By Adeniyi Precious 
NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has weighed in on the 2025 draft class, and according to him, only two players deserve the “special” label: Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter and Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter. Both players have a chance to be picked early by the New York Giants in the first round.
Kiper isn’t impressed with the overall depth of this year’s draft, saying it doesn’t stack up to past classes like 2011, 2022, and 2023. He’s also one of the few analysts ranking Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders as the top quarterback over Miami’s Cam Ward, who was a Heisman finalist and led the nation in total offense. While Ward is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick, the Giants may still have their eyes on a QB.
As for Carter and Hunter, both players have made strong cases for being top picks. Carter is widely considered the best edge rusher in the draft, while Hunter is an elite talent as both a receiver and a cornerback. However, some question whether Hunter is truly the best at either position, and many teams prioritize building strong offensive and defensive lines over skill players.
Hunter racked up over 1,000 receiving yards catching passes from Sanders while also excelling as a shutdown corner. Meanwhile, Carter has been a dominant force on the defensive line, proving his toughness by playing through an arm injury in the College Football Playoff and still being the best player on the field.
Now, as the draft approaches, Carter and Hunter hope to convince the Giants to pass on a quarterback and take one of them instead with the No. 3 overall pick.