Grading All 32 NFL First Round Draft Picks From 2025 At The End Of The Season
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Which rookie day-one picks met expectations this NFL season? Which ones exceeded them, and which ones failed? It’s time to do one last deep dive.
With the NFL regular season behind us, let’s reveal our final report cards for every first-round pick from the 2025 NFL draft class.
Which 2025 rookies had the best grades in the 2025 NFL season?
1. Cam Ward: C+
It’s hard to fully blame Ward for a lackluster rookie year in Music City. He was sacked 55 times, more than any other quarterback. None of his pass-catchers topped 560 receiving yards. Oh, and the Titans ranked 28th in scoring defense.
Ward threw for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions despite minimal support on offense. He only had 159 yards and two scores on the ground, but again, that can be attributed to woeful blocking up front.
If the Titans can bring in more weapons around Ward, a monster sophomore year could be in store.
2. Travis Hunter: B
The Heisman Trophy winner’s highly anticipated rookie year was derailed by injuries. Even though the two-way phenom played just seven games, he showed Jacksonville Jaguars fans that there’s plenty to get excited about for 2026 and beyond.
On offense, he caught 28 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown — meaning he was on pace to finish with over 700 receiving yards. On defense, Hunter allowed just nine completions on 18 targets for 106 yards and zero touchdowns.
The future is shining bright in Jacksonville. They won 13 games without Hunter for most of the 2025 NFL season. This is another kid who’s ready to reach superstar status very soon.
3. Abdul Carter: B+
Four sacks and two forced fumbles aren’t eye-popping numbers, but a deeper dive into the data shows that he was actually a stud in New York.
Carter had a pass-rush win rate of 21 percent, fifth-best among all edge rushers, according to ESPN. He also finished with a stellar 74.7 grade at Pro Football Focus.
You better believe John Harbaugh is gonna have fun with Carter and Brian Burns leading his defense for years to come.
4. Will Campbell: B-
Like most rookie offensive linemen thrown into starting roles, Campbell had his fair share of growing pains. He allowed five sacks and committed seven penalties, per PFF.
But Campbell finished with an excellent 76.1 pass-blocking grade, ranking 23rd among offensive tackles. He still played a vital role in the turnaround on New England’s o-line that helped Drake Maye turn in an MVP-caliber sophomore season in the NFL.
Growing pains were expected for the rookie. He should be ready to kick in another gear in 2026.
5. Mason Graham: C+
Playing alongside Myles Garrett in his record-breaking season was a nice luxury for Graham…even if it meant minimal opportunities to stuff his stat sheet.
Graham had four pass breakups and half a sack. Hardly jaw-dropping, but he cracked the top 20 of ESPN’s pass-rush win rate among defensive tackles. Generating pressure wasn’t an issue, so the law of averages suggests his individual stats will take off in year two.
6. Ashton Jeanty: B
Jeanty didn’t set off the fireworks as much as most folks expected. But Geno Smith was by far the worst starting quarterback of the 2025 NFL season. And the Raiders’ pass-blocking? Even worse than the last “Star Wars” movie.
Despite that, Jeanty tallied a respectable 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns, finishing with 1,321 yards of offense and 10 total scores. That’s no joke, considering how little support he had around him.
For his sake, let’s hope the Raiders get a quarterback and make his life a lot easier.
7. Armand Membou: C+
Membou made his fair share of rookie mistakes, as expected. But man, there were a LOT of them.
Per PFF, Membou allowed eight sacks and committed 11 penalties on 1,045 offensive snaps. But it’s not like the Jets’ offensive line is anything close to top-notch, and it’s not like Membou got to block for above-average quarterbacks.
He still garnered a stellar 72.7 grade at PFF. His pass and run-blocking grades were both north of 70. Now, if the Jets could just get him and Garrett Wilson some support…
8. Tetairoa McMillan: A+
Easily the best offensive rookie of 2025. Don’t even debate with us, please and thank you.
McMillan caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns, with the last two marks both leading all rookies. He helped Bryce Young take another step forward and led the Panthers to a surprise NFC South division crown, ending an eight-year playoff drought.
McMillan already looks like he’ll be Carolina’s first bona fide superstar wideout, Steve Smith Sr., who played his final year with the organization in 2013. And to think McMillan hasn’t reached his ceiling yet…
9. Kelvin Banks Jr.: B
Many felt it was a reach when New Orleans took the Texas offensive tackle with this pick. But it turns out they knew what they were doing the entire time.
