The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone but the action doesn’t stop there. With just 257 selections and a draft pool of over 1,000 athletes, the undrafted free agent market is almost as exciting.
Which players from the Texas Longhorns are set to make a splash in their new homes?
Texas Football Draft Picks
Below is the full list of Texas’ picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Included are the player, their position, their draft slot, and the NFL team that selected them.
The round and position numbers indicated are the round and overall pick numbers. For instance, 5.175 is Round 5, Pick No. 175, or 3.92 is Round 3, Pick No. 92, etc.
- Kelvin Banks Jr., OT – 1.9, New Orleans Saints
- Jahdae Barron, CB – 1.20, Denver Broncos
- Matthew Golden, WR – 1.23, Green Bay Packers
- Alfred Collins, DT – 2.43, San Francisco 49ers
- Andrew Mukuba, S – 2.64, Philadelphia Eagles
- Vernon Broughton, DT – 3.71, New Orleans Saints
- Gunnar Helm, TE – 4.120, Tennessee Titans
- Barryn Sorrell, EDGE – 4.124, Green Bay Packers
- Jaydon Blue, RB – 5.149, Dallas Cowboys
- Cameron Williams, OT – 6.207, Philadelphia Eagles
- Hayden Conner, OG – 6.211, Arizona Cardinals
- Quinn Ewers, QB – 7.231, Miami Dolphins
Texas Football UDFA Signings
Below is the full list of Texas’ undrafted free agent signings. This list will be updated as soon as signings become official.
To view every team’s undrafted free agent signings: 2025 NFL Draft UDFA Signings by School
- David Gbenda, LB – Tennessee Titans
- Jake Majors, OC – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Texas Football Draft Grades
Thanks to our friends at Pro Football & Sports Network, we can take a look at how the Texas players were graded with their landing spots. Below is the letter grade and subsequent analysis when provided for each pick.
- Round 5, Pick 149
Jaydon Blue, RB | Dallas Cowboys
Grade: B+ - Round 6, Pick 207
Cameron Williams, OT | Philadelphia Eagles
Grade: A - Round 6, Pick 211
Hayden Conner, G | Arizona Cardinals
Grade: B+ - Round 7, Pick 231
Quinn Ewers, QB | Miami Dolphins
Grade: B+
Kelvin Banks Jr. NFL Draft Grade
- Round 1, Pick 9
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT | New Orleans Saints
Grade: B-
The first pick of the Kellen Moore era in New Orleans is an offensive lineman – a fitting development after Moore won a Super Bowl with the OL-heavy Philadelphia Eagles. This year, it’s Kelvin Banks Jr. who anchors the Saints’ draft class.
Banks passes all of the cosmetic tests for a prospect. He’s a three-year starter, a first-team all-conference performer, a former five-star recruit, and a player of rare pedigree at 6’5”, 315 pounds, with 33 1/2” arms. The Saints presumably see a long-term future for Banks at tackle opposite Taliese Fuaga after declining Trevor Penning’s fifth-year option, but Banks could also provide value at guard.
Ultimately, the knock here is that Banks isn’t quite a top-10 player in the class. He’s athletic, experienced, and extremely physical, but even after three seasons as a starter, he still experiences lapses with balance, leverage maintenance, footwork, and hand precision. Those flaws may eventually force a move to guard, but with further refinement, he could stick at tackle.
Jahdae BarronNFL Draft Grade
- Round 1, Pick 20
Jahdae Barron, CB | Denver Broncos
Grade: A-
This was a surprising development, as many mock drafts matched the Broncos with a running back – either TreVeyon Henderson or Omarion Hampton. But the Broncos chose to defer to a deep RB class and instead took Jahdae Barron with the 20th overall pick.
Passing on a Round 1 RB does leave that position up to chance a bit more, but there’s no denying the value Barron can bring to Vance Joseph’s defense. Barron can play both boundary and slot CB and will feasibly rotate between Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian, while Pat Surtain II locks down the other boundary.
While Barron is a bit undersized, he’s an absolute menace in zone coverage and run support. His hyperactive twitch and rapid processing speed enables him to click, close, and make his presence felt in read-and-response, and he’s a legitimate two-phase playmaker with a tone-setting mentality and an effervescent play pace. With Barron, Denver’s defense could reach new levels of “elite.”
