2025 NFL Rookies Trending in the Right Direction Ahead of Training Camp

The final waves of mandatory minicamp are underway, and NFL rookies are getting one step closer to their initial regular-season action.

The pressure for these young players to be ready increases every day, and the momentum that's been building since rookie minicamps, positive or negative, will be the storyline to watch.

With training camp about a month away, let's look at which rookies are trending in the right direction.

Trey Amos, CB, Washington Commanders

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The Washington Commanders allowed 189.5 passing yards per game, per NFL Pro. They finished as the league's third-best defense in that area and 12th in sacks.

However, their run defense was a significant issue, having allowed 137.5 yards per game and nearly five yards per carry, ranking third-worst in the league in 2024. The Commanders used a second-round pick to add one of the most physical, effective press-man corners in Trey Amos out of Ole Miss.

He joins a strong pass defense, and his impact is already being felt during spring workouts. Per Commanders senior writer Zach Selby, Amos has pushed breakout second-year cornerback Mike Sainristil back to the slot.

Amos took advantage of veteran corner Marshon Lattimore's absence at OTAs, showcasing his coverage skills and confident demeanor. The hype for Amos is growing, and this clip of him undercutting Deebo Samuel to force an incompletion only fans the flames.

This is the test the rookie needs to prove himself a bona fide starter in Dan Quinn's defense. The latter's defensive scheme has produced big seasons for playmaking cornerbacks like Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland.

Amos is another instinctive cornerback who accounted for four interceptions and 25 pass breakups in college. He will have every opportunity to increase his ball production in this defense.

The Commanders highly coveted Amos and were thrilled when he fell to them in Round 2. His performance from the first practice to now has impressed the coaches, and a strong training camp should only solidify him as their 2025 starter opposite Lattimore.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Emeka Egbuka is trending toward becoming a game-changer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After shockingly being selected in the first round, Egbuka has hit the ground running during offseason workouts. The Buccaneers have worked to get him up to speed quickly, considering star wide receiver Chris Godwin is still recovering from a season-ending ankle injury. If this continues into and throughout training camp, Egbuka will be in for a big role.

Second-year receiver Jalen McMillan praised his new teammate, telling reporters: "He's a pro and really serious about practice. He knows half the playbook." Potential Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans threw more praise in Egbuka's direction, saying, "He looks like a running back but catches like Chris Godwin."

The praise of his work ethic, high football character and immense talent is a great thing for Buccaneers fans. His time at Ohio State put emphasis on being versatile and learning to share targets with some elite receivers. Egbuka's team-first mentality will fit in well with this talented receiver room.

If the Buccaneers ease Godwin back into action, Egbuka will see plenty of playing time opposite Evans. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield praised Egbuka's football IQ and said the team could "plug and play" him in any receiver position.

If his level of play is similar or elevates when the pads are on, he will secure a major role in the Buccaneers offense.

Mason Graham, IDL, Cleveland Browns

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Mason Graham was a dominant defensive line prospect who earned his first-round status in the 2025 draft. Unfortunately, his career got off to an embarrassing start a month ago at rookie minicamp.

Graham had a little too much to eat before practice and threw up. But as the old saying goes, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish."

While Graham's first impression left some feeling anxious because, to the naked eye, he was out of shape, he went on to finish the rep. This was one of the reasons Browns defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire threw strong praise at the Michigan product.

Coach Cesaire said, "I love Mason," per Scott Petrak of Browns Zone. He added: "The thing I love about Mason, I think everybody heard he ate a little bit too much, and he threw up that first day. But what a lot of people are not talking about is that the kid finished. He went back out there, puke and all, and finished the rep.

"But here's a kid that every day he got better. Every day he came out here, he's running to the ball as fast as he could. You see his rush game developing, you see him launching with hands. It's going to be hard obviously coming from a read scheme, going to an attack scheme. But he's done a really good job and he's great in the room, extremely smart individual, hardworking."

Graham was the guy for Michigan's defense last year. Opposing offenses sent multiple blockers in his direction consistently, hoping to limit his impact against the run and pass. Graham was in a read-and-react defensive system and was tasked with clogging gaps at the line of scrimmage.

Now he enters Jim Schwartz's penetration-style defense. The biggest difference is, Schwartz's system asks defensive linemen to make plays on the football and in the backfield instead of being lane-fillers to free up playmaking teammates.

Coach Schwartz said, per Petrak: "It's been an adjustment for him. There have been some growing pains. He's pretty far ahead right now. ...

"I do think there's a lot of meat on the bone as far as his production, and we can see better production from him than even we saw, and he had outstanding production in college."

The Browns' pass rush was undependable in sack production when you remove Myles Garrett's 14 sacks and 84 QB pressures. Graham was brought in to help take advantage of teams overcommitting to stopping Garrett.

Graham has impressed Garrett with his approach to the game and willingness to learn. The star edge-rusher told reporters Graham is hungry and quiet but inquisitive. The rookie is doing what the team has asked of him and learning a new defensive scheme and style. When the pads go on next month, coaches will be looking for consistent growth and impact from their top-five pick.

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland Browns

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Shedeur Sanders shines brightly despite a lack of first-team reps during the Cleveland Browns' offseason workouts.

The rookie continues to showcase his accuracy and decisiveness when throwing from the pocket. While he remains behind third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, Sanders will enter training camp confidently.

Per ESPN Cleveland, he completed 41 of his 53 attempts this spring with nine touchdowns and one interception. He finished Browns workouts with the highest completion percentage at 77 percent, if you're into these stats.

Heading into training camp, Sanders should receive more than third-string reps. Whether he sees first-team reps is irrelevant to an extent. Gradually climbing the pecking order is the key here.

He deserves to operate the second-string offense. If he continues to shine, there's no reason to keep him from receiving first-team reps.

This coaching staff should want to see him throwing to David Njoku and Jerry Jeudy against their outstanding first-team defense. If this is a real quarterback competition, let's begin to distribute the reps a little more across the board.

Nonetheless, Sanders has done well and continues to prove he is better than his fifth-round draft position. Training camp will tell us how serious the Browns are about their quarterback room.

Cam Ward, QB, Tennessee Titans

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After completing mandatory minicamp, Cam Ward is proving why he was the first overall pick this year.

The Tennessee Titans needed a facelift after the disappointing results from their Will Levis experiment. In comes Ward, a mentally tough and physically gifted passer with a gunslinger mentality. During the spring and early-summer workouts, Ward has displayed the high-octane arm strength to fire passes into tight windows with immense velocity.

Ward's confidence and competitive nature shine in practices and the locker room, and his demeanor is rubbing off on those around him. This is important considering they drafted multiple rookie pass-catchers to grow with him in this offense.

Ward's competitive nature shows up as he's jawing with the defense while head coach Brian Callahan is calling the next play, but it doesn't throw the rookie off his game.

Also, he is impressing veteran wide receiver Calvin Ridley with his calming demeanor. Ward doesn't hang his head and look defeated when he makes mistakes.

He is making the right and wrong plays in camp, which is a great thing. Learning what throws and decisions you cannot make at the NFL level is paramount to a rookie quarterback's learning curve. As the headline for Albert Breer's June 9 MMQB article states, he is learning how to talk football, not just play it.

Coach Brian Callahan has applauded Ward for his coachability this offseason and how he is improving.

One of the most underrated parts of Ward's game in college was his pre-snap recognition and control of the offense. He checked in and out of plays while setting protections. Ward thrived at using his cadence to draw the defense out of their disguises and even induce false starts. He carries himself like a veteran.

From leadership and raw talent to his quick command of the offense, Ward’s arrow is pointing up.