NFL Draft intel: Could embattled QB salvage draft hopes?

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder tossed just 18 TD passes in 12 games last season. If he throws more, his chances of being a No. 1 pick could skyrocket. 

Texas RB CJ Baxter

The former five-star recruit missed the 2024 season after suffering a right knee injury in fall camp. He has been cleared for the 2025 season and seems ready to roll.  

After Saturday's scrimmage, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said he was going to exercise caution with Baxter, but has since "changed his tune."

Baxter staying healthy and generating big numbers would create more buzz among scouts. In a story published Thursday, CBS Sports' Mike Renner ranked the Texas star as his No. 4 RB, touting his combination of power and speed. 

Baxter (6-foot-1, 227 pounds) staying healthy could also help No. 1 Texas win its first national title since the 2005 season. As a freshman in 2023, he logged 815 yards (659 rushing, 156 receiving) in 13 games. 

Penn State defensive lineman Zane Durant

The Nittany Lions should certainly be ecstatic that Durant is returning for his senior season in 2025. The 6-foot-1, 294-pound D-lineman was named a preseason first-team All-American on Monday.

Durant is undersized for a D-lineman, but he consistently beats blockers. In 16 games last season, he recorded a career-high 11 tackles for loss.

James Foster, an NFL Draft writer for Wide Left, and former ESPN reporter Paul Kuharsky shared a clip of the Penn State star dominating the line of scrimmage on his X account Thursday. 

"Zane Durant teleports into the backfield," wrote Foster. That could mitigate concerns about his size.

Wake Forest RB Demond Claiborne

Claiborne (5-foot-10, 195 pounds) rushed for 1,049 yards and 11 TDs on 228 carries in 12 games last season. What makes this figure even more impressive is that he's not playing for a powerhouse. 

"We saw recently with Kenneth Walker III that Wake Forest can be a difficult place to play as a running back," wrote Renner. "That's what makes Demond Claiborne's 1,053-yard season in 2024 all the more intriguing. He was consistently fighting an uphill battle and still churned out solid numbers."

Walker (now with the Seattle Seahawks) never rushed for more than 579 yards in two seasons at Wake Forest. He then transferred to Michigan State in 2021, running for 1,636 yards in 12 games. 

It will be challenging for Claiborne to be productive again after Wake Forest went 4-8 last season. If he has another big year, scouts should start eyeing him more closely.