Rookie Pass-Catchers Who Will Have Biggest Impact in the 2025 NFL Season

A week of training camp for the 2025 NFL season is done. For most teams, things are beginning to ramp up adding padded practices where we separate the boys from the men. 

Rookies are getting their real taste of what the NFL feels like. Amid everything, they are finding their footing and putting together impressive performances. 

Here are five rookie pass-catchers who will have the biggest impact for their respective offenses this season. 

Pat Bryant, WR, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Pat Bryant is making waves at the Denver Broncos training camp.

The third-round pick joins a diverse and talented group of wide receivers. His Day 2 price tag helped paint a clear picture of the Broncos coaching staff's belief in his abilities. He brings outstanding ball skills, hands and body control at the catch point.

He joins one of the league's greatest offensive minds of all time, Sean Payton. The Denver head coach has not been shy about bucking the athletic narratives and choosing weapons who do not check a lot of the boxes.

Adding Bryant to the offense with Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele provides Bo Nix a trio of big-bodied pass catchers to extend the accuracy window.

The other receivers are smaller but far more explosive than the trio above. Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin will have roles suited to their explosive skill sets.

Bryant's skill set meshes well with the Broncos' varying receiver archetypes. He can play both in the slot and out wide. This will help his case for more snap-share and targets behind Sutton.

Where he'll benefit the offense most is the short and intermediate parts of the field. Bryant excels running deep dig routes in the middle of the field. His positive play during training camp can ensure him a spot in the rotation and potentially work his way into the starting lineup.

Bryant is this team's younger version of Tim Patrick. He expects to have a sizeable role carved out as long as his performance is consistent and does not taper off deeper into camp and the preseason.

Look to hear Bryant's name called as a reliable playmaker for Payton and Nix this season.

Jalen Royals, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

The selection of wide receiver Jalen Royals was an enticing one for the Kansas City Chiefs.

They have good starting talent between Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice. Though Rice is facing an NFL suspension for his involvement in a multi-car accident in Dallas.

Royals is suited to step into Rice's role in the Chiefs offense as the power slot. He possesses a similar build and frame.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, the fourth-rounder measured in at 6'0", 205 pounds, the same as Rice. And both ran a 1.49 10-yard split.

Ever since Royals arrived at rookie minicamp, he has been impressive. So far, he has moved up the depth chart and is running with the first team. Reports have been positive because of his growing connection and timing with Patrick Mahomes.

Worthy spoke well of the Utah State product, and head coach Andy Reid doubled down on similar positive sentiments regarding his mental acumen.

All signs point to the Royals having a consistently strong role with the Chiefs' offense in the regular season. He must hold firm and keep his play above board.

Tre Harris, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Eric Thayer

The Los Angeles Chargers struck gold by drafting Ladd McConkey in the second round of the draft last year. His rookie season was outstanding. He came in and immediately outproduced former first-round receiver Quentin Johnston.

Now, insert Tre Harris into the mix, giving Justin Herbert another big and athletic playmaker to attack defenses with. In a perfect world, all three young receivers can co-exist together in the Chargers offense.

Harris can step right into the outside receiver position left by the departing Josh Palmer in free agency.

Johnston is having a strong camp, tracking and catching the football. Harris' ability to play inside and out creates matchup problems for the defense, and he can create separation quickly with good movement skills and hip fluidity as shown during training camp. Timing and rhythm will be pivotal regards to getting in sync with Herbert.

We all expected opposing defenses to bracket and slow down McConkey from the slot, creating a pick-your-poison situation with Johnston and Harris seeing more favorable matchups.

Harris' ball skills and body control in traffic is what is most enticing because Herbert has one of the best arms in the league. Giving him a big body receiver who can make those difficult grabs and maybe bail him out of a bad throw or two as he did for Jaxson Dart with this throw.

Harris can stretch the field vertically and horizontally as a three-level receiver.

Whether he is creating separation at the top of his routes or making plays after the catch, he will make an impact on this Chargers offense in 2025.

Elijah Arroyo, TE, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Elijah Arroyo's chances of being an impact rookie went up on July 20, when the Seattle Seahawks released veteran tight end Noah Fant.

This leaves former Michigan A.J. Barner and Arroyo as the team's top two young tight ends.

Arroyo is a smooth route-runner with the ball skills to be a red-zone weapon for Sam Darnold and the Seahawks offense. He started his NFL spring workouts a little slow, dropping passes. But the second-round pick has been catching everything thrown his way since, per reports.

New Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has been moving him around the offensive formation.

Arroyo is an uber-versatile playmaker who moves like an extended wide receiver. With Fant's departure, he has a realistic opportunity to climb into the starting lineup.

With Jaxson-Smith Njigba as the offense's new WR1 and Cooper Kupp as WR2, Arroyo would have favorable matchups when on the field. As JSN and Kupp will receive the majority of a defense's attention, Arroyo can exploit and quickly separate for his quarterback.

Tight ends are usually the QB's safety blanket when chaos strikes in the backfield. If things hold firm and Kubiak continues to place Arroyo across the formation, he should become a priority for Darnold whenever his receivers are facing more resistance than expected post-snap.

Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

There is no rookie pass catcher with more on their shoulders than Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren.

The Colts' receiving core is good but not great. They do not have a true No. 1 wide receiver or an easy button for quarterbacks to target as a reliable safety blanket.

Slot receiver Josh Downs is the closest thing to that in the receiver room, but he's battled injuries since entering the league.

The Colts are hopeful third-year quarterback, Anthony Richardson takes a stronghold over the starting job and does not relinquish it. Adding a talent like Warren will help elevate his game and trust in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

Warren is a big, athletic and physical pass-catcher. He should be no worse than the second option built into the quarterback's progression. Richardson led the league in deep passing percentage last season, per NFL Pro.

The addition of Warren will allow Richardson to prioritize the quick game and underneath options.

Warren's impact will be felt in the run game as a solid, developing in-line blocker. Whether he has the football or not, once he is involved early in the game plan, the defense will react accordingly.

Warren has the potential to be one of the most impactful rookies from the 2025 draft if all things align.