Banks immediately emerged as a rock on the Saints’ o-line, forming a dynamic bookend tandem with 2024 first-rounder Taliese Fuaga. Banks allowed five sacks and committed 11 penalties, but was a beast in the run-blocking game with a 76.2 PFF grade.
The sacks and penalties are sure to decrease in 2026, especially with Tyler Shough ready to give this team stability behind center.
10. Colston Loveland: A
Loveland wasn’t much of a factor in the first half. But he went “beast mode” for Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears in the second half, helping the club to its first NFC North division crown in seven years.
The Michigan tight end caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns, leading Chicago in every major receiving category this NFL season. For good measure, he caught eight passes for 137 yards in the Bears’ Wild Card Round victory over the archrival Packers.
11. Mykel Williams: C
Williams’ rookie year was limited to nine games before he suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Before that, he was struggling to make an impact on Robert Saleh’s defense. And that was problematic, as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner also suffered season-ending injuries.
We won’t be too harsh on Williams since he missed the second half. But the 49ers need him to be a lot better in year two.
12. Tyler Booker: B+
Many were surprised when the Cowboys used another first-round pick on an offensive lineman. But Booker turned out to be one of the few positives in another lousy season for America’s Team.
Booker graded out at 72 at PFF, the 16th best among guards. His 76.8 run-blocking grade ranked seventh. He only doesn’t get an “A” here because there is work to be done in the pass-blocking department.
13. Kenneth Grant: D-
With enough pass-rushing depth, it was a surprise when the Dolphins ignored other pressing needs to take the Michigan defensive tackle.
Grant was used as a rotational piece this NFL season, playing 52 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps. He had two sacks and finished with a 48.4 PFF grade, proving that he was really doing more harm than good on the defensive line.
14. Tyler Warren: A
Warren immediately emerged as a game-changing weapon in Shane Steichen’s offense. And before his unfortunate season-ending injury, Daniel Jones was on his way to Comeback Player of the Year honors.
The Penn State tight end led all rookies with 76 receptions. His 817 yards were third among first-year players, too. Warren, who notched five TD receptions, would have pushed for 1,000 yards if Danny Dimes stayed healthy.
Bottom line: Indy got a goodie here, and he’s a star in the making.
15. Jalon Walker: B+
Walker only played about half of Atlanta’s defensive snaps and saw some playing time on special teams. Walker was rock-solid with 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and five tackles for a loss as a rotational player.
Not bad, given the limited playing time he received. The snap count will increase significantly in 2026, though. Thus, there’s no telling how much the kid could improve in year two.
16. Walter Nolen: B
Injuries limited the Arizona Cardinals’ rookie to just six games. But Nolen still made an impact in limited action this NFL season, recording two sacks, a pair of pass breakups, and five tackles for a loss.
17. Shemar Stewart: F
Stewart’s rookie campaign got off to a shaky start, thanks to a contract holdout that wasn’t resolved until July. A knee injury also sidelined him for half the season, limiting the Texas A&M edge rusher to eight games.
Stewart had one sack, and, gulp, was PFF’s WORST-RANKED edge rusher at 41.2. Other than that, his rookie year wasn’t so horrible.
18. Grey Zabel: A
Zabel might be the most overlooked rookie of the 2025 NFL season. Such is life when you’re on a star-studded Seattle Seahawks team that had contributors all over the field.
Zabel had a ridiculous 83-percent run-block win rate. That was number one for all interior offensive linemen, according to ESPN. He wasn’t too shabby in pass protection, either, with PFF marking him down for just two sacks allowed on 553 pass-blocking snaps.
19. Emeka Egbuka: A-
Egbuka played like an All-Pro in the first half of his rookie year. But he hit a cold streak down the stretch and was hardly noticeable. Otherwise, this would be an easy A+.
Egbuka caught 63 passes for 938 yards and six touchdowns. A tremendous stat line, yes. But he had zero touchdowns over the last eight games and only exceeded 45 yards once.
Still, superb production for Egbuka, who has all the makings to be Tampa Bay’s long-term No. 1 receiver with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin getting up there in age.
20. Jahdae Barron: C
Since the Denver Broncos boast a lights-out defense, they didn’t have to rush Barron into the pros. He only started five games and saw 34 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. They’re taking their time developing him, and that’s okay.
Barron had five pass breakups and one interception, but he allowed three touchdowns in coverage and a 98.8 passer rating, per Pro Football Reference. There’s a lot for the kid to work on in the offseason.
21. Derrick Harmon: C
The Steelers made a bunch of win-now moves with Aaron Rodgers coming aboard, so taking another defensive lineman was a bit of a head-scratcher. Harmon’s got time to prove the doubters wrong, but his rookie season in the NFL left a lot to be desired.
