Top-50 Draft Picks from 2025 Class Who Should Make Huge Leap in Year 2

In an ironic twist, the NFL has developed into an instant gratification league. In reality, the majority of incoming players need time to grow and mature as professionals before they are able to realize their full potential.

Plenty of the same refrain will emanate from those finally coming off their first full offseason as a professional.

"This offseason, I just really focused on being more of a football player," said defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who the Miami Dolphins chose with last year's 12th overall pick. " Training for the combine last year is different when you're in football shape rather than combine shape. So, I just tried to be in football shape this year, focusing on my techniques and getting stronger in the weight room."

Those individuals who create an impact in Year 1 steal the spotlight. The likes of Tetairoa McMillan, Carson Schwesinger, Emeka Egbuka, Tyler Warren, Tyler Shough and Nick Emmanwori did from the 2025 class. But a little patience can go a long way, and a handful of classmates should take a significant step forward as the group enters its sophomore campaign.

QB Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/John Amis

Last year's No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward, definitely flashed throughout his rookie season and played well enough for the Tennessee Titans to be excited about his future.

Ward also understood the commitment between a franchise and player goes both ways. According to ESPN's Turron Davenport, Ward improved his nutrition and workout regimen to lose 10 pounds.

"I think it'll help me with durability," Ward said. "Just being faster, getting up in the pocket, and trying to play my speed. I watch my diet more, continue to have more cardio, just work on my body, just now here and when I'm away from the building."

The organization held up its end of the bargain by improving the squad's skill talent and offensive staff.

Wide receivers Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike remain on the roster, but they've each been pushed down two notches after the organization signed Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency and selected Carnell Tate with this year's fourth overall draft pick.

Also, tight end Daniel Bellinger was signed in free agency to give the Titans 12-personnel options alongside Gunnar Helm and/or Kylen Granson.

Finally, new head coach Robert Saleh brought in Brian Daboll as the offensive play-caller. Daboll's stint as the New York Giants' head coach may have ended poorly, but he helped develop Josh Allen previously and got the most out of Daniel Jones during their first season working together.

Surrounding cast is vital when it comes to a quarterback's development. On paper, the Titans are better is nearly every area compared to last season. As a result, Ward has an opportunity to emerge as a legitimate QB1 this fall.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Jeff Lewis

Ashton Jeanty led all rookies in rushing yardage during the 2025 campaign, yet everyone watching the Raiders should have felt bad based on how little his offensive line actually blocked for the sixth overall draft pick.

Seriously, the Raiders offense was a disaster and most of the problems originated along the team's front five. As Fantasy Points Data noted, Jeanty averaged the league's the second-fewest yards before contact and the second-most runs where he was immediately hit in the backfield.

Miraculously, the talented ball-carrier still generated 975 yards. He may be in the conversation for the league's top rusher with the Raiders' new setup.

First, Klint Kubiak takes over as the head coach/offensive play-caller. Kubiak brings in a run-heavy, player-friendly scheme that helped the Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl LX. He plans to lean heavily on Jeanty, too.

"We want to put a lot of pressure on Ashton," Kubiak told reporters. "The next guy that steps up, whoever that may be, is to be seen here in practice, OTAs, and training camp. We think we should continue to challenge Ashton and get more out of him."

The Raiders head coach added, "I think it's important to have a quality second back. But the best player has got to play and we got to get him on the field as much as we can. I don't know the play snap percentage but you look at Christian McCaffrey, his play snap percentage is high. Those great backs, they don't want to come off the field."

Second, Rick Dennison is an experienced offensive line coach, while his assistant, Ben Wilkerson, played in the league with four previous NFL stops as a coach.

Third, the Raiders signed three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency, and left tackle Kolton Miller is expected back healthy after missing the last four months of the season due a broken ankle.

Finally, the duo of Kirk Cousins and this year's No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, should provide dramatically better quarterback play to take pressure off the run game.

CB Jahdae Barron, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Jahdae Barron was the most versatile defensive back in the 2025 class, but the Denver Broncos didn't have a plan to utilize his varied skill set during the Jim Thorpe Award winner's rookie season.

"The vision was, he's going to come in and challenge," former Broncos' pass-game coordinator and current Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard told the Denver Post's Luca Evans. "But it wasn't this, like—'There is a glaring hole in our secondary that he has to fill.' We just thought he complemented the room great, and we were going to be able to create ways where he can impact games as he's growing into what his eventual every-down-player role is going to be in that system, and the NFL."

A greater emphasis on getting Barron onto the field will occur this fall.

Last year, Barron played more than 25 snaps in only three games. The Broncos had the luxury of not rushing the 20th overall pick onto the field, because Denver featured an elite defense and excellent secondary depth.

"I think Jahdae, he played nickel, he played dime and he played a little corner," general manager George Paton told reporters. "You can see all the traits. He was good for us, but probably not so good for him. He was drafted into maybe the deepest cornerback room in the league and he made his mark. He's just going to keep growing and keep getting better."

Barron didn't help matters, because he was the type of rookie who suffered from paralysis by analysis. He was never able to get comfortable in one spot and just react. Instead, he was always thinking too much.

This season, the setup isn't vastly different. However, Barron can challenge to start either in the slot or possibly even push Riley Moss out of the lineup to become Patrick Surtain II's bookend.

"There is learning in the NFL, but nothing's going to be new this year that he (doesn't) already know," Leonhard said. "But he did prove last year, he can be an every-down player on the outside, just as much as he can play on the inside and be a nickel and dime."

RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Like Ashton Jeanty before him, the Los Angeles Chargers' Omarion Hampton should be thrilled simply by improvements along his team's offense—which should a significant boost in production.

