Good NFL rookies have more college experience: PFF data explains the trend

• The rate of good rookies with high prior snap counts is growing: In 2025, 62.5% of high-graded rookies had played at least 1,750 snaps in college.

• An emphasis on seasoned mid-to-late-round picks: Recent newcomers like Kamren Kinchens, Jalen Coker and Rashid Shaheed have blossomed, in part due to their large college sample sizes.

• Still an imprecise science: Rookies with tons of experience don't always pan out right away, and those with fewer snaps can still star in their first years.

As the Super Bowl winds down and the NFL offseason starts buzzing in mid-February, attention invariably turns to scouting for the NFL Draft. The ensuing two months help unearth uncut gems in the college class, sifting through players at every level — even to the point of prospect fatigue.

As part of that evaluation process, specific adages and philosophies continue to come into discussion. Near the top of that list is what to make of prospects that are either older or have played more years/snaps in college.

Those in favor of more seasoned players often tout athletes being more refined and “pro-ready,” having exposure to different systems, coaching styles and even processes of operation during games. On the other hand, detractors point to older players having fewer years to offer in the NFL, plus coming with potentially longer injury histories or more tread on the tires, especially at a position like running back.

The debate about the sweet spot for prospect experience probably won’t subside anytime soon. But as the quest for finding players who can make an instant impact continues, there’s been a clear development. As PFF data underscores, more productive NFL rookies are benefiting from additional snaps at the collegiate level.

For context, this research will lean on the number of collegiate snaps played, as opposed to the number of years in college. Although recent names have generated traction by appearing for even four schools, or by playing nearly seven seasons at the Division I level, that hasn’t always materialized into legitimate playing time at those stops. By contrast, snaps are a stronger indication of how much a player is actually seeing the field, no matter their number of years in school or path.

Of the 20 highest-graded NFL rookies on both offense and defense to play a minimum of 250 snaps last season, 62.5% of them played at least 1,750 snaps in college. That included the highest-graded newcomer overall, Bills fifth-round pick Jackson Hawes (83.1), who played 1,955 snaps between Georgia Tech and Yale. Others meeting the criteria were Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan — who saw 2,292 snaps over his three years at Arizona — the Saints’ Tyler Shough, the Giants’ Abdul Carter and the Seahawks’ Nick Emmanwori.

If that figure feels high, it’s because it is. The number has climbed in each of the last four rookie classes, going from 40% in 2022 to 47.5% in 2023 to 52.2% in 2024 before peaking last season. In other words, the proportion of impressive first-year players with 1,750 or more career college snaps is only augmenting.

Since 2022, some of the sport’s best players at their positions have gotten serious runway in the college level, a development that doesn’t feel like a coincidence. That extended time before the NFL has allowed young players to hit the ground running and quickly dominate.

Although the list above is largely comprised of first-round — and even top-10 — picks, the most revealing aspect of this research is that experience matters most for mid- or-late-round selections. Players taken in Round 3 or later naturally carry a much wider range of outcomes, but those with a bevy of college snaps have tended to grade higher in their first NFL season.

Last season alone, the likes of Hawes, Cameron Skattebo, Nohl Williams, Craig Woodson, Xavier Watts and Josaiah Stewart earned at least a 71.0 overall PFF grade despite being taken in the third round or later. Each of those players met the college snap criteria to qualify, parlaying that time into not just NFL snaps but also quality performance.

That sentiment has been true throughout the prior three years as well. Players like Jalen Coker, Kam Kinchens, Evan Williams, Tarheeb Still, Chamarri Conner, Rashid Shaheed, Cobie Durant and Reed Blankenship have enjoyed fruitful careers despite being mid-to-late round choices, in part by banking on their extensive college work.

In terms of the nuances of this research, what’s compelling is that more good offensive rookies are meeting this higher college snap share. Positions like offensive line and receiver have particularly suggested that more seasoned prospects immediately yield superior first seasons. Recent first-round picks like Armand Membou, Joe Alt and Xavier Worthy fall into this category, as do names like Zach Frazier, Ozzy Trapilo, Tate Ratledge and Jayden Higgins.

As franchises continue to refine their draft strategies, it appears that more fruits can be harvested right away by targeting prospects with a bigger sample of college snaps, especially on Day 2 and 3 of the draft. However, it’s not entirely that cut and dry.

Simply playing a high volume of snaps in school doesn’t necessarily mean a player will turn in a plus rookie year. Just look at last year’s No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, who ranked dead last among qualified passers in overall PFF grade despite accruing 4,005 snaps across Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami (FL). Rookies like Jonah Savaiinaea, Jahdae Barron, Barrett Carter and Brady Cook were also all substandard despite eclipsing at least 1,800 college snaps.

Along similar lines, some tremendously talented players have not played a large number of snaps before getting to the NFL. Excluded from qualification were the likes of Puka Nacua, Kyle Hamilton, Bijan Robinson, Cooper DeJean, Jahmyr Gibbs and Carson Schwesinger, the latter of whom won Defensive Rookie of the Year despite playing only 806 snaps at UCLA. Consequently, players boasting elite natural skills can translate effectively and quickly without leveraging more experience, especially relative to peers.

Another factor to consider in this exercise is the changing college football landscape. Rates have seemingly only increased for the number of players that not only play at more schools, but also for longer durations. That may help explain why last year’s highest-graded rookies consist of more well-traveled players, looming as a confounding factor. It will be fascinating to see how the NCAA’s updated five-year eligibility model, which removes redshirts and waivers, will affect this trend if at all.

Determining rookie success is still a very inexact science. Player health, opportunity, schematic fit and coaching all matter tremendously in determining how much a newcomer will even play, let alone do so at a top-tier level.

However, it’s evident that a larger share of good first-year NFL players leverage a larger body of work from their college days. Playing against better competition for longer before entering the league has clear benefits in helping players accelerate their own growth, which sets them up for success right away.

This development bodes especially well for 2026 rookies like the 49ers’ De’Zhaun Stribling, Cowboys’ Caleb Downs, Lions’ Blake Miller and Bills’ Davison Igbinosun, who all played at least 2,450 snaps before being picked in April.