- A big year for three young starting quarterbacks: Michael Penix Jr., Caleb Williams, and J.J. McCarthy step into great situations and excellent opportunities to deliver breakout seasons in 2025.
- Several rookies are primed to establish themselves as top players in the league: Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, and R.J. Harvey have excellent chances to play significant roles in Year 1 of their NFL careers and deliver on their high-end potential immediately.
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Draft Position Rankings
NFL rosters received another shakeup this offseason, this time in the form of the NFL draft, where a new crop of young players entered the league with an eye on potential starting roles. For some rookies, that means they can also qualify as potential breakout players in Year 1, while other young players have an opportunity to deliver their best seasons yet.
Rookies, players returning from injury, and those who showed promise early in their NFL careers, this list highlights the top breakout options for each team heading into 2025.
JUMP TO A TEAM:
ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
ARIZONA CARDINALS: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
After big rookie seasons from first-round wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., Harrison – who was drafted ahead of both – may have had a disappointing year relative to expectations and compared to his peers. However, there is hope, as Harrison’s catchable pass rate was among the worst in the league (59%) after seeing 114 passes thrown his way. He came away with just 62 receptions and 885 receiving yards. For context, the average amount of receptions and receiving yards for wide receivers with at least 100 targets last year was 85 receptions and 1,066 receiving yards. Catchable target rate is not a stable metric and should only regress positively for the 2024 fourth overall pick in Year 2.
ATLANTA FALCONS: QB Michael Penix Jr.
Penix only started three games across five appearances as a rookie, totaling just 114 dropbacks, but there’s a lot of encouragement to take from that small sample size, as he also finished with an 87.6 passing grade, a 9.0% big-time-throw rate and a 1.7% turnover-worthy-play rate, which all ranked top-five among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks in 2024. The Falcons offense has the weapons in place for Penix to keep his encouraging play going across an entire season as he officially steps into a full-time starting role for the first time in his NFL career.
BALTIMORE RAVENS: CB Nate Wiggins
Baltimore’s 2024 first-round pick saw inconsistent playing time throughout his rookie season, often playing behind both Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens, but with Stephens off to New York, Wiggins should step in as a consistent full-time starter in Year 2. When on the field as a rookie, Wiggins was one of the team’s most effective coverage defenders, allowing the lowest completion rate when targeted (53.5%) among all Ravens defenders with at least 100 coverage snaps (11th among all CBs). That is an almost identical number to Sauce Gardner (53.2%) after facing 24 more targets in 2024.
BUFFALO BILLS: TE Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid missed time due to injury in Year 2 and wasn’t able to surpass his rookie receiving numbers, however, his efficiency did improve slightly, including his yards per reception (10.4), yards per route run (1.54) and receiving grade (71.1). With the Bills not adding significant target competition to the offense this offseason, Kincaid will have another opportunity to be the team’s top target in the passing game. Similarly to the previously mentioned Marvin Harrison Jr., Kincaid’s poor catchable pass rate leaves a lot of room for positive regression and an opportunity for his best season so far.
CAROLINA PANTHERS: LB Trevin Wallace
Wallace was thrust into a starting role as a rookie after Shaq Thompson suffered a season-ending injury early on, forcing the third-round rookie onto the field much sooner than anticipated. Wallace’s strength both in college and Year 1 in the NFL was his coverage ability, earning a 64.2 coverage grade (24th). Carolina not bringing in a clear-cut replacement via free agency or the draft should point to the team’s belief in Wallace continuing in his starting role with the potential to improve in Year 2 now that he has about 10 games worth of starting experience.
CHICAGO BEARS: QB Caleb Williams
Everything that the Bears did this offseason, including installing Ben Johnson as the new head coach, reinforcing the offensive line and adding two high-end receiving weapons with their first two picks in the NFL Draft, is designed to allow the 2024 first overall pick to succeed in his second season. Williams, undoubtedly, struggled in Year 1, taking a league-high 68 sacks while ranking 32nd in passing grade. With everything a young quarterback could need in place around him now, there is no reason for Williams not to deliver on his potential as a former first overall pick, starting in 2025.
