2025 NFL draft rookie grades: How did each first-rounder fare this season?

NFL rookies deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to assessing their first impressions.

Adapting to the rigors and complexity of pro football is no easy feat, and any turbulence in navigating that process is not necessarily indicative of persistent trouble. Still, with the 2025 regular season almost complete, it's time to look back on how last April's top picks all fared.

This was a class short on star power, and that dynamic was largely reinforced throughout the season. While several players emerged right away as key contributors, only one rookie was selected to the Pro Bowl: the Tennessee Titans' Chimere Dike, who made it as a returner. But while there might not have been a transcendent talent on the level of someone like Jayden Daniels or Brock Bowers last year, the Day 1 crop largely impressed with early returns.

Here are the grades for every first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft after 17 weeks:

1. Cam Ward, QB, Tennessee Titans: B

A glimpse at the raw facts – a fired coach, tying for the league-high with 55 sacks taken and a passing offense that ranks 30th in yards per game – might lead one to conclude Ward's debut campaign was an abject failure. But the top pick showed remarkable resiliency in the face of extremely difficult circumstances. Despite lacking any consistent help up front or from Tennessee's skill-position crew, Ward has made magic happen with daring downfield throws and a knack for making something out of nothing by extending plays. Saints edge rusher Chase Young even re-upped the persistent Patrick Mahomes comparisons after last week. Of course, Ward has a good deal of work to do to put himself on a comparable trajectory to the three-time Super Bowl MVP, and the Titans' subpar setup has exacerbated issues with his erratic ball placement and proclivity for going into hero mode rather than operating within structure. But Ward's peak performance has been more than enough for the next coaching staff to be encouraged about what it will inherit.

2. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Incomplete

With his season cut short by a noncontact knee injury that landed him on injured reserve on Halloween, Hunter and his iron man act ended up as more of a curiosity this fall rather than the full-scale spectacle many envisioned. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner deserves a reprieve given his singular undertaking, but Jacksonville's plan to juggle his workload at wide receiver and cornerback – with the bulk of snaps coming at the former spot – left much to be desired. With a full recovery, Hunter could still take his place as a playmaker without peer in this class. But after Jakobi Meyers' extension following his midseason arrival via trade and Parker Washington's emergence, there's even more reason for the Jaguars to push him toward more action on defense.

3. Abdul Carter, OLB, New York Giants: B

Sacks didn't come in droves for Carter, who didn't net his first full one until December and has just four on the season. But he has 3 ½ in his last four contests, and his 66 pressures – which ranks eighth among all players – better illustrate his effectiveness as a pass rusher. Still, Carter's campaign has been clouded by interim coach Mike Kafka benching him twice for the start of games as a disciplinary measure. He'll have to figure out how to better parlay his initial disruptiveness into a better finishing touch, but a breakout could be ahead in Year 2 if he aligns himself well with a new coaching staff.

4. Will Campbell, OT, New England Patriots: B

Drake Maye's ascension to potential NFL MVP entailed a variety of factors, with many of them a credit to the quarterback himself. But Campbell's performance has unquestionably given the second-year signal-caller a boost. His stellar protection has helped Maye take his place as arguably the league's premier deep passer. The left tackle missed the last four games with a knee injury, but he's set to return for the franchise's postseason appearance since 2021.

5. Mason Graham, DT, Cleveland Browns: B-

It's rare for a top-five selection to be perhaps the most overlooked part of a rookie draft class. Yet that might be the case with Graham, who has been outshone by Defensive Rookie of the Year front-runner Carson Schwesinger and tight end Harold Fannin Jr., among others. Graham had a rough early go but still has shown some promise as an interior disruptor in the passing game. Cleveland surely would have liked more substantial returns right away, particularly as Myles Garrett continues to command a good deal of attention as he pursues he single-season sack record. But there's no reason for concern.

6. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: C

Grading Jeanty is a difficult proposition for the same reason that taking him this high carried significant risk: How can you assess a position that can only do so much to transcend its surroundings? The Heisman Trophy runner-up finisher's arrival did little to repair an attack that remains the league's least effective by almost any metric, as he boasts the lowest rushing success rate (32.5%) of all qualified players. But that's largely a reflection of the Raiders' inability to give Jeanty any room to run, with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly fired in late November as the attack continued to spin out. With 188 yards from scrimmage in Week 16, the talented all-purpose threat has still managed to serve up sporadic reminders of his immense promise. But it's probably time for Las Vegas to merely leave this inauspicious debut behind, as the team looks poised to reconfigure both its offensive personnel and play-calling this offseason.

