8 NFL Players With the Best Chances to Turn Into Superstars in 2025

Every year, players take that next step at various positions. 

We saw it from Jahmyr Gibbs in 2024, and arguably from Justin Herbert as well. Certainly Derek Stingley Jr. on defense. 

Who looks to be most primed to reach that next level and become a superstar in 2025? Here are eight young players on our radar.

Bo Nix

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

It should be noted here that I’m not going with Bo Nix over 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. He and C.J. Stroud already made superstar-level splashes in their rookie seasons and are thus excluded from this exercise. 

Nix flashed as a rookie, but he was by no means a star on a consistent basis. 

In 2025, though, that could happen. 

The 25-year-old threw nine touchdown passes to just one interception for a 126.0 passer rating in his final three games as a rookie, and he enters his sophomore campaign extremely well-supported by a defense that ranked third in the NFL with 18.3 points allowed per game in 2024 and an offensive line that is strong across the board with no major offseason changes to tackle. 

Under Sean Payton, I can see Nix leading the Broncos to an upset AFC West crown as he becomes a legit MVP candidate in 2025.

Bucky Irving

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Bucky Irving is already close.

Among qualified backs, the 2024 fourth-round pick ranked behind only Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Gibbs with a 5.4 yards-per-attempt average in his rookie season. 

Irving also put up 479 scrimmage yards in the final four weeks of 2024, and he finished the campaign ranked in the top five among qualifiers with 2.7 yards per attempt after contact. 

The key for the 22-year-old in 2025? His support system is awesome. The experienced Bucs offense remains intact, and he’ll be running behind one of the best O-lines in the league. Division rivals Carolina and New Orleans also had the worst two run defenses in the league last year. 

The stars appear to be aligned for Irving to become one.

Xavier Worthy

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Speaking of finishing strong, Xavier Worthy did exactly that with 243 yards and three touchdowns in the AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl for the Chiefs. 

The 22-year-old is one of the fastest players in the sport, and there's a clear path for him to become Patrick Mahomes' No. 1 target in the Kansas City offense considering there is no established top dog and Travis Kelce is fading. 

With his first full offseason under his belt for 2025, we wouldn't be surprised if we saw shades of 2018 Tyreek Hill from Worthy in the fall. 

Malik Nabers

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Russell Wilson might not be the quarterback he once was, but there were signs in Pittsburgh that he can still shine as an NFL starter.

That alone beats the heck out of what the Giants got out of their QBs while ranking in the bottom three in terms of team passer rating and yards-per-attempt average in 2024. 

This all bodes well for Malik Nabers, who is still just 21 years old and managed to catch 109 passes for more than 1,200 yards in a seven-touchdown rookie season. 

What's scary is how productive he was despite showing plenty of room to grow and despite lacking support both at quarterback and in the receiving corps. 

Add Wilson and a full offseason of refinement, and there's a good chance Nabers joins the All-Pro picture in 2025.

Paris Johnson Jr.

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

The Arizona Cardinals could be on the verge of a breakout season, with Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. likely to grab a lot of the credit for the potential development.

But don't be surprised if Paris Johnson Jr. emerges as an elite left tackle in the process. 

The 2023 No. 6 overall pick improved significantly after moving to the left side in his sophomore season, with his Pro Football Focus grade rising by more than 20 points thanks in part to the fact that he cut his sacks allowed total in half (from eight to four). 

None of those sacks were surrendered beyond Week 9. 

Now, Johnson has been reunited with his college offensive line coach Justin Frye, and he should find a groove with more support in his second season at the left tackle spot. 

At age 24 in his third pro campaign, we fully expect Johnson to become a Pro Bowler and a likely All-Pro.

Zach Frazier

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Zach Frazier is already almost there. 

He might not be a household name, but PFF graded the 2024 second-round pick fourth among qualifying centers in 2024, as he was responsible for just 12 total pressures in 15 starts while steadily improving in December and January. 

At the age of 23, he's already emerged as a leader within the veteran Steelers offense, and he has the athleticism and skill set to reach an All-Pro level very soon. 

Centers might rarely be seen as superstars, but Frazier might have the right ingredients and be in the right place at the right time for it. 

Yaya Diaby

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Yaya Diaby's sack total actually sank from 7.5 as a rookie in 2024 to 4.5 as a sophomore in 2025, but look a little deeper and the trajectory is there. 

The 2023 third-round pick more than doubled his quarterback hits number from eight to 20 as defenses keyed on him more following a somewhat surprisingly strong rookie campaign. 

Six of those hits and 2.5 of those sacks came in his final three games of the 2024 regular season, suggesting the 26-year-old could be on the verge of something special this year. 

"I've seen him grow mentally, understanding how people are trying to block him," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said in April, per the team's official website. "The first year, he was just trying to run through everything and we kind of let him go because he was a bull in a china shop. Last year, he was more strategic in how he rushed the passer. Despite the sack numbers, he still was our most prolific pass rusher as far as getting pressures. [We] just expect him to finish those plays this year."

If so, Diaby could make his first Pro Bowl and gain All-Pro attention very soon.

Calen Bullock

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Anytime you pick off five passes as a rookie, you should be on the superstar radar entering the following season. 

That's the case for Calen Bullock, who not only flashed consistently as a ball-hunting playmaker but also surrendered a league-best 42.9 percent completions on throws into his coverage in 2024.

Over more than 1,000 regular-season and playoff stats, he was one of the top-performing defensive backs in the league for the Houston Texans. 

Bullock just turned 22, but he can already excel on an every-down basis regardless of situation and has the ability to keep building his repertoire as a physical tackler. He showed signs of improvement in that area throughout his rookie campaign. 

With the support of Stingley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in that secondary and help from a talented pass rush up front, it's easy to envision superstardom in his future.