Best NFL Rookies 2025: 5 Best Rookies Entering Week 5

Let’s dive into our list of the best NFL rookies right now as we enter Week 12.

1. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers

Fellow rookie Emeka Egbuka certainly boasts the better NFL stats this season, but our pick for the No. 1 spot goes to Tetairoa McMillan. He’s served as the true No. 1 receiver in this Carolina Panthers offense, always drawing coverage from the opponent’s top defensive back. It also hasn’t helped that he’s had Bryce Young throwing him the football instead of Baker Mayfield. Still, McMillan is finding his stride as of late. He’s averaged 6 receptions and 83.8 receiving yards per game over the last four contests.

Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025, Evaluating all 32 Teams

2. Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants

We’re very excited to see Jaxson Dart operating an offense where the head coach isn’t risking the rookie quarterback’s health to try and save his job. Dart is already operating at a massive disadvantage playing in an offense without Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo. Still, Dart put up 5 total touchdowns with a 69.4 percent completion rate, 433 passing yards, and 122 rushing yards in the first two games without his top skill players. Dart will stop running the football as recklessly in the weeks to come, but there should be more opportunities for him to make strides as a passer. Also noteworthy, Dart leads all quarterbacks in Adjusted EPA per Play (0.286) since Week 6.

Related: NFL QB Rankings Entering Week 12

3. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised some people by using their first-round pick on a wide receiver, a position some though the club was deep at. Emeka Egbuka immediately demonstrated why the team loved him. In his first five games in the NFL, he put up 445 receiving yards (89 ypg) with 5 touchdowns and averaged 17.8 yards per reception. An injury derailed his Offensive Rookie of the Year hopes, limiting his effectiveness in Weeks 6-9. However, Egbuka is now averaged 5.5 receptions and 77.5 receiving yards per game over the last two weeks. He’ll enter Week 12 ranked 12th in the NFL in receiving yards (717).

Related: Week 12 Fantasy Rankings

4. Tyler Warren, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Tyler Warren always seemed like the perfect fit for Shane Steichen’s offense, and the Indianapolis Colts tight end has proven that this season. Warren entered Week 12 averaging 2.07 yards per reception, a figure that is not only elite for a tight end but puts him in the same spot as wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. While Warren hasn’t yet eclipsed the 100-yard mark to this point, he is averaging 62 receiving yards per game in the last five weeks and found the end zone in three consecutive games in October (Weeks 5-7).

5. Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns have found their next standout defender. Even with a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 8, second-round pick Carson Schwesinger still looks like one of the best NFL rookies in 2025. He boasts the sixth-most tackles for loss (eight) among off-ball linebackers. Furthermore, per ESPN, he’s made an astonishing 12 percent of the team’s tackles with just a 3 percent missed tackle rate. Schwesinger would be our unquestioned choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year entering Week 12.

Related: NFL Defense Rankings 2025

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