NFL rookie rankings at quarter mark of 2025 season: Abdul Carter, Emeka Egbuka, Tyler Warren top list

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Welcome to the first edition of the 2025 rookie rankings! Before we get started, allow me to answer a few questions that could be on your mind.

How is the pecking order decided?

By the amazing power of the human brain — specifically, mine! I watch a lot of football, read a lot of football, research a lot of football, and then spit out takes. It’s a sacred process.

Are the rankings fueled by this season’s play and this season’s play alone?

That’s the goal by year’s end, yes. But in this first installment, with such a small sample size to work with, I’d be lying if I told you my preconceived notions didn’t factor in at all .

To be clear, you do have to earn your keep on the NFL gridiron in order to claim real estate in this neighborhood. I loved Cam Ward, Malaki Starks and Will Johnson as prospects, but at this point, you won’t find any of them below. I don’t think Ward will be offended, given his blunt assessment of Tennessee’s performance. Meanwhile, I’m not blaming Starks for Baltimore’s staggering defensive downturn, but I’m also not completely letting him off the hook. And Johnson looked great in the first couple weeks, but then he ran right back into the injury bug, the pest that plagued his Michigan career and sunk his draft stock.

Can we please just get to the damn list?

Indeed! Without further ado …

DRAFTED: Round 1, No. 3 overall

With established veterans Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the edges, Carter has been more of a moveable chess piece on DC Shane Bowen’s board, splitting duties as a pass rusher and traditional off-ball linebacker. But as we saw in this past Sunday’s upset of the Chargers, this dude has juice off the edge that can’t be taught. Just ask Justin Herbert, who took a whopping five QB hits from Carter, with Pro Football Focus crediting the rookie with eight pressures on the day. Yes, the disruptive display came against a severely compromised Bolts O-line, but that doesn’t entirely diminish the effort. Good edge rushers abuse backup tackles. That’s what Carter did. And four games into the season, I have the same feeling I’ve had since April: The Giants got the No. 1 player in the draft at No. 3 overall.

DRAFTED: Round 1, No. 19 overall

Generally viewed as a safe, well-rounded slot receiver in the pre-draft process, Egbuka’s been so much more for an injury-depleted Tampa Bay offense that immediately needed his contributions. Seemingly a luxury pick back in April, the Ohio State product has effectively served as the Buccaneers’ WR1 with Mike Evans , Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan all missing time. He leads Tampa receivers in targets (31), catches (18), yards (282), first downs (11) and receiving touchdowns (four), while logging nearly double the amount of snaps out wide as in the slot. Egbuka has authored highlight-reel plays on a weekly basis; in the Jets game alone, he made an effortless one-handed catch and showed off fancy footwork along the sideline multiple times.

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