The 2024 is still about four months away, but some are beginning to think about the 2025 NFL draft.
According to CBSsports.com writer Tom Fornelli, there are two Ducks that NFL scouts are going to pay close attention to. Transfer wide receiver Evan Stewart via Texas A&M and offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. are two of the 20 best players who will be draft eligible for 2025.
This is what Fornelli had to say about Oregon’s newest receiver.
Stewart was one of the top receivers in the 2022 class. Unlike (Missouri’s Luther) Burden, Stewart performed slightly better as a freshman than in his sophomore season. Still, most of that can likely be attributed to circumstances beyond Stewart’s control. Stewart has since transferred to Oregon, where he’s seen as the replacement for Troy Franklin in the Ducks’ offense. If Stewart puts together a big year in (green and yellow), he could play his way into the first round.
One of the reasons Stewart came to Oregon no doubt was to catch passes from Dillon Gabriel. The Ducks expect Gabriel to have an impact on the receivers similar to what Bo Nix had and Stewart should benefit greatly.
As for Conerly, the former five-star recruit will be a junior and should be one of the top offensive linemen in the Big Ten next season.
“Much like the QB class for next season, I’m not confident about who will be seen as the top tackle in next year’s draft,” Fornelli said. “Last year, it was Penn State’s Olu Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt. Several candidates could step up this year, and Conerly is one of my favorites. Oregon’s offensive line was a significant strength last season, and Conerly was excellent in pass protection. He has the production and the traits to garner NFL attention.”
