2025 Ourlads All Rookie Team
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
Jayden Daniels – QB/LSU
DEFENSVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
Jared Verse – ED/LAR
1st Team Offense
QB: Jayden Daniels – WAS
1st round / #2 overall
QB of the week: 7x / Rookie of the Week: 3x
The number one overall player in the 2024 NFL Draft according to our team at Ourlads (ok, victory lap is over), Daniels was a star from the beginning. The dual threat led the rookie class in NFL passer rating, first downs, and touchdowns. His 927 yards on the ground was second in the NFL, trailing only Lamar Jackson. It was a historic season that led Washington to the playoffs where he pulled off a first round upset on the road in Tampa Bay.
RB: Bucky Irving – TAM
4th round / #125 overall
RB of the week: 11x / Rookie of the Week: 2x
The only back to go over 1,000 yards, Irving took over the lead role for the NFC South champs in the second half of the season. He also paced the rookie class with eight touchdowns and 47 catches. His 1,690 yards from scrimmage were sixth in the NFL and top 20 all-time in NFL history among rookies.
WR: Ladd McConkey – LAC
2nd round / #34 overall
WR of the week: 5x / Rookie of the Week: 0x
The top receiver of the year never won the Offensive Rookie of the Week award. Four other receivers did. However, that essentially sums up what McConkey did. He was Mr. Automatic and one of the most consistent pass catchers league wide. He finished third among rookies in catches, yards, first downs, and touchdowns. He caught 62% of contested targets and no other rookie receiver produced a better passer rating than he did.
WR: Brian Thomas Jr. - JAX
1st round / #23 overall
WR of the week: 5x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
The “other” LSU wide receiver from the 2024 duo led all rookies with 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, the only rookie skill position player to each double-digit scores. His 87 catches set a franchise record and the amazing feature to his stat line is the fact he did this with a backup under center over the final third of the season. Thomas also led the NFL with five receptions of over 55 yards.
WR: Malik Nabers - NYG
1st round / #6 overall
WR of the week: 1x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
Nabers missed two games but still managed to finish with an all-time rookie receiver record 109 receptions. He did this with four different quarterbacks. His 1,204 yards were aided by the fact he led all rookie pass catchers with 19 missed tackles forced. Over half of his catches resulted in a first down or touchdown. While NYG stresses what to do over at quarterback, they can sleep at night knowing they at least have the playmaker box checked.
TE: Brock Bowers – LV
1st round / #13 overall
TE of the week: 13x / Rookie of the Week: 0x
It is hard to imagine Bowers not winning a single Offensive Rookie of the Week Award. He had double digit catches four times and triple digit yards twice. While that is partially a result of other fellow rookies absolutely going off, do not let it overshadow Bowers had one of the best all-time rookie seasons out of a tight end. Only four times did a different rookie at the position outplay him. Bowers finished First Team All-Pro after leading all NFL tight ends catches, yards, contested catches, and yards after contact.
OT: Joe Alt – LAC
1st round / #4 overall
OT of the week: 4x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
Alt was the consensus OT1 from the Ourlads staff and he fully delivered on the potential. He moved to the right side for the time of his career, and it was flawless. Pressure from that spot was a key reason to Justin Herbert’s struggles over the past few years and he immediately put an end to the recurring problem. Alt will pair with left tackle Rashawn Slater, another homegrown first rounder, to form arguably the top tackle duo in the league for years to come.
OT: Roger Rosengarten – BAL
2nd round / #62 overall
OT of the week: 3x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
Rosengarten took over the starting right tackle job week four. Before the change, Baltimore was 1-2.. After? 11-3. The number one offense in the NFL very much revolved around the likely MVP, Lamar Jackson. But in order for a quarterback to reach his ceiling (in this case both a rusher and passer), the offensive line had to do their part. Of the seven rookie tackles that played 15+ games, he allowed the second fewest pressures.
iOL: Dominick Puni – SFO
3rd round / #86 overall
iOL of the week: 3x / Rookie of the Week: 0x
Puni was the only rookie interior offensive lineman to start all 17 games. A college tackle, Puni hit the ground running and easily transitioned into the athletically demanding Niners blocking scheme. He led all interior blockers with 1,078 snaps and while his pass protection started to fall apart late in the year, he was also an important asset to their running game in a year where they did not have Christian McCaffrey for the majority of it.
iOL: Graham Barton – TAM
1st round / #26 overall
RB of the week: 3x / Rookie of the Week: 0x
Following a move back to center (where he began his career at Duke) from left tackle, Barton won the week. one starting job and started all but one game for the NFC South Champs. He was one of the steadiest rookies all season that was immediately ready for productive trench play. He was the interior offensive line rookie of the week at the start of the season (week 2), the middle of the season (week 10), and the end of the season (week 18).
iOL: Zack Frazier – PIT
2nd round / #51 overall
iOL of the week: 2x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
There may not have been a better match simply based on ethos than this marriage. As expected, Frazier was a week one starter for the Steelers as they have completely revamped their offensive line in recent drafts. He allowed just one sack all year and averaged less than a pressure per game. His run blocking, notably against defensive linemen, is already among the best in the game right now at the position.
