- The class' elite talent will, obviously, slot in immediately: Cam Ward, Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter are among those who won't have to do much to prove they belong in the starting lineup.
- Second-rounder Will Johnson is an impact player if healthy: Although he slid during the draft, Johnson should be a starter at cornerback for the Cardinals if he is back to full health.
- Final chance to claim 25% off PFF+: Use code DRAFT25 and unlock access to player grades, fantasy tools and the 2025 Draft Guide.
Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Competition breeds success in the NFL, but some rookies seem extremely likely to start early in their NFL careers. Some will also play valuable part-time roles before emerging into a starting spot. Some could even emerge from the annals of the depth chart to surprise.
We’ll put several players into each category as we project the likelihood of 2025 prospects to find a starting role by Week 1.
Offense
Virtual Locks
- QB Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
- WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars
- T Will Campbell, New England Patriots
- RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
- WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
- T Armand Membou, New York Jets
- T Kelvin Banks Jr. New Orleans Saints
- G Tyler Booker, Dallas Cowboys
- TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
- OL Grey Zabel, Seattle Seahawks
- G Donovan Jackson, Minnesota Vikings
- WR Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans
Each of these players was selected within the first 34 picks in the draft and has virtually nothing in their way of gaining a starting spot.
Brian Callahan will let the quarterback “competition” play out in Tennessee, but Cam Ward will be his starter, barring a disaster. Each of the draft’s first six offensive linemen selected has an easily projectable starting role. Travis Hunter is likely to pair with Brian Thomas Jr. to form a dynamic wide receiver duo. Meanwhile, nobody ran their draft card in faster than the Colts when they selected Tyler Warren, who is a perfect fit for their offense.
On the cusp
- TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
- WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears
- RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
- WR Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers
- T Josh Conerly Jr., Washington Commanders
- OL Jonah Savaiinaea, Miami Dolphins
- TE Mason Taylor, New York Jets
- WR Jack Bech, Las Vegas Raiders
- RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
The Bears should have major offensive roles for their first two selections, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Part of it will depend on how often new head coach Ben Johnson utilizes two-tight end sets, which favors Loveland, versus three-receiver sets, where Burden would be the third fiddle along with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
Omarion Hampton should be the workhorse in Los Angeles soon, but the Chargers did bring in free agent Najee Harris, who could steal some of the carries early on. Denver’s RJ Harvey also has a clear path to the starting running back job. It will simply be a matter of how much Sean Payton wants to throw on his plate early in the season.
Golden and Bech will have to earn starting wide receiver spots through some level of competition, but they should be considered early favorites. The same goes for Conerly and Savaiinaea on teams desperate for pass protection, but they both likely need to learn a new position. Taylor can certainly win the Jets' starting tight end job, but he has some developing to do and the organization may not want to give him a starter’s workload too soon.
Could win a competition
- WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- T Josh Simmons, Kansas City Chiefs
- RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
- RB Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
- QB Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
- QB Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
- QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
- T Aireontae Ersery, Houston Texans
- WR Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
- T Ozzy Trapilo, Chicago Bears
- G Tate Ratledge, Detroit Lions
- WR Kyle Williams, New England Patriots
- G Dylan Fairchild, Cincinnati Bengals
- RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
- C Jared Wilson, New England Patriots
- WR Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans
- WR Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans
- RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
The Browns were in the spotlight during draft weekend, and that will continue through the summer with wide-open battles at quarterback and running back. Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders will join Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco in the most wide-ranging quarterback competition we’ve seen in some time. Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson were two of the draft’s top seven running backs, per PFF’s big board. They’ll both see action during the season, but they’ll battle it out with Jerome Ford for starting reps in the preseason.
Competition along offensive lines will also be a feature of preseason action across the league. Josh Simmons could start for a Kansas City team in desperate need of pass protection if he is healthy. Similar things can be said, excluding the health concerns, for Houston Texans second-rounder Aireontae Ersery. Another interesting battle is in New England, where Garrett Bradbury was brought in via free agency but the team got excellent value in Georgia’s Jared Wilson with the 95th overall pick.
Fantasy owners will be sure to keep a keen eye on the running back situations in Pittsburgh and New York, where Kaleb Johnson and Cam Skattebo, respectively, could feature prominently in the backfield very soon. Johnson is a nice fit in Arthur Smith’s zone running scheme. Skattebo’s ability to break tackles should appeal to Brian Daboll and the Giants early on.
Lastly, it seems there will be an open competition in Tennessee to decide who will see targets from Cam Ward. Fourth-rounders Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor could have a chance to seal a starting spot in a receiving corps where Calvin Ridley is the only proven option.
