• Tyler Shough and Jaxson Dart were game-changers: The Saints and Giants, respectively, will still be picking early in the 2026 NFL Draft, but both franchises reaped the rewards of taking a chance on a top quarterback this past offseason.

• It was an offensive line class for the ages: For the first time since 2016, seven rookie offensive linemen earned 70.0-plus PFF overall grades in a regular season on 250 or more snaps.

• Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season.

Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes

Final evaluations for the 2025 NFL Draft’s rookie class are in order after the regular season’s conclusion. A slew of first-round picks looked like future stars, and several later-round selections were similarly promising.

Here was each team’s most impactful rookie, determined by a combination of immediate contributions, PFF grades and workload.

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: DI Walter Nolen (Round 1, No. 16 Overall)

Nolen missed much of the campaign due to calf and knee injuries before being placed on injured reserve due to a separate knee injury suffered in Week 16. In between those ailments, the first-round pick played 169 snaps across six appearances and looked like a game-wrecker.

He recorded the seventh-most quarterback pressures (15, tied) among rookie interior defenders, and his 13.0% pass-rush win rate placed him 16th among 148 interior defenders who logged at least 75 pass-rushing snaps.

Atlanta Falcons: S Xavier Watts (Round 3, No. 96 Overall)

The 36th-ranked player on the 2025 PFF Big Board fell to the 96th overall pick, where the Falcons traded up to make him a key piece of their rebuilt defense. It was regarded as a steal at the time, and it’s looking like a steal now.

Watts was one of only two rookie defenders to log 1,000 snaps this regular season, playing a starter’s workload for all 17 of Atlanta’s contests. His five interceptions tied for the second most among safeties. He also managed to avoid the typical rookie tackling woes, notching an 8.6% missed tackle rate, which places him 19th among 107 qualifying safeties.

Open Watts’ Profile

Baltimore Ravens: S Malaki Starks (Round 1, No. 27 Overall)

The Ravens wasted little time in making Starks and linebacker Teddye Buchanan locked-in starters as rookies. While the team’s defense ultimately failed to match the franchise’s reputation for hard-nosed, stout play, Starks morphed into an important playmaker for the unit.

Like the Falcons’ Xavier Watts, highlighted above, Starks was one of two rookies to log 1,000 defensive snaps this regular season. He was the NFL’s highest-graded defender from Weeks 9-10, and his 80.8 PFF run-defense grade from Weeks 14-18 ranked fifth among safeties.

Buffalo Bills: TE Jackson Hawes (Round 5, No. 173 Overall)

Hawes caught all of 16 passes as a redshirt senior at Georgia Tech, but he was one of only seven Power Four tight ends to earn 70.0-plus PFF pass-blocking and run-blocking grades. The Bills have used that skill set to perfection.

The fifth-round pick ended his rookie regular-season campaign as the NFL’s highest-graded rookie (85.2), powered by his blocking prowess. He was one of just three tight ends with 70.0-plus PFF pass-blocking and run-blocking grades, and he even contributed three scores and 187 receiving yards to a Bills offense in need of reliable pass catchers.

Carolina Panthers: WR Tetairoa McMillan (Round 1, No. 8 Overall)

McMillan became the second-ever Panthers rookie to surpass 1,000 receiving yards — and the only first-year player to accomplish the feat this season. In doing so, he solidified himself as a No. 1 target for quarterback Bryce Young for years to come.

The 22-year-old managed 55 first-down receptions — the seventh most among all receivers. Drops, seven of them, proved to be an issue, but McMillan never lost Young’s trust. His 120 targets were 61 more than the next-closest Panthers receiver.

Chicago Bears: T Ozzy Trapilo (Round 2, No. 56 Overall)

Tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III came on strong to close out the Bears’ 2025 regular season, leading the team with 597 and 481 receiving yards, respectively, since Week 9. But as good as they were, Trapilo provided arguably even more value.

Since he became a starter at left tackle in Week 12, the second-rounder allowed just 13 quarterback pressures. His 77.7 PFF pass-blocking grade over the span was better than all but that of Chiefs first-rounder Josh Simmons. That helped quarterback Caleb Williams work from a clean pocket 64.8% of the time during that stretch — the 13th-best rate in the NFL.

Cincinnati Bengals: G Dylan Fairchild (Round 3, No. 81 Overall)

The Bengals’ rookie class took its lumps, from linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. to edge defender Shemar Stewart. Fairchild was a bright spot, however.

