6 NFL Rookies With Potential to be More Exciting Than Travis Hunter in Year 1

Travis Hunter is a very different type of prospect in today's NFL. True two-way players are a thing of the past.

The Jacksonville Jaguars bet big on the reigning Heisman Trophy winner by trading up to the second overall pick while surrendering next year's first-round selection in order to do so. They plan to use him as a wide receiver and cornerback.

Jacksonville chief football strategy officer Tony Khan told The Rich Eisen Show (h/t Paul Bretl of Jaguars Wire):

"I think there's going to be a different game flow. You know very well that different games have different flows. He's going to contribute and play a lot of snaps on both sides of the ball. It's going to be really great for the Jags. I think we have such a great group of young players and a great young core, and now to be able to add a player like Travis Hunter, it's really exciting."

It is exciting, but expectations should also be tempered to a degree.

Hunter won't be able to play as many snaps at the professional level. He's likely not going to be a full-time participant on both sides of the ball. He can do both and contribute, but the coaching staff must place a restrictor plate on his intake or run the risk of overwhelming the 22-year-old, especially early in this career.

Instead, other recent draft picks have a chance to take the league by storm and generate even more excitement in Year 1. Three of the six names here are obvious choices, while the other three can be viewed as wild cards within this conversation.

QB Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Quarterback is the obvious starting point as the most discussed position in any draft class. And the Tennessee Titans used this year's No. 1 overall pick to select Cam Ward, not Hunter.

Ward was one of two quarterbacks chosen in this year's opening round, though Jaxson Dart isn't expected to initially serve as the New York Giants' starter with Russell Wilson on the roster.

The Titans have a different plan, though. Ward is their guy from the onset of his career.

"Whenever he's talking, he has a sense of confidence that guys can feel and I sense that we'll be able to feed off of energy from him," left tackle Dan Moore Jr. said a month ago. "One of the hardest things for a quarterback is just getting a grasp of the huddle and fluidly say the play and remember the play to get command of the huddle as well. I feel like [Ward] has that."

Head coach Brian Callahan added: "He's gotten better every time he stepped out. In every situation, a lot of things are new, and every time he did it again or had an opportunity to see the rep again, he did a nice job of taking the coaching points and improving on the next time out."

Quarterback trumps all. A season ago, Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders produced the finest rookie season by a tight end in NFL history. But Jayden Daniels took home the hardware as Offensive Rookie of the Year because of the impact he made for the Washington Commanders.

Ward was the No. 1 overall pick for a reason.

The 23-year-old has outstanding arm talent. He's a playmaker. He went to three different collegiate programs and experienced success—both individually and as a team—at each stop.

If Ward plays well and helps elevate the Titans after they won only three games in the previous season, the excitement about his potential will be palpable, especially playing in the same division as the Jaguars.

Edge Abdul Carter, New York Giants

AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis

Once Ward and Hunter were off the board, the New York Giants invested in the class' top pure defensive prospect, Abdul Carter.

If there is any prospect from this year's class with more upside than Hunter, it's the Penn State product.

Carter converted from off-ball linebacker to full-time edge-defender during his final season on campus. It became clear he was developing at a rapid pace during the 2024 campaign, to the point where he was almost unblockable during the second half of the Nittany Lions' contests.

His explosiveness off the snap, coupled with Gumby-like flexibility when turning the edge, creates easy wins against offensive linemen if they don't get off the snap quick enough, take a false step and/or miss their initial punch.

Early returns from minicamp have been more of the same.

"When we get the pads on and take steps towards practicing real NFL football, that'll be the test to see where (Carter's) technique is at," Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen said, per Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic. "But in terms of the traits, they're pretty much as advertised."

A special pass-rusher wreaking havoc on a weekly basis, while also being deployed in a variety of manners, will always draw significant interest.

Carter has the chance to make a similar impact to the one Micah Parsons did when he became the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

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An NFL team isn't drafting a running back in the top 10 without the idea he's going to become the focal point of the offense. Of course, he is.

Running backs have a strong track record of producing early in their careers, and Ashton Jeanty is one of the most productive ball-carriers to come out of the collegiate ranks. And the Raiders used this year's No. 6 overall pick to acquire his services.

The 21-year-old fell short of breaking Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record last year with Boise State, though the incoming rookie still managed an impressive 2,601 yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.

More importantly, Jeanty displayed a unique trait that should serve him well at the professional level.

