There are undoubtedly more rookies that could make this list, including offensive linemen such as Will Campbell (New England Patriots), Grey Zabel (Seattle Seahawks), Josh Conerly Jr. (Washington Commanders), and Kelvin Banks Jr. (New Orleans Saints).
However, this list contains players that most fans will be able to see every week in highlights and have good shots at winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards.
So here are the 15 rookies every NFL fan should watch out for during the 2025.
(Be sure to also check out the top 10 highest-paid players this season here.)
1. Ashton Jeanty - Las Vegas Raiders
The sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty is the clear-cut starting running back for a Raiders team that just signed its left tackle to an extension.
Most running backs can only be as good as their offensive line allows them to be. Only two running backs since 2015 have been able to put up 1,000 yards on the Raiders in that span: Josh Jacobs (2019-2020, 2022) and Latavious Murray (2015).
Jeanty clearly has all the capabilities to achieve 1,000 yards on the ground, but also has the potential to eclipse 1,500 scrimmage yards and over a dozen total touchdowns as a threat in the passing game.
Since 2020, six rookie running backs have rushed for over 1,000 yards, so it's safe to say that Jeanty is expected to eclipse that mark this season. He's currently the favorite (+250) to win Rookie of the Year.
2. Cam Ward - Tennessee Titans
The last time the Titans selected first overall, they took Hall of Famer Earl Campbell - no pressure, Cam Ward. The Titans' starting receivers are the definition of veterans, with Calvin Ridley, Van Jefferson, and Tyler Lockett leading the way.
Warren Moon is the only quarterback in Titans history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in his rookie season. With an arm like Ward's and the recent hiring of Jacksonville Jaguars' former passing game coordinator Nick Holz, look for Ward to burst into the NFL with some flair.
To add on to it, Holz worked with newly hired head coach Brian Callahan on the 2018 Raiders team that had Derek Carr throw for over 4,000 yards. Plus, between running backs Tony Pollard and Tajae Spears, the two combined for almost 500 receiving yards last season without Ward.
3. Jaxon Dart - New York Giants
Dart is interesting because it's unclear if he'll start Week 1 like the previous two. With veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in the same locker room, Dart either has to drastically impress the coaching staff for the remainder of the preseason or have the veteran botch his chances.
If the team decides to go with Wilson in Week 1, then the storyline will continue to be "When is it Dart's time?" After a very impressive preseason, fans are excited to see what the rookie quarterback can do. He finished the preseason 32-47 passing (68.1%) for 372 yards with four total touchdowns (three passing).
The Giants took Dart with the 25th overall pick in this year's draft and was the second overall quarterback taking after Ward went No. 1. Former Giants QB Daniel Jones started 12 games after the team benched long-time veteran Eli Manning after he started the first four games.
Jones finished that 2019 campaign with a 3-9 record, throwing for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 61.9% completion percentage - the same as Manning's that year.
So the real question is - how long will it take for Dart to become the starter, if he has to wait at all?
4. Travis Hunter - Jacksonville Jaguars
Being the only dual-way rookie who will be seeing starting snaps on both offence and defence, Travis Hunter has all the makings to become the Rookie of the Year favorite. The Jaguars have been balancing Hunter's time on both sides of the ball this preseason and is listed as a starting receiver and second-string corner.
However, some are concerned about his durability and how he will hold up, especially after an upper-body injury he sustained in a joint practice during Week 2 of the preseason (read more here), which ultimately led to his holdout from the final game of the preseason as well. But the latter was simply done as a precaution.
It'll be on quarterback Trevor Lawrence to favor Hunter over other starting receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who is coming off of a Pro Bowl rookie season after putting up 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
Thomas Jr. had 133 targets from Lawrence last season with current starting tight end Brenton Strange in third with 53. So there's undoubtedly more than just wiggle room for Hunter to find a prominent place on the offensive side of the ball.
5. Matthew Golden - Green Bay Packers
The standout rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden has been looking like the Packers' new No. 1 wide receiver. Green Bay was third in the NFL last season in dropped passes (33) and had the second-highest drop rate (6.9%).
Starting quarterback Jordan Love has already sung Golden's praises since the team took him 23rd overall in this year's draft.
Golden is still behind Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Jayden Reed on the Packers' official depth chart. However, Golden has plenty of room to make a name for himself earlier in the season rather than later.
