Comparing NFL Draft prospects to anime characters

For National Anime Day, here are some 2025 NFL Draft comparisons to anime characters.

National Anime Day is on April 15, and in honor of the third greatest day of the year (the first two are my girlfriend’s birthday and Christmas), I figured it’s time we return to the land of the 2025 NFL Draft, and compare them to exclusively anime characters. Previously, I made comparisons to things that had nothing to do with football, but now we’re going to specifically take our comparisons from the world of anime. So charge up your ki and let’s do this!

Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo: Inosuke Hashibira, Demon Slayer

The wild boar with Beast breathing from Demon Slayer perfectly fits Skattebo, with both being unique talents who use their special tools in different ways. Skattebo isn’t fast by any means, but where he lacks in speed he makes up for in being one of the toughest guys to tackle in this draft class. He’s got a strong lower body and surprisingly quick feet, which help him make up for his lack of speed. Just like how Hashibira lacks some of the refinement of other demon slayers, he makes up for it with his unique breathing and flexibility that rivals many characters in his universe.

What really sells this for me is the relentless nature, though. Inosuke survived being stabbed in the chest by a poisonous sickle to help beat Gyutaro and Daki in the Entertainment District, and never gives up on any fight. Skattebo doesn’t give up on any run, and always wants to fall forward. While it can be a hindrance at times, you always want those guys on your team.

Miami QB Cam Ward: Vash the Stampede, Trigun

Ward is an exceptionally creative QB who sometimes lets his creativity get in the way of his mechanics, very similarly to Vash. However, something that I think people in the show mistook Vash for is being aloof. When it comes to Ward, I think he gets mistaken for a guy that doesn’t want to stay in the pocket and does all his work outside of it. Ward can play in the pocket, and more often than not wants to be in the pocket, where he can use his spatial awareness to win, as well as his right arm that he uses to access different arm angles and types of throws most QBs only dream of.

There are some mechanical issues, and Ward sometimes has his brain fart moments, but like Vash he has the power to take his opponents down with the cybernetic arm and pinpoint accuracy.

Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams: King, One Piece

Frightening ability to destroy anything in their path, King and Williams share a lot of similarities. For one, the length and wingspan of both characters is massive. Williams sports an 86th percentile wingspan and almost 35 inch arms, and King...well...he literally has wings. Where this comparison really starts to align is in how they’re used. King is Kaido’s right hand man; he does most of the dirty work for one of the former Emperors of the Sea and Williams did the dirty work for a Georgia defense that dominated college football. While it helped the Dawgs reach a lot of success, Williams probably won’t be playing 4i in the NFL. With his arm length and discipline in the run game, Williams makes himself a high floor prospect, but like King, if he goes all out, we’ve seen what he can do as a pass rusher.

Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter: Thorfinn, Vinland Saga season 1 specifically

Ok so walk with me on this one. The biggest thing that stands out with Abdul Carter is the speed and the violence that he plays with. A former off ball LB, Carter is so quick off the ball, but it’s the urgency that he makes his moves with, the force that he rips through with that really stands out. If generating speed to power is the go to for most young pass rushers, Carter turns his speed into force without using a bullrush. Much like early season Thorfinn, there’s still some times where he’s rough around the edges, but most people can tell the potential both have for being the strongest in their respective universes.

LSU OL Will Campbell: Ichiro Miyata, Hajime no Ippo

Miyata doesn’t have the size of guys like Takamura, or the power of someone like Ippo, but pound for pound he might be the best counter boxer in the entire show. He’s so quick and has a lot of experience due to his father being a former pro boxer, that he’s able to win with his mind as well as his athletic tools. LSU OL Will Campbell doesn’t have long arms, but he mitigates that with tidy hand placement, incredible core flexibility and the ability to just torque his opponents out of gaps. His flaws might be nullified with a move inside to guard, but even if he stayed at tackle he could be good.