"Ashton is as talented at back as a young guy coming in the league that I've seen. He's really special," Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly told reporters. "His ability to sustain runs off of contact, his contact balance is kind of a really rare quality. He's got a low center of gravity, you know. And I think it's tough to get him down. And normally the first guy doesn't, and you look at all of the tape of his games last year, and it didn't matter who he played because they [Boise State] obviously played in the Mountain West."

Despite the acquisition of veteran quarterback Geno Smith, who should help steady the ship, the Raiders don't have the makings of a prolific passing attack beyond Bowers. Their wide receiver options lack dynamic qualities or they're unproven.

Jeanty is going to shoulder the offense and likely put up big numbers as a result, thus placing him squarely in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation.

Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Jessica Tobias

A good pass-rush plan can be every bit as effective as having the natural tools to terrorize offensive lineman.

Donovan Ezeiruaku led all Power Four pass-rushers with 16.5 sacks last season. He finished one sack short of leading the entire nation. He's smooth off the edge and understands how to attack blockers.

"Ezeiruaku wins by setting up his pass-rush moves, stemming inside or outside and using a euro-step to cover ground laterally and get to the other side," B/R scout Matt Holder wrote. "His primary moves are cross-chop and dip-rip and his bend borders the elite category to win around the edge. Also, he has a couple of good counters with an inside arm-over/swim move and ghost rush."

The reason the reigning Ted Hendricks Award winner appears on this list is due to where he landed. The Dallas Cowboys selected him with this year's 44th overall draft pick.

The 21-year-old will have the chance to fully capitalize on opponents being distracted by Micah Parsons at all times, which should create plenty of opportunities for Ezeiruaku to win one-on-one matchups. Thus, he could create a significant impact from Day 1.

"He's doing great. He's doing really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, great," Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said last month. "... you can't watch the guy and not get excited just watching them do the things that we're doing out there on the grass, the things that we saw coming out of Boston College. And then the work ethic is elite."

WR Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Wide receiver is a position where rookies regularly contribute at a high level early in the process, but ability must cross paths with opportunity to make that happen.

A year ago, Ladd McConkey emerged as the Los Angeles Chargers' primary target after being a second-round selection. The team hadn't invested heavily in the position, as it trended toward Jim Harbaugh's vision of being a more physical squad, and the Georgia product benefited.

The sophomore target could still use significant help from another target who is better built to consistently contribute as an outside receiver. Lo and behold, the Chargers again drafted a wide receiver in this year's second round to help in that matter.

Tre Harris was on a tear last season before suffering a lower-body injury. In eight appearances for Ole Miss, he still caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards, including four contests with 130 or more yards. He has the physique and style of play to emerge as the Chargers' X-receiver. He's big and physical enough to consistently win matchups.

According to Pro Football Focus' Austin Abbott, Harris posted 72 or higher success rates against man and zone coverage.

The 23-year-old also got on the same page with his quarterback, Justin Herbert, rather quickly.

"When I first got out there for OTAs with the vets, I immediately knew he was different," Harris told reporters. "His ball placement, his attention to detail is different. I'm just super excited to play with a QB like that. Every throw to me has been on the money."

Harris has an open runway to becoming a major component within the Chargers passing attack. He's already proved he has the ability to excel if that's the case.

S Andrew Mukuba, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The Philadelphia Eagles' track record with young defensive backs has been pretty good as of late.

Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean were exceptional as rookies and vital to the team's Super Bowl run and ensuing victory. Reed Blankenship also developed into a reliable safety after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2022. Kelee Ringo and Sydney Brown have another chance to prove themselves this fall as well.

However, Brown has an incoming rookie competing to play free safety, with second-rounder Andrew Mukuba already drawing first-team snaps and rave reviews.

By catching the attention of proven veterans early in the process, a rookie can establish a level of comfortable that reflects on the field and allows them to play at a high level from the onset of their careers.

"Just seeing him out there, seeing the way he moves around, things like that, the way he goes about his business," two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver DeVonta Smith told reporters when asked about how Mukuba impressed him.

Mukuba thrives when the ball is front of him. As the safety sees the play develop, he quickly triggers. His five interceptions tied for the most in the SEC last season alongside Texas teammate Jahdae Barron, who took home the Jim Thorpe Award.

The 22-year-old flies up to stop the run as well. He's under 190 pounds, with some concerns over missed tackles, but the willingness is definitely present. These playmaking skills should be perfect working along the Eagles' back line.

"It is important to learn the defense and that is the first priority," Mukuba told Dave Spadaro of the Eagles official site. "You do that and then your physical ability takes care of itself. My game matured in college and I gained a lot of knowledge about the game of football and was able to progress and grow my game. Now I'm at a different level."