Quarterback
Cam Ward / Tennessee Titans
This is nothing like last year. While Ward will not be the only rookie to see snaps under center in 2025, he is the only one slated to start week one. Last year? We had three and knew Drake Maye’s time was right around the corner. Ward flashed his big play potential and live arm in preseason and the nucleus around him is solid. An offensive line that was unquestionably the worst in football just three seasons ago has acquired several upgrades and the pass catchers offer plenty of options for him to work with. His ability to avoid sacks and negative throws will be the biggest contrast between a Ward-led offense and what the Titans had to deal with in a Will Levis-led offense.
Running Back
The highest back selected since Saquon Barkley in 2018 went to a team run by a Head Coach who has always and will always want to force feed the backfield with touches. If Jeanty does not meet the expectations of an All-Rookie back - it won’t be for a lack of effort. It appears this offense and maybe even this team will be riding on his back. After a historic two-year run that saw him gain yards after contact and break tackles at a clip I’ve never seen, Jeanty is tasked with turning around the worst backfield production in the NFL. Do not look past his ability to impact the passing game as well. New Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly will know how to manufacture him a maximum number of touches and that is where the All-Rookie projection largely comes from.
Wide Receiver
The fourth receiver taken has a good shot at being the number one pass catcher in a top-shelf passing game. The opportunities and potential for production is as high, if not higher, than any receiver in the class. The Green Bay receivers led the NFL in incompletions due to their own errors last season according to Sharp Football. Add in the fact Christian Watson is starting the year injured (again) and Jayden Reed’s foot is not one hundred percent - the door is wide open for Golden, the fastest receiver at the 2025 Scouting Combine. He is paired with a talented deep ball passer who led the NFL in touchdowns of 35+ yards despite battling injuries for most of 2024.
The Ben Johnson offense unveil has Chicago fans dreaming of what could be. While it may take time and it could go in several directions, think about what Amon St. Brown became in his passing scheme from the slot. He constantly discusses how vital the slot receiver is to the system overall and that is exactly why Burden’s skill set was brought in via the second round of the draft. Burden’s 38 missed tackles forced in his final season at Missouri is as high as any receiver you will ever find in the SEC. He scored as a returner, rusher, and of course receiver over his career and the options he gives Johnson are limitless.
With Chris Godwin’s status unknown and Jalen McMillan recovering from a preseason neck injury, expect to see Emeka Egbuka’s targets up there with the most among rookies early on. While we never labeled him as a top- shelf high ceiling prospect, Egbuka was a guy we labeled as a near-sure thing to be a long-lasting, consistent receiver at the next level. The all-time leading receiver in Ohio State’s storied program is the number two guy in an offense that loves to chuck it and struggles to run it. Opportunities plus his specific skill set could easily land him at the top of the class in targets and receptions.
Tight End
We saw a glimpse of what an offense built around Tyler Warren can look like and how he responds in his final season at Penn State. He averaged 10 targets + touches per game and scored 12 touchdowns in Penn State’s run to and through the playoffs. Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen has built his best offenses with a versatile tight end and the change to Daniel Jones under center, a quarterback who does not throw the ball deep, will open the door to even more opportunities for Warren.
Offensive Tackle
We saw how ugly this offensive line got in the team’s Super Bowl loss seven months ago after a regular season that saw him get hit more than any other season of his career. Had it not been for a season ending knee injury last October, Simmons would have likely been a top ten pick but he fell right into Andy Reid’s lap at #32 overall. His movement and bend look just as good as it did pre-injury and the Chiefs expected air attack improvement will largely be on the shoulders of their new blind side protector.
Similar to Simmons and Kansas City, Conerly is a starting tackle on an offense that is likely to finish as a top ten unit and Super Bowl contender. With Laremy Tunsil manning the left side, Conerly will get the help if it is needed. Pass protection is where he already excels and I expect him to have a very good pass block win rate.
Interior Offensive Line
The surprise retirement of center Frank Ragnow opened the door to multiple options along the interior of the Detroit offensive line. Veteran Graham Glasgow has over 2,000 career snaps at each of those three interior spots so it is good to know Ratledge will be put in a spot that sets him up to succeed. With quality help next to him in Penei Sewell and an offense that loves to control the point of attack, Ratledge will get to play basic smashmouth football similar to what we saw him do at Georgia.
Jackson made a name for himself at left tackle following the Josh Simmons injury last year. The career-guard was an All-American at his new spot and even though he will shift back inside at the next level, it proved how capable he is in pass protection. With a new quarterback under center for Minnesota riding along one of the top playcallers in the league, Minnesota’s offense is a near-sure thing to be productive in the national spotlight. One potential extra feather in the cap of Jackson will be if injuries pop up outside, he may kick out yet again which will put him in an even bigger stage.
Wilson was the 17th lineman drafted in April but he is just one of 13 week one rookie starters along the offensive line league-wide. He beat out multiple veterans to help complete the overhaul of an offensive that finished dead last in 2024. A young and athletic versatile lineman, Wilson credibly projects to multiple positions if needed. That is an invaluable asset to an offense that is growing and evolving with their new week one starter, Drake Maye.