A look at the local prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft

The Seattle Seahawks won’t be the only ones getting attention in the Pacific Northwest during the NFL Draft, which begins Thursday. There are also a handful of players with local ties expecting or hoping to hear their names called this weekend.

Details: 2025 Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft coverage from Seattle Sports

There’s just a few draft prospects coming from the UW Huskies and WSU Cougars this year, but the EWU Eagles have one of their own, and there’s a handful of former high school standouts from the Seattle area in the mix as well.

Here’s a look at eight 2025 NFL Draft prospects with ties to the state of Washington.

Carson Bruener, LB

Bruener, a two-year starter at UW, totaled a team-high 103 tackles and added three interceptions and two tackles for loss while earning third-team All-Big-Ten honors this season. The 6-foot-1, 227-pound linebacker is projected as sixth-to-seventh-round pick by NFL.com. A former Redmond High School standout, Bruener is the 258th-ranked draft prospect, according to ESPN. His dad, Mark Bruener, was a first-round pick in 1995 who played 14 seasons at tight end in the NFL.

🐶 12 TKL
🐶 2 INT

Carson Bruener was everywhere in @UW_Football's win over USC 💯#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/29v6waIWzZ

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 3, 2024

Efton Chism III, WR

Chism, a former Monroe High School star, finished his five-year college career second in EWU program history with 346 receptions and third with 3,852 receiving yards. He set a single-season school record and led FCS with 120 receptions, was second in FCS with 1,311 receiving yards and had 13 receiving TDs this season. His efforts earned first-team FCS All-American and All-Big Sky selections. Chism is projected as an undrafted free agent by NFL.com. He’s an unranked prospect on ESPN, but checks in at No. 246 overall on Pro Football Focus’ Big Board.

Have a game Efton Chism! #GoEags #ProtectTheRed #EKG pic.twitter.com/OGsOBa7NiL

— EWU Football 🏈 (@EWUFootball) August 30, 2024

Josh Conerly Jr., OT

Conerly, who was a five-star recruit coming out of Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School, played in all 41 games in three seasons at Oregon, including spending the past two as the starting left tackle. He was a third-team All-America and first-team All-Big-Ten pick this season. The 6-foot-5, 311-pound Conerly is projected as a first-to-second round pick by NFL.com. He’s the 32nd-ranked draft prospect, according to ESPN. Conerly is set to be the first player from the state of Washington’s 2022 high school class to reach the NFL.

Emeka Egbuka, WR

Egbuka helped Ohio State win the national championship this season while hauling in 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 TDs. It was the second 1,000-yard season for the former Steilacoom High School star, who leaves Ohio State as the program’s No. 2 all-time receiver with 2,868 yards. He’s projected as a first-round pick by NFL.com. ESPN ranks the 6-foot-1, 202-pound Egbuka as its No. 40 overall prospect.

Emeka Egbuka just can't stop scoring 💥

His third touchdown of the day puts @OhioStateFB up 35-0.#B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/i7L0MjWAyD

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 5, 2024

Esa Pole, OT

After starting his career at Chabot College in northern California, Pole was a two-year starter for WSU at left tackle. He didn’t allow a sack over 498 pass-blocking snaps and graded out as the second-best pass blocking tackle in the country this season, per Pro Football Focus. The 6 foot 5, 320-pounder is projected as seventh-round pick or undrafted free agent. He’s the 301st-ranked prospect in the draft, according to ESPN.

Gee Scott Jr., TE

Scott, a former standout of Sammamish’s Eastside Catholic High School, is another local who helped the Buckeyes win the national title this season. He converted from wide receiver to tight end after arriving Ohio State and became a full-time starter this past season. The 6-foot-1, 243-pound tight end caught 27 passes for 253 yards and two TDs this season. Scott is the son of KIRO Newsradio’s Gee Scott, who hosts The Gee & Ursula Show.

Gee Scott Jr TD 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ubcbhD5xS0

— Buckeye Videos (@BuckeyeVideos) November 9, 2024

JT Tuimoloau, EDGE

Tuimoloau, a three-time All-Big-Ten selection, was a national champion at Ohio State and compiled 61 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and two forced fumbles this season. His 39.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks during his four-year career each rank in the top 10 in Buckeyes program history. Tuimoloau, who starred as a five-star prospect at Eastside Catholic, is projected as a second-round pick by NFL.com. He is ESPN’s 52nd-ranked overall prospect. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Tuimoloau also had D-I basketball offers coming out of high school.

✅ One arm to hold off the OL
✅ One arm to make the TFL 👀💪@JT_Tuimoloau x @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/f3svFkEsvm

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 5, 2022

Kyle Williams, WR

Williams piled up 70 receptions, 1,198 yards and 14 TDs for WSU this season. He ranked eighth in FBS in receiving yards and average a whopping 17.1 yards per catch. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver’s 20 TDs receptions in just two seasons with the Cougars are tied for sixth in program history. Williams is projected as a second-round pick by NFL.com. He’s ESPN’s 68th-ranked overall prospect.

10:11 of every single 𝐊𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐓𝐃 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐠.

you're welcome🙏 pic.twitter.com/H2790vXzyO

— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) April 18, 2025

More on the NFL Draft

• How should Seahawks allocate their O-line picks? Daniel Jeremiah’s view
• Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: Why Zabel is the No. 1 fit
• Barring late trade, every team will enter NFL Draft with its 1st-round pick
• Dave Wyman: My NFL Draft experience was almost completely different
• Lefko: What Seahawks’ early picks will tell us about their future

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