Every year, there’s a group of rookies that come into the NFL and dominate as soon as they step on the field. In 2024, there was Jayden Daniels. Through his first season in the NFL, Daniels has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But it’s human nature always to wonder, what’s next? Who’s next? Well, the 2025 NFL draft class won’t disappoint. There will be several rookies who rise to the occasion and become franchise cornerstones.
Rookies Ready to Dominate the NFL And Become Future Legends
Travis Hunter (Wide Receiver/Cornerback) – Jacksonville Jaguars
Why settle for one position when you can dominate two?
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a horrible secondary in the 2024 NFL season. The Jaguars were desperate for a big-time playmaker on the back end. Fortunately, Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, was on the board.
Hunter was drafted second overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars after a trade with the Cleveland Browns. He’s poised to make an immediate impact, as he’s the first NFL player who plans on playing both sides of the ball. Production was never an issue for Hunter as he produced elite numbers as a wide receiver and cornerback.
Colorado’s Travis Hunter with an unbelievable catch with four defenders around him
Colorado’s Travis Hunter hauls in an UNREAL interception, strikes Heisman pose
Many have questioned whether he can maintain that level of dominance in the NFL or even play both sides; however, he has all the tools to make it happen.
He’s the most athletic player on the field – no matter if he’s playing offense or defense. All the kid does is play football and fish, and he’s constantly improving every day of training camp.
He won’t produce this season the same way he did in college, or play as many snaps as he hopes. But expect him to be one of the Jaguars’ biggest playmakers and game changers on both sides of the ball.
Will Johnson (Cornerback) – Arizona Cardinals
31 NFL Teams are gonna regret letting him fall to the second round
Like the Jaguars, the Arizona Cardinals struggled with a secondary that lacked talent and playmaking ability. To address this, they brought in the most electric corner in the draft, Will Johnson, hoping he can be the foundation for a great secondary in the future.
Going into the 2024 college football season, Will Johnson was the best cornerback in the nation. Unfortunately, injuries set him back, and he only appeared in six games.
Will Johnson’s Pick-6 Play vs. USC | Michigan Football | 09/21/2024
However, due to injury concerns, Johnson fell to the second round and was picked by the Arizona Cardinals at pick 47. Despite the unfortunate end to his college career, Johnson has been making a name for himself at training camp. Clips of him shutting down his teammates have gone viral across social media. Especially a clip of him against former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, who was picked fourth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Will Johnson joins a thin Arizona secondary, where he can quickly emerge as the team’s cornerback one. He was one of the most electric corners in the 2023 college football season, and there’s no doubt that he can replicate it in the NFL.
Matthew Golden (Wide Receiver) – Green Bay Packers
Been striking gold since college – the treasure hunt’s just begun
The Green Bay Packers have been searching for a true wide receiver one to help Jordan Love smooth over his worst tendencies and finally get the team over the playoff hump. That’s where former Texas standout wide receiver Matthew Golden comes into play.
Golden is in the best situation out of any of his fellow rookie receivers. Yes, he will be sharing targets with Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Tucker Kraft. But throughout his first training camp, he’s proving to everyone he’s not just the wide receiver one on his team, but in the entire draft.
After two solid seasons with the Houston Cougars, he transferred to the Texas Longhorns. Immediately after transferring, he broke out.
Matthew Golden DIVING ONE-HANDED TOUCHDOWN CATCH
When you watch Golden play, there are two big things anyone can immediately point out that make him bound to make an impact in the NFL. His blazing speed, Golden ran the second fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL combine with a 4.29 time. Most of the time, Matthew Golden is the fastest player on the field. It’s common to see him easily separate from defenders.
He’s a fantastic contested catcher, consistently securing tough passes in tight windows – something even seasoned veterans struggle with. He also has incredibly reliable hands; no matter how hard he gets hit, he rarely drops the ball.
When you mix those two elements together, take into account that Jordan Love is throwing him the football in an already pretty successful offense. Matthew Golden will solidify himself as the wide receiver one in this offense before training camp is over, a top-five favorite to win offensive rookie of the year before the regular season starts, and possibly the best receiver to come out of this draft class at the end of the year.
James Pearce Jr & Jalon Walker (Linebacker/Edge) – Atlanta Falcons
Meet Thing One and Thing Two – the next big thing on the field
The Atlanta Falcons have been in desperate need of an elite edge rusher for the past couple of years to help the struggling pass rush. They’ve taken swings on several veterans, but nothing has worked. The Falcons decided to go all in during the draft. Bringing in not one but two great edge rushers to change the narrative about their defense.
Jalon Walker
When Jalon Walker fell into their lap at 16th overall, the Falcons didn’t hesitate for a second to draft the Georgia edge. Rumors had Walker going as high as 7th overall to the New York Jets, so falling to 16th was a blessing for the Falcons. Walker is a little different than other edge rushers in his class; he’s also a dominant off-ball linebacker. Getting a dominant off-ball linebacker and edge rusher at a cheaper price than expected is probably the best scenario for the Falcons.
