2025 Post-Draft NFL Rookie of the Year Predictions

Now that the draft is behind us (and I’ve graded your favorite team), it’s time to look forward. What better way to do that than to look at the players just selected and try to guess which of them will take home hardware at the next NFL Honors? I’m going to do my best to make 2025 NFL rookie of the year predictions on both offense and defense. To do so, I’m going to consider their likelihood of quickly acclimating to the pro game, the situations they find themselves in, and their odds of generating strong counting stats. I’ll also provide a couple of sleeper picks for each category.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: RB Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

It’s always tempting to give this award to a QB. The position has such outsized value that even an above-average rookie season by a signal caller could be enough to snag the trophy. As such, you have to put Titans QB Cam Ward in consideration. In fact, he’s already a co-favorite for the award. The best pure athlete might be Colts TE Tyler Warren, but poor QB play may damage his chances. None of the top WRs landed in great spots to produce early either. Therefore, I have to go with Ashton Jeanty. The 6th pick has a higher floor than anyone in the entire class, but his ceiling is immense as well.

With a compact build, excellent lower-body strength, and breakaway speed, Jeanty is the complete package. Furthermore, Las Vegas picked him because new coach Pete Carroll loves to run the football. The Raiders didn’t have much in the way of RB production last year. Only UDFA Sincere McCormick showed us anything, and he’s not likely to siphon carries from a star like Jeanty. Helping matters is that the offensive line in Las Vegas isn’t half bad, and the QB upgrade provided by Geno Smith should prevent opposing teams from stacking the box to stop Jeanty on every play (though they still might if he’s that good).

As long as Jeanty stays healthy (and he has been durable in the past), he should see well over 200 carries. Unlike at Boise State, he might also have a decent-sized role as a receiver out of the backfield. The Raiders didn’t add much talent at the WR position, so aside from TE Brock Bowers and WR Jakobi Meyers, the ball has to go somewhere. Jeanty’s pass protection skills will ensure that he stays on the field on 3rd downs. In doing so, he’ll remain available for any excess targets. Sorry that this isn’t really a bold prediction. Most of us analysts had Jeanty as a top player overall in this class. We aren’t jumping off the bandwagon now.

Sleepers: QB Cam Ward, Titans (The only first-round QB could steal the award based on positional value alone); TE Tyler Warren, Colts (Targets should be pretty easy to come by without any other viable TEs on the roster); WR Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers (If McMillan’s big frame leads to a year-3 leap for QB Bryce Young, the spotlight could shine upon him)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: OLB Jalon Walker, Falcons

This award is MUCH tougher to predict. Offensive performance is less variable than defensive performance, so the counting stats that voters love aren’t easy to project. Giants OLB Abdul Carter is the clear current favorite, but with Brian Burns and Kavon Thibodeaux ahead of him on the depth chart, I struggle to see him getting too many opportunities. The next-highest odds belong to Jaguars 2-way player Travis Hunter. However, he’s starting on offense first, and we don’t know how many defensive snaps he’ll play. The DTs in this class look better, but that position almost never wins the award because it doesn’t come with many sacks.

I don’t expect a ton of ball production out of this rookie crop of CBs either. Other edge rushers, such as Cincinnati’s Shemar Stewart and San Francisco’s Mykel Williams, are a little too boom-or-bust for me to trust. Conversely, the Falcons’ Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr are both likely to hit the ground running. They enter a vacuum at their position, as Atlanta has been one of the worst teams in the league at taking down QBs. Opposing defenses will have to prioritize one of these rookies, providing 1-on-1 matchups for the other. The question becomes which one will have the chance to feast throughout the season.

Based on his versatility, I’m inclined to go with Jalon Walker. Though he possesses upside as a rusher, he’s a proven talent off the ball as well. Great tackle numbers and forced fumbles will only bolster his case. On the edge, he’ll have the benefit of Pearce’s speed rush drawing attention. We’re going to see a lot of Atlanta because of young starting QB Michael Penix Jr. That national exposure should help walker too. Defensive rookie of the year could go in a lot of directions, but if I had to give a name this early, it would be Walker. His combination of NFL readiness and potential is an excellent mix.

Sleepers: DE James Pearce Jr, Falcons (Should defenses key on Jalon Walker instead, Pearce would be the obvious beneficiary); S Malaki Starks, Ravens (Baltimore knows how to train DBs, and Starks’ instincts could lead to some flashy INTs); CB Travis Hunter, Jaguars (If Hunter DOES play two positions, that publicity would boost his candidacy immensely)