The Chargers fielded the league's worst front five last season. Injuries played a huge role , specifically at offensive tackle. With Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt returning from season-ending injuries, the Chargers aren't just improving upon last year's setup; they're getting Pro Bowl-to-All-Pro-caliber players back into the lineup.

From there, the Chargers' signed veteran center Tyler Biadasz in free agency and drafted Florida's Jake Slaughter in this year's second round, with the expectation of moving him to one of the guard spots. Trevor Penning and Cole Strange will compete to start as well.

As for Hampton, a healthy season will go a long way as well. Last year's 22nd overall draft pick suffered an ankle injury that forced a injured reserve stint costing him eight games.

Mike McDaniel's hire as offensive coordinator must be factored into the equation, because it could turn out to be the biggest differentiator.

McDaniel's approach will be interesting as he melds the Shanahan run-game principles with Jim Harbaugh's preferred physical approach. The San Francisco 49ers have been very successful in making this shift in recent years. McDaniel has helped devise one for the game's friendliest run games throughout his coaching career. Last season, De'Von Achane finished among the top five in rushing yardage with McDaniel calling the plays. In fact, the coach deserved credit for shifting from his previous high-flying, vertical passing attack midseason and becoming a ground-and-pound offense that turned the Miami Dolphins into a competitive team over the last two months of the 2025 campaign.

With Justin Herbert also performing at an MVP-level, Hampton should be in line for a monster season to help elevate the Chargers into legitimate contention.

WR Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo

AP Photo/Erin Hooley

The Green Bay Packers offense lacks a WR1. Matthew Golden was drafted in last year's first round to fill this void.

Golden struggled as a rookie, and he wasn't entirely happy with his usage.

"It's possible that Golden might have expressed his frustrations behind closed doors," ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported. "One source said whether he shared it with coaches or not, Golden did let his frustration be known to several people close to him."

Granted, the Packers' roster still features Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, both of whom lost multiple games due to injury last year. They're more than capable targets when healthy. But neither has developed into that top option an NFL scheme needs to dictate how defenses play the passing game and which way coverage rolls. Golden can.

"He's always been able to catch the ball and run through the football, and that's what great receivers do," passing game coordinator Jason Vrable told reporters. "His hand-eye coordination, I'd say, is one of the better ones I've been around. So, he can do that, but now the mental part, he's starting to become a lot more confident. And I can feel it, you know? But I've always said, 'If you don't know the playbook, guys, inside and out, and every adjustment and every route conversion and when the quarterback's going to throw it,' I think it's hard to play fast all the time, because there's always a little bit of doubt. And just doing the reps over and over again and competing the way he does, we're all fired up about him."

Golden needed time to develop at the collegiate level, too. He was a solid option with the Houston Cougars before transferring to the Texas Longhorns and emerging as a first-round threat. Another learning curve before breaking out at the professional level tracks.

WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Lachlan Cunningham

The Chicago Bears were believed to be in the wide receiver market after trading DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, but the the team never drafted a direct replacement from the 2026 class. Instead, second-year target Luther Burden III will shift into Moore's old role.

Yes, Chicago chose Zavion Thomas in this year's third round. However, he's nothing more than a speedster to stretch the field, at least early in his career.

Whereas, Burden was once viewed as a top-10 talent who didn't perform up to expectations during his final season on campus. His skill set didn't dissipate, though. Burden contributed 652 yards as a rookie despite being the Bears' fourth option.

"[Luther] is exactly what we thought we were getting out of the draft last year," head coach Ben Johnson told reporters. "He is a dynamic playmaker. He's got some of the best run after catch in the game right now. I really believe that. We need to continue to get the ball in his hands as often as we possibly can."

Last season, Moore played the most snaps from the slot among Chicago's receivers. Burden is arguably at his best working from an inside alignment, but he's also capable of staying out wide when Johnson's offense inevitably leans on 12 personnel packages.

The Bears could confidently move Moore (and his contract) knowing that Burden can step in and be as effective.

"Burden averaged 2.92 yards per route run during the regular season," ESPN's Benjamin Solak noted. "That's tied with A.J. Brown for the best mark for a rookie receiver (minimum 50 targets) in the past 15 years."

Chicago's offense, specifically quarterback Caleb Williams, should keep rolling along with Burden serving as a bigger part of the unit.

Edge Jaylahn Tuimoloau, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

The Indianapolis Colts were all in to sign Trey Hendrickson this offseason and pair him with former first-round pick Laiatu Latu as the team's defensive bookends. A deal never occurred, because Hendrickson saw an opportunity to sign with the Baltimore Ravens and chose that particular avenue.

As the Colts pivoted, they brought in Arden Key and Micheal Clemons to beef up their pass-rush. Though those two are not the same caliber of players when compared to Hendrickson. They're probably not even starters for Indianapolis this fall.

Instead, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo can turn to Jaylahn Tuimoloau, whom the Colts drafted in last year's second round.

Tuimoloau played sparingly as a rookie and didn't start a game, which turned out to be a massive change of pace after entering the Ohio State Buckeyes program as a 5-star recruit, playing in each of his 55 collegiate games, including 42 consecutive starts, and being named first-team All-Big Ten on three different occasions.

The Colts weren't exactly laden with pass-rushing talent. If anything, Indianapolis desperately needed more juice off the edge as the team suffered through a historic second-half collapse.

For Tuimoloau, Hendrickson's decision and a lack of significant moves at his position should signal a huge opportunity to start as the Colts' base end.

"My goal was to just be as lean as possible and become more twitchy and a lot faster," Tuimoloau told reporters of his offseason plan. "I think this is my first offseason having to not worry about no combine or pro day. So I actually got the time to sit back and really process what I wanted to get done and it was just leaning out to want to become bigger, stronger, faster in every area possible."

He added, "I feel it. From bending to my get-offs and to feeling more explosive. So, I'm excited."