If Ashton Jeanty is the most can't-miss running back prospect of the 2025 NFL draft, Cam Skattebo might be the most unpredictable.
The Arizona State senior finished top-five in Heisman voting and capped off his final collegiate season with a school-record 1,711 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns (5.8 yards per carry), while also adding 605 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Skattebo measures in at just 5'10'' but recorded a 39.5-inch vertical jump in the NFL combine in March, finishing in the 94th percentile among qualifying running backs.
Skattebo last made waves for his Offensive MVP-winning performance in the Sun Devils' 39-31 loss to Texas in the Peach Bowl in January, even getting noticed by one of the NFL's top running backs.
When draft day rolls around in Green Bay in late April, where could Skattebo land and when will he be selected?
Here's everything the experts have said about Skattebo's NFL draft projection.
Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports
Projected Draft Position: Round 3, Pick 77, New England Patriots
"Skattebo was electrifying for the Sun Devils last season, particularly in the College Football Playoff against Texas. There, he nearly willed Arizona State to a win over Texas, totaling 242 total rushing and receiving yards and three touchdowns (including a passing score). New England needs an injection of game-breaking talent, and could be good for a reset in the backfield after Rhamondre Stevenson's fumbles in 2024," Sullivan wrote.
Kyle Stackpole, CBS Sports
Projected Draft Position: Round 3, Pick 68, Las Vegas Raiders
"Make that three offensive skill players in three rounds for the Raiders, who take Tetairoa McMillan in the first, snag Luther Burden III in the second and now grab Cameron Skattebo in the third. Pete Carroll is going to love what the Arizona State star provides," Stackpole wrote.
Matt Miller, ESPN
Projected Draft Position: Round 4, Pick 123, Pittsburgh Steelers
Miller didn't elaborate on his draft projection for Skattebo but did have this to say when Skattebo opted out of running the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
“Honestly, I don’t know that a 40 time matters so much for him. Honestly, like are you healthy is the biggest thing. The rest is on tape,” Miller said on the Burns & Gambo Show. “So he kind of is who he is at this point. And it’s both a good and bad thing, right? That there aren’t really any unknowns when it comes to his evaluation, which makes him a pretty easy guy to to figure out.”
Cam Skattebo had 4th Round grades from scouts when I checked in on him last month. Today he'll face a Texas defense that is loaded with front seven talent and is great against the run--it's allowed more than 150 yards once and held seven opponents to under 100 yards.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 1, 2025
Great test…
Jacob Camenker, USA Today
Projected Draft Position: Round 3, Pick 95, Kansas City Chiefs
"Kareem Hunt filled in admirably for the injured Isiah Pacheco throughout the 2024 NFL season, but neither back averaged more than 3.7 yards per carry last season. Hunt will turn 30 ahead of the 2025 campaign, so the Chiefs should probably add another playmaker to their backfield rotation," Camenker wrote.
"Skattebo was one of college football's breakout stars in 2024. He finished fifth in the Heisman voting after racking up 1,711 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns on 293 carries while leading Arizona State to a College Football Playoff appearance."
Charles Davis, NFL.com
Projected Draft Position: Day 2 or Day 3
Skattebo was included in Davis's list of 12 draft prospects that he would "pound the table for in 2025."
"Skattebo might be a top-five running back in this year’s draft," Davis wrote. "I definitely believe he can be an NFL starter. I know his timed speed is not great, but I’m not overly worried about it. With his running style and play speed, he will still be able to break off runs of 10-20 yards that make a big difference in a game. And he’ll have some runs even longer than those when he knocks people over down the field. Yes, he has a compact build, but he moves like a player with more length, and he’s going to punish defenses.
"He can make plays in the passing game, too, with soft hands that pluck the ball quite well. I don’t know if people are giving him the respect he deserves this spring."
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
Projected Draft Position: Round 3, Pick 95, Kansas City Chiefs
Brugler is the second analyst to project Skattebo to land on the Chiefs.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
Projected Draft Position: Late Day 2 or Early Day 3
"Hard one to project, because what is Cam going to be in the NFL?" Kiper said on Arizona Sports’ radio show Bickley & Marotta Mornings. "Is he going to be a guy you work in and get a lot of mileage out of and get a lot of production out of but not be the focal point? How is he going to be utilized?
"I like the kid, you gotta love the way he plays. Just the way he attacks everything and goes about his business. I think he's probably to me a late Day 2, early Day 3 type of guy. But that's the kind of kid I would like to have on my team. I think if you can get him in that third- fourth-round area... You want a warrior like that on your team."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cam Skattebo NFL Draft Destinations: Where Experts Are Saying the RB Will Be Picked.
