• Top rookies land in favorable spots: Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter and Omarion Hampton are among several first-year players set up for early success thanks to strong supporting casts and clear roles.

• Opportunity drives early impact: Rookies stepping into thin depth charts or explosive offenses, like Colston Loveland and Tre Harris, could become instant contributors in 2025.

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Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Landing spot matters, especially for rookie quarterbacks, running backs, and pass-catchers.

Some first-year players have a clear path to touches. Others are buried on depth charts or tied to shaky quarterback play. Here’s how the top rookie skill players rank based on fit, opportunity, and the chance to make an early impact — the kind of edge that can pay off in fantasy football or early-season player prop bets.

1. RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

There’s nothing standing between Ashton Jeanty and a starting role in Las Vegas. He steps into an offense with a strong foundation, running behind an offensive line consisting of five starters who earned run-blocking grades of at least 68.4 last season. Head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly both emphasize offensive balance, and the presence of Geno Smith, who posted the NFL’s eighth-best passing grade in 2024, ensures defenses can’t load the box.

With the workload and scheme on his side, Jeanty has a legitimate shot at winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Jaguars will use Travis Hunter as a wide receiver first, and he has the tools to form one of the NFL’s best duos alongside Brian Thomas Jr.

Hunter is an explosive deep threat who earned a perfect 99.9 deep receiving grade in 2024. Trevor Lawrence, who ranks fifth in big-time throws over the past three seasons, gives him a proven deep-ball passer. If the Jaguars protect Lawrence, Hunter could deliver one of the most impactful rookie seasons in the league.

3. RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Hampton faces slightly more competition than Ashton Jeanty for a full-time starting role, but as a first-round pick, he’s expected to be the featured back in the Chargers’ offense. He’ll run behind one of the league’s most promising offensive lines, anchored by tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, with guard Mekhi Becton added in free agency. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have long prioritized the ground game, and that didn’t change last season, when their offense ranked 10th in run rate across the league.

The Panthers have several credible weapons on offense, but Tetairoa McMillan is expected to emerge as their top receiving option early in his career. He led the FBS with a 98.6 receiving grade on targets of 10-plus yards over the past two seasons — a perfect fit for Bryce Young, who led the NFL with a 95.3 passing grade on those throws from Week 9 through Week 18 last year.

McMillan gives Carolina a true vertical threat and should play a key role in Young’s continued development.

5. TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

Bears tight ends ranked 30th in receiving grade last season, positioning Colston Loveland as the clear favorite to take over the top role. His path to production looks even clearer under new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who used 12 personnel — one back, two tight ends — at the second-highest rate in the NFL last season.

Loveland’s versatility to line up inline, in the slot or out wide gives Chicago an offensive dimension it has lacked in recent years.

6. RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos

Harvey is well-positioned for a strong rookie season in Denver. To earn the starting job, he’ll need to beat out Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime, both of whom project more as complementary backs. He’ll run behind an offensive line that ranked 11th in run-blocking grade last season and returns all five starters.

Harvey should also factor heavily in the passing game, as Bo Nix has a tendency to check down to his backs. With the potential for two-way production, he’s a legitimate dark horse for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Matthew Golden’s blazing speed gives Green Bay a true vertical threat in its receiving corps. Jordan Love threw deep at the second-highest rate in the NFL last season, and while the Packers may not have a clear-cut No. 1 option, they’ve built a deep group of credible targets in Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, and Tucker Kraft. Golden should see plenty of opportunities to generate explosive plays, and it will be up to Love to take advantage when those windows open.

8. TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

Warren gives the Colts a significant upgrade at a position that ranked 29th in receiving grade last season. His ability to create after the catch fits perfectly in Shane Steichen’s RPO-heavy scheme, where tight ends often serve as primary targets, as seen during Steichen’s time with Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia.

The biggest question for Warren’s rookie production is under center, where Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones are set to compete for the starting job this summer.

9.

Pass protection remains a concern in Houston, but the receiving corps is in great shape. Iowa State teammates Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel landed in an ideal situation, catching passes from C.J. Stroud. Higgins, who led the Power Four in receiving grade last season, has a clear path to a starting role on the outside. Noel, a true slot receiver, will likely compete with Christian Kirk for early snaps, but his speed adds a needed element to the offense.

Stroud ranked first in deep passing grade in 2023 before dropping to 29th in 2024 — Noel’s explosiveness could help him bounce back.

The Raiders’ thin receiving corps gives Jack Bech a real shot to start opposite Jakobi Meyers in Week 1. With Brock Bowers commanding attention across the formation, Bech should see plenty of single coverage, situations in which he thrived at TCU last season, earning a 97.4 receiving grade.

Geno Smith ranked third in the NFL with 21 big-time throws into single coverage, so he could quickly develop a strong connection with the rookie.

Chicago ranked 29th in slot receiving grade last season, a weakness the additions of Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III should help correct. With Loveland, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze drawing coverage, Burden should have plenty of room to operate underneath.

Over the past two seasons at Missouri, Burden earned an 89.3 slot receiving grade and forced 50 missed tackles, the third-most in the nation. His ability to create after the catch makes him an ideal fit for Ben Johnson’s offense, which led the NFL in yards after catch per reception last season while in Detroit.

Tre Harris made a living at Ole Miss catching deep balls from Jaxson Dart, and that skill set should translate well in Los Angeles. Over the past two seasons, he ranked fifth in the FBS with a 97.2 receiving grade on targets of 10-plus yards.

He now joins Justin Herbert, who posted a 95.9 passing grade on those throws in 2024 (third-best in the NFL) and attempted deep passes on 14% of his dropbacks (sixth-highest).

Harris is well-positioned to make an immediate impact as a downfield threat.

Williams brings much-needed speed to a New England offense that lacked explosiveness in 2024. The Patriots completed just 15 deep passes last season — third-fewest in the NFL. By contrast, Williams caught 14 deep passes on his own at Washington State and earned a perfect 99.9 deep receiving grade. As the offense and rookie quarterback Drake Maye continue to develop, Williams has a clear opportunity to make an immediate impact in an area where New England’s young receivers came up short last season.

14.

Speaking of New England adding speed, TreVeyon Henderson brings an explosive element to the Patriots’ backfield. He recorded 32 explosive runs in 2024 — a top-25 mark in the FBS — despite ranking just 90th in total carries (145). Henderson also offers more big-play potential in the passing game than either Rhamondre Stevenson or Antonio Gibson provided last season. The presence of those two veterans, however, means Henderson won’t be forced into a heavy workload right away — a smart move given his injury history and the fact that he didn’t log more than 12 carries in any game last year.

Quinshon Judkins has a clear path to early playing time in Cleveland, with his primary competition coming from Jerome Ford and fellow rookie Dylan Sampson. He’s no stranger to a heavy workload, having totaled 739 carries over three college seasons. The bigger obstacle to his production lies in the situation around him — the Browns ranked 30th in run-blocking grade last season and enter 2025 with significant uncertainty at quarterback.