Buying or Selling Early Training Camp Buzz on 2025 NFL Rookies

The beauty of the NFL draft is that it can provide hope for every fanbase. While many highly regarded prospects won't work out at the pro level, each brings the promise of a bright future.

Now that training camps have begun opening around the league, the rookie hype train is set to really get rolling. We're in the early stages, of course, and unpadded practices aren't a great predictor of rookie success. However, fans are hungry for any positive developments after an offseason of inactivity.

Of course, some takeaways should be consumed with a grain or two of salt this time of year.

Here, we'll dive into some of the latest rookie-related news, rumors and hype from early training camps and try to separate fact from fiction.

Buy: Malaki Starks Set to Star Alongside Kyle Hamilton for Ravens

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Malaki Starks

After drafting first-round safety Malaki Starks and adding Jaire Alexander, the Baltimore Ravens might have the league's best secondary in 2025.

And according to a recent ESPN poll of league executives, coaches and scouts, Baltimore at least has the top safety in the league in Kyle Hamilton.

Starks entered training camp looking to use his versatility to complement Hamilton at safety.

"Whatever he says he wants to do, I'll do the opposite," Hamilton told The Lounge podcast (beginning here at the 1:44 mark). "Whatever they tell me to do, you know, I'll do it."

We can buy the idea of Starks being an immediate standout and an interchangeable chess piece alongside Hamilton. Bleacher Report's Scouting Department tabbed the Georgia product as the draft's top overall and "most versatile" safety in its final draft board. He has already impressed the Ravens this offseason.

"Starks has wowed team officials with his leadership qualities, work ethic and intelligence," Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic wrote on July 10. "They believe he’ll be an impact player immediately."

The rest of Baltimore's secondary may or may not shine, but its safety tandem should be a consistent highlight reel.

Sell: Kenneth Grant Will Be 'Major Contributor' for Dolphins From Day 1

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Kenneth Grant

The Miami Dolphins entered the draft looking to further bolster a defense that already ranked 10th in points allowed and 12th in yards per carry allowed.

With that goal in mind, they used the 13th overall pick on Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.

While there hasn't been much buzz on Grant since Dolphins rookies reported to camp on July 15, the 21-year-old has already generated lofty expectations.

"He's expected to be a Day One starter and a major contributor on a defense that finished No. 4 in the league last season and No. 9 against the run," Chris Perkins of the Miami Sun Sentinel recently wrote.

General manager Chris Grier likely drafted Grant hoping he could replace former standout Christian Wilkins, who departed in 2024 free agency. While the rookie might make an impact this season, it's a stretch to think he'll be a major contributor or a full-time starter.

The 6'4", 331-pound Grant is most likely to be a two-down specialist in run defense who may have early consistency issues, even in that role.

"Grant's biggest issue as a run defender is he is susceptible to getting reached against outside zone when going against quicker and more agile offensive linemen," Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "While he has decent linear athleticism, his lateral movement skills are subpar which can make it difficult to run his feet and stay in his gap versus stretch runs."

This isn't to say Grant won't make Miami's defense better in 2025 or he can't develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber defensive lineman, but he is more likely to be a solid role player than an impact starter in Year 1.

Buy: Camp Rules Could Limit Travis Hunter's Early 2-Way Impact for Jaguars

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Travis Hunter

Another reason why Ward quickly fell out of the draft spotlight is that the Cleveland Browns immediately traded the second overall pick so the Jacksonville Jaguars could snag Travis Hunter.

The former Colorado cornerback and wide receiver cost Jacksonville a significant amount of trade capital—including a 2026 first-round pick—but is expected to be a two-way contributor from the start.

While Hunter spent most of the early offseason working on offense, Jacksonville eventually started working him in on defense.

"That's definitely what we have to build towards for training camp and then obviously in season, knowing that during practice, he's gonna have to do both," head coach Liam Coen said during minicamp, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra.

The Jags would love to spend training camp ramping Hunter up to two-way status. However, that could be difficult because of practice restrictions put in place by the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), as Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer recently suggested:

"As rules have tightened on the on-field work players can do with coaches, through the past two CBA negotiations, the time everyone spends out there has been at more and more of a premium. Especially for young guys learning the NFL. So in Hunter's unique circumstances, it'll be fascinating to see how new Jaguars coach Liam Coen divvies up the No. 2 pick's work through July and August."

Breer's point is justified. The CBA has placed a limit on the number of padded practices and the amount of overall practice time teams can have during the offseason and in training camp. Those restrictions can make it difficult for a first-year player to fully adapt to the speed and intricacies of the pro game by Week 1.

Add in the fact that Hunter will be splitting time between two practice groups and meeting rooms, and the learning curve looks even steeper.

This doesn't mean the 22-year-old can't eventually be a full-time two-way player as he was in college. It also doesn't mean he won't play both ways as a rookie, to some degree.

It's likely, however, that Hunter will be a part-time player on offense or defense, if not both, to begin his rookie campaign.

Sell: Titans QB Cam Ward Not Getting the Attention 'He Deserves'

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Cam Ward

The Tennessee Titans may have passed on perceived "can't-miss" prospects Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter to take Miami quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall, but they may have found their quarterback of the future by doing so.

Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons believes that, entering camp, the 23-year-old is already a "legit" signal-caller and isn't receiving the attention he deserves.

"I've never seen the No. 1 pick overall never get the respect and, quite frankly, the attention that he deserves," Simmons told NFL Network's Good Morning Football on Thursday.

The three-time Pro Bowler may be half-right on this one. Ward does have the tools and the intangibles to be a legitimate starter in the NFL, perhaps a very good one. However, his lack of a high media profile isn't a sign of disrespect or an undeserved lack of attention.

