Nfl Rookie Report Card Grading Every 1st Rounder S Debut Season

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 2:03 PM

nfl rookie report card grading every 1st rounder s debut season

Rookies don't get a second chance to make a first impression in the NFL. Here, we evaluate how every 2024 first-round pick fared in their first season in the league. Stats: 62% completion, 3,451 yards, 20 TDs, 6 INTsBest game: vs. Jaguars (Week 6)Worst game: at Texans (Week 2) Williams' 2024 wasn't great. He was sacked 68 times - the worst mark in football - and showed a tendency to hold onto the ball too long.

It wasn't entirely his fault. The Bears' O-line had a lot of issues, and their bad coaching situation resulted in Matt Eberflus getting fired in November. But Williams ultimately didn't come close to living up to the hype, even if he did display his ability to make off-script plays. Stats: 69% completion, 3,568 yards, 25 TDs, 9 INTs; 6 TD runsBest game: at Bengals (Week 3)Worst game: vs. Steelers (Week 10) Daniels went 21-for-23 passing against Cincy on his first Monday Night Football to set a rookie single-game record for completion percentage (91.3).

He also accounted for three touchdowns with no turnovers that night. You may also remember his Hail Mary TD pass to beat the Bears. Or his five-TD comeback win over the Eagles. Or his touchdown in overtime to walk off the Falcons and send Washington to the playoffs. The Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite had no shortage of remarkable moments and helped the Commanders return to the postseason after they won four games in 2023. The first term is pretty much complete, and it's time to issue report cards to the NFL's 32 first-round freshmen as we say goodbye to September.

Obviously, a lot can and will change here, but first impressions are important. Here's a grade for each first-rounder at the four-week mark. .css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}1. Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward: C Support has been an issue, as Ward has taken a league-high 17 sacks while dropped passes have also been a factor. And to his credit, he's limited his mistakes.

All of that said, his pocket awareness is a problem and his .css-wrcrjw{margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}.css-lu48cp{margin:0;font:inherit;color:var(--br--palette-primary-main);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback... Across the NFL, rookies are being asked to step into starring roles faster than ever — and how well they’ve responded often mirrors their teams’ fortunes. With seven weeks of the season in the books, Yardbarker NFL writers graded every NFL team’s rookie class based on production, efficiency and long-term promise. Here's how the league's draft classes stack up so far: DALLAS COWBOYS (3-3-1) | Rookie class grade: D | Rookie right guard Tyler Booker is a good contributor on a potent offense. He's playing at an average level for his first year (Pro Football Focus grade of 60.3 percent, the 48th best of 114 guards).

Booker’s fellow rookies on defense have been relegated to depth pieces for one of the NFL's worst units. Second-round defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku has one sack. NEW YORK GIANTS (2-5) | Rookie class grade: A- | With each passing week, it looks like the Giants have found their franchise QB in Jaxson Dart, and RB Cam Skattebo and outside linebacker... While Dart is still rough around the edges, through four starts, he has 10 touchdowns overall and provided a desperately needed spark. Third-round defensive tackle Darius Alexander looks a long way from being an asset (no sacks and only one tackle). The top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had a tough rookie season.

The Bears shook up the coaching staff multiple times throughout the season, which hindered his progress. In addition, his offensive line allowed the most sacks in football. Despite this, Williams held a 20:6 TD:INT ratio while averaging 208.8 passing yards per game. It was a disappointing season, but better days should be ahead, given the circumstances. Jayden Daniels led the Commanders to 11 victories in the season and even brought them their first playoff victory in over 19 seasons. Through 15 full regular season games, Daniels averaged just under 300 total yards per game with 31 total scores.

Daniels is not only the face of the franchise but could become the future face of the league. He is the top pick to capture Offensive Rookie of the Year and will likely be in the MVP race for the next decade. The UNC product spent the first five weeks on the bench but performed well when he took over starting duties. Over his 11 games, Maye scored 17 total touchdowns and averaged 204.9 passing yards and 37.2 rushing yards per game. He also threw ten interceptions. While his production in the box score was not overly impressive, he played behind a poor offensive line and lacked a true WR1.

Despite this, he flashed high upside and will look to enjoy a strong sophomore campaign. Marvin Harrison Jr. struggled to find consistent targets but performed very well when given looks. During the first ten games of the season, Harrison only saw six or more targets in six of these games. In these contests, Harrison caught five touchdowns. However, during the stretch run, Harrison saw his role grow as he saw eight targets per game.