Georgia LB Jalon Walker 2024 Highlights ᴴᴰ
James Pearce Jr.
The 26th pick comes around, and the Los Angeles Rams are currently on the clock. The Falcons and Rams agreed to a trade, leading the Falcons to have a second pick in the first round. They ended up selecting James Pearce Jr, the most athletic edge rusher in the draft. Rumors had Pearce going around 10th to 17th, so again, the Falcons secured a dominant edge rusher at a way lower price than expected.
Pearce’s pure athletic ability and speed are two of the most exciting things about him as a rookie. There’s no doubt that we won’t see Pearce use his 4.47 speed to easily get by some of the best offensive tackles this season.
Tennessee EDGE James Pearce Jr. 2024 Highlights ᴴᴰ
Atlanta had an empty pass rush before the draft; they ended the draft with two of the best edges. Expect one of them or possibly both of them to explode this season and make pushes for defensive rookie of the year.
Ashton Jeanty (Runningback) – Las Vegas Raiders
The Silver Surfer heads towards Vegas – and he won’t slow down
After losing Josh Jacobs in 2024, the Las Vegas Raiders have been looking for their next superstar running back. Luckily for them, Heisman finalist and Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty was available at pick six.
Jeanty led the Broncos to their greatest season in program history, a 12-2 record, a Mountain West championship, and a college football playoff appearance.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty 75 YARD TD vs UNLV
One big question surrounding Jeanty heading into the NFL was the level of competition he faced. While the Mountain West competition isn’t the strongest conference, he performed exceptionally well against the future Big 10 champions, the Oregon Ducks.
Jeanty finished this game with 192 rushing yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns. People still bring up his performance against Penn State, 30 carries and only 104 rushing yards. But when you watch the game, you realize Penn State put EIGHT defenders watching the run. It’s clear that Jeanty still played great despite not playing his best.
Ashton Jeanty will be one of the top running backs in the league in his rookie year. There shouldn’t be a doubt in anyone’s mind that he is the clear offensive rookie of the year favorite, and might be the best player in the entire draft class.
Abdul Carter (Linebacker/Edge) – New York Giants
The cherry on top for an elite defensive line – and he might be the best part
After one of the New York Giants’ worst seasons in franchise history, they landed the third overall pick. With the Giants either having to trade up or reach for a player to fill needs, they went best available and drafted Abdul Carter. Carter was the best defensive player in the country, and arguably the best in this draft class.
The Next Great Giants Edge Rusher? | Abdul Carter 2024 Penn State Highlights
Carter joins a loaded defensive line group in New York with Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. That begs the question: how is Carter supposed to make an impact with all that talent around him?
His ridiculous bend allows Abdul Carter to get lower than any offensive lineman who tries to block him. Mix that bend with his incredible athleticism, and you get yourself an elite prospect.
Everything about Carter screams future defensive rookie of the year, pro-bowler, all-pro, and defensive player of the year. No doubt, even surrounded by talent, he won’t make an impact because he already is. Any Giants training camp news with Abdul Carter is always about how dominant he is. Expect Abdul Carter to have a phenomenal year with the New York Giants; he’s not favored to win the defensive rookie of the year for no reason.
Tyler Warren (Tight End) – Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ new Swiss Army knife
The Indianapolis Colts have been lacking a big weapon for their passing game. When arguably the best offensive skill position player landed in their laps at 14th overall, they just had to go out and get Tyler Warren.
Tyler Warren Makes the One-Handed Catch vs. Kent State | Penn State Football | 09/21/2024
In the passing game, Tyler Warren can be put anywhere on the field and catch anything that comes his way. In the running game, he doesn’t just block; he runs the ball, whether that be him lining up at running back and taking a handoff, or being the wildcat and even throwing a pass from time to time. Tyler Warren is truly a “buy-one-get-everything” type of prospect.
There is a concern when it comes to Warren: why did he play his first season starting as a fifth-year senior? Warren didn’t start until his fifth-year senior season because he spent his early years behind future NFL tight ends Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson.
Tyler Warren has been buried in the depth chart up until this past season. In which Warren completely exploded and became the best tight end in college football. With his offensive versatility and unreal catching ability, don’t expect Warren not to make a push this season for Offensive Player of the Year.
From the first name on this list to the last, every one of these players will be a difference maker on their team. Abdul Carter will wreak havoc in the backfield, Matthew Golden will be hauling in touchdowns, and Will Johnson will be locking down elite receivers. All eight of these players are bound to make a serious push for their respective Rookie of the Year award. This rookie class isn’t just deep – it’s dangerous.
Main Image: Travis Register-Imagn Images
The post Future Legends: Rookies Ready to Dominate the NFL in 2025 appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.