2025 NFL Draft: Nick Saban unveils All-Defense team of prospects

After breaking down his All-Offense team ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, Nick Saban then turned his attention to the other side of the ball. He put together his All-Defense team of prospects, as well.

Travis Hunter, of course, appeared on both teams. Saban listed him as one of two players at both wide receiver and cornerback as the former Colorado star gets ready to play both positions in the NFL. Fellow blue-chip prospect Abdul Carter also headlines the All-Defense Team.

Each player on the list is who Saban thinks is the best at the respective positions. Here is his All-Defense team ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

CB: Travis Hunter, Colorado OR Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
EDGE: Abdul Carter, Penn State
DT: Mason Graham, Michigan
EDGE: Jalon Walker, Georgia
CB: Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina
OLB: Mykel Williams, Georgia
ILB: Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
ILB: Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
OLB: Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
S: Malaki Starks, Georgia
S: Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

Saban – who coached the defensive backs at Alabama – had plenty of good things to say about the cornerback position in this year’s draft. While Hunter and Hairston get the attention, he called out Revel as the biggest “sleeper” on the board after an injury cut his 2024 season short.

“This is the team of guys that I think are the best players at every position,” Saban said. “Travis Hunter being a corner, Hairston’s the next best corner. The guy I think is a real sleeper in this draft who got hurt this year is Revel at East Carolina. This guy is a really good player, and it’s just too bad that he got hurt or he would be in the top of the draft.”

Hunter provides an interesting case for NFL teams as he enters the draft as one of the top prospects. He shined on both sides of the ball at Colorado as he won the Heisman Trophy. He totaled 1,258 yards and a Big 12-leading 15 touchdowns on offense while adding 36 tackles and four interceptions on defense as a cornerback.

But Carter is also sure to be a difference-maker at the next level. He was the anchor of the Penn State defense after shifting outside and finished his college career on a high note with 68 tackles, a Big Ten-leading 24 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks to set new career-highs in all three categories.