Looking at Potential Landing Spots for Virginia Tech’s 2025 NFL Draft Prospects

With less than a month until the 2025 NFL Draft, here are some teams that could possibly draft each Hokie prospect.

After coming off a 2024 season that was unable to produce draft prospects, Virginia Tech Football is riding a new wave of talent that is full of opportunity to make it to the NFL. Of this group, six Hokies were invited to the NFL Combine. Most notably, running back Bhayshul Tuten made his claim to the draft after running a 4.32 40-yard dash, the fastest among running backs at the 2025 combine.

The 2025 Hokie prospects show a new ripple of promise for the program. Although other Virginia Tech players have declared for the NFL draft, this article will focus on the six that were invited to the 2025 combine.

The running back situation in Denver has gone all sorts of ways in recent years. Up until this offseason, Javonte Williams was the lead back for the Broncos. Now that Williams has joined the Dallas Cowboys, Jaleel McLaughlin is at the helm of Denver’s backfield. Though he did gain some RB1 experience when Williams was injured, McLaughlin has not necessarily proven himself to be a sustainable option in the long run. Tuten could be a cheap option in later rounds of the draft for a Denver team that has spent a solid amount of money on defensive acquisitions such as Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga in free agency. Furthermore, The Broncos are also currently lacking at the wide receiver position, which is easier to get in either free agency or in the draft.

The Chargers, in a way, took a bit of a gap year in 2024 after star running back Austin Ekeler signed to the Commanders prior to the season. After having J.K. Dobbins be the placeholder in the backfield in 2024, the Chargers will now have Najee Harris as the lead back after he signed a one-year deal in March up to $9.25 million. Because of how short Harris’s deal is, a one-season stint could allow Tuten to serve as a backup to Harris in 2025 and then possibly take on a lead role in 2026 if the Chargers decide to move on from Harris. Furthermore, since Harris could be considered an above-average back in terms of receiving abilities, Tuten could provide some variation with powerful, up-the-middle running.

Yes, Alvin Kamara is one of the most elite running backs in the NFL. However, his contract ends in 2026, which would give Tuten plenty of time to get some experience at the pro level. What’s more, New Orleans has not really solidified a direction to go towards heading forward. Hypothetically speaking, Tuten could be the new back for the Saints if the team decides to move on from Kamara in the future. Additionally, Tuten’s up-the-gut style of play combined with Kamara’s pass catching abilities behind the line of scrimmage could create a solid one-two punch in the backfield. 

The Rams are a team that had arguably one of the best drafts in 2024. Primarily, the team added great talent to its defensive line in Florida State University rushers Braden Fiske and Jared Verse. Powell-Ryland could be a great asset to Los Angeles’s strong defense, which has seen the likes of Aaron Donald and Von Miller. Additionally, Powell-Ryland could alleviate concerns about him playing at the pro level if he were to compete on a team that produces top talent on the defensive line. If he is able to adapt to the NFL, Powell-Ryland could take his strong playmaking ability that he developed in college to the next level.

Much like the Rams, the Eagles are a team that has done well in terms of developing defensive talent. Last season, rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean took over the league with their performances, and second-year defensive tackle Jalen Carter rose to the top of Philadelphia’s depth chart with his breakout season. Considering how the Eagles won the super bowl this past season, it is difficult to say where they could improve in their attempt at back to back titles. Regardless, Powell-Ryland’s potential to be a late-round pick could allow Philadelphia to not only round out its defense but also give him some time to significantly develop at the professional level.

Powell-Ryland’s most notable trait is his in-game playmaking ability, which was seen through his 16 sacks in the 2024 season, the third highest among college football’s sacks leaders. However, his playmaking is primarily done by working into the pocket rather than attacking the edge. With that, Tampa Bay could be a good fit for the rusher, since he would be working with one of the NFL’s top defensive tackles in Vita Vea. Vea would also be able to take on more of the rushing responsibility and allow Powell-Ryland to work one-on-one to get to the quarterback.

Las Vegas is a team that has lacked depth in its secondary in recent years, and that idea has not necessarily changed in 2025. The silver and black lost two of its top defensive backs in Nate Hobbs and Tre’von Moehrig in free agency, and was only able to add veteran safety Jeremy Chinn. However, the cornerback squad is led by fifth-year back Jack Jones, who became prominent under former head coach Antonio Pierce, and the starting cornerback group is filled out by players with two seasons of experience or less. Strong could be a reasonable backup option for a Raiders team coming off a 4-13 season in 2024, and he could be a viable rotational piece at times when the team needs reliable coverage.

The departure of Cam Bynum to the Colts during the 2025 offseason has left a hole that needed to be filled in the Vikings’ secondary. For the most part, the acquisition of sixth-year back Isaiah Rodgers from the Eagles filled that void, as he now joins Byron Murphy Jr., who tied for the third most interceptions in the NFL in 2024, in Minnesota's secondary. Strong could be a valuable addition to a Minnesota secondary that led the league in interceptions and passes defended in 2024, and could be a sound backup option to the more veteran players.

