NFL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Power Rankings

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

These Underrated Rookies Could Surprise the NFL in 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Luke Easterling | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 5:46 PM ET

We all know the big names in the NFL Draft, but every year, there are a handful of first-year prospects who fly under the radar and make a surprising impact right away.

On the latest episode of "Best Podcast Available," I sat down with ESPN's Louis Riddick to discuss some of his favorite players in this year's rookie class, and while his breakdown of Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty warranted an entire article on its own, here are a few more prospects Riddick thinks will immediately outplay their respective draft slots.

"That's a guy who, people are gonna go, 'Who the hell is Brashard Smith?' You'll know him, I promise. You'll know him soon," Riddick said of the seventh-round running back out of SMU, who landed with the Kansas City Chiefs. "He's already catching their eye down there. He's already a guy who, they're trying to figure out, 'Okay, how can we best utilize him right out of the gate, as this hybrid, Alvin Kamara-type dude who can catch the ball out of the backfield, former wide receiver, matchup nightmare, who's also tough as hell, who we can run from the 'dot' position in the single-back look, and we can run the football with?'"

"He's been tearing it up down there in Carolina this offseason, through OTAs and rookie minicamp," Riddick said of wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr., a sixth-rounder. "When you watch him at Colorado, you watch him at his pro day, this dude is zero to 100 in two steps, lightning quick out of breaks, catches everything, great run-after-catch. He's a great, great kid, hard worker. He's the prototypical slot player. That's what he is. Which is exactly the kind of thing Bryce (Young) could use down there, a guy who's just gonna get open. 1-on-1, he's gonna get open. 1-on-1 over the middle of the field, he's definitely gonna get open. There are gonna be opportunities for him to light it up.

"You don't typically see guys with that kind of size, who can run 4.3, with that kind of wiggle, who can play in the slot," Riddick said of wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, a surprise third-round pick by the Detroit Lions many expected to go in the later rounds of the draft. "He was under-utilized at Arkansas. Detroit will find a way, I promise you that."

"Just throw on the Penn State game from this past year," Riddick said of