NFL
By: Randall Slifer
Arkansas has a lot of good prospects heading to the NFL draft this year in April. This class is exciting as we have players that could be drafted in the first round, and we have some really underrated prospects as well. They are on all the fronts from Defensive Backs to Defensive Line, as well as Wide Receivers and Running Backs. Let’s get right into it and touch about these prolific players:
DL Eric Gregory
Eric Gregory is a defensive tackle prospect who was an IMG product and came to Arkansas in 2019 who finished up his sixth season this year. Gregory is 6’3 319lb who has 33-inch arms and almost 10-inch hands. He moves across the whole line starting at right on the center to outside the tackles. He has some juice in the pass rush if he can get hot in a game. Gregory was a major contributor in Arkansas’ upset against Tennessee with two sacks on the game. He has a good bull rush, and a swim move that can help him shed guards in the interior. Gregory is best used as a nose tackle or a 3-tech to push back the line to disrupt the pocket or help in run-support. He cleaned up his tackling technique in his final year from having a missed tackle rate of approximately 20% down to only 5% this year. He plays 60% of Arkansas total defensive snaps, and NFL teams can drop that down to 40-45% and an NFL conditioning program can help Gregory be the best athlete he can be. He will best fit in a 3-4 base defense but can be comfortable in a 4-3. He will be 25 before the season starts so age will play a factor in where he gets drafted.
Draft Round: 6
Edge Landon Jackson
Landon Jackson is a prolific prospect in the 2025 draft. He has over 33-inch arms and 10-inch hands. His combine was explosive to earn a 9.95 RAS. He excelled at every category. His vertical was only one of four defensive linemen in the history of the combine to clear a 40-inch vertical while weighing over 260 pounds. Jackson looks like a “Stranger Things” character out there with his length. Using his strengths, he can set the edge to help in run-defense. Jackson accounted for 80 defensive stops in his career at Arkansas. He has room to grow in his pass rush, but he has good power, and some pass rush moves in his bag. He does not have great bend, but he will need to perfect other moves to be successful. Jackson had a slow start to the combine week, what was very impressive in the last practice and the game. Jackson has a very high ceiling with his athleticism and traits that if you can coach him properly and develop his game, we are talking about pro bowls and a lucrative second contract.
Draft Round: 2
WR Andrew Armstrong
Andrew Armstrong is a dynamic X receiver whose traits and athleticism will transfer to the NFL. Armstrong played for two years here in Arkansas and was the leading receiver for both years. He eclipsed 1000 yards this year for the second time of his collegiate career. He is primarily used as a boundary X receiver and his route tree is far underrated than what people perceive to see. Everyone loves Armstrong’s vertical threat with his soft, late hands, but he can do more than that. His route running in the short and intermediate are twitchy at the line of scrimmage and the stem of his route which creates separation on hitches and slants. Armstrong was the only receiver in this draft to have a PFF grade above 85 against both man and zone coverages. His hands are surefire where he has 8 collegiate drops on 289 targets for a measly 3.9% drop rate. In 2024, he excelled in contested situations catching 18 balls at a 62% rate. He comes up big against the bigger competition in having 100-yard games against Tennessee, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Oklahoma State. I have been on the Armstrong train since the beginning of the season for this draft and he is getting slept on during this off-season.
Draft Round: 4
RB Ja’Quinden Jackson
Ja’Quinden Jackson is a downfield bruiser in the backfield. Ja’Quinden transferred to Arkansas for his final year from Utah and had the best year of his career moving to the SEC. At 6’1 229lb, he averages 5.4 yards per carry and 3.50 yards after contact. Last year, he had 27 rushes of over 10 yards and every ten carries resulted in a touchdown. He started this season with three 100-yard games including a 3-touchdown game against Oklahoma State. His agility does not stick him into just a downfield runner as he can cut well and has good vision in his outside runs. Don’t be fooled by his rushing yards at 800 due to the fact he was playing with a dynamic dual threat QB, who took only 20 less rushing snaps than Ja’Quinden! He is such a talented running back, that this just means his legs are fresh coming into the NFL. The only small caveat to where he gets drafted is how deep this running back class is this year. A typical running back class, he could be a top 100-125 pick. As the running theme goes, do not sleep on Ja’Quinden in this NFL Draft.
Draft Round: 5
DB Doneiko Slaughter
Doneiko Slaughter is catching late NFL Draft buzz after his pro day with his athletic testing. Doneiko ran a 4.38 forty while jumping 36 inches for his vert and putting up 17 reps on the bench. All those numbers are top 10 in the cornerback athletic testing numbers. Slaughter played his final year in Arkansas after transferring from Tennessee which allowed him a full starting position as a slot cornerback. His season at Arkansas was his best year with racking up 44 solo tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 turnovers and only allowing an NFL passer rating of 95 when targeted. Combine his impressive length and closing speed really shines in run support from the slot position. He has a high motor and tries to be involved with every play. He has athleticism and the tools to be an impactful NFL defensive back if he ends up in the right room to develop him for a year. McDermott and the Buffalo defensive back coaches do a great job developing day 3 defensive talent, just saying.
Draft Round: 6
WR Isaac TeSlaa
Isaac TeSlaa is catching some buzz after the combine this year with almost getting a 10 on his RAS score. At 6 foot 3 and a half, 214 pounds, he ran a 4.43 forty, a 39.5” vertical, over a 10-foot broad jump, among others. You can’t help but look at his size and athletic testing for any wide receiver coach to say, “I can make it work”. Isaac TeSlaa is more than just an athlete. His combination of physicality and speed does not let defensive backs hinder his timing on his routes, and he is lethal after the catch averaging six yards after the catch per reception. I do not know how many receivers I can count that have not dropped a single ball in their collegiate years, but Isaac has not dropped a single ball. He doesn’t shy away from catching footballs in traffic and is great at contested catch situations. Any team in the NFL Draft that drafts him can use him in the power slot role and dial up vertical plays for him.
Draft Round: 6
Are there any other Arkansas draft prospects who you think will get their name called at the NFL Draft? Let me know in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter/X/Bluesky @RandallSlifer. Go ‘Backs.
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