CINCINNATI BENGALS: S Jordan Battle
The Bengals have been toying with their starting safeties since Jessie Bates departed in free agency in 2023 but have a potential answer who has been patiently waiting in Battle. The 2023 third-round pick took over the starting job late in his rookie season, ultimately finishing as a top-10-graded safety overall. Still, the team replaced him with veterans Vonn Bell and Geno Stone in 2024, and as Bell faltered, Battle once again earned back a starting job, though he didn’t grade nearly as strongly because the entire Bengals defense struggled last season. It appears that the team will finally deploy Battle as a Day 1 starter with a new defensive coordinator, which should help him get back to his rookie year form.
CLEVELAND BROWNS: S Ronnie Hickman Jr.
The Juan Thornhill departure in free agency has opened up a spot for Hickman to prove that his encouraging play last season was no fluke. Hickman saw just 463 defensive snaps in 2024 but was the highest-graded coverage defender (71.3) on the Browns roster after also being the second-highest graded coverage safety on the team as a rookie as well. Hickman’s sample size as a starter is currently limited, but with the team not bringing in an obvious replacement for Thornhill, Hickman should be in for his biggest workload yet.
DALLAS COWBOYS: C Cooper Beebe
The Cowboys have been rebuilding the offensive line through the NFL Draft, and Beebe has already started to show signs of promise after one year as a starter. Beebe finished the regular season ranked 13th in PFF grade (65.4) among centers with at least 578 blocking snaps. Beebe’s strength was as a run blocker in Year 1, though there’s reason to believe that he can become a much better pass-blocker as well, which was his best attribute coming out of college, providing hope that he’ll continue to progress in Year 2.
DENVER BRONCOS: RB R.J. Harvey
The first rookie to make the list, and one that should have no problem seeing the field in Sean Payton’s offense after the team spent a second-round pick on the former UCF back. Harvey comes into the NFL with a very encouraging production profile, including a 95.1 career rushing grade, which suggests that he can hit the ground running at the next level. After moving on from Javonte Williams in free agency and not signing a replacement, Harvey should immediately establish himself as a workhorse back as a rookie.
DETROIT LIONS: CB Terrion Arnold
Arnold’s rookie year did not go as planned for a former first-round pick, though it’s not often easy for any rookie cornerback to come into the league and immediately start shutting down NFL talent. Arnold still allowed just a 61.2% reception rate when targeted, a top-25 mark among 73 qualifying cornerbacks. For Arnold, the best is certainly yet to come, as his time at Alabama as a high-end coverage corner would suggest.
GREEN BAY PACKERS: LB Edgerrin Cooper
Cooper was the Packers’ highest-graded defender in 2024 (85.7), though he only played over 75% of the team's defensive snaps in a game for the first time in Week 17 when he took on a full-time role to close out the rest of the year and into the playoffs. Cooper is set for a much larger role this coming season, and with the Packers declining Quay Walker’s fifth-year option this offseason, Cooper's path as the team’s top linebacker of the future should not be in doubt. Cooper could even take over the team’s LB1 role as soon as this season, as he did in Green Bay’s lone playoff game this past year, which would be even more fuel to his fire as one of the league’s potential top linebackers.
