The NFL Draft is a wonderful time of the year for a collegiate athlete to hear his name called by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. A lot of prominent college athletes will attend the Draft to hear their names called. However, a word of caution: some draft prospects shouldn’t attend due to off-field issues, reduced pressure, scrutiny, wanting to avoid “Draft Day Drama,” and choosing to enjoy the moment at home with friends, family, and loved ones as they listen to which NFL team their talented friend or family member will play for.
There’s nothing wrong with not attending the Draft, as other NFL players didn’t attend the draft in the past and still made incredible careers for themselves in the league. It’ll be up to the draft prospects and their families to decide if they want to attend the Draft at Lambeau Field or not. Here at TPS, we’re going to explore 10 prospects who should avoid attending the draft.
Here are the 10 Prospects That Should Avoid Attending the Draft Because of Their Potential Draft Day Slide.
Should these prospects avoid attending the NFL draft?
Shedeur Sanders: Quarterback
As talented as Sanders is, Cam Ward is rising in the Draft stocks and looks to be selected off the board with the first pick of the Draft. Sanders was favored to be drafted by the Giants, but they might draft his Colorado teammate Travis Hunter or someone else entirely.
Don’t get it twisted: Sanders is likely going to get drafted in the first round, but some teams may avoid Sanders because of his on-field performance, perceived lack of professionalism, and his father, Deion Sanders’ influence on his draft plans. And just like his father, Sanders shares similar traits and called his falling draft stock “fool’s gold.” Once Sanders becomes an NFL rookie, he’ll be just as polarizing as his father was when he entered the NFL back in 1989.
There’s nothing wrong with a parent wanting what’s best for their son, but Deion won’t be Shedeur’s coach in the NFL. It may be for the better if Shedeur stays home with family or is with his Colorado University teammates on Draft Night since the spotlight will be all over him, causing a media frenzy if he does attend the Draft at Lambeau Field.
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Luther Burden III: Wide Receiver
Burden III did wonders for the Missouri Tigers, but his draft stock has fallen faster than today’s economy. Burden III’s production took a bit of a dip from 2023 to 2024, which raises the alarm bells for NFL Scouts. Burden III had 1,212 receiving yards in 2023 but had 676 receiving yards in 2024.
On top of that, Missouri’s offense slightly struggled in 2024 with inconsistent play, and quarterback Brady Cook dealt with an ankle and wrist injury. Some draft analysts have also referred to Burden III as a bit of a diva, which can be a turnoff for some NFL teams who don’t want bad behavior lingering in their locker rooms or facilities.
The 2025 Draft class has a lot of wide receiver prospects to choose from, and a couple of wide receivers, like Matthew Golden and Tetairoa McMillan, will be selected in the first round. Despite the lackluster stats from Burden III’s junior season at Missouri, he should do good things in the NFL. It would be better if Burden III stays home on night one of the Draft, as it’s likely he’ll get selected in the second round of the Draft.
James Pearce Jr.: Defensive End
Not long ago, Draft analysts suggested Pearce Jr. would be a top-five or top-10 draft pick. However, Abdul Carter passed him, and questions are arising about whether Pearce Jr. will even get selected in the first round. Pearce Jr. is a talented defensive end, but scouts have been concerned with his on-field performance at Tennessee in 2024, which can be a small red flag for some NFL Scouts.
Pierce Jr. potentially has character concerns, which are causing some teams to cross him off of their draft boards. Some mock drafts have Pearce Jr. getting selected late in the first round, while other mock drafts have him going in the second round.
Once Pearce Jr. enters the NFL, he should develop into a star on defense and strike fear against opposing offenses no matter which team drafts him. It would be best if Pearce Jr. celebrated Draft night with his family or peers at the University of Tennessee as opposed to being at the Draft itself at Lambeau Field.
Mykel Williams: Defensive End
Williams has the weight and height to be a standout defensive end in the NFL, but he decided to skip the on-field workouts, which is never a good sign for NFL Scouts or Draft analysts. Williams also dealt with a grade two ankle sprain, which he revealed he had since the Bulldogs’ season opener, and wasn’t able to practice until mid-October.
Although there’s nothing wrong with Williams as a draft prospect, injuries unfortunately happen. So don’t be surprised if Williams is selected in the late first round or early second round of the Draft. Williams has what it takes to be a top-10 Draft pick, but don’t be surprised if Williams is taken outside of the top-10 or top-20.
Once Williams gets drafted, he’ll contribute quite nicely on defense like he did for the Bulldogs. It’ll be up to Williams to attend the Draft in person, but he’s better off just enjoying the moment with family at home or on the University of Georgia’s campus with his Bulldog teammates and coaches. Either way, he’ll do incredible things in the NFL.
Cam Skattebo: Running back
Skattebo is a talented running back who rushed for 1,711 yards at Arizona State and led them to the 2024 Peach Bowl, where they ended up losing 31-39 in double overtime to the Texas Longhorns. Skattebo’s draft stock has been trending downwards, with some draft analysts projecting he could be taken on day two and others projecting he could be selected on day three in the later rounds of the draft.
