With the pre-season officially in the books, it’s almost time to wrap up our projections and predictions and get ready for the regular season.
A brand-new season means a new class of rookies ready to make their mark, some of whom are better positioned for success than others. As we look ahead to the 2025 campaign, let’s take a look at some of this year’s most promising rookies across the league.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
Every pre-season, a handful of players garner more buzz than most. And no other rookie — on offence or defence — has had his stock rise as much as Henderson’s.
It’s certainly not without merit, as the former Ohio State running back arrives in the NFL with an impressive college track record, having demonstrated his abilities to catch out of the backfield, run hard, and is generally an explosive force whenever he gets the ball. Although there were questions as to whether he’d be able to do it in the pros, taking a kick return to the house on his first NFL pre-season touch quickly put most concerns to bed. Elsewhere this pre-season and in camp, he's dragged defenders into the endzone, scored on wheel routes in practice and shone in pass protection as well.
Durability might be the only remaining question. He didn't have more than 12 carries in a game for the Buckeyes, despite topping 1,000 yards on the ground in college. He will almost certainly be in a timeshare with fellow running back Rhamondre Stevenson to start the year, but talent usually wins out — and Henderson is easily the most talented running back on the Patriots’ roster.
Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
Dart is the first quarterback drafted by the Giants since they selected Daniel Jones sixth overall in 2019. That should tell you a few things right away: One, that they have not had a sustained period of excellence at the QB position in almost a decade; and, two, that head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are banking on Dart saving their jobs after owner John Mara had to come out publicly following a 3-14 season with an endorsement for both and to insist that the “No. 1 issue” was finding a quarterback.
All that to say, even with veteran Russell Wilson on the roster, there will likely be a point this season when Dart puts down the clipboard and gets a real chance to run Daboll’s offence. It’s not just his first-round draft status that’s pushing him to play. In three pre-season games, Dart passed for 372 yards and three touchdowns, putting up a 113.1 QB rating while also rushing for 52 yards and another score on the ground.
If that wasn’t enough, he also fed teammate Jameis Winston a ‘W’ — what more do we need to see?
Jihaad Campbell, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
The Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles have a top-tier quarterback in Jalen Hurts, a terrific offensive line, the ability to run the ball at will with either Hurts or All-Pro Saquon Barkley, and a defence that dominates with both its pass-rushing front-four and a ball-hawking secondary.
So, how do you improve such a team? According to GM Howie Roseman, you double down on your strengths. The Eagles selected Campbell with the 31st-overall pick in April, despite Campbell's off-season shoulder surgery, and he made his presence known almost immediately with a sack against Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel on the second snap of a pre-season tilt.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is known for getting the most out of his defensive players, and it’s a sure bet Campbell will be asked to do it all as a versatile piece off the edge — something he was known for as a star with the Crimson Tide. As teammate Nakobe Dean makes his way back from a torn patellar tendon suffered in last year’s playoffs, there will be more opportunity for Campbell next to All-Pro Zack Baun in the middle of the field, and there’s no doubt he’ll be put in the best position to succeed.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
An up-and-down 2024 for the Buccaneers’ passing offence saw 14 players catch passes from Baker Mayfield amid a wide array of injuries.
The receiving room still looks a little thin: Chris Godwin still isn’t running on the surgically repaired ankle that ended his season last year, and fellow wide receiver Jalen McMillan will start the year on injured reserve after suffering a neck injury in pre-season.
Enter Egbuka, the former Buckeye suddenly finding himself with a path to more playing time. Sure, perennial Pro Bowler Mike Evans should get his yearly 1,000 yards, but Egbuka’s skillset as a terrific route-runner, combined with his ability to find yards after the catch, will surely endear him to Mayfield quickly.
In 2024, the Buccaneers ranked third in passing yards per game and 10th in passing attempts, with 571. If either of those numbers holds true again this year, there will be more than enough to go around for Egbuka to make a huge impact as a rookie.
Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
Dating back to his years at UCLA, it’s been quite the ascent for Schwesinger. The All-American linebacker started his college career as a walk-on, and three years later was selected by the Browns with the 33rd-overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Even before he has taken a single regular-season snap, he’s being given the coveted green dot on his helmet, indicating he will be one of the Browns’ defensive signal-callers. That’s not something you see all that often with a rookie.
Apart from his natural abilities as an every-down linebacker who can rush the passer, Schwesinger is also stepping into a void up the middle for Cleveland, which just lost Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to a neck injury and Jordan Hicks to retirement. With a ton of playing time available for such a versatile player, there’s a real chance he becomes a staple from the start.
Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach
It’s always fun trying to forecast which rookie head coach will help his team the most before the honeymoon period wears off. For every Bill Belichick (24 seasons in New England), there’s a Jerod Mayo (one-and-done in New England) as well.
It’ll be fascinating to see how Coen does after a rapid ascent through the coaching ranks. After stops as an offensive coordinator with the Kentucky Wildcats, Los Angeles Rams and, most recently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Coen is now asked to not only lead the Jaguars as a first-time head coach, but to revitalize the development of quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence dealt with a number of injuries in 2024, but even when healthy, it was an uneven season. With Coen — who helped reinvigorate Baker Mayfield to the tune of 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns — at the helm, the expectations are undoubtedly higher. There is already potential for fireworks, as the Jaguars added two-way player Travis Hunter to a skill-position group that already includes wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., running backs Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, and tight end Brenton Strange. If Coen can marshal these players with the same offensive wizardry he showed in Tampa, Jacksonville has a real chance to make some noise in a wide-open AFC South.
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