While he likely will begin his NFL career as a backup, Strong has adequate coverage abilities that will allow him to develop quickly to adapt to the pro level. Washington, which has struggled with finding solid options at cornerback in recent years, has started to rebuild its secondary by acquiring veteran backs Marshon Lattimore from the Saints and Jonathan Jones from the Patriots. If the Commanders were to add Strong to its list of defensive backs, he would be able to grow his skills at the pro level under veteran players while also taking on a backup role when needed for a defense that is on the rise.

The Falcons currently have one defensive tackle listed on their depth chart on ESPN. That tackle, David Onyemata, has built a solid career at the pro level since being drafted to the Saints in 2016 and then joining the Falcons in 2023. As Peebles will likely not be a Week-One Starter in 2025, adding him to the roster would create some depth for an Atlanta team that is eyeing a playoff spot since finishing second in the NFC South in the 2024-2025 season.

The resurgence of the Lions over the past few seasons has, for the most part, been because of head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell’s bold and animated personality has helped redefine the Lions’ identity not only as a team but also through the development of the individuals on the team. The toughness that Peebles brings to the table would only be exacerbated as a result of competing on Detroit’s gritty defense, and the concerns about his ability to play at the pro level could be limited as a result of developing on a playoff-caliber Lions team.

Though Peebles may not start the first week, he could be an under-the-radar option for many teams. His physicality and playmaking ability as an interior lineman could be a promising look for a Patriots defensive line that does not necessarily have a ton of starpower. Moreover, New England will likely address other positions like wide receiver and offensive line in earlier rounds of the draft. Peebles could be a good late-round option to add depth to the Patriots’ defensive line and get some experience at the pro level.

Because the Panthers are still in a bit of a rebuild phase, their receiving core does not necessarily have to be addressed immediately. However, Carolina could be a good fit for Lane since he could be a usable option for both receiving and returning. Aside from its top-three receivers in Adam Thielen, Xavier Legette, and Jalen Coker, Carolina’s depth at wide receiver is rather limited. Additionally, the Panthers currently have second-string receiver T.J. Luther, who has not recorded any stats in the NFL, as the team’s primary punt returner. Lane could be a solid, late-round option who could earn his keep as a punt returner while also adding much-needed depth to Carolina’s receiving room.

Arguably, Lane’s most impressive characteristic to NFL scouts is his ability to make plays after the catch. This ability is what makes him a viable option for teams looking for a receiver who can also return punts and kickoffs. Seeing as how Cleveland only has seven receivers on its depth chart, as well as only one return specialist in DeAndre Carter, Lane would be a solid option to both add depth to the wide receivers room and take on punt-return responsibilities.

One of the storylines of the 2025 offseason was the mass exodus of offensive players for the Seahawks, including quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. However, Seattle did make up for it by signing former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp to a three-year, $45 million contract in March in addition to signing former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract. Because of this signing, the Seahawks will not likely target a higher-grade receiver in the draft, and instead will probably want to focus on other areas. Nonetheless, Lane’s late-round availability would allow Seattle to not only add depth to its receiver room, but they would also get a capable punt returner that would help solidify Seattle’s special teams unit.

With the Bengals agreeing to contract extensions with star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the team has pretty much solidified its receiving core for the next four years. Moreover, Chase’s four-year, $161 million contract is one of the highest annual salaries among non-quarterbacks. Since Felton will most likely come off the bench in his first season regardless of the team he plays for, his joining an already established receiving core in Cincinnati would not be that outlandish of an idea. Drafting Felton would also be a cheap option to add onto the receiving core since Cincinnati is using a majority of its cap space on Chase, Higgins, and quarterback Joe Burrow.

While it is unlikely that Felton will be a Week-One starter, that does not necessarily mean that he will not get drafted. Miami already has a strong receiving core with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and newly acquired Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and adding Felton to the rotation would give the Dolphins a deep-route runner to compliment the playmaking abilities of Hill and Waddle. Felton could be a solid day-three draft option to add onto Miami’s receiving core.

Felton’s ability to get separation on deep routes is one of his greatest strengths as a receiver. Because of this capability, Felton is a strong option for teams that may need to rotate in a deep-ball receiver for certain play schemes. The Giants are a team that, with the exception of 2024 sixth-overall pick Malik Nabers, have struggled to find horsepower at wide receiver. Felton would be a late-round option for New York even if it decides to pursue a higher-grade receiver in free agency or in earlier rounds of the draft.

The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from Thursday, Apr. 24 to Saturday, Apr. 26. It is only a matter of time before Virginia Tech fans see where some of their top players land.