NFL scouts are concerned about his speed and explosiveness at the next level. Notable running back prospects ahead of Skattebo include Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. If Skattebo attends the NFL Draft, he should just be in a hotel with friends and family or celebrate at home or with his Sun Devil teammates on Arizona State’s campus, as opposed to attending the draft in person at Lambeau Field, which is a very long flight away from Arizona on night one since NFL Scouts think he’ll be a late-round draft pick.
Quinn Ewers: Quarterback
Ewers’ stock has plummeted due to his torn oblique injury, which forced him to miss the Senior Bowl. Not to mention, the Longhorns lost to the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024, a game in which Ewers didn’t play his best football. He completed 25 passes on 43 attempts for 211 yards and threw two touchdowns against an interception.
Ewers is expected to be drafted in the second round of the draft. On top of that, the quarterback class for the 2025 Draft isn’t particularly big, with Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward leading the way as the top prospects for the position and other extremely talented position players NFL scouts want to select ahead of Ewers in the first round.
An analyst cited concerns about his pocket presence, which raises concerns from teams wanting to develop their quarterback of the future. Ewers is better off spending the first two days of the NFL Draft in his hometown in Texas or at the University of Texas, surrounded by his family, friends, and peers, rather than waiting to hear his name called at Lambeau Field.
Denzel Burke: Cornerback
Burke played a significant role in Ohio State’s College Football Championship run on the number one-ranked defense. However, Burke’s draft stock has sunk where he is projected to be taken in the fourth round, which is the third day of the draft, and a massive fall from where he was projected to land back in 2024.
Scouts have him as a guy who’ll be a developmental starter, which is good for teams looking to improve their secondary, but the cornerbacks and safeties who’ll receive the most attention will be the guys who were taken in the first round, and some guys who in the second round of the draft. With the fourth round on the Draft’s third day, it’ll be a Saturday. By then, a lot of people will have moved on from Draft Weekend.
Burke should make a good impact on whichever NFL secondary he gets drafted to, similar to what he was able to do for the Buckeyes. Burke should enjoy the Draft weekend with his family at home, at a hotel, or with his Buckeye teammates instead of going to the Draft itself in Green Bay.
Howard Cross III: Defensive Tackle
Cross III is a defensive tackle draft prospect who helped the Fighting Irish reach the College Football National Championship game before the team lost to Ohio State 23-34. Cross III’s draft stock took a nosedive due to NFL scout’s concerns about his size and limited upside, which is limited growth at the professional level.
Cross III had a career-high four sacks and 66 tackles in 2023 but had 28 tackles as his production dipped in 2024. Cross III is undersized at his position and has an ineffective bull rush, which could mean trouble when he squares off against larger veteran offensive linemen in regular season NFL games. Cross III is projected to be a sixth or seventh-round pick in the Draft.
Cross III will continue to improve his game once he’s drafted and will have a good career in the league, like his father, Howard Cross, who helped the New York Giants win Super Bowl 25 back in the day. Cross III should enjoy the draft with family in his hometown rather than waste money at a hotel and spend a couple of days at Lambeau Field waiting for his name to get called by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Emeka Egbuka: Wide Receiver
As talented as Egbuka is and how he played a compelling role in the Buckeyes’ championship run in 2024, his draft stock fell in Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft. The famed ESPN draft analyst believes Egbuka will get selected in the second round, similar to Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III.
Don’t get it twisted; Egbuka is going to make a drastic impact on the NFL team that drafts him. However, the 2025 Draft class has a lot of wide receiver prospects ahead of Egbuka. Kiper also believes other wide receivers like Travis Hunter, Matthew Golden, and Tetarioa McMillan will get selected before Egbuka does. If Egbuka does get drafted in the first round, he’ll probably get selected in the later part of the first round.
Once Egbuka gets drafted, he’ll potentially grow as a game-changing wide receiver and give opposing secondaries nightmares. It may be worth it for Egbuka to celebrate getting drafted into the NFL with his Buckeye teammates on campus or with family back home as opposed to attending the draft in person and not hearing his name called on night one.
Harold Fannin Jr.: Tight End
Fannin Jr. is a talented tight end from Bowling Green who broke the FBS tight end record for receiving yards with 1,555 yards in 2024. With numbers like that, someone would think Fannin Jr. would be a lock for the first round of the NFL Draft.
Fannin Jr. has seen his draft stock fall due to the sheer amount of defensive talent who will be available. Fannin Jr. is projected to be a second-round pick and have his name called on the second night of the draft. Many Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame tight ends have gone in the later rounds of the NFL Draft, like Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and Shannon Sharpe. Fannin Jr. will make a significant impact on the professional level. It’s just a matter of who will select him.
However, some mock drafts show other tight ends like Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and Mason Taylor getting selected in the first round ahead of Fannin Jr., which is why Fannin Jr. should soak up the draft night with his family in his hometown or with his Bowling Green teammates on campus instead of watching the other tight end prospects get drafted ahead of him in the first round at Lambeau Field.
