The NFL Draft is in the rearview, and now it is time to turn towards the upcoming season. It is never too early to start planning your dynasty draft picks. This is a look at which rookies will be the best to target for 2025 NFL dynasty drafts.
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2025 NFL Rookie Rankings
| Player | Team | |
| 1. | Ashton Jeanty, RB | Raiders |
| 2. | Travis Hunter, WR | Jaguars |
| 3. | Omarion Hampton, RB | Chargers |
| 4. | Tetairoa McMillan, WR | Panthers |
| 5. | TreVeyon Henderson, RB | Patriots |
| 6. | Emeka Egbuka, WR | Buccaneers |
| 7. | Quinshon Judkins, RB | Browns |
| 8. | Cam Ward, QB | Titans |
| 9. | Tyler Warren, TE | Colts |
| 10. | Colston Loveland, TE | Bears |
| 11. | Kaleb Johnson, RB | Steelers |
| 12. | Matthew Golden, WR | Packers |
| 13. | Tre Harris, WR | Chargers |
| 14. | Jayden Higgins, WR | Texans |
| 15. | Mason Taylor, TE | Jets |
Tier 1 Picks
RB Ashton Jeanty (Raiders)
Ashton Jeanty is clearly number one in the dynasty rookie rankings. He is the first running back to get drafted in the top six picks since Saquon Barkley in 2018. The Raiders have reset their offense with Pete Carroll at the helm and Geno Smith at quarterback. After getting a great weapon in last year’s draft, Brock Bowers, this could be an exciting offense. Jeanty should be the primary back for Las Vegas, and he could immediately be among the best backs in the league.
WR/CB Travis Hunter (Jaguars)
Travis Hunter is a bit of a riskier pick because it still isn’t totally clear how he will be utilized at the next level. Hunter wants to play on both sides of the ball, and as of now, the Jaguars seem to be on board with that idea. If Hunter is also playing cornerback, that could limit how many offensive snaps he takes. However, the upside is too high to let Hunter pass if you have the second pick in your dynasty draft. He put up monster numbers at Colorado despite being the entire focus of every opposing defense. With Brian Thomas Jr. at the other receiver spot, Hunter won’t demand as much attention and should be a major contributor right away.
RB Omarion Hampton (Chargers)
Omarion Hampton seems like a perfect fit for the Chargers. Los Angeles was in the top ten in the league in rushing play percentage last season. Jim Harbaugh is an old-school coach who wants to run the football, despite having Justin Herbert at quarterback. The Chargers did acquire Najee Harris in the offseason, so there could be a committee aspect to this running back room, but Hampton should emerge as the primary back over Harris, who hasn’t been great in his last couple of seasons.
WR Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers)
Tetairoa McMillan was the first pure wide receiver taken in the draft (not including the dual-positioned Travis Hunter). McMillan has an incredible catch radius and great hands. However, there are concerns over his speed and ability to create separation at the NFL level. The Panthers’ offense did show great signs of life at the end of last season. McMillan will join a receiving corps with Adam Thielen, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette. This will give Bryce Young plenty of options in the passing attack, and if they can continue to improve, they could be a fun offense to watch. If McMillan clicks right away, he could become the WR1 in this offense, but there is a chance that it takes time for him to build into his role.
Tier 2 Picks
RB TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots)
TreVeyon Henderson was a great selection by the Patriots. Henderson had an amazing career at Ohio State, culminating in a National Championship. Last season, he split carries with Quinshon Judkins. However, Henderson is capable of being a bell cow back and can also make plays in the passing game. Rhamondre Stevenson will likely take a back seat to Henderson, allowing the rookie to have a big year in the young Patriots offense.
WR Emeka Egbuka (Bucs)
The Buccaneers ranked third in the NFL in total offense last season. Baker Mayfield has been phenomenal since coming to Tampa Bay, and this passing offense should be very exciting again. The only reason Egbuka isn’t higher on these rookie rankings is because of the lack of clarity on how many targets he will get per game. This offense has an amazing wide receiver duo in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, plus a young receiver, Jalen McMillan, who started to come on strong last season. However, Egbuka is expected to get the starting slot receiver spot, which should allow him to get a solid target share despite the talent around him.