However, Billy Howton (1952) is the only rookie wide receiver in the Packers' long history to ever eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in their rookie season. So Golden will really have to make a statement if he wants to achieve a feat that not even Packers legends like Greg Jennings, James Lofton, and Devante Adams have accomplished.
6. Tetairoa McMillan - Carolina Panthers
If there's a high-end rookie wide receiver that could outshine Golden and Hunter this season, it's Tetairoa McMillan. Despite being in a much more crowded WR room than the previous two, having Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette ahead of him on the depth chart, the rookie is already making strides with second-year quarterback Bryce Young this preseason.
It'll take a lot of McMillan to put up a fight for Offensive Rookie of the Year. However, that doesn't mean he won't shine in his own way. Diontae Johnson, who isn't on the team anymore, was third in receptions for the Panthers last season despite only playing half a season with them.
The Panthers were definitely in need of another receiver for Young. So, don't think they selected McMillan No. 8 overall in the draft not to get him the ball - it is the highest pick the Panthers have ever used in their history on a wide receiver.
And with the way Young looked toward the end of the season, I'm bullish on this Panthers pass game, especially with McMillan.
7. Omarion Hampton - Los Angeles Chargers
Omarion Hampton could be in line for a major rookie season. With running back Najee Harris dealing with an injury, the No. 22 overall selection in this year's draft has a chance to see a ridiculous workload, especially at the start of the season.
Los Angeles is in desperate need to find a reliable running back to take pressure off of quarterback Justin Herbert and the passing game. And since teams will hone in on Herbert and the pass game, that leaves Hampton ample opportunity to shine.
Since 2000, the Chargers have only drafted four running backs with a first-round pick - LaDanian Tomlinson (2001), Ryan Matthews (2010), and Melvin Gordon (2015), with Hampton being the fourth.
Tomlinson turned out to be an all-time NFL legend, Matthews had two 1,000-yard seasons and one Pro Bowl selection, and Gordon posted three straight seasons with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and 12 total touchdowns, including two Pro Bowl selections. So if Hampton wants to burst into the NFL, there may be no better opportunity than this season to make a statement.
8. TreVeyon Henderson - New England Patriots
In a sea of first-round picks on this list, TreVeyon Henderson, a second-round pick, had already made waves to the start of the preseason after returning a kick 100 yards for a touchdown.
However, it's a question of reps. Veterans Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson split the carries 207-120 last season. But with Stevenson dealing with an injury, although not significant, it'll be interesting to see where newly hired head coach Mike Vrabel includes him in the offense.
New England has only drafted two running backs higher than Henderson since 2000 - Sony Michel (31st overall in 2018) and Lawrence Maroney (21st overall in 2006). Michel and Maroney both came just short of eclipsing 1,000 scrimmage yards each of their first two seasons before more or less falling off the rest of their careers.
That being said, Henderson could even find himself as the bonified starter given his athleticism and speed surpassing both Stevenson and Gibson heading into the season. And with a brand new system, who knows what the possibilities could be for Henderson, but he's making one heck of a first impression.
9. Malaki Starks - Baltimore Ravens
While watching Starks' pre-draft workouts, Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said, “Goodness gracious. That’s different. (Starks) might be the safest pick in the draft.” Then, after the Ravens took Starks with the 27th pick, Baltimore's defensive coordinator Zachary Orr said that Starks was "way beyond his years."
All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton praised Starks even more, saying, "I honestly think he’s miles ahead of where I was as a rookie.” So the hype around Starks cannot be overlooked. If there's a team that knows about drafting defence better than anyone else, it's been the Baltimore Ravens.
Starks will play alongside Hamilton a lot this season while 2024 standout Ar'Darius Washington still recovers from a torn Achilles injury. Will Starks win Defensive Player of the Year? Who knows. The last time a safety won the award was Mark Carrier of the Chicago Bears back in 1990.
But Starks has all the capabilities of making history.
10. Abdul Carter - New York Giants
Carter is the massive favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. The No. 3 overall pick from this year's draft is looking to dominate opposing offensive lines alongside Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence, and Brian Burns, who combined for 23 sacks last season.
The Giants now have their best pass-rushing front line since the days of Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora. New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn called Carter, "A damn good player," after their scrimmage against the Giants on August 12th.
Carter is just the fourth defensive end selected by the Giants in the first round dating back to 2000. They took Mathias Kiwanuka 32nd overall in 2002 - winning two Super Bowls with the Giants, but never amounting to more than 8.0 sacks in a season. Then, four years later, they took all-pro Jason Pierre-Paul, who posted 16.5 sacks his first full year as a starter.
