s draft class.
Defensive sleepers who could be steals of the 2025 NFL Draft
Edge Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
Gillotte is a technically refined and consistent pass rusher who was one of the most productive pass rushers in college football over the last two seasons. In 2023, he led the ACC in sacks and finished eighth in the nation with 11 sacks on the season. His PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets in 2024 is tied for fourth best in the entire 2025 NFL Draft class. On top of consistent production in college, Gillotte is also a great athlete who tested off the charts in every drill at the NFL combine and his pro day, recording a 9.74 relative athletic score. Gillotte lacks great bend and play strength, but his advanced pass rush ability, combined with a high motor and athletic ability, make him a very intriguing prospect.
Ashton Gillotte Scouting Report
Edge David Walker, Central Arkansas
Walker dominated the FCS level with 31 sacks in three seasons at Central Arkansas. He is an explosive athlete with good get-off and bend. Walker has strong, accurate, and active hands. As a pass rusher, he has a very effective rip move, along with a good bull rush and swim move in his arsenal as well. Walker is an undersized edge rusher and will need to adjust to a much higher level of competition, but he has a ton of potential as an athletic, high-motor speed rusher in the NFL.
Linebacker Teddye Buchanan, California
Buchanan is a talented coverage linebacker with a ton of athletic ability. He has the speed, change of direction ability, and hip fluidity to excel in man coverage. He reads the quarterback’s eyes well and has great instincts in zone coverage. Buchanan has room for improvement as a run defender, but he is one of the best coverage linebackers in this year’s class and has a lot of athletic upside.
Teddye Buchanan Scouting Report
Cornerback Zah Frazier, UTSA
Frazier has an incredible combination of size, length, and athleticism. He is 6-foot-3 inches with a nearly 33-inch arm length and over 80-inch wingspan. Frazier also has elite speed and ran a 4.36 40-yard dash time at the combine. Along with his high-level physical traits, Frazier has incredible ball skills as well. He brought in six interceptions in 2024. Frazier is a raw prospect who lacks experience, but he has the physical tools to be a high-impact starter in the NFL if he reaches his potential.
Safety Craig Woodson, California
Woodson is a highly intelligent and versatile football player. In college, he took snaps all over the field for California, playing as a deep safety, box safety, and in the slot. He understands the game at a high level, possesses good instincts, and reads the quarterback well. Woodson is extremely aggressive in run support and is a sound tackler. He does lack the speed and fluidity to truly excel in man coverage, but he is an overall well-rounded safety who has the potential to be a quality starter in the NFL.
Main Photo: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
