Insider notes on 2025 NFL Draft Class: Ashton Jeanty's struggles, Cam Ward's leadership, and more

We are almost a quarter of the way through the NFL season, and it’s time to look at the top rookies from both sides of the ball. Some of the names are inevitable, as they’ve been weekly starters, yet not all were first-round picks.

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NFL: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans - Source: Imagn

Cam Ward/QB/Tennessee Titans: You can make the claim that Ward is the default pick, as he was the only rookie starting at quarterback until last week when Jaxson Dart took the field for the Giants. Yet while the Titans have struggled and could again end up with the first pick in next year’s draft, Ward has not been awful. He’s thrown two TDs but only two interceptions. He’s only had one game with 20 or more completions, which is as much a symptom of the inability to move the Titans offense down the field as the team keeping the reins on him. Ward has been the leader on a team that desperately needs leadership, and the future is bright.

Ashton Jeanty/RB/Las Vegas Raiders: Omarion Hampton deserves recognition here, yet he was not the feature ball carrier for the Chargers until a week ago, after Najee Harris was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Jeanty has consistently improved on a Raiders offense that has been inconsistent for most of the season. He torched the Chicago Bears, one of the worst rushing defenses in the league, for 138 yards on 21 carries last weekend, giving him 282 rushing yards in four games. Hopefully the Raiders will ask Jeanty to carry more of the load moving forward and use him as a receiver out of the backfield more often.

Emeka Egbuka/WR/Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Several rookie pass catchers have impressed this season, yet none have stood out like Egbuka. Asked to take on a bigger role as All-Pro wideout Chris Godwin missed the season’s initially three games to fully recover from the dislocated ankle he suffered last year, Egbuka has made an impact for the Buccaneers. He’s caught four TDs in his first four games, with 18 receptions for 282 yards. More importantly, Egbuka has been key during critical moments of games for the team.

Armand Membou/T/New York Jets: Membou’s rookie campaign has been up and down for the winless New York Jets. He was dominant in Week 1 against the Steelers, but then he struggled at times the following two games. Yet he rebounded well during the team’s Monday night loss to the Miami Dolphins, showing incredible skill run blocking. Membou must improve in pass protection, yet he has exceeded the Jets’ expectations since stepping into the starting role during training camp.

Mason Graham/DT/Cleveland Browns: The trade the Browns made that allowed the Jaguars to move up and select Travis Hunter looks better each week. While Hunter has been solid, Graham has been terrific from the get-go. He’s been the most consistent rookie defensive lineman and one of the most impactful. Graham has been a starter since Week 1, has 11 tackles on his ledger and has been credited with 11 hurries.

Carson Schwesinger/LB/Cleveland Browns: Prior to the season, I penned an article on how impressive Schwesinger looked in camp and mentioned that he could be the surprise pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Thus far, his play on the field and his ever-improving odds in Vegas have proven that Schwesinger could be on his way to the award. He leads all rookies this season with 31 tackles, including 10 tackles and one sack during the Browns’ victory over the Packers in Week 3. He needs to brush up his skills in coverage, yet no rookie has been better against the run than Schwesinger.

Jacob Parrish/CB/Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Another Buccaneers rookie makes the list, this one at a critical position. Parrish has been effective defending the run as well as covering the pass. He hasn’t been burned for the big play this season and has done a great job keeping the action in front of him. At this point, it’s fair to say that Parrish has been the best rookie not selected in the draft’s initial 45 picks.