Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Jaxson Dart - QB / NYG
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Nick Emmanwori - S / SEA
Quarterback
Jaxson Dart / NYG (Round 1)
Dart backed up Russell Wilson for the first three weeks of the season as the Giants got off to an 0-3 start. Then, the decision to start him week four against the 3-0 Los Angeles Chargers took place and everything immediately looked different. The Giants won, Dart scored two touchdowns (one through the air and one on the ground), and there was a sense of hope in the tri-state area. He went on to start 11 more games (missing weeks 11 and 12 with a concussion) and led all rookies with 24 touchdowns. No other rookie had more than 17. His dual threat ability helped lead him to 487 yards on the ground, ranking third in the league among all quarterbacks along with 2,272 passing yards (third best in-class) and a 74.4% adjusted completion percentage (second best) while keeping his interception rate at just 1.5% (second best). Dart was the rookie quarterback of the week seven out of 11 weeks he started including week six where he won Offensive Rookie of the Week and led the Giants to a win over the Eagles; over that span Cam Ward was next highest just three times.
Second Team: Cam Ward / TEN (Round 1)
Running Back
TreVeyon Henderson / NE (Round 1)
After seven weeks that saw Henderson average just six carries per game, the training wheels came off and he brought the Patriots offense to new heights. He ended the year with 911 yards (758 of which came in that final 10-game stretch) and a rookie-high 5.1 yards per carry. We noted his big play potential last spring in the Ourlads Draft Guide (“...he is an explosive big threat every time he touches the ball”) and it came to fruition once he was comfortable in their scheme. Henderson finished with ten runs of over 15 yards (most in the class), nine of which came after week seven which ranked number three in the entire league. Henderson also scored four touchdowns of over 50 yards, the most in the NFL and nobody else had more than two. He finished as the top rookie back three times and was the Offensive Rookie of the Week twice.
Second Team: Ashton Jeanty / LVR (Round 1)
Wide Receiver
Tetairoa McMillan / CAR (Round 1)
Emeka Egbuka / TB (Round 1)
Luther Burden III / CHI (Round 2)
One of the surprise teams of the year, the NFC South Champion Carolina Panthers, were reliant on McMillan from the start. The 17-game starter was the lone 1,000 yard receiver among rookies and he also led the group with 70 catches and seven touchdowns. The wide receiver “triple crown”, we call it. McMillan did not and has never won with standout athletic traits but quick adaptation to the speed of the NFL game and tight windows in coverage were the pillar to his immediate success. 55 of his 70 catches went for a first down or touchdown which ranked seventh in the entire league. No other rookie had more than 34.
It was a tale of two halves for Egbuka. If you can remember back to the start of the season. Tampa Bay was dealing with several injuries at receiver. Chris Godwin missed the first three games, played weeks four and five, and then did not see the field again until week 12. Jalen McMillan did not play until week 15. And Mike Evans played one game between week 4 and 15. So it was very much on the shoulders of Egbuka who finished second among rookies (and number one on the team) with 63 catches, 938 yards, and six touchdowns. A hamstring injury slowed him down the stretch but there was a period where he made the Ourlads All Rookie Team four times in five weeks. He finished as the Offensive Rookie of the Week twice.
Burden was a little less polished coming out of college than the two names above but the talent was undoubtedly there. Burden, the number three receiver in the Ourlads wide receiver stack from last year’s Draft Guide (“...this is a true number one threat who can be the feature asset for an offense that will raise the team’s ceiling substantially right away”), got off to a slow start but heated up over the second half. He got the most out of his looks, catching 78% of his targets which led rookie receivers. His 7.3 yards after the catch average also paced the group and was number four in the NFL and his 2.69 yards per route run ranked third in the leauge (led rookies). Burden was the receiver of the week three times over the last five games and he was the best offensive rookie in week 17 in their huge game against San Francisco.
Second Team: Matthew Golden / GB (Round 1), Chimere Dike / TEN (Round 4), Jayden Higgins / HOU Round 2)
Tight End
Colston Loveland / CHI (Round 1)
It was a close race and a tale of the two halves of the season at the position. Loveland narrowly takes the first team spot after earning rookie tight end of the week five times over the final ten weeks. Down the stretch especially, Loveland turned into a feature weapon for Chicago, bringing in 47 catches, six touchdowns, and 23 first downs since week nine for one of the hottest offenses in football. Loveland was also a key contributor to the run game as a blocker during the multi-back power attack. He made a lot of spectacular catches but it was the lack of mistakes that stood out. He dropped just one pass all year, the lowest among the ten tight ends who caught 10+ passes on the year.