Defense
Virtual Locks
- ED Abdul Carter, New York Giants
- DI Mason Graham, Cleveland Browns
- ED Mykel Williams, San Francisco 49ers
- DI Kenneth Grant, Miami Dolphins
- LB Jalon Walker, Atlanta Falcons
- CB Jahdae Barron, Denver Broncos
- ED James Pearce Jr., Atlanta Falcons
- S Malaki Starks, Baltimore Ravens
- CB Maxwell Hairston, Buffalo Bills
- CB Will Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
Similar to the offensive set of virtual locks above, this group features several first-round picks along with one second-rounder, Will Johnson, who has a serious chance to start right away.
Top-five selections Abdul Carter and Mason Graham were brought in to New York and Cleveland, respectively, to change the dynamic of those teams’ defensive lines. The same can be said, at least in run defense, for Mykel Williams in San Francisco and Kenneth Grant in Miami.
Atlanta made headlines in the draft by selecting Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round to fix a defensive unit that finished 2024 with the second-lowest PFF pass-rush grade in the NFL.
In the secondary, Jahdae Barron and Maxwell Hairston figure to find starting spots on playoff teams in need of cornerback depth. Starks fills a versatile role at safety, combining with Kyle Hamilton and Ar'Darius Washington to form a dynamic trio. The Cardinals got incredible value when they selected Will Johnson in the second round, and he should start immediately if healthy.
On the cusp
- ED Shemar Stewart, Cincinnati Bengals
- LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles
- DI Alfred Collins, San Francisco 49ers
- LB Demetrius Knight Jr., Cincinnati Bengals
- CB Trey Amos, Washington Commanders
- S Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons
All eyes will be on Cincinnati to see if the team's defense can support an elite offense. Much of that burden will fall on the shoulders of the Bengals' first two draft picks, Shemar Stewart and Demetrius Knight Jr. Stewart will battle Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy for a starting role, but neither has shown much impact early in their NFL careers. Knight will likely start alongside Logan Wilson at linebacker once Germaine Pratt is either released or traded.
Perhaps Jihaad Campbell will end up the starter alongside Zack Baun in Philadelphia anyway, but his Week 1 fate may depend on Nakobe Dean’s recovery after he tore his patellar tendon in the postseason. If Dean misses an early portion of the season, Campbell is overwhelmingly likely to start. If Dean is healthy, things could get more competitive.
Atlanta got excellent value when it selected safety Xavier Watts late in the third round. He was the 36th-ranked player on PFF’s big board and racked up 13 interceptions over the past two seasons. It’s entirely possible that he will start immediately next to Jessie Bates III in the secondary.
Could win a competition
- DI Walter Nolen, Arizona Cardinals
- LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns
- S Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks
- ED Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
- S Andrew Mukuba, Philadelphia Eagles
- DI Darius Alexander, New York Giants
- CB Darien Porter, Las Vegas Raiders
- LB Nick Martin, San Francisco 49ers
- S Kevin Winston Jr., Tennessee Titans
- CB Jacob Parrish, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- DI Jamaree Caldwell, Los Angeles Chargers
- S Caleb Ransaw, Jacksonville Jaguars
- DI CJ West, San Francisco 49ers
- LB Cody Simon, Arizona Cardinals
- S Lathan Ransom, Carolina Panthers
- LB Chris Paul Jr., Los Angeles Rams
A ton of defensive players, mostly mid-round picks, have at least a reasonable chance of winning a starting job in the preseason. The lone first-rounder in this category, Walter Nolen, doesn’t fall here because of a lack of talent. He joins a loaded defensive line group that includes multiple players brought in via free agency, plus 2024 first-rounder Darius Robinson.
Several safeties have an opportunity to make an early mark in their new home. Seattle traded up in the second round to take the uber-athletic Nick Emmanwori, who could compete with Coby Bryant for a starting spot. Andrew Mukuba will likely battle with Sydney Brown in Philadelphia for a starting role alongside Reed Blankenship.
Kevin Winston Jr. has starting-caliber talent if he proves to the Titans that his knee is fully healthy. Jacksonville’s Caleb Ransaw played mostly in the slot at Tulane, but the team’s brass has said it views him as a potential starter at safety. Carolina’s Lathan Ransom could compete early to start alongside free-agent acquisition Tre'von Moehrig.
There are also some wide-open competitions at linebacker in Cleveland, San Francisco, Arizona and Los Angeles. The Browns thought highly enough of Carson Schwesinger to take him with the first pick of the second round. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s health could play a factor, as well, but Schwesinger figures to compete for a starting role.
The 49ers are searching for a Dre Greenlaw replacement, and Nick Martin could be that player after the team selected him in the third round. Cody Simon may be an underdog in Arizona as a fourth-round pick, but he only has to supplant either Mack Wilson Sr. or Akeem Davis-Gaither to earn a spot in the starting lineup. Finally, the Rams may have gotten a steal in Chris Paul Jr. in the fifth round. He was the 83rd-ranked player on PFF’s big board and could steal a starting role after his breakout 2024 season at Ole Miss.
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