The 2025 NFL season is scheduled to begin in just a couple of weeks time on
September 4, 2025, with reigning Super Bowl champs Philadelphia Eagles hosting
Dallas for the NFL Kickoff Game. Heading into any new NFL season, one of the classic
traditions is to take a look at some of the rookies on the table to see who the potential
breakouts will be. And this season, there are plenty of exciting rookies making their
debuts.
2025 NFL Season: 5 Must-Watch
Rookies
1. Travis Hunter WR/CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The No.1 rookie pick according to Oscar Dobbins from BettingTools is WR/CB Travis
Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to the expert analyst, Hunter is the “stand
out from the rest of the draft class” and has huge expectations on his shoulders
following his Heisman trophy win. In his first preseason game against the Pittsburgh
Steelers a few days ago, Hunter looked excellent in his two-way role, which (if the plan
sticks) will only raise his ceiling higher. The game itself saw him make two catches, one
with YAC potential, while also playing 8 snaps on defence. He did, unfortunately, miss
one tackle, but this has always been part of the package with Hunter and never caused
much of a problem at either Colorado or Jackson State. Make no doubt about it, he’s
the rookie to watch this season.
2. Cam Ward QB, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward is next up on our rookies to watch list, with the 23-year-old looking all set to
have an excellent debut season with the Titans. Ward, who’s reportedly in the Titans
facility every morning at 5AM watching film, has already caught attention for his
incredible work ethic, recently telling reporters that “good things only come to those who
work”. Even though talks of his HOF’er potential are coming way too early, Ward has
everything in his locker to make it big in the NFL, having set the Division 1 record with
158 touchdown passes. He also threw for 18,184 yards during his college career while
running for 473 yards and 20 TDs, allowing him to become an AP All-American at
Miami. Watch this space.
3. Ashton Jeanty RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Ashton Jeanty is a special player and would’ve been our No.1 overall pick were it not for
Travis Hunter and Cam Ward. Since stepping foot in Las Vegas, Jeanty has reportedly
been turning heads in a major way, with the focus being on his elite contact balance and
explosiveness. Some initially believed it was all hype, but what we’re hearing is that
Jeanty really has got it. There’s even talk he’s the best RB since Saquon Barkley
following his exceptional 2024 season, where he won both the Maxwell Award and
Doak Walker Award, the first player to do this since Derrick Henry (Alabama, 2015).
We’ll have to wait and see, but all signs point to Jeanty hitting the ground running and
taking Vegas by storm.
4. Grey Zabel G, Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks rookie Grey Zabel has all-pro potential. His preseason debut against the Las
Vegas Raiders was nothing short of dominant, which saw Zabel be the leading blocker
on several important plays. At times, the 23-year-old looked like an NFL veteran, so
there’s no denying that the Seahawks have got something special on their hands here.
He has outstanding strength and temperament, while his overall versatility is highly
regarded (the fact Zabel is capable of playing all 5 offensive line spots is also a real pull
for the Seahawks). He’ll also be a big Fantasy pick for a lot of NFL fans this season, so
don’t be surprised if Zabel quickly turns into one of the most-talked about rookies in the
league over the first couple of months.
5. Abdul Carter LB, New York Giants
In our 5th and final spot is linebacker Abdul Carter, who was the 3rd overall pick in the
NFL 2025 Draft. A lot of attention is on Carter at the moment after being named the Big
Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, which saw Carter record 54 total tackles, 10
sacks, and force 2 fumbles. The superstar hype surrounding him is very real, and Carter
is expected to hit the ground running for the Giants with his explosive pass-rushing
ability. Not to mention, Carter is arguably the most versatile rookie of them all, capable
of starting as a linebacker, edge rusher, or even interior lineman. This guy will become a
dominant force in the NFL, it’s simply a case of how quickly it happens.
Other NFL Rookies to Watch Out For
It’s impossible to squeeze every NFL rookie into our a top 5 list, so some of the
honourable mentions include RB Omarion Hampton (LA Chargers), CB Jahdae Barron
(Denver Broncos), WR Emeka Egbuka (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and RB TreVeyon
Henderson (New England Patriots). The standout here is the Chargers’ Omarion
Hampton, who looks certain to emerge as a starter at some point, despite Najee Harris
also joining the backfield this offseason. Hampton has too much explosiveness in the
bag for him to be ignored and will certainly wear defences down given the chance, so
keep an eye on him once September arrives.
Betting on Rookies in the NFL 2025 Season
Like most NFL fans these days, you probably have a penchant for gambling (or, at the
very least, an obsession with NFL Fantasy Football). Heading into the new season, a
ton of people are already placing different rookie bets, which is something you might be
interested in yourself. If you take a look at FanDuel, they’re already offering odds on
markets like the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, which Ashton Jeanty is currently
favorite for with +250 odds. You can even bet on regular season specials like Travis
Hunter to record 1000+ regular season receiving yards (+230), serving as a great way
to test your rookie knowledge and potentially pick up some wins along the way.
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