Cincinnati made Fairchild a starter at left guard from Week 1. While he went through a rough patch, surrendering 14 quarterback pressures across his first five outings, he settled in by the regular season’s end. From Week 13 onward, he slotted in as the 11th-best pass-blocking guard (78.5), with only eight pressures allowed over the six-game stretch.

Cleveland Browns: LB Carson Schwesinger (Round 2, No. 33 Overall)

Schwesinger just missed out on hearing his name called as a first-rounder, but his play this season was that of a Day 1 pick.

Before the UCLA product missed the Browns’ season-finale win over the Bengals due to quad and ankle injuries, he amassed 958 defensive snaps and 106 solo tackles — both top-25 marks among linebackers. Only five linebackers tallied more run stops than his 37.

Highest-Graded Rookie LBs Since 2023

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Dallas Cowboys: G Tyler Booker (Round 1, No. 12 Overall)

The Cowboys keep using first-round picks on offensive linemen, and they keep hitting. Booker is well in line to star on Dallas’ line for the long haul, joining 2022 first-rounder Tyler Smith and 2024 first-rounder Tyler Guyton.

No rookie guard earned a better PFF overall grade than Booker (72.0) during the regular season. His advanced work as a run blocker resulted in a 17.5% impact-block rate, which ranked 11th among 102 qualifying guards.

Denver Broncos: RB RJ Harvey (Round 2, No. 60 Overall)

Broncos head coach Sean Payton opened the season with free-agent signing JK Dobbins as his lead running back, and Dobbins excelled to the point of ranking fifth in the NFL in rushing yards through Week 10 (772). But a season-ending Lisfranc injury thrust Harvey into a bigger role.

While Harvey never truly broke out, he showed flashes of bell-cow potential. He saw the eighth-most targets among running backs (57) and found the end zone 12 times overall. Despite his uninspiring 69.2 PFF rushing grade (T-52nd), Harvey is in line to lead Denver’s backfield in 2026 after showing off an all-around skill set this regular season.

Detroit Lions: G Tate Ratledge (Round 2, No. 57 Overall)

Ratledge entered the 2025 campaign tasked with filling the shoes of Kevin Zeitler, who earned a near-elite 86.5 PFF overall grade in 2024. The rookie got his NFL career off to a strong start, posting the 12th-best PFF run-blocking grade (73.5) among guards.

Pass blocking proved to be a challenge for the right guard, but, like many other rookies, he improved as the season wore on. He gave up six pressures and no sacks across his final seven outings after surrendering 18 pressures and two sacks over his first 10 games.

Green Bay Packers: WR Matthew Golden (Round 1, No. 23 Overall)

One wouldn’t assume that Golden was the Packers’ most impactful rookie by looking at a stat sheet. It’s true that his box score — 29 catches for 361 yards and no touchdowns — tells the story of his season, though: Green Bay didn’t use him much.

The Packers sent just 40 targets his way during the regular season, the fewest for a rookie first-round wide receiver (minimum 200 receiving snaps) since Darrius Heyward-Bey’s 38 in 2009. Yet, no rookie receiver who saw more than 25 catchable targets this regular season hauled in a higher percentage of passes than Golden (96.7%). He did what he could on his meager workload, earning a 68.1 PFF receiving grade.

Houston Texans: RB Woody Marks (Round 4, No. 116 Overall)

Marks handled just 12 carries in the Texans’ first three games, despite Joe Mixon’s lingering foot injury. Soon enough, Nick Chubb began ceding work to the rookie, who went on to log 184 more rushes, albeit for just 3.6 yards per carry.

Marks will have to improve his efficiency numbers to remain at the forefront of Houston’s rush attack, though. His 2.59 yards after contact per attempt average ranked last among qualifying rookie runners, and he forced fewer missed tackles (27) than several first-year players with fewer carries, including Jacory Croskey-Merritt and TreVeyon Henderson.

Indianapolis Colts: TE Tyler Warren (Round 1, No. 14 Overall)

The tight end position appears to be evolving, with younger players producing earlier in their NFL careers. Since at least 2006, when PFF began collecting data, the 2025 tight end class ranked first in targets, receptions, yards, first downs and a host of other categories.

Warren led the way in each of those facets, although his production dipped after Colts quarterback Daniel Jones’ season-ending Achilles injury. His 106 targets in the regular season were the most by an Indianapolis tight end since Eric Ebron in 2018.