HOUSTON TEXANS: G Juice Scruggs
The Texans offensive line received a major shake-up this offseason, and for Scruggs, the continued fluctuation of his usage coming out of last season hopefully comes to an end, as he potentially locks into the right guard spot. Having played both guard positions and center last year, Scruggs significantly improved his blocking and overall grades across the board from his rookie year, doing so on nearly double the workload. Should this trend continue, and with a more consistent role, expect Year 3 to be the best of Scruggs’ career so far.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: ED Laiatu Latu
Latu’s rookie season flew under the radar a bit when compared to the Defensive Rookie of the Year, and fellow first-rounder, Jared Verse. However, Latu wasn’t given the full-time workload necessary to really make an impact in the sack column or be as disruptive as Verse. Latu’s 54% snap share as a rookie wasn’t ideal, though with the team’s 2024 leader in pass-rush snaps, Dayo Odeyingbo, off to Chicago, there’s a much larger opportunity for Latu to deliver on his potential after ranking 30th in pass-rush grade (72.1) as a rookie in 2024.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: WR/CB Travis Hunter
For a rookie to make this list, there has to be a lot of confidence in their ability to see the field right away, and there might not be a rookie who plays more total snaps as a rookie than Hunter when considering his hybrid ability to play both wide receiver and cornerback. As a player with a lot invested in him by the Jaguars, as the second overall pick who earned over a 90.0 receiving grade and 90.0 coverage grade in college on over 900 snaps doing both, Year 1 should establish Hunter as an elite talent in the NFL and a true first-year breakout.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: S Jaden Hicks
With Justin Reid off to New Orleans, there is a key role in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense potentially opening up for Hicks to overtake and deliver a breakout season in Year 2. Hicks played just under 500 defensive snaps as a rookie, earning a 75.7 coverage grade, ranking 13th among qualifying safeties and leading to a top-20 overall grade (75.1) on the season. With the Chiefs not adding significant competition to the safety room this offseason, Hicks is in a great spot to play a much larger role in 2025.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: RB Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty is the highest-graded running back prospect coming out of college in the PFF era, and he lands in a backfield with the clearest path to being the lead back as possible. The Raiders spending the sixth overall pick on this elite running back prospect should lock him into a workhorse role to kick off his NFL career, which will likely lead to high-end rushing totals for the rookie in 2025.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: CB Tarheeb Still
Still played a key role for the Chargers defense as a fifth-round rookie, playing over 800 defensive snaps throughout the year as the team suffered from a shortage of starters. The team brought in two outside corner options in free agency, Benjamin St-Juste and Donte Jackson, which will open up Still to play more in the slot in 2025 – the role he performed better in this past year, earning an 81.7 coverage grade and 81.8 overall grade from the slot compared to a 68.0 coverage grade and 68.9 overall grade lined up wide.
LOS ANGELES RAMS: LB Omar Speights
The Rams linebacker room needed help this offseason, and heading into the draft, there was a strong possibility that they’d address the position on the first two days, but instead, they chose to wait until the fifth round before doing so. This was encouraging news for Speights as a 2024 undrafted free agent who gained experience as a starter in this defense last year, earning a solid 69.4 overall grade. He was at his best defending the run (77.6), where he ranked 21st for his position, which bodes well for him getting the first crack at a starting job again in 2025.
MIAMI DOLPHINS: S Ifeatu Melifonwu
The Dolphins lost nearly 2,000 defensive snaps at safety in free agency with Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer on the move, leading to the team bringing in Melifonwu – a former third-round pick who has shown flashes of being a solid NFL starter. Specifically in 2023, when Melifonwu played a career-high 535 defensive snaps, he posted a 75.8 coverage grade, eight pass breakups and two interceptions while also adding three sacks in a productive showcase of his talents. He’ll get a much larger opportunity to build on his productivity with the Dolphins requiring his services much more than the Lions did during his rookie contract.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS: QB J.J. McCarthy
The Vikings felt comfortable moving on from Sam Darnold this offseason following his breakout performance in 2024, and McCarthy’s potential is a big reason why. McCarthy has yet to play a snap in the NFL, but Kevin O’Connell’s offense is set up for a quarterback to succeed, especially considering the full complement of offensive weapons for which McCarthy can get the ball to in order to help him adjust to the NFL.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: CB Marcus Jones
Jones has struggled to be a consistent part of the Patriots defense as he’s battled injury and fluctuating playing time, but in 2024, he played a career-high 586 defensive snaps, which led to career-high grades across the board and plenty of room to grow. Jones is set to man the slot once again this season, this time for Mike Vrabel and his new coaching staff, which should allow for more consistent playing time as long as he’s healthy.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry
The Saints spent a second-round pick on McKinstry in 2024, and they got their money’s worth in Year 1, as he played nearly 700 defensive snaps while performing well when called upon. McKinstry allowed just a 57.9% reception rate when targeted, leading to a 67.1 coverage grade in his rookie year. With Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo gone, McKinstry will be called upon to play an even bigger role in Year 2 and should be up to the task.
NEW YORK GIANTS: C John Michael Schmitz Jr.