That brings us to Carter's now-teammate Thibodeaux, who came in fourth for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022. If anyone could break Jevon Kearse's rookie record of 14.5 sacks, it's Carter.
11. Jahdae Barron - Denver Broncos
Dating back to 2015, two cornerbacks have won Defensive Rookie of the Year - Sauce Gardner (2022) and Marcus Peters (2015). Working alongside reigning Defensive Player of the Year and cornerback Pat Surtain III, rookie corner Jahdae Barron is in the perfect system to shine in his rookie year.
The rookie allowed two catches on two targets for nine yards in his first preseason game with limited snaps, but allowed zero yards after the catch. Denver's secondary ranked 20th in passing yards allowed per game (220.7) last season and tied for eighth in interceptions (15). However, they allowed the sixth-lowest passer rating (86.2).
Barron will be a drastic improvement for a defence that also ranked first last season with 63 sacks (no other team had more than 55) and third in points per game given up (18.3). He'll more than likely be working as a nickel corner (slot) this season with Surtain and two-year corner Riley Moss working the outside.
Barron is a ball hawk and has no hesitation when it comes to laying down hard hits. So either expect Barron to have a lot of highlights or none at all because he's locking down his assignments.
12. Jalon Walker - Atlanta Falcons
Walker is hitting some bumps in the road to start the preseason. He was shown being shut down by veteran Kevin Zeitler in a joint practice and now he's missing Week 2 of the preseason with a groin injury.
However, Walker still has the potential to be what the Falcons need him to be - a pass rusher. He recorded a tackle and held up on the line of scrimmage fairly well for a rookie edge rusher facing veteran linemen during his first preseason game.
However, Walker failed to do anything else this preseason after being out due to both hamstring and groin injuries. He's still questionable as of now. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris considers Walker's injuries minor.
So if he's ready to go this year, then Walker has all the capabilities of helping a Falcons defense that desperately needs it.
13. James Pearce Jr. - Atlanta Falcons
Walker's teammate, however, in James Pearce Jr., has flourished so far in his rookie campaign. In his first two preseason games, Pearce created seven pressures, with a win rate just over 21%.
Someone who would've gone top 10 in the draft this season if not for character concerns, Pearce Jr. has emerged of the two Falcons rookies as the standout pass rusher.
Unlike Walker, Morris held out Pearce Jr. just for precautionary reasons, saying that he was "really pleased" with his performance during the first twqo preseason games.
While it's questionable if Pearce Jr. will receive the same amount of snaps as someone like Carter, but he could undoubtedly be one of the best young pass rushers this season if the Falcons ultimately give him the reps.
14. Tyler Warren - Indianapolis Colts
A tight end has never won the Offensive Rookie of the Year in the history of the NFL - Brock Bowers for the Raiders came in second after last season. That being said, the No. 14 overall pick Tyler Warren has already become a primary target for the Colts' quarterback room this preseason. He is only one of two tight ends the Colts have taken in the first round since 2000 - with the other being All-Pro Dallas Clark (2003).
Warren has looked absolutely incredible on the field despite the Colts' two preseason losses, living up to his Rob Gronkowski comparisons.
In his Week 1 appearance against the Ravens, Warren may have only snagged three receptions, but he was targeted more and was the first option for a lot of plays when he was covered.
Both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones have looked towards Warren's way more often than not and it's a tall-tale sign that it's going to transfer over to the regular season. The only question is if the Colts can help get him the ball and hit their targets.
15. Mason Graham - Cleveland Browns
I feel like not enough people are talking about the No. 5 overall pick in the draft from this past offseason. Graham was the first and only defensive tackle taken in the top 10 for more than a single reason.
During the team's first preseason game against the Panthers, Graham had moments of incredible strength and awareness.
Graham, alongside Myles Garrett on the same defensive line, almost feels unfair, especially when you package in Shelby Harris for run-stopping and Maliek Collins for pass rushing.
If Graham lines up on the same side as Garrett some plays, expect some one-on-one matchups where Graham will be able to see what he's truly made of, like he did during his days at Michigan.
Graham is the highest defensive tackle taken by the Browns in the first round since Phil Taylor (2011 - No. 21 overall) and the third since 2000 taken in the first round (Gerard Warren, 2001, No. 3 overall).