Second Team: Tyler Warren / IND (Round 1)
Offensive Tackle
Armand Membou / NYJ (Round 1)
Kelvin Banks Jr. / NO (Round 1)
Membou was a week one starter at right tackle, where he played at Missouri. Right away he was tasked with the Pittsburgh front including a handful of solo pass protection snaps against TJ Watt. He did not allow a single pressure and that set the foundation for the rest of the year. While things got ugly in New York once again by the time Thanksgiving came around, Membou was one of the team’s most consistent and best players. He was the only out of 11 rookie tackles to allow less than three quarterback hits and he can make a case to be considered the top run blocker in the group.
Banks, like Membou, started all 17 games except he was on the left side for multiple quarterbacks. He was a key reason why Tyler Shough helped the team turn things around down the stretch. Banks, one of the youngest rookies in the class, stood out as a run blocker in all roles and blocking schemes. He was the rookie tackle of the week and even won the Top Offensive Rookie week seven against Chicago.
Second Team: Will Campbell / NE (Round 1), Josh Simmons / KC (Round 1)
Interior O-Line
Grey Zabel / SEA (Round 1)
Tate Ratledge / DET (Round 2)
Tyler Booker / DAL
There is one rookie interior lineman who started all 17 games for a team still alive in the postseason. Zabel quickly rose from the FCS ranks to Senior Bowl star to key pillar of arguably the most improved offensive line in football. His balanced approach without any true weaknesses and an ascending impact on the Seattle run game was a weekly weapon for the NFC’s top seed. Steady from start to finish would be the best way to describe him. He was the interior lineman rookie of the week three of his four games and then again in three of his final five games.
There were a lot of significant changes to the Detroit offense in 2025 that kept them from getting anywhere close to what we have seen in recent years. While the offensive line did take a hit, Ratledge softened the blow while providing enough hope they can get back to dominating the line of scrimmage as soon as next season. A 17-game starter, Ratledge was the interior offensive lineman rookie of the week three times, all in the first ten weeks.
Booker was the first interior lineman selected as Dallas tried to fill the vacancy left by soon-to-be Hall of Famer Zack Martin. Things got off to a shaky start but once he came back from an ankle sprain week seven, he looked more than ready to be the force and presence Jerry Jones looked to add last April. One of the most pass-happy teams in the league, he allowed just three sacks and 25 pressures, less than two per game. He was rookie of the week among interior offensive linemen just once but he did finish honorable mention a group-high five times.
Second Team: Donovan Jackson / MIN (Round 1), Dylan Fairchild / CIN (Round 3), Connor Colby / SF (Round 7)
Edge
Abdul Carter / NYG (Round 1)
James Pearce / ATL (Round 1)
The clear leader in the clubhouse, Carter, delivered on the potential many thought he had after being the first defender taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. His 66 pressures were 21 more than the next highest and his 18 hits were six more than anyone else. In fact, among all NFL edge defenders he finished 11th in and 5th in QB hits. The sack volume was not as high as some look for but there is no denying he was the position group’s most impactful rookie. He finished as the top weekly edge defender five times and was the Defensive Rookie of the Week three times, tied for the most in the class, all positions.
Where Carter dominated in pressures and hits, Pearce dominated in actually closing the deal. His 11 sacks led the group by three while also finishing second behind Carter with 45 pressures. With Atlanta making an aggressive trade to move up for him in last spring’s draft (including the 2026 first round pick), Pearce had to deliver. There is some one-trick pony to his game (he was a near-non factor against the run), but getting to the passer is why he was drafted. Over the final nine games, Pearce took down the quarterback 10 times. He had a streak of six straight games with a sack. While he was the rookie edge defender of the week just once, he did make honorable mention five times which was a group-high.
Second Team: Jalon Walker / ATL (Round 1), Nic Scourton / CAR (Round 2)
Defensive Tackle
Mason Graham / CLE (Round 1)
Deone Walker / BUF (Round 4)
Graham was one of the most consistent forces in the league among rookies at the position. He led them all with 36 pressures and 32 stops, proving to be the every down force he was drafted to be. In a season where his teammate Myles Garrett set a new NFL record in single season sacks, Graham’s weekly impact may have gone unnoticed or under appreciated by some. He was rookie defensive tackle of the week five times and overall defensive rookie of the week twice; both of which led the position group.
Walker was one of the more discussed draft prospects in the 2025 class because of how different he was. The size and athletic versatility he brought to the table had a lot of people thinking first round during his career at Kentucky. However, concerns about a back injury and disappointing senior season led to him being overlooked until day three. Walker was one of the best run defenders at the position, finishing with 20 stops (second best) and providing a lot of dirty work for the still-alive Bills defense over all 17 games. He was the surprise of the rookie class over the first eight weeks, a period in which he appeared on the weekly All-Rookie team four times including Defensive Rookie of the Week in game number five against New England.
