NFL NationDec 23, 2025, 06:30 AM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.
play0:45Orlovsky: Trevor Lawrence is the NFL’s most improved playerDan Orlovsky has some praise for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
play1:32Why Cam Newton calls the Steelers’ offense ‘fool’s gold’Cam Newton criticizes the Steelers’ offense for being inconsistent all season.
play1:52Bryce Young: ‘I feel like I’ve grown as a player and a person’Panthers quarterback Bryce Young discusses his improvement and growth since his rookie season.
play0:40Adam Schefter: Chiefs moving to Kansas for 2031 seasonAdam Schefter reports on the Chiefs’ plan to build a new stadium and play in Kansas for the 2031 season.
Can Bears make a Super Bowl run this season? (1:55)The “Get Up” crew debates whether the Bears can make a Super Bowl run after Caleb Williams led the team to an OT win vs. the Packers. (1:55)
Orlovsky: Trevor Lawrence is the NFL’s most improved playerDan Orlovsky has some praise for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Why Cam Newton calls the Steelers’ offense ‘fool’s gold’Cam Newton criticizes the Steelers’ offense for being inconsistent all season.
Bryce Young: ‘I feel like I’ve grown as a player and a person’Panthers quarterback Bryce Young discusses his improvement and growth since his rookie season.
Adam Schefter: Chiefs moving to Kansas for 2031 seasonAdam Schefter reports on the Chiefs’ plan to build a new stadium and play in Kansas for the 2031 season.
Adam Schefter reports on the Chiefs’ plan to build a new stadium and play in Kansas for the 2031 season.
We’re almost at the finish line of the 2025 NFL regular season, making this our second-to-last NFL Power Rankings of the year. There was plenty of movement near the top of the list after both No. 1 seeds (the Rams and Broncos) lost in Week 16. Plus, the bottom of the list shuffled after dominant wins by the Saints and Titans.
In addition to the rankings, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to pick the rookie of the year for each team. From top quarterbacks to dynamic defenders, which first-year players stood out from the rest? Who could run away with the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards?
Let’s get into all that, starting with a different team from last week’s rankings. Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluated how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
Harvey’s 11 total touchdowns (seven rushing, four receiving), lead the team and all rookie position players in the league. The second-round pick is also tied for 13th in scoring, one spot behind Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and one ahead of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. And with J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve (foot) since Week 10, Harvey is without question the team’s RB1. — Jeff Legwold
He leads the team with 776 rushing yards on 146 carries (5.3 average), and has totaled seven touchdowns. Rookie left guard Jared Wilson described Henderson’s big-play threat this way: “Any time he touches the ball, it could end up in the end zone.” Henderson has four touchdown runs of 50 yards or more. The Patriots might be without him this week, however, as he exited Sunday’s game in the second quarter because of a concussion and didn’t return. — Mike Reiss
Orlovsky: Trevor Lawrence is the NFL’s most improved player
Dan Orlovsky has some praise for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Stout has been the starting nickelback all season. Though he has had some bumps, he has also delivered some big plays in crucial moments, including a late-game pass breakup to set up the winning points in Week 3 and a goal-line forced fumble to preserve a victory in Week 11. Stout has played the sixth-most snaps of any Niners defender and is among the top three in total tackles (72). — Nick Wagoner
Campbell, a first-round pick out of Alabama, has 63 tackles, an interception, two passes defensed and a forced fumble. His playing time decreased when Nakobe Dean (knee) hit his stride around the midway point of the season, but he has maintained a role in coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense and stepped up his production when Dean exited Saturday’s win because of a hamstring injury. — Tim McManus
Why Cam Newton calls the Steelers’ offense ‘fool’s gold’
Cam Newton criticizes the Steelers’ offense for being inconsistent all season.
Although TeSlaa has received limited action, the rookie receiver has been a star in his role. Five of his 12 receptions have gone for touchdowns. He has also produced several jaw-dropping plays, including a ridiculous one-handed grab for his first career touchdown in Week 1 against the Packers. TeSlaa is the fourth rookie wide receiver in franchise history to log at least five touchdown receptions, joining Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021), Titus Young (2011) and Roy Williams (2004). — Eric Woodyard
He leads all rookie receivers with 65 catches for 924 yards and 7 touchdowns, in addition to being Carolina’s receiving leader. He’s quarterback Bryce Young’s most dependable target and a big reason the third-year QB’s stats have improved significantly in 2025. The Offensive Rookie of the Year award seems inevitable for McMillan, justifying Carolina drafting him No. 8. — David Newton
Bryce Young: ‘I feel like I’ve grown as a player and a person’
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young discusses his improvement and growth since his rookie season.