After all, Ward was widely considered the top quarterback available in the 2025 class. He was the ninth-ranked overall prospect on the final B/R board and the one signal-caller to carry elite upside.

"He has superstar potential if he can cut down on mistakes/risky decisions," Dame Parson of the B/R Scouting Department wrote of the Miami product before the draft.

Ward quickly became the common-sense choice for the QB-needy Titans at No. 1. Once that became obvious, he stopped being a headline-grabbing prospect. And he largely faded into the offseason background after the draft because the Titans, with all due respect, are not a high-profile NFL franchise or one with a recent track record of success.

The expectations for Tennessee, and Ward, are relatively low heading into the 2025 season.

This doesn't mean he won't become a terrific NFL quarterback or even that he won't find success as a rookie—and it certainly doesn't mean players such as Simmons can't create a little motivation by playing the disrespect card.

It just means that—not unlike New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye a year ago—Ward is getting the proper amount of attention during early training camp.

Buy: Will Campbell Entering Camp as Patriots' Starting Left Tackle

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Will Campbell

Unsurprisingly, Ward, Hunter and Carter were the first three players off the board in April. The New England Patriots then used the fourth overall pick on offensive lineman Will Campbell.

The early reports suggest the Patriots have viewed the LSU product as their starting left tackle ever since they held a pre-draft workout with him in Louisiana.

"Ever since, Campbell has been penciled in as the team's starting left tackle, a rare job for a rookie but one that spotlights how highly the Pats think of the player they drafted at No. 4," The Athletic's Chad Graff wrote.

The 21-year-old has done nothing this offseason to suggest the starting job isn't his to lose.

"Campbell has been the starting left tackle from Day 1 of open practices, and based on our observations, he made it through spring workouts with little cause for concern about his performance in the critical role," Matt Dolloff of 98.5 The Sports Hub wrote in mid-June.

This doesn't feel like a case of Campbell being handed the job or simply having no real competition in New England—Vederian Lowe started 13 games for the Patriots last season. He's simply that talented of a prospect and would likely be entering camp as a starter regardless of where he was drafted.

Campbell was the top-ranked lineman on the final B/R board and has the upside of a perennial Pro Bowler.

"Campbell is a smooth operator with a polished, well-rounded skill set and a natural feel for the position due to very good footwork, hand placement, play strength, and competitive toughness," Brandon Thorn of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.

While several other rookies will generate more buzz than Campbell between now and Week 1, he's poised to make a tremendous early impact. He will be the Week 1 starter, and he should significantly improve the protection of second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

Sell: Jaxson Dart Should 'Really' Be Giants' Week 1 Starter

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Jaxson Dart

New York Giants rookies reported to training camp on Tuesday, and first-round pick Jaxson Dart should have a few days as the offensive focus before Jameis Winston, Russell Wilson and the rest of New York's veterans report on July 22.

There's a chance the Ole Miss product could move past Winston and Wilson on the depth chart before the start of the regular season.

Quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney called the rookie's preparation "impressive" during minicamp, according to CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri. Dart's former teammate and Los Angeles Chargers' rookie receiver, Tre Harris, believes the 22-year-old should be Big Blue's Week 1 starter.

"If you want to be honest, I think Week 1, he should really have the job," Harris told Kay Adams of Up & Adams this week.

Harris adding to his former teammate's hype machine is unsurprising, and Giants fans have every reason to take his comments as a positive. However, it's tough to believe Dart will start ahead of Wilson and Winston to begin the year.

The Giants' plan all along was to use Wilson and/or Winston as a bridge to their rookie quarterback. That would allow their young signal-caller to learn from the sideline before being thrust into action. Because of Dart's lack of experience in a pro-style offense and propensity to buckle under pressure, New York should stick with that plan.

"Dart struggles to throw under pressure while inside the pocket. His mechanics and accuracy go awry," Parson wrote. "...Dart lacks confidence throwing against tight man-to-man coverage, leading to a higher pressure-to-sack percentage."

New York may want to get a look at Dart at some point this season, but building his base as a pocket passer and maintaining his confidence should be more important than getting him on the field early.

Buy: Browns Rookies Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders Behind QB Vets Entering Camp

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Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns are in a unique position entering camp, which opens when rookies report on Friday. While they aren't the only team with a rookie quarterback vying for the starting job, it's probably the only team with two of them.

The Browns are set to have a fully open QB competition that involves third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders.

While Gabriel was drafted first, Sanders was viewed by many, including the Bleacher Report Scouting Department, as a first-round-caliber prospect. It would appear, however, that neither rookie has emerged as a serious threat to veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett ahead of camp.

"You have to look at the vets, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, as being ahead of the crop," ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi told NFL Live (h/t Harrison Simeon of SI.com).

There's little reason to believe Flacco and Pickett aren't the early front-runners to be the Week 1 starter. Following a three-win campaign in 2024, the Browns and head coach Kevin Stefanski need to show positive progress this season, even if that doesn't involve a return to the postseason.

Whichever quarterback gives Cleveland its best chance to win early should get the Week 1 nod.

And while the Browns will probably want to get a look at Gabriel and/or Sanders as rookies—they'll have two first-round picks in 2026 and could make a strong play for a top QB prospect—they can't possibly view either as a sure-fire franchise signal-caller.

Cleveland most likely targeted Gabriel for his long-term backup potential, while Sanders became worth a low-risk bet on Day 3. If either was viewed as a "sure thing," he would have been drafted earlier.

Now, the Browns' QB competition will be one of the most intriguing storylines of the summer, and it could ultimately end with a rookie claiming the QB1 role. Just don't expect Gabriel or Sanders to be the favorite by early preseason.