Seven weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the league’s rookie class is making a thunderous impact, shaking up both team depth charts and the stat sheets. From career-defining performances to the unveiling of a new NFL prediction model, football fans are enjoying a season full of surprises and breakout stars. It’s been a whirlwind of action, and if you blinked, you might’ve missed a few of these eye-popping moments.
Let’s start with the numbers that have everyone talking. Mason Graham, the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, put on a clinic against the Miami Dolphins. The Cleveland Browns defensive tackle earned a career-best 79.0 overall PFF grade, dominating the run game and anchoring the Browns’ defensive line. According to PFF, Graham’s average depth of tackle was an impressive 1.5 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and he tallied two tackles for loss. That’s the kind of stat line that turns heads across the league.
But Graham wasn’t the only rookie making headlines. Cleveland’s offense found its own star in Quinshon Judkins. The second-round running back continued his strong stretch, carrying the ball 26 times for 90 yards and punching in three touchdowns, even as the weather tried to slow everyone down. Judkins forced a career-high six missed tackles, showing off the power and agility that made him a coveted draft pick. It’s no wonder the Browns were able to dominate the Dolphins on Sunday.
Over in Tennessee, wide receiver Chimere Dike finally had his breakout moment. Entering Week 7, Dike had only one game with a PFF grade above 60.0, but against the New England Patriots, he caught all four of his targets for 70 yards and his first NFL touchdown. Dike’s big play came while facing press coverage on a career-high 11 routes, proving he can handle the physicality of the pro game.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s Travis Hunter—already known as a two-way star—cracked the PFF Rookie Team of the Week as a wide receiver for the first time. Hunter reeled in eight of twelve targets for 101 yards and his first career NFL touchdown, notching his first 100-yard receiving game. He also impressed in limited snaps at cornerback, earning an 83.6 coverage grade and not allowing a single reception. Talk about versatility!
The Los Angeles Chargers, despite a tough loss to the Colts, saw their own rookie sensation in Oronde Gadsden II. Gadsden shattered his previous highs, catching eight of ten targets for a massive 183 yards and his first NFL touchdown. He hauled in both contested targets and averaged a whopping 3.66 yards per route run. Even in defeat, performances like Gadsden’s give fans hope for the future.
On the offensive line, rookies are holding their own against some of the league’s best pass rushers. Kelvin Banks Jr. was a standout for the New Orleans Saints against the Chicago Bears, posting grades above 70.0 both as a pass and run blocker. Banks allowed just two pressures on 39 pass-blocking snaps, a testament to his poise and technique.
Elsewhere, Armand Membou was a bright spot for a struggling New York Jets squad. Facing the Panthers, Membou allowed only three pressures on 46 pass-blocking snaps. One of those pressures turned into a sack, but that was more on quarterback Justin Fields, who couldn’t get the ball out in time. Over in New England, Jared Wilson continued to adapt to his new position at left guard, surrendering two sacks but showing improvement as a run blocker.
Donovan Jackson of the Minnesota Vikings and Tyler Booker of the Dallas Cowboys also posted solid performances on the interior line. Jackson faced a daunting Eagles defensive front but managed to allow just two pressures on 49 pass-blocking snaps, excelling particularly in man run schemes. Booker was a key contributor in Dallas’s big win over the Commanders, yielding just two pressures on 38 snaps and earning a 72.1 pass-blocking grade.
Defensively, rookies are stepping up in big ways. Ashton Gillotte of the Kansas City Chiefs made his mark in a 31-0 rout of the Raiders, recording a quarterback hit and a 72.2 run-defense grade. Danny Striggow, an undrafted rookie for the Jacksonville Jaguars, made the most of limited snaps by excelling in run defense. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, first-round pick Harmon was a force against the Bengals, earning a career-high 87.8 run-defense grade and notching four pressures as a pass rusher.
Linebacker Jihaad Campbell continued his push for Defensive Rookie of the Year with a strong outing against the Vikings, earning a 71.7 run-defense grade. Danny Stutsman of the Saints made his debut on the PFF Rookie Team of the Week thanks to a stellar performance against the run, stuffing the Bears’ rushing attack twice and posting a 78.5 grade.
In the secondary, the Jets may have found a gem in Azareye’h Thomas. In his first game with significant action, Thomas allowed just two catches for 41 yards, forced an incompletion, and continued his streak of not allowing a negatively graded run play all season. Quincy Riley, also of the Saints, recorded his first career NFL interception and a 78.1 coverage grade in the loss to Chicago. Dallas’s Trikweze Bridges stepped up in Trevon Diggs’s absence, giving up only two catches for 48 yards and recording a stop in coverage.
Safety play has been equally impressive. Moore, a former fourth-round pick out of Alabama, posted a 73.9 run-defense grade in Week 7 and has been a model of consistency all season. R.J. Mickens of the Chargers, in just his second defensive game, put up a 66.6 coverage grade and surrendered only one reception for six yards on two targets.
All these performances are unfolding in a season that’s as unpredictable as ever. On October 21, 2025, the hosts of Slate’s “Hang Up and Listen” podcast—Alex Kirshner, Lindsay Gibbs, and Ben Lindbergh—welcomed Nate Silver to discuss his new NFL prediction model, ELWAY. The model, named after the legendary quarterback, is designed to capture the wild swings and upsets that have defined this year’s NFL campaign. According to the panel, ELWAY has revealed just how volatile the league has become, with rookies and young stars upending preseason expectations week after week.
As the NFL barrels toward its midseason mark, fans and analysts alike are left wondering: Who will emerge as the true breakout stars? Will the new generation of talent continue to rewrite the script? With rookies rising to the occasion and prediction models struggling to keep up, 2025 is shaping up to be a season for the ages.
One thing’s for sure—there’s no shortage of excitement, and the action is only heating up. Stay tuned as these young stars continue to make their mark on the NFL landscape.