RB Quinshon Judkins (Browns)
The future of Nick Chubb in Cleveland is unclear, as he has yet to sign a new contract. The Browns drafted two running backs, Judkins and Dylan Sampson, indicating that Chubb might not be returning to Cleveland. That would make Judkins the primary back, or at least evenly splitting carries with Jerome Ford. Judkins was an incredible college running back, splitting carries with TreVeyon Henderson en route to a national title last season at Ohio State. If Judkins is given a majority share of the carries in Cleveland, he could have a huge rookie year. His fantasy stock for next season will become much clearer once Nick Chubb makes a decision on his next team.
QB Cam Ward (Titans)
Cam Ward was the No. 1 overall pick, but it could take some time to get things going in Tennessee. Their offense was abysmal last season, and the Titans are hoping that an upgrade at quarterback will make things better right away, but it could be tough for Ward early on. In a two-quarterback league, Ward becomes much more valuable, as he is definitely going to be the Week 1 starter. However, in a one-quarterback league, it could be smarter to use your first-round pick on a skill position player, rather than Ward, and opt for a veteran quarterback in a later round.
TE Tyler Warren (Colts)
Tyler Warren was considered by many to be the top tight end in this class, but ended up being the second tight end taken in the NFL Draft. However, he is still the top rookie tight end in my dynasty rookie rankings. Warren is an amazing receiver and can create huge plays out of nothing. The only trouble is who will be throwing him the football. Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson are battling to be QB1 in Indianapolis. Neither of those signal callers inspires much confidence, but Warren should be a good safety net for whoever ends up winning the battle. Even if the Colts don’t have a great offense, Warren should be productive in the NFL from the jump.
Tier 3 Picks
TE Colston Loveland (Bears)
The tight end that unexpectedly got taken before Tyler Warren was Michigan’s Colston Loveland. New Bears head coach Ben Johnson decided that Loveland had the whole package that he wanted in Chicago. After investing heavily in that offense this offseason, the Bears could make a big jump in Caleb Williams’ sophomore season. Loveland is a great possession receiver at tight end and should catch a lot of balls next season.
RB Kaleb Johnson (Steelers)
There is still a lot of uncertainty around who will be playing quarterback for the Steelers next season. Also, they lost Najee Harris this offseason. That means Kaleb Johnson should play a major role. At Iowa, Johnson was the entire offense, and if the Steelers plan on starting Mason Rudolph at quarterback next season, Johnson could need to take that role on again. He was one of the more underrated backs in this class and could have a big rookie year.
WR Matthew Golden (Packers)
There was speculation that Matthew Golden could jump Tetairoa McMillan and be the first non-Travis Hunter receiver off the board. While that didn’t come to fruition, Golden ended up in a great spot in Green Bay. While the Packers have a room full of young receivers, all trying to prove themselves as the main man for Jordan Love, Golden could be the WR1 in Green Bay. The likes of Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed have all shown flashes of great potential, but have struggled with consistency and injuries. That leaves the door open for Golden to come in right away and be the alpha.
WR Tre Harris (Chargers)
The Chargers were in need of more weapons for Justin Herbert. Ladd McConkey was a great selection last season, and they might have hit again with Tre Harris. Harris should be a Week 1 starter in this offense, and with a great quarterback throwing to him, he could be the steal of many dynasty drafts this season.
WR Jayden Higgins (Texans)
When healthy, the Texans have some exciting receivers. However, after last year’s disaster, when the entire receiving corps got hurt, the Texans aren’t taking any chances this season. The Texans added Christian Kirk, but also drafted both members of Iowa State’s amazing receiver duo, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Higgins was the first of those two drafted and is likely to have a bigger role in the offense next season. If everyone is healthy, he will have to mix in with Nico Collins and John Metchie, but should still see a lot of action. With an improved offensive line and a great quarterback, Higgins could have a big rookie campaign.
TE Mason Taylor (Jets)
There was a lot of speculation over who would be the third tight end taken in the draft, after Loveland and Warren went in the first 14 picks. That guy ended up being LSU’s Mason Taylor. Taylor was a great tight end in college, though his targets were limited due to the amazing receivers at LSU during his career. However, he was always a great safety net for his quarterbacks and took advantage of every target that he got. Taylor is athletic enough at tight end to take an underneath throw and turn it into a big play. He could quickly become a favorite target of Justin Fields, making him a valuable pick in dynasty drafts.