Matthew Golden NFL Draft Grade
- Round 1, Pick 23
Matthew Golden, WR | Green Bay Packers
Grade: A
The Packers came into the draft with a lot of WRs and no WR1s. Matthew Golden has a chance to change that. Golden was my highest-rated WR outside of Travis Hunter and a top-15 overall talent. The Packers score exceptional value getting him at 23rd overall, and he adds a new – and vital – dynamic to their WR room.
At around 5’11”, 195 pounds, Golden isn’t the biggest receiver, but he’s a simultaneously twitchy and smooth route runner with an energized element to his game. He can separate independently with a full route tree and amass RAC yards with his speed and elusiveness, and he’s liquid-smooth at the catch point, with rare instincts and body control for his size.
As a prospect, Golden bears some resemblance to T.Y. Hilton – a born vertical threat with additional utility as a separator and yardage creator, and his usage versatility will enable him to be implemented as a weapon on Day 1 in Matt LaFleur’s scheme.
Alfred Collins NFL Draft Grade
- Round 2, Pick 43
Alfred Collins, DT | San Francisco 49ers
Grade: B
The 49ers’ interior defensive line desperately needed reinforcements heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, and they were quick to address it on Day 2. Alfred Collins is a monstrous specimen at 6’6”, 330 pounds, with over 34” arms, and at the very least, he can be an elite space-eater and stack-and-shed operator in the run game.
The concerns with Collins come from his lack of pass-rush utility. His overall motion can be plodding and uncoordinated, and he doesn’t have the downhill disruptive ability as a one-gapper that Robert Saleh normally likes from his DTs.
Collins will be best as an ancillary piece that disruptors can orbit around, but he improves the run defense on Day 1 and has some modest pass-rush upside.
Andrew Mukuba NFL Draft Grade
- Round 2, Pick 64
Andrew Mukuba, S | Philadelphia Eagles
Grade: A+
Howie Roseman stays winning. In Round 1, he pulled off a complete coup in value with Jihaad Campbell. At the end of Round 2, he did the same with Texas’ Andrew Mukuba. With a need at safety, Mukuba slots in nicely, and he has the fast-flowing playmaking ability to be a menace in both phases.
The only major flag for Mukuba is his weight. At 5’11”, 186 pounds, he’s lighter than preferred in contact situations. That said, it didn’t affect his play in 2024.
In support, he brings relentless energy and physicality, and in coverage, he’s one of the most dynamic, fluid, and malleable athletes when managing space and closing on routes. Mukuba’s combination of energized athleticism, flexibility, and tenacious zeal should render him an impact player in short order.
Vernon Broughton NFL Draft Grade
- Round 3, Pick 71
Vernon Broughton, DT | New Orleans Saints
Grade: D
Defensive tackle was a secondary need for the New Orleans Saints entering the
draft. However, Vernon Broughton was a bit of a head-scratching pick, as most had him pegged as a Day 3 prospect.
The Texas defensive tackle (6’5”, 311 pounds) played five seasons in college, with four of his 6.5 sacks coming in 2024. He has enough first-step quickness to potentially make hay as a 3-technique but doesn’t have enough power to consistently shed blockers.
Most of his value lies in the pass rush, and he needs a fair amount of refinement there to contribute regular snaps.
Gunnar HelmNFL Draft Grade
- Round 4, Pick 120
Gunnar Helm, TE | Tennessee Titans
Grade: B+
The Titans have prioritized the offensive side of the ball to begin Day 3, and it makes a ton of sense. You don’t take Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick and not do everything you can to put weapons around him. Dike added some depth to the WR room, and Gunnar Helm brings some pass-catching juice to the tight end group that also features Chig Okonkwo.
While not super explosive, Helm is a chain-mover who excels in contested catch situations. He’s also a capable blocker and plays with a certain toughness about him. With Okonkwo in the mix, the Titans likely won’t ask too much from right away, but he has the intangibles and reliability to earn snaps as a rookie.
Barryn SorrellNFL Draft Grade
- Round 4, Pick 124
Barryn Sorrell, EDGE | Green Bay Packers
Grade: C+
It was inevitable that the Packers would address their EDGE rotation at some point, and Barryn Sorrell makes a lot of sense in the middle rounds. At 6’3”, 256 pounds, he fits most of Green Bay’s size parameters, yet has very efficient and compact mass, which supplements his play strength.
Sorrell has good explosion and bend for his size, and can reduce his surface area while splicing past the apex, but he also has some speed-to-power. He’s a solid rotational add right away, but there’s an argument to be made that there were more well-rounded players on the board at this pick.
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