In 12 games, Harmon had three sacks and one fumble recovery. He finished with a 53.3 PFF grade, meaning he was essentially an average player. It wasn’t awful, but Pittsburgh certainly expected better.
22. Omarion Hampton: B+
Hampton missed eight games to injury, which was especially unfortunate with Najee Harris suffering a torn Achilles in Week 3.
But Hampton was a difference-maker in the nine games he suited up for. Hampton had 545 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Hampton rushed for 60.6 yards per game, a pace of over 1,000 rushing yards in a 17-game season.
23. Matthew Golden: D
The Packers made a giant portion of the fanbase happy when they finally used a first-round pick on a receiver for the first time since 2003. It’s too early to call him a bust, but Golden’s rookie year was certainly a letdown.
Golden caught just 29 passes for 361 yards and zero touchdowns. Top wideout Jayden Reed, star tight end Tucker Kraft, and veteran Christian Watson all missed significant time with injuries, so it’s not like the opportunities weren’t there for Golden to become a difference-maker.
24. Donovan Jackson: B+
Lost in a disappointing season for Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings was the superb rookie campaign in the NFL of guard Donovan Jackson.
The Ohio State product allowed just two sacks on 468 pass-blocking snaps. But it was his work in the run-blocking game that stood out. Jackson finished fifth in ESPN’s run-block win rate among interior linemen at 77 percent.
25. Jaxson Dart: A
He lost top receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo to season-ending injuries. Head coach Brian Daboll was fired midway through the year. Dart’s pass protection was horrendous, too.
And yet, the Ole Miss QB turned in a phenomenal rookie year in difficult circumstances. Dart completed 63.7 percent of pass attempts for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns, five interceptions, 487 rushing yards, nine rushing scores, and a 91.7 passer rating.
With better luck in the injury department and the arrival of John Harbaugh, Dart can absolutely reach rockstar level in 2026.
26. James Pearce Jr.: A+
Pearce had a sluggish start to his young career, and fans were already calling the Falcons’ trade-up a failure. I mean, it did look like they’d give up a top-10 pick to the Rams there for a while.
But Pearce played like an All-Pro in the second half, finishing the year with 10.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He was first among sacks for rookies by a country mile, with teammate Jalon Walker a distant second at 5.5.
Looks like the Falcons made the right choice to give up their 2026 first-rounder for Pearce after all!
27. Malaki Starks: C+
The Baltimore Ravens’ defense cost them a playoff spot and played a significant role in John Harbaugh’s firing. But don’t blame Starks, who overcame a sloppy start to become a stud do-it-all playmaker down the stretch this NFL season.
Starks had two picks and nine pass breakups. He had his struggles in pass coverage, but was one of the top safeties in run defense. Fix up the coverage a bit, and he could become an All-Pro like fellow Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton.
28. Tyleik Williams: C
Williams started 10 of Detroit’s 17 games, but he wasn’t able to make the type of impact a team in “win-now” mode would like. He had four pass breakups and one sack, but had a “meh” PFF grade of 62.6
29. Josh Conerly Jr.: D
The best thing we can say about Conerly’s rookie year is that, well, it can’t go any worse in 2026.
Conerly might not have struggled as much if Jayden Daniels had been healthy the entire year. Bottom line, though, is that the Washington Commanders’ o-line struggled mightily in pass protection.
Conerly committed a whopping 13 penalties and allowed eight sacks, per PFF. That’s just not gonna cut it in the pros.
30. Maxwell Hairston: B+
Hairston was a key reason why the Buffalo Bills finished with the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense in the 2025 season. Missing six games to injury did nothing to stop him from making a notable impact on the field.
He had two interceptions and five pass breakups, allowing just a 79.2 passer rating when targeted. Brandon Beane’s latest draft classes have left a lot to be desired, but Hairston already looks like a star in the making.
31. Jihaad Campbell: B
The highly-touted Alabama product was one of those “good at everything, great at nothing” linebackers in his rookie year.
Nothing especially stood out in Campbell’s rookie year. He had one pick, three pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He was just fine in coverage and solid in run defense. That said, we’re sure Vic Fangio will find a way to fully unlock his potential real soon. Perhaps as early as 2026.
32. Josh Simmons: B
Injury woes limited Simmons to eight games for a banged-up Kansas City Chiefs team. Though he committed eight penalties and allowed two sacks, his 75.5 pass-blocking grade ranked Simmons in the top-25 for tackles at PFF.