Though Egbuka has seen a drop in production in the second half of the season, what he gave to the team when its receiving corps was decimated can’t be overstated. His 163 receiving yards against the Seahawks remains the highest single-game receiving performance on the team; his 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns are second most among rookies. He should be a key player for the Bucs in the future. — Jenna Laine
Jackson is the only Vikings rookie who has played more than 300 snaps this season, so the list of options here is limited. But the No. 24 pick has proven he belongs since Day 1. He has been especially effective as a run blocker, ranking No. 6 in the NFL in run block win rate among guards. Whether he develops into a Pro Bowl-level player remains to be seen, but he at least can be counted on as a long-term starter. — Kevin Seifert
Adam Schefter: Chiefs moving to Kansas for 2031 season
The Dolphins’ rookie class needed to play immediately and has slowly come along during the season. Though first-round defensive tackle Kenneth Grant leads the team in run stop win rate, Phillips has started every game since Week 2. His stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, but a defensive tackle’s responsibility is often to make an impact that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. He helps set the tone at the line of scrimmage and looks like a hit as a fifth-round pick. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Shough has a 4-3 record since the Saints announced he would start over Spencer Rattler in Week 9, including wins in the past three games. Even though he has played without several injured players on offense, the excitement around the second-round pick hasn’t dampened. Shough became the Saints’ first 300-year passer in two years Sunday. Though most of the Saints’ rookies have contributed this season, it was Shough who turned around the second half of the season. — Katherine Terrell
The fifth-round pick was thrown into the starting rotation because of injuries and role changes, but he has flourished as his playing time has increased. He has a team-leading three interceptions with 35 tackles and nine passes defended. Burke’s three picks are tied for the most among rookies, and he has done it in 410 fewer snaps than his counterpart for the lead — Atlanta safety Xavier Watts. — Josh Weinfuss
The favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year (-1400 at DraftKings), Schwesinger has been at the center of the action all season for one of the league’s top defenses. The No. 33 pick leads all rookies in total tackles (147) and tackles for loss (11), and he is tied for second among rookies with two interceptions. Schwesinger, a former walk-on at UCLA, has also worn the green dot all season to relay the defensive play calls. — Daniel Oyefusi
A no-brainer. The No. 7 pick has been terrific since Day 1. Among tackles, he ranks 12th in run block win rate and 21st in pass block win rate. He has started and finished every game, rarely looking like he’s overmatched even against the best competition. It certainly looks like general manager Darren Mougey nailed his first draft pick. With Membou and second-year left tackle Olu Fashanu, the Jets should have their bookend tackles for years to come. — Rich Cimini
The rookie quarterback has hit a recent rough stretch after his concussion, including Sunday’s ugly 33-yard passing performance. But it hasn’t soured the Giants’ view on Dart. Interim coach Mike Kafka still believes he’s playing good football. Dart has 20 total touchdowns and seven turnovers in 10 starts. He has also rushed for over 400 yards. Several impending free agents on the team have said Dart’s presence is a significant selling point to return. — Jordan Raanan
Zabel was the Seahawks’ highest-rated interior offensive lineman prospect, and the 18th pick has shown why. He ranks first among all guards in run block win rate while starting all 15 games. This distinction could just as easily go to second-round pick Nick Emmanwori, who has the third-best odds for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (+750 at DraftKings) as an almost-every-down playmaker at nickelback. The tie goes to Zabel because while Emmanwori missed three games and most of a fourth, Seattle’s left guard has played almost 99% of the team’s offensive snaps. — Brady Henderson
Ferguson, a second-round pick, joined a crowded group of tight ends with the Rams. He was a healthy scratch in Weeks 3 and 4, but was active in Week 5 because starter Tyler Higbee was dealing with a hip injury. Since then, Ferguson has 9 catches for 177 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has been especially important as the offense has found its identity in 13 personnel (three tight ends). “He’s going to be a hell of a player, and he’s becoming a hell of a player before our eyes,” coach Sean McVay said earlier in December. — Sarah Barshop