7. Armand Membou, OT, New York Jets: B

Known for being stout and reliable at Missouri, Membou made good on his reputation at the NFL level almost immediately. He quickly adapted to taking on pro pass rushers, and he remained a punishing presence in the ground game, earning the sixth-best run block win rate (80%) among all offensive tackles, according to ESPN. The line is perhaps the lone source of stability for Gang Green amid a personnel teardown, and Membou looks to be one of the lone few building blocks for the team moving forward.

8. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers: A-

All that pre-draft scrutiny surrounding McMillan was rendered moot rather quickly, as the towering wideout carried a still suspect passing attack that was woefully short on legitimate threats on the perimeter. The 6-5, 212-pound target answered many of the questions about his route-running with a much more polished approach than he showed at Arizona, making him an even more formidable downfield weapon than his frame and catch radius would suggest. But even while accounting for more than 30% of the team's receiving yards, McMillan has perhaps hit the ceiling of what he can do to overcome the offense's limitations through the air. In a class lacking any truly elite first-year players, however, he'd be a worthy Offensive Rookie of the Year selection.

9. Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, New Orleans Saints: B

The Texas product was one of the most surprising picks in the top 10, with some wondering whether he would be ticketed for a move to guard given his frame. But Banks has come on strong late in the season, helping the offense blossom after Tyler Shough took over as the starting quarterback at midseason. With Banks and Taliese Fuaga as bookend tackles, New Orleans has a stellar foundation up front for first-year coach Kellen Moore's offense.

10. Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears: B+

Plenty of parts of Ben Johnson's offense didn't coalesce until later in the season. Loveland, however, is just one of many promising young players on the unit to take off down the stretch. A major seam threat and red-zone weapon, he could become a focal point of the attack next season after battling to prove himself in the early going.

11. Mykel Williams, DE, San Francisco 49ers: Incomplete

Williams started nine games before suffering a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament. A work in progress as a pass rusher upon his selection, the former Georgia defensive end only recorded one sack and didn't get an extensive opportunity to hone his craft. Williams, however, looked to be an emerging force against the run and generated pressure, particularly when working inside in obvious passing downs. He and Nick Bosa will both try to work their way back in 2026 to give San Francisco the formidable edge pairing that team leadership envisioned last spring.

12. Tyler Booker, G, Dallas Cowboys: B

There might not have been a more scrutinized pick in the first round, as Jerry Jones once again cut against the grain by taking the powerful yet athletically limited offensive guard at No. 12. Booker, however, largely looked at home in his initial foray against pros. The 6-4, 321-pounder was a driving force in the Cowboys' rushing attack turnaround, and he held his own as a pass protector. While it's still fair to question Dallas' deployment of resources, Booker should be a staple of the front for some time.

13. Kenneth Grant, DT, Miami Dolphins: C

Grant started to put things together in Miami's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, generating four pressures and making his presence felt up front. Still, on the whole, the season has been a bit of a slog for the mountainous former Michigan lineman. Maybe that was to be expected for a player who was going to have to work on his conditioning and learn to become a more reliable contributor on a down-to-down basis. But Miami will be counting on him to set the tone against the run in a way he didn't for most of his rookie year.

14. Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts: A-

At one point this season, it looked as though Warren was a serious threat to become the first tight end to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, as he racked up 617 yards in Indianapolis' sizzling 8-2 start. Then the offense unraveled, Daniel Jones got hurt, and Warren never reached 50 receiving yards in any of the Colts' last six games. Still, he raises the floor of the passing attack several levels as a versatile threat who can break tackles and own the short-to-intermediate area.

15. Jalon Walker, OLB, Atlanta Falcons: B+

Moving Walker to the edge full-time paid off in a big way for both the rookie and the Falcons, who benefited greatly from his well-rounded work. His pass-rush production has waned a bit as teammate James Pearce Jr.'s has taken off, but he's still one of the most complete and impressive rookies in the entire class.