Second Team: Kenneth Grant / MIA (Round 1), Walter Nolen / ARI (Round 1)
Linebacker
Carson Schwesinger / CLE (Round 2)
Jihaad Campbell / PHI (Round 1)
The first pick from day two of the 2025 NFL Draft led all rookie linebackers in snaps by 160. He earned a starting role right away and hit the ground running, finishing sixth in the NFL with 156 tackles and third among all linebackers with 11 tackles for loss. He led all rookies in both departments. Not only was he a steady snap to snap leader of the defense, Schwesinger added three sacks and a pair of interceptions. The Browns defense put out some dominant performances this year and he was the one that kept that back seven together. It was not a very competitive position group but that should not sell him short to anybody. He dominated and nobody was close. He was the rookie linebacker of the week six times, including once where he was named Defensive Rookie of the Week.
We saw how aggressive Howie Roseman was draft night when it came to getting Campbell in an Eagles uniform. They got him and then he made Roseman look brilliant, earning rookie linebacker of the week each of the first three games. His production was all over the stat sheet. He finished with 80 tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass break ups, an interception, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble in addition to 14 pressures on just 57 pass rush snaps. It was also the lack of mistakes that made him stand out. His 7.3% missed tackle rate was best among all rookie linebackers.
Second Team: Barrett Carter / CIN (Round 4), Teddye Buchanan / BAL (Round 4)
Cornerback
Will Johnson / ARI (Round 2)
Nohl Williams / KC (Round 3)
Upton Stout / SF (Round 5)
Johnson, who struggled in his final year at Michigan with multiple injuries which contributed to his draft weekend slide, missed five games this past fall. When he was on the field, however, he looked like the top rookie corner in the class. He led the group with nine pass break ups of the 18 qualified corners, his 10.3 yards per reception allowed were second lowest. He was the rookie cornerback of the week three times despite missing five games and was the defensive rookie of the week one. It is important to know he was a factor for that defense at different stages of the season as well.
The Chiefs have made a habit of finding defensive back talent draft weekend, both in early and late rounds. Williams looks like their next gem. The third rounder was used sporadically in the front half of the year but played his way into a bigger role down the stretch, starting the last four games of the season. While these guys are drafted to cover and run, Williams proved to be one of the top run defenders at the position. His 10% missed tackle rate was second best of the 18 qualified rookie corners and he finished with 14 stops, third best. He added a sack along with four pass break ups while allowing an 83.9 passer rating when targeted which ranked third.
Stout was the surprise corner of the class. As the San Francisco defense became more and more depleted, the still-alive Niners became overly reliant on several rookie defenders. Stout played the nickel spot more than every rookie and he was used in a variety of ways by Robert Saleh. He led the rookie corners with 10 pressures and two QB hits (on just 39 pass rush snaps) and also led the group with 82 tackles. The next highest was 68. Stout also broke up five passes, ranking third. He was the rookie corner of the week twice over the second half of the year and finished honorable mention two other times as well.
Second Team: Maxwell Hairston / BUF (Round 1), Jacob Parrish / TB (Round 3), Quincy Riley / NO (Round 4)
Safety
Nick Emmanwori / SEA (Round 2)
Xavier Watts / ATL (Round 3)
The name Derwin James may be an unfair one for any rookie when it comes to setting a bar one can reach. However, the diverse tool set and usage Emmanwori showed in his rookie season credibly puts him into that discussion. He was limited early on because of an injury but from week five on, he was by far the best and most impactful rookie safety in the league. On a per-game basis (in 14 games), he led the rookie defensive backs in tackles, pressures, and sacks. It did not end there. Emmanwori also led the group (not just safeties, but all defensive backs) in passes defensed and pass break ups. He lined up at several positions and quickly turned into what Kyle Hamilton did for Baltimore in Mike Macdonald’s scheme. Emmanwori was the defensive rookie of the week three times (all from week six-on) and was either the top safety or honorable mention six times, number one in the group.
Watts was known for his ball hawk skills when he came out of Notre Dame. For the resurgent Atlanta defense in 2025, he led all rookies with five interceptions while adding four pass break ups. The five picks were tied for second most in the NFL among all safeties. He was second among all rookie defensive backs with 92 tackles and the 17-game starter had the third lowest missed tackle rate. Watts was the rookie safety of the week four times (number one in the group), including week one and each of the last two weeks showing how consistent his impact was. Watts ended the year with two straight Defensive Rookie of the week honors.
Second Team: Jonas Sanker / NO (Round 3), Malaki Starks / BAL (Round 1)