Football is a young man’s game… There is no doubt about it.
And this is becoming more and more apparent in the modern game, which has seen a massive uptick in young, talented players, who are making a MASSIVE impact all across the league.
Let’s take a look around the NFL and rank the top 25 players under 25…
Okay—let’s get into it.
25. AJ Terrell
AJ Terrell had a bit of a sophomore slump in 2022 after a tremendous rookie season, but considering how pitiful the Falcons’ front seven was—a drop-off was all but inevitable.
It is tough to say what Atlanta’s defense as a whole will look like in 2023, but AJ’s skills are undeniable and we expect a bounce-back year from him.
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24. Penei Sewell
Penei Sewell may not look like he’s just 22 years old, but that’s only because his gargantuan frame and freakish athleticism hide his youth.
At 6’ 5” and over 330 pound, with truly elite athleticism, Sewell has all the makings of being one of the top offensive tackles in the league for years to come.
Detroit has to be thanking its lucky stars it was able to land the Oregon product with the 7th overall pick in the ’21 Draft.
23. Drake London
Though London’s production during his rookie years wasn’t overly eye-popping—his 72 receptions, four touchdowns, and 866 yards are still impressively, especially when you consider the run-heavy offense that the Falcons were running last year, as well as the instability at the quarterback position.
22. Rashawn Slater
Thus far in Slater’s young career, injuries have really been the only thing capable of slowing him down. The Chargers offensive tackle has been a stalwart—and a pivotal figure in protecting their franchise quarterback, Justin Herbert.
21. Chris Olave
After being taken 11th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, you might think that expectations would be high for Chris Olave, but considering the massive transitional period he was walking into in New Orleans—I think a lot of the hype was tempered.
After all, it was Andy Dalton throwing him the bulk of the balls…
The young Ohio State alum, to his credit, found a way to deliver in spite of the adversity. He went for four touchdowns and over 1000 receiving yards in just 15 games.
20. Justin Fields
Everyone and their mother is expecting a big year out of Justin Fields in 2023.
And after the electric second half of his sophomore season, who could blame the public for getting excited.
Fields has steadily progressed as a passer—and his athleticism his truly next level.
19. Trevon Diggs
Simply put, no one is luke warm on Trevon Diggs… People either think he’s a top notch, playmaking corner—or a risk-crazed bum, who is only interested in trying to snag interceptions.
Granted, there is reason to be concerned about the high yardage totals he has allowed in coverage, but you don’t get 11 interceptions in one year by mistake. And we have to give him his props. He is one of the top young defensive players in the game, period.
18. Tariq Woolen
Sauce Gardner may have stolen most of the rookie corner attention in 2022, but out oin the Pacific Northwest, Seahawks rookie, Tariq Woolen was balling as well.
The 24-year old snagged six picks and was excellent in coverage all year long for a surprisingly fun—and relevant Seattle team.
17. Amon-Ra St. Brown
Just two years into his young career, St. Brown has quickly emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the game—and a critical figure in the rebuild going on in Detroit.
Through two years he’s averaged over 1000 receiving yards and nearly 100 receptions per—and has proven to be one of the most explosive receivers in space.
16. Tee Higgins
Tee Higgins has been nothing but consistent since entering the NFL out of Clemson in the 2020 Draft.
The Bengals did well to snag him at the top of the second round because he production has easily been first-round material. He’s averaged over 1000 yards and six touchdowns across his first three seasons—and always seems to be open when Joe Burrow most needs him too.
He may not get as much credit as his fellow stud receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, but the two make one heck of a duo together.
15. Devonta Smith
Though he gets slightly overshadowed by his running mate AJ Brown—Eagles’ speedy, young wide receiver Devonta Smith has also cemented himself as one of the best receivers out there in the NFL.
He came just short of 1000 yards in year 1—when Jalen Hurts was still going through a lot of growing pains, then exploded for just under 1200—and seven touchdowns with a more stable offense in 2022.
Smith also may have the best ball skills in the league today. The man is silky smooth at hauling in the football.
14. Christian Darrisaw
Christian Darrisaw had a disappointing rookie season, which was largely marred by injuries—that ended up costing him four games…
But he did bounce back in a big way, playing 15 of 17 games in 2022 and earning an “elite” PFF grade of 90.4.
The Vikings’ offensive tackle’s sophomore season was impressive to say the least—and his skillset should position him well to have continued success in the league.
13. Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson was one of the most explosive wide receivers in the league last year—and led all rookies with 26 plays of 20 or more yards, in route to recording over 1100 yards… Which, when adjusted to the curve of catching passes from Zach Wilson—reaches astronomically high levels.
All jokes aside, year 2 could be special for the Ohio State product—as future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers is now a Jet and the two could do some serious damage together, now that there’s a passer capable of really capitalizing on Wilson’s elite quickness and ball skills.
12. Jonathan Taylor
Last year wasn’t the best for Jonathan Taylor, but much of his downturn in production can be chalked up to the organizational chaos in Indy… Their o-line was terrible, they really didn’t have a quarterback, and Taylor himself was battling injuries.
And he still managed to notch 861 rushing yards in just 11 games.
Between his dynamic ability to run with the ball and the versatility he brings catching the ball and blocking in the pass game, the former Wisconsin Badger was an easy pick for the top 25 under 25.