Jacksonville Jaguars: WR/CB Travis Hunter (Round 1, No. 2 Overall)

Although Hunter’s season was cut well short, after seven games, by a knee injury, his impact in that short span is deserving of an inclusion here.

Hunter ranked second among rookie cornerbacks in PFF coverage grade (72.7), and he contributed 298 receiving yards and a touchdown as a receiver. His final game was his best: eight catches for 101 yards and a score, in addition to a pass breakup on the only target into his coverage.

Kansas City Chiefs: T Josh Simmons (Round 1, No. 32 Overall)

Stability at left tackle has been hard to come by for the Chiefs, who have cycled through several lackluster options since Orlando Brown Jr. departed in free agency ahead of the 2023 season.

Simmons may well be the team’s long-term answer at that spot. His 75.5 PFF pass-blocking grade is easily the best mark among any Chiefs player to see snaps at left tackle since Brown yielded the role. Simmons missed a chunk of the season due to personal reasons but still made a significant impact for Kansas City.

Las Vegas Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty (Round 1, No. 6 Overall)

No rookie would have been able to singlehandedly salvage the Raiders’ woeful 2025 season, although the weight of the world was placed on Jeanty’s shoulders to do so at the beginning of the campaign.

Jeanty endured an overwhelmingly disappointing year, and yet, he was still the most impactful Las Vegas rookie. Only James Cook, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson forced more missed tackles, putting the No. 6 overall pick in excellent company. He fought through poor offensive line play, generating just 0.6 yards before contact  — the third-worst average among running backs with at least 100 carries.

Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Josaiah Stewart (Round 3, No. 90 Overall)

Hitting on defensive line draft picks has become a specialty of general manager Les Snead, from Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers to Kobie Turner and Jared Verse, among many others.

Stewart is aiming to join that list. He ranked behind only the Giants’ Abdul Carter in PFF pass-rush grade  (74.0) among rookie edge defenders, and his 15.3% pass-rush win rate even bested that of the No. 3 overall pick.

Los Angeles Chargers: S R.J. Mickens (Round 6, No. 214 Overall)

Running back Omarion Hampton and tight end Oronde Gadsden II are viable candidates here, but Mickens, a sixth-round pick, provided unprecedented depth for the team at safety.

While he saw just nine targets across 219 coverage snaps, Mickens nabbed two interceptions. That effort resulted in a 12.5 passer rating allowed in coverage — the top mark among 107 qualifying safeties this regular season.

Miami Dolphins: RB Ollie Gordon II (Round 6, No. 179 Overall)

It was a rather disastrous year for the Dolphins’ rookie class. Gordon was the lone member of eight qualifiers to play 100 or more snaps and record a 60.0-plus PFF overall grade.

When Miami’s crowded backfield didn’t hold him back, Gordon tended to produce. He averaged more than 4.2 yards per carry and earned a 70.0-plus PFF rushing grade in three games of the four games in which he logged at least nine carries. In all other games, he provided a combined 1.7 yards per rush.

Minnesota Vikings: G Donovan Jackson (Round 1, No. 24 Overall)

The Vikings will feel good about Jackson anchoring their interior offensive line for the foreseeable future after his flashes as a rookie.

It wasn’t always pretty for the left guard, who earned a 38.8 PFF pass-blocking grade in Week 2 and a 19.6 mark in Week 15, but he went his final nine outings without allowing a sack and produced a career-high 70.8 PFF run-blocking grade in Week 16.

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New England Patriots: T Will Campbell (Round 1, No. 4 Overall)

This year’s first-round offensive linemen fared particularly well, led by Campbell, whose season isn’t done yet after the Patriots secured the AFC’s No. 2 seed.

The Patriots ended the 2024 season with PFF’s last-ranked offensive line. Campbell turned the tide for the unit, earning a team-high 76.1 PFF pass-blocking grade across 476 pass-blocking snaps. 

New Orleans Saints: QB Tyler Shough (Round 2, No. 40 Overall)

The Saints’ front office calmly stared down salary-cap purgatory before changing the franchise’s trajectory by drafting Shough and tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.

Shough delivered the 15th-best PFF passing grade since Week 9, when he became New Orleans’ full-time starter, to rank ahead of players such as Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Sam Darnold. Only five qualifying passers posted a lower turnover-worthy play rate than the rookie (2.2%).

New York Giants: QB Jaxson Dart (Round 1, No. 25 Overall)

Dart paired with running back Cam Skattebo to bring a new energy to the Giants’ offense. While that was short-lived, with Skattebo suffering a season-ending leg injury in Week 8, Dart remained a big-play threat for the 4-13 Giants.