1st Team Defense
EDGE: Jared Verse – LAR
1st round / #19 overall
ED of the week: 8x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
In a year with multiple impressive edge performers, the third edge defender drafted stood out from the very beginning of 2024. He was a pressure machine. His 77 led the rookie class by 21 and that got him fourth in the entire league. He was more than just a powerful pass rusher, however. His 35 stops were more than twice as many as any other rookie edge defender and he added two forced fumbles, one of only two rookies to do it more than once.
EDGE: Chop Robinson – MIA
1st round / #21 overall
ED of the week: 5x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
As impressive as Verse’s consistency was all year, just as impressive (if not more) is what Robinson did over the second half of the year. He took off week 10 and never looked back. Over the final nine games, he had four or more pressures six times. He was held without a pressure in a game just one time (week seven). The pure edge rusher earned all five rookie of the week awards over the final eight games.
DT: Braden Fiske – LAR
2nd round / #39 overall
DT of the week: 5x / Rookie of the Week: 2x
One of the most aggressive trade ups draft weekend, Fiske was brought into pair with his college teammate (Verse) to give one of the youngest and most effective defensive fronts their missing piece. This organization knows a thing or two about impactful defensive tackles. This makes it two straight years we have a Rams defender in this spot. Fiske had 51 pressures, more than twice as many as the next interior defender and he led all rookies in sacks.
DT: T’Vondre Sweat – TEN
2nd round / #38 overall
DT of the week: 3x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
Sweat wasn’t even the first defensive tackle drafted from Texas. The mammoth-sized power defender had a pre-draft arrest that strengthened the notion his immaturity was going to follow him to the NFL. The gamble was taken, and it paid off. We knew Sweat would be an impactful run defender but he also added 23 pressures, second most among rookie interior linemen and two more than his college teammate, Seahawks first rounder Byron Murphy.
LB: Payton Wilson – PIT
3rd round / #98 overall
LB of the week: 4x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
Some crossed Wilson off their board because of his extreme medical history that includes 10 surgeries. Even Pittsburgh did not fully expect this result, as he was their second third rounder in this draft. He led all rookie linebackers with 54 tackles and was one of two with both an interception and a forced fumble.
LB: Edgerrin Cooper – GNB
2nd round / #45 overall
LB of the week: 4x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
The other rookie linebacker to record both an interception and forced fumble was Cooper. His primary calling card also came in the form as a pass rusher. He led the group with four sacks (nobody else had more than two) and 35 stops (nobody else had more than 25).
CB: Kamari Lassiter – HOU
2nd round / #42 overall
CB of the week: 2x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
There were 21 corners that played over 240 snaps. Lassiter ranked number one in completion percentage allowed (47.8%). He also finished second with three interceptions and NFL Passer rating allowed (69.1). All of the is impressive for a corner that lost some ground in the evaluation process because of a bad forty, but his run defense is where he stood out. His 22 stops also finished second among rookie corners.
CB: Quinyon Mitchell – PHI
1st round / #22 overall
CB of the week: 2x / Rookie of the Week: 0x
Mitchell was a week one starter for arguably the best defense in football. He belonged right away despite coming from a lower-level college program than most first rounders. He allowed under 60% of passes thrown his way to be completed (one of just six corners to do so) and he limited yards after catch to just 61, second best among corner which was aided by a low 9.6% missed tackle rate. Mitchell also tied for the group-lead nine pass break ups.
S: Kamren Kinchens – LAR
3rd round / #99 overall
S of the week: 4x / Rookie of the Week: 2x
The lowest draft pick of all the rookies on the first team, Kinchens overcame a poor pre-draft workout and proved to be one of the top playmakers at the position in the NFL. His four interceptions were second most among rookie safeties but what made those interesting is the fact all of them came in the fourth quarter of games. He also finished fourth in tackles and added a forced fumble.
S: Calen Bullock – HOU
3rd round / #78 overall
RB of the week: 3x / Rookie of the Week: 0x
Speaking of turnovers, Bullock led all. rookies with five interceptions for the AFC South champs. His five pass break ups also led the group and the 45.0 passer rating when targeted was number three in the NFL for the second leading snap getter among all defensive rookies.
DB: Cooper DeJean – PHI
2nd round / #40 overall
S of the week: 4x / Rookie of the Week: 1x
One of the most versatile defensive backs in the class, DeJean fell draft weekend because of a lower body injury that did eat into some of the preseason. Fully healthy week one, he played in 15 of 17 games on a ramp up scale. By midseason, he was a starter and one of the most important players on the elite defense for the NFC East champs. He broke up five passes and was one of just four rookies that played over 200 snaps in coverage and did not allow a touchdown out of 30. He was also a tackling machine that was eighth among all defensive backs in stops.
2nd Team Offense
QB: Bo Nix – DEN
RB: Tyrone Tracy – NYG
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr. – ARI
WR: Xavier Worthy - KC
WR: Jalen McMillan – TB
TE: AJ Barner – SEA
OT: Brandon Coleman – WAS
OT: Taliese Fuaga – NOR
iOL: Jackson Powers-Johnson – LV
iOL: Cooper Beebe - DAL
iOL: Beaux Limmer
2nd Team Defense
ED: Laiatu Latu – IND
ED: Chris Braswell – TB
DT: Byron Murphy – SEA
DT: Jer’Zhan Newton – WAS
LB: Omar Speights – LAR
LB: Tyrice Knight – SEA
CB: Mike Sainristil – WAS
CB: Tarheeb Still – LAC
S: Tykee Smith – TB
S: Javon Bullard – GB
DB: Jarrion Jones - JAX