11. Trevor Lawrence
After an extremely troublesome rookie season—that we’ve since learned was the result of, oh, I don’t know… 10 percent the standard rookie learning curve and 90 percent the gross incompetence of his head coach, Urban Meyer… Trevor Lawrence now seems to be back on track.
Of course, he still has a lot of work to do to be come the generational talent he was believed to be coming out of Clemson, but the way the Jags rallied to make the playoffs last year was impressive. Not to mention the insane comeback they had in the Wild Card round against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Trevor deserves a lot of credit for the role he played in turning things around in Duvall.
This could be a big… BIG year for Lawrence and the rest of the crew down in Jacksonville.
10. Creed Humphrey
It is easy to get lost in the shuffle on a team like the Chiefs, which has oh so many talented players on its roster… But Creed Humphrey is near as important as anyone… Well anyone not named Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, or Chris Jones…
The man has allowed just one sack two years into his career across over 1400 passing snaps, which is preposterous.
Chiefs fans have to be hoping that they are able to keep the young stud healthy and on their roster for the long haul.
9. Andrew Thomas
Although he didn’t get a ton of credit in the media—Andrew Thomas’ emergence in year 2 was a HUGE reason for the leap that his quarterback, Daniel Jones, made during his first season under Brian Daboll.
Thomas took his pass-blocking to a whole new level in year 2, allowing just seven sacks or hits on the quarterback out of 700 passing snaps.
8. Ceedee Lamb
It is hard to believe that the Cowboys Pro Bowl receiver is still not 25… It feels like he’s been torturing opposing defenses for a decade already!
Lamb is coming off his best season to date, in which he went for 1359 yards, 107 receptions, and nine touchdowns, really cementing himself as one of the top wideouts in the game, regardless of age.
7. Patrick Surtain II
The 23-year-old cornerback had big shoes to fill when Denver took him ninth overall in the 2021 draft out of Alabama. Not just because the Broncos have a long history of great d-backs, like Champ Bailey, but also because his father was an All-Pro corner in his own right.
Jr., to his credit, has already matched his father, earning All-Pro honors in year 2—thanks to his rock-solid coverage skills.
6. Jaylen Waddle
The former Alabama wide receiver has proven a worthy Robin to Tyreek Hill’s Batman in Miami. And what makes him all the more exciting to Dolphins fans—is the second-year wide receiver has only improved with each passing week it seems.
In 2022, he averaged an insane 18.1 yards per reception on 75 catches—giving him 1356 yards and 8 tudders to boot. Clearly, Waddle has been putting that breakaway speed to good use!
Plus, Waddle gets bonus points for having one of the best signature touchdown celebrations in the game!
5. Tristan Wirfs
While a lot of the glitz and glamor has faded in Tampa Bay with Tom Brady’s departure—there are still a number of very talented players on that roster… And 24-year-old offensive tackle, Tristan Wirfs, is one of those guys.
He has been one of the most consistent pass blockers since Tampa snagged him 13th overall in the 2020 draft out of Iowa.
There has been talks that the Bucs are going to move him from right—to left—tackle this year, but considering his 6’ 5” 320-plus pound frame—and elite athleticism, I think he should fair fine in the transition.
4. Ja'Marr Chase
The 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year has more than proven his worth, as a fifth overall draft selection in the 2021 Draft.
He’s gone for over 1000 receiving yards both seasons, despite missing five games in 2022 due to injury.
Chase has also proven to be a reliable redzone target, averaging 11 touchdowns across his two pro seasons.
I guess the Bengals knew what they were doing when they invested that high of a draft pick in Chase to pair him with his college teammate Joe Burrow.
3. Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson might be the single most important non-quarterback in the entire NFL. He is that big of a difference-maker at the wide receiver position..
After a dynamite rookie season that saw him haul in 88 passes for 1400 yards and seven touchdowns, we’ve seen his numbers continue to climb each year, despite the opposing defenses paying more and more attention to him with each passing snap.
Now—he is coming off an 1809 yard, 128 reception, eight touchdown 2022 seaso and there is really no reason to ever doubt what JJ can do on the football field.
2. Sauce Gardner
Just one year into his career and Sauce Gardner is already widely believed to be the best cornerback in the league.
Between his elite frame, speed, and ball skills—it is hard to argue. He defended 20 passes and snagged two picks during his rookie season despite only being targeted 86 times the entire year.
I mean… The guy surrendered just one touchdown… It is hard to argue he isn’t special. And—he isn’t plagued with the same aversion to tackling that we’ve seen from other elite corners in the past.
All in all—just a special, special player.
1. Micah Parsons
There is a significant premium placed on edge rushers in the modern NFL—and just two years into his career—there is no denying that Micah Parson is already among the top in the entire NFL.
I mean… He’s already gotten All-Pro honors twice, which would be a solid career accomplishment—not something you expect from a guy during his first two seasons in the league.
His overall numbers have been impressive—as he’s gone for at least 13 sacks both years—but what really differentiates Parson is the absolute havoc he can wreck on any given game. There are certain nights where he has that look in his eye and you just know he’s going to get multiple sacks—and be in the backfield on damn near every play.
The sky is the limit for the 24-year-old.
