• Several first-round quarterbacks should break out: Michael Penix Jr., Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy are in good position to thrive in 2025.

• Don’t sleep on Tykee Smith: In his first year, the Bucs defensive back collected a 90.3 PFF run-defense grade, the fifth-best among any defender with 150 or more run-defense snaps.

• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

The 2024 NFL regular season may have just ended, but it’s never really too premature to discuss next season. While almost every roster will look different in some capacity, talented young players will likely still possess an opportunity to make an impact.

From players returning from injury to rookies who showed flashes in a short span, let’s take an early stab at a player to watch on every team entering 2025.

Click here to jump to a team:

ARI | ATL | BAL | 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 | WAS

The Cardinals finished 25th in team pressure rate and tied for 30th in team pass-rush grade this season, but that came with Ojulari missing all of 2024 with a torn ACL. During his rookie season, Ojulari ranked fourth among qualified rookies with a 13.4% pass-rush win rate, generating 20 pressures on only 161 pass-rushing snaps. With Dennis Gardeck, Baron Browning, L.J. Collier and more hitting the market, Arizona will likely turn to Ojulari to provide internal pass-rushing help.