Overview of Building the Beast — Dane Brugler's updated Top 50
This episode of The Athletic’s Building the Beast (host Dave Hellman) features Dane Brugler walking through his updated midseason Top 50 prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft. Brugler explains his methodology (trait-first, scheme-agnostic, midseason checkpoint after lots of tape), highlights big risers and fallers, and digs into quarterbacks, receivers, defensive backs, linemen and how NIL, injuries and measurables will reshape the class between now and the combine/draft.
Quick facts from Brugler’s updated Top 50
- 22 new prospects entered the list compared to the preseason top 50.
- Four quarterbacks made this version of the top 50.
- Conference breakdown (approx.): 17 SEC, 17 Big Ten, 7 ACC, 6 Big 12, 2 Notre Dame, 1 Group-of-5 (Toledo).
- Brugler is ranking prospects by traits and projected NFL value rather than positional value — he’s trying to “stack the best football players.”
- Many rankings remain fluid because of injuries, medical evaluations, combine testing, and potential early declarations influenced by NIL.
Top-10 / headline moves
- No. 1 — Arvell Reese: Brugler’s top prospect (huge midseason rise from preseason outside the top 50).
- No. 2 — Ty Simpson (Alabama): Debuts at No. 2 after a rapid, clean on-field ascendancy despite limited starts; Brugler stresses Simpson’s pro traits, mental processing and consistency even with relative in-game inexperience.
- Fernando Mendoza: Big jump (moved up substantially into the top 10) — seen as having a solid floor and clear NFL starter traits; ceiling still under evaluation.
- Carnell Tate: Massive climb into the top 10 (up 21 spots).
- Caleb Downs, Keldrick Falk, Jeremiah Love and others hold/near the top; Brugler stresses this is a murky, not super top-heavy class at the very top.
Quarterback deep dive
- Brugler’s four QBs: Ty Simpson, Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, Lenore Sellers (Sellers dropped but still top-20).
- Simpson: Brugler emphasizes process, operation, pocket mechanics, decision-making, and play-to-play consistency. Main concern = lack of starts/experience, but tape suggests readiness. Scouts see this as a potential two-QB 2026/2025 market (Simpson + Mendoza).
- Mendoza: Viewed as having a reliable floor and NFL starter traits; questions remain about ceiling after some uneven stretches (notably a rough first 3 quarters vs. Penn State followed by a strong final-drive response).
- Dante Moore: Rose into the top 15 after strong play at Oregon; retention at Oregon (NIL) could keep him in school.
- Lenore Sellers: Scouts in a holding pattern — clear talent and moments of NFL throws, but inconsistent results and surrounding roster issues make his decision (stay vs. declare) unclear.
- Brugler notes NIL will impact who actually declares and thus the final QB crop (Brendan Sorsby, others could opt to stay and re-enter a future class).
Notable risers and fallers
- Big risers: Arvell Reese (to No. 1), Ty Simpson (debut at No. 2), Carnell Tate (big jump into top 10), Fernando Mendoza (up into top 10), Makai Lemon, Denzel Boston, and several WRs.
- Fallers: Several offensive tackles slipped (e.g., significant fall for Utah tackle Caleb Lomu — projected return to school), Spencer Brown / Spencer Fano-type players moved down a bit, Caden Proctor dropped from a preseason top-3 spot.
- Injuries caused downgrades for multiple players (e.g., Caleb Banks, certain corners).
Position-by-position notes (high level)
- Quarterbacks: Thin senior class; underclassmen will determine whether the class becomes strong or weak. NIL and transfers complicate the final QB pool.
- Receivers: A surprisingly strong part of this update — many players have stepped up (Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Denzel Boston, Casey Concepcion, others). Brugler is more optimistic about WR depth than he was preseason. Multiple WRs project to be day-one/draftable.
- Offensive line / tackles: Underwhelming at tackle compared to expectations — many preseason tackle prospects have slid; teams may downgrade tackle hopes and consider trading or targeting different positions.
- Edge rushers: Some exciting mid-to-late board edge rushers (including SEC names) with upside; Ruben Bain (edge but possibly multiple positions) noted as a high riser. Overall, depth but not many consensus, clear top-end edge freaks.
- Cornerback: A mixed bag — strong tape for several, but length/arm/40-time concerns will matter heavily in evaluations. Brugler points out that the “underwear-olympics” (measurables) matter at CB and can limit teams’ interest despite good tape. Jermod/Jermon McCoy (name varies in transcript) is noted as a top-10 corner despite not playing this season — medicals/testing will be decisive.
- Defensive line/DT: A few intriguing prospects but no runaway studs; many prospect grades depend on scheme fit and projection.
- Running back & Misc.: Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price earned a spot for his vision, patience and special teams value; Brugler included a RB in the top 50 as a nod to him.
Draft-process themes Brugler emphasizes
- Trait-first, projection-based rankings: Brugler is trying to rank the prospects who will look best three years from now, not simply production in college.
- NIL and transfers are shifting who leaves and who stays — this will materially change the final draft pool.
- Injuries and medicals (especially for players who missed most or all of 2024) will be clarified at the combine/pro day window and will shift rankings again.
- Combine/testing/capacity limits positional ceilings — especially true at corner (speed, length) and often at edge/tackle.
Notable quotes / soundbites from Brugler (paraphrased)
- “I want to stack the best football players based on traits and tape so in three years I can be proud of the list.”
- On Simpson: “It’s not just about flashes — he does his thing every week. The process is there.”
- On Mendoza: “We feel good about the floor. The question is the ceiling.”
- On corners: “Corner is a stopwatch position — measurables matter and will constrain some players’ draft ceilings no matter how good the tape.”
What to watch next / recommended actions for readers
- Read Brugler’s full Top 50 on The Athletic for the full list and short blurbs per player.
- Track NIL/transfer decisions for quarterbacks — those will materially reshape the QB class.
- Monitor medical reports and combine commitments for injured players (e.g., corners, edge, tackles) — those will affect draft positions more than midseason tape for some players.
- Watch tape on these most-discussed names if you draft-research: Arvell Reese (No.1), Ty Simpson (No.2), Fernando Mendoza, Carnell Tate, Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Love, Ruben Bain, and top WR risers (Makai Lemon, Denzel Boston).
- Expect more board movement after the season ends, players declare/return, and the combine/testing window.
Bottom line / takeaways
- Brugler’s midseason Top 50 reflects a class that’s interesting but not overwhelmingly top-heavy — a few clear stars (Arvell Reese, Ty Simpson, Mendoza), a deep and improving receiver group, and positional uncertainty at tackle and QB depth among seniors.
- Rankings remain highly fluid as NIL choices, medicals, combine results and remaining games resolve. Brugler’s approach focuses on traits and projection, which leads to some big climbs for players who demonstrate pro-ready process (Simpson, Mendoza, Reese).