Despite this, he only eclipsed 100 yards on two occasions and was often outshined by other rookie wideouts. Many teams expected the Chargers to target a top pass catcher at this spot but instead bolstered their offensive line with Joe Alt from Notre Dame. This was the correct pick, as the Chargers got a budding star lineman and selected Ladd McConkey from Georgia later in the draft. Through over 600 pass-blocking snaps, Alt allowed just 20 pressures operating as the starting right tackle. Many of the NFL’s first-round rookies are contributing to playoff contenders as we head into the latter stretch of the 2025 season. As always, we’ll continue to track their performance, PFF grades and principal opponents as we barrel toward the end of the regular season.

Hunter was inactive this week due to a knee injury. November 6, 2025, 9:49am EST 479 • By Alex Hoegler The 2025 NFL first round was packed with quarterback drama, surprise risers, and blue-chip defenders expected to become instant cornerstones. Now that we’re halfway through the season, the early returns are finally clear. Some rookies have exceeded expectations and become immediate impact players, while others are still struggling to adjust to the league’s speed and physicality. From breakout stars reshaping their franchises to first-round gambles that haven’t paid off yet, we break down how every 2025 first-round pick has performed so far — and what their trajectory looks like heading...

It’s unfair to fully blame Ward for the Tennessee Titans’ struggles. But like, Caleb Williams and Robert Griffin III had excellent rookie years on horrible teams with textbook coaching malpractice. Ward is barely completing over half his pass attempts, is in danger of finishing with more interceptions than passing touchdowns, and, oh yeah, has his Titans in a spot to potentially pick first overall... The first four weeks of the NFL season are in the books, and here's how every 2025 first-round pick fared in their debut month in the league. Stats: 51.2% completion, 614 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs Ward ranks 32nd in passer rating and 32nd in EPA/play, and he's been sacked an NFL-worst 17 times.

Tennessee's supporting cast doesn't do him any favors, but aside from his wild first NFL touchdown pass, the No. 1 pick hasn't shown much. Stats: 13 catches, 118 yards; 11 tackles, 1 pass breakup Hunter hasn't had a "welcome to the NFL" moment, and it feels like Jacksonville doesn't have a strong plan to maximize the two-way star's talents on either side of the ball. He's played 159 snaps on offense and 101 on defense. Although he made a tough third-down grab in Week 4, Hunter's season still lacks the highlight-reel plays that made him a Heisman Trophy winner.

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick announced Friday that he won't pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies after rumors linked him to the New York Giants' opening. "I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families," Belichick said in a statement obtained by ESPN's Adam Schefter. "The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach (Bill) Parcells' staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies. Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs left Sunday's 27-20 win over the New York Giants after suffering a knee injury.

Jacobs' knee bothered him in the first quarter, but he managed to return to the game after a brief absence. However, the star tailback walked to the locker early in the second quarter and was ruled out early in the third. DENVER (AP) — Wil Lutz lined up for a 35-yard field goal to beat the Chiefs on Sunday and couldn't help but think back to last year at Kansas City, when his kick was... “I was kind of like, shoot, here... Florida… you’ve done it again. You’ve managed to make the news in a way that’s equal parts horrifying, confusing, and—let’s be honest—impressively stupid.

This time, an Orlando man was arrested after a young child was found running naked toward Interstate 4. Because apparently, in Florida, even toddlers are trying to escape traffic on I-4. A tiny 10-week-old puppy is searching for his second chance at happiness after overcoming an uncertain start to life. Great Dog Rescue New England (GDRNE), a dedicated foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts, would like you to meet Crimson Cider, a young puppy who recently came into their care alongside several siblings. Although the specific details were not given, the Cider litter was surrendered to the rescue in Tennessee. Now they are living with loving foster families while they await what comes next.

Halfway through a rookie season is not a large enough sample size to make determinations on how a career will play out, but it is worthwhile to take inventory on immediate contributions provided by... Who has been the best rookie performer for each team? Most disappointing? CBS Sports also recently graded each first-round pick, but that player is not always "best." To build a case, injuries and positional depth are taken into consideration. For example, it is not fair to evaluate a rookie at a team's position of strength on the same scale as a rookie who had a clear path to playing time. Best: OG Dylan Fairchild, Georgia (Round 3, No.

Nfl Rookie Report Card Grading Every 1st Rounder S Debut Season

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