After a poor rookie season in 2023 as the lowest-graded center in the league, Schmitz showed important improvement in 2024, playing nearly 1,000 snaps and moving up to 31st (of 43) in offensive grade for his position. Schmitz improved mostly as a run blocker, ranking 17th at the position (67.0) after ranking 34th (of 37) as a rookie. As a pass blocker, Schmitz was more effective, allowing fewer pressures and just one more sack on 162 more pass-blocking snaps. Year 3 is often important for offensive linemen, as most will have their best season to date, and Schmitz is on the right track to follow suit.
NEW YORK JETS: T Olumuyiwa Fashanu
The 11th overall pick in 2024 became a consistent full-time starter at left tackle in Week 11 of his rookie year after moving around the offensive line prior to that. He was set to continue in that role until he suffered an injury in Week 16. During that stretch, Fashanu earned a 75.0 pass-blocking grade, the best mark on the team. Fashanu received some help on the other side with the team drafting Armand Membou seventh overall to play right tackle, helping Fashanu stay locked into the left side where he was most effective last season.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: S Sydney Brown
Brown will have some competition for a starting role after the team drafted Andrew Mukuba in the third round of this year’s draft, but Brown – a 2023 third-round pick – has seniority and experience in the NFL and in Vic Fangio’s defense, which should give him the upper hand. Brown took on a starting role as a rookie before suffering an injury, which led to just one start in 2024, coming in Week 18 when he posted a 92.0 overall grade and 90.4 coverage grade.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: LB Payton Wilson
Wilson fell in the 2024 NFL Draft because of injury concerns, though he played an entire season as a rookie, earning solid grades for the position, including a 77.3 coverage grade that ranked tied for sixth at the position with fellow rookie Edgerrin Cooper. Wilson’s Year 1 role was that of a rotational piece in Pittsburgh’s defense, playing just over 500 defensive snaps. Following Elandon Roberts‘ departure and considering Patrick Queen‘s struggles, Wilson should absorb a larger role in Year 2.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: CB Renardo Green
Green took on a larger role in the latter half of his rookie season, filling in for Charvarius Ward most often, which he’ll now have to do on a permanent basis. Green earned a 74.3 coverage grade and posted a 15.7% forced incompletion rate – both of which were top-20 marks at the position. With no significant competition brought in this offseason to help alleviate the Ward loss on the outside, there is at least some perceived confidence that the 2024 second-rounder can continue his strong play on a full-time basis.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: DT Byron Murphy II
The Seahawks grabbed the top interior defensive lineman in the 2024 draft with the 16th overall pick, but his rookie year was a relatively quiet one with just a half-sack to his name on 244 pass-rush attempts. Expect a larger role for Murphy in Year 2, where he should be able to highlight more of that pass-rush upside that allowed him to deliver a 91.5 pass-rush grade in his final college season and 20.3% win rate on true-pass-sets, the seventh-best mark for his position in 2024.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: DB Tykee Smith
Smith established himself as a quality starter for the Buccaneers in Year 1 as a nickel corner, but after some missed time and more of a part-time role, there’s still room for Smith to grow and establish himself as a top slot corner in the league. Smith was an elite run defender in 2024, earning a 90.3 run-defense grade (third). He also earned a strong 70.0 coverage grade (33rd), pointing to the potential for a great all-around defensive back, which should continue into Year 2.
TENNESSEE TITANS: G Peter Skoronski
Skoronski took an important step forward in his development in his second year, greatly improving his pass-blocking ability, which pushed him to the seventh-best pass-blocking grade for his position (76.3). This was a key improvement from his rookie year when he ranked 30th (63.5). As a former 11th overall pick who was more well-rounded coming out of college, expect Skoronski to improve as a run defender as well this season after ranking just 66th at his position this past season in run defense grade (54.3).
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: DT Jer'Zhan Newton
Newton, much like most rookie defensive linemen, didn’t get a significant snap share in Year 1, but with the team releasing long-time starter Jonathan Allen this offseason, a key opportunity opens up for Newton to prove he is worthy of his early second-round draft capital this season. Newton showed flashes as a rookie, ultimately finishing the year with a 62.7 pass-rush grade (tied for 53rd) with plenty of room to grow this season with a much larger workload.
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