Which 10 NFL Rookies Are Set To Make an Impact During The 2025 Season?
Published
Aug. 6, 2025 9:42 p.m. ET
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Each season, there are always a handful of rookies who excel and outproduce their expectations, lifting NFL teams to unexpected success.
In recent seasons, rookies like Jayden Daniels, Brock Bowers and Bo Nix have boosted their teams significantly because of their ability to quickly adapt from the NCAA to the NFL.
With a new class of rookies set to embark on their first season, who will make an immediate impact on their team?
FOX Sports Research compiled the list of the 10 first-year players who are likely to make the biggest splash.
10 NFL Rookies Set To Make an Impact In 2025
Omarion Hampton #8 of the Los Angeles Chargers carries the ball during the first quarter of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on July 31, 2025. (Photo by)
The Chargers want to be a ground-and-pound team under head coach Jim Harbaugh. They were successful in doing so last season and beefed up that running back position coming into this year by selecting Hampton with the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. For a run-centric team to spend a first-round pick on a running back, it must mean they have tremendous confidence in that player. Hampton rushed for over 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns over the course of his sophomore and junior seasons at North Carolina. It'll be crucial for the Chargers that he quickly carries that production into the NFL, as their other backfield addition, Najee Harris, could miss the start of the season.
Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks poses after being selected 27th overall by the Baltimore Ravens during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. (Photo by)
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Baltimore has every opportunity to have the best secondary in the NFL in 2025. To fulfill that projection, Starks would have to make a significant impact. He recorded 77 tackles in his junior season at Georgia before being selected 27th in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has a strong core of cornerbacks in front of him, but his ability to play clean-up will be crucial.
New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell #66 walks out to the field during New England Patriots training camp on July 31, 2025. (Photo by Summer Lamont/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
If the Patriots want to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, quarterback Drake Maye will have to have a breakout season. A clean pocket and time to throw are the foundation for that. That means Campbell will have to come through big time and protect Maye. Campbell was selected fourth overall (New England's second-highest selection of the 21st century behind Maye) to do just that. At left tackle, he will protect Maye's blind side. His ability to keep his quarterback upright will greatly impact the ceiling of the Patriots' season.
Mason Graham #94 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during mandatory minicamp on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The Browns traded back from the second to the fifth pick to take defensive tackle Graham. It's a foundation-setting selection that indicates they want to be a hard-nosed team. Apart from Myles Garrett, there's not a ton of talent in the Browns' front seven, so Graham will have to step up early in his NFL career.
Tetairoa McMillan poses after being selected eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24, 2025. (Photo by)
McMillan was the second wide receiver off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft, going eighth overall to the Panthers. He's a versatile, athletic pass-catcher who could offer a safety blanket and a dynamic downfield threat that helps propel Bryce Young's career. Young showed glimpses of why he was such a touted prospect toward the end of last season, and the addition of McMillan should only help that process. If the two can work in tandem, the Panthers' future will trend upward.
Matthew Golden #22 of the Green Bay Packers participates in drills during mandatory minicamp on June 10, 2025. (Photo by)
Green Bay drafted Golden at 23rd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the fourth wide receiver off the board. He has entered an already deep receiving core, but one that doesn't have a true alpha. If Golden can become that, it will boost quarterback Jordan Love, giving him a go-to option.
Abdul Carter #51 of the New York Giants during rookie minicamp on May 09, 2025. (Photo by)
The Giants selected Carter third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he might be the most talented prospect in the class. It was truly a best-available pick, as the Giants already have Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence II and Brian Burns headlining their front seven. Carter can still make an impact, and if he hits right away, the Giants might have the best front seven in the league.
Travis Hunter #12 of the Jacksonville Jaguars practices during training camp on August 5, 2025. (Photo by)
Hunter is unique to this list because he has the opportunity to make a significant impact on both sides of the ball. The Jaguars drafted him second overall with the intention of him playing snaps on both offense and defense. He'll be an immediate factor on offense, as head coach Liam Coen said Hunter would play around 80% of the team's offensive snaps. For a Jaguars team that has made the playoffs just once in the past seven seasons, Hunter offers an exciting talent that could be realistically used in any possible way on the football field.
Cam Ward #1 of the Tennessee Titans drops back to pass during training camp on July 24, 2025. (Photo by)
Tennessee banked its future on Cam Ward when it drafted him with the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward had a breakout season during his junior year at Miami (Fla.), leading the NCAA with 39 touchdown passes. It will be crucial for that production to continue as the Titans try and rebuild around him. The team's receiving core isn't impressive, so it will be largely up to Ward to showcase his individual talent to make an impact this season.
Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Las Vegas Raiders runs with the ball during an OTA offseason workout on May 29, 2025. (Photo by)
Jeanty might be this year's most entertaining draft prospect. To take a running back within the top 10 is a leap of faith and a testament to Jeanty's dynamism. It's likely that the Raiders feed him a heavy volume right away. For a team that's hoping to compete in a loaded AFC West, Jeanty's ability to help them establish their running game will be vital.
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