ACC Looking to Make Impact in Round One of NFL Draft; ACC Daily, April 22, 2025

Take a look at the former ACC stars projected to hear their names called on Thursday night in Green Bay.

Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up prior to the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

After months of anticipation and lead up, the NFL Draft finally kicks off this week on Thursday, April 27th and several former ACC stars are expecting to hear their nams annoucned as first round selections.

Beginning at the top of the draft with the No. 1 overall selection, the Tennessee Titans are a team in need of a quarterback that are in position to take what many view as this year's top signal caller. Cam Ward from Miami, throughout the draft process, has separated himself as an elite talent and the clear favorite to be selected first overall.

He recently jumped on a Twitch livestream and did all but quell any rumors surrounding himself to Tennessee by taking every opportunity he could to boost up both Titans players and coaches.

In Cam Ward’s Fortnite stream he said:

- Treylon Burks is a Top-4 WR

- Tony Pollard/Tyjae Spears are Top-4 RBs

- Coach Callahan is the best coach in the NFL

- Calvin Ridley is better than AJ Brown

Cam Ward is a Titan, and is not hiding it at all lol pic.twitter.com/YblKFexj9s

— SleeperTitans (@SleeperTitanUp) April 16, 2025

After Ward, the next player projected as a first round selection by many is former North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton. While Ashton Jeanty has been the talk of the offseason, and the NFL has recently viewed running backs as a more expendable piece, Hampton's talent is undeniable.

He is viewed as a mid-late first round selection, and could very likely find himself suiting up for a multitude of teams in need of some help in the backfield. The Denver Broncos hold pick No. 20 in this year's draft, and have a history of selecting Tar Heel running backs, doing so in 2021 with Javonte Williams. Could we see a repeat of that year's draft?

The final ACC alumnus that has been widely projected as a first round selection is none other than 2024 Ted Hendricks award winner Donovan Ezeiruaku. He stands at 6-foot-2, 250 lbs. and has a incredibly high motor, as evidenced by his 16.5 sacks last season.

The former 3-Star prospect looks to be the perfect additional piece for a team such as Philadelphia or Buffalo who have most of their pieces in place, but are looking for some supplemental help.

Ezeiruaku was sensational for Boston College in 2024, but is a bit undersized to be an every down player in the NFL, so pairing him with a team that needs him to fill a smaller role is a recipe for success.

2025 NFL Draft Order

1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Las Vegas Raiders
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Chicago Bears
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Denver Broncos
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Green Bay Packers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Houston Texans
26. Los Angeles Rams
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. Detroit Lions
29. Washington Commanders
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles