CFB insider's 2025 NFL Draft projections for Louisville: Where could Justin Herbert’s former teammate land?

Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals' 2025 NFL Draft projections (Image Credits: louisvillefb/ Instagram)

Louisville seems to be the wave of the future in college football. Many of its best players and top NFL prospects are transfers who were with other universities last season. It’s a strange dynamic that we’ll surely see more of in the coming years.

Louisville Cardinals' 2025 NFL Draft Preview

#1 Ashton Gillotte

Despite many of the top prospects in the program coming from other programs, the best prospect is a returning player, defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte.

NCAA Football: ACC Football Kickoff - Source: Imagn
NCAA Football: ACC Football Kickoff - Source: Imagn

Coming off a sensational campaign that included 11 sacks and 14.5 TFLs, Gillotte is an explosive one-gap defensive lineman who beats blockers off the snap and makes plays in every direction.

He plays with great leverage, effectively uses his hands and plays hard. Measuring 6-foot-2.5 and 275 pounds, he won’t be a player for every defensive system; rather, he's a defender who will make a lot of plays in the proper system.

#2 Ja'Corey Brooks

Ja'Corey Brooks is the top prospect who transferred to Louisville. The former Alabama receiver showed a lot of big-play potential in 2022, catching 39 passes for 674 yards with eight TDs.

Ja'Corey Brooks - NCAA Football
Ja'Corey Brooks - NCAA Football

He struggled through an injury-plagued campaign last season and played just three games. Brooks has the size, speed and skill to be a No. 3, if not No. 2, receiver on Sundays, yet the injury from a year ago stunted his development.

He has tremendous upside, and if Louisville gets good quarterback play, Brooks could have a big season and vault up draft boards.

#3 Tyler Shough

Speaking of quarterbacks, seventh-year senior Tyler Shough finishes his college career at his third school. Shough looked like a star in the making, taking over for Justin Herbert at Oregon in 2020, but he has since struggled with injury and inconsistency.

Tyler Shough - NCAA Football
Tyler Shough - NCAA Football

The soon-to-be 25-year-old passer has the size and arm strength teams want at the next level, but he also has significant hurdles to pass over in 2024 if he’s to be drafted next April.

Cornerback Quincy Riley has decent size and flashes skill. He has enough ability to make a next-level roster as a dimeback.

Louisville Cardinals' 2025 NFL Draft Projections by Tony Pauline

Louisville Pro Prospects

Grade

Rnd

Pos

Full Name

Yr

#

3.93

2nd

DE

Ashton Gillotte

4Sr

9

3.42

5th

WR

Ja'Corey Brooks

4Jr

1

3.38

6th

CB

Quincy Riley

5Sr

3

3.35

6th

TE

Mark Redman

5Sr

81

3.33

6th

WR

Caullin Lacy

4Sr

5

3.31

6th

CB

Tamarion McDonald

4Sr

12

3.30

6-7

G

Michael Gonzalez

4Sr

68

3.29

7th

CB

Corey Thornton

4Sr

14

3.28

7th

QB

Tyler Shough

7Sr

12

3.27

7-FA

DT

Thor Griffith

5Sr

50

3.18

FA

CB

Tahveon Nicholson

5Sr

3

2.93

FA

T

Renato Brown

6Sr

56

2.80

FA

T

Lance Robinson

5Sr

56

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Edited by Deepesh Nair
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