The Ole Miss product ranked eighth in big-time throw rate (5.2%), and his 38 first-down runs were the fifth most in a regular season for a rookie quarterback over the past 10 years.

New York Jets: T Armand Membou (Round 1, No. 7 Overall)

Membou finished the regular season as one of just 10 tackles leaguewide to play 1,000-plus snaps and earn a 70.0-plus PFF overall grade. And he was one of only two rookies to do so.

The 21-year-old is poised to pair with Olu Fashanu to propel the Jets’ line into the next era with a new quarterback in 2026 and beyond. The rookie’s 5.4% pressure rate allowed ranked 29th among 98 qualifying tackles.

Philadelphia Eagles: LB Jihaad Campbell (Round 1, No. 31 Overall)

The Eagles leaned on Campbell early in the campaign before Nakobe Dean’s return from injury in Week 7. The rookie linebacker was then largely phased out of Philadelphia’s plans, despite his strong play.

From Weeks 1-7, Campbell was the NFL’s ninth-highest-graded linebacker (82.5). As a mostly part-time player from Weeks 8-16, he ranked 61st (52.4). He reassumed a starting role in Weeks 17 and 18 with Dean sidelined and again displayed positive play, earning 70.3 and 64.8 PFF overall grades.

Pittsburgh Steelers: DI Derrick Harmon (Round 1, No. 21 Overall)

The Steelers chose not to utilize rookie running back Kaleb Johnson (51 snaps) in his rookie season, so their three rookie defensive linemen are the options here. None earned a 60.0-plus PFF overall grade, though.

Regardless, Harmon proved to be a force at times. Without him on the field, the Steelers allowed 4.5 yards per carry this regular season. With him, the defense surrendered 3.8 yards per carry.

San Francisco 49ers: CB Upton Stout (Round 3, No. 100 Overall)

Stout saw playing time in 16 games this regular season, developing into an effective run defender, coverage player, and part-time blitzer along the way.

He turned in an 87.5 PFF coverage grade from Weeks 11-18, the second-best figure among all cornerbacks. Over that span, he broke up three passes and surrendered zero touchdowns on 34 targets in coverage. Stout also added 17 tackles in run defense this regular season to put himself in the top 15 at the position.

Seattle Seahawks: S Nick Emmanwori (Round 2, No. 35 Overall)

The athletic Emmanwori made his starting debut in earnest in Week 5 after suffering a high ankle sprain following four snaps in Week 1, and it was everything the Seahawks’ front office could have hoped for.

He finished that game as the NFL’s third-highest-graded safety (81.4) for the week, and he went on to earn 70.0-plus marks in run defense and coverage for the regular season, albeit with some occasional hiccups. Seattle’s stout defense wouldn’t be where it is — powering the NFC’s top-seeded playoff team — without Emmanwori.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Emeka Egbuka (Round 1, No. 19 Overall)

What a start to Egbuka’s rookie season it was. With Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan all sidelined for stints, Egbuka turned NFL defenses into his playground. 

Through Week 10, he ranked ninth in receiving yards (677), fourth in touchdowns (six, tied) and 22nd in yards per route run (2.20). But as Tampa Bay’s wide receiver room grew healthy, Egbuka’s role diminished, and he logged only 23 catches for 261 yards and no scores the rest of the way. He was still a key piece of the Buccaneers’ 6-2 start before things came crashing down.

Tennessee Titans: WR Chimere Dike (Round 4, No. 103 Overall)

Cam Ward provided the Titans with hope for the future at quarterback, the likely leader of the franchise for years to come. Dike, meanwhile, brought immediate pep to the team.

The Titans gave the fourth-rounder the keys to special teams stardom, allowing him to average a league-high 17.9 yards per punt return, take two returns back for scores and earn an elite 91.0 PFF punt-return grade. On offense, he saw the fourth-most targets among rookie wide receivers (73) and secured four more touchdowns.

Washington Commanders: T Josh Conerly Jr. (Round 1, No. 29 Overall)

It’s hard to overstate the impact of a stalwart offensive line bookend. Conerly has work to do after conceding eight sacks this season — four of which came in Weeks 1 and 2 — but he improved down the stretch.

Among the highlights for the first-rounder was a 90-snap showing against the No. 1-seeded Broncos in Week 13 in which he surrendered no pressure and earned a solid 73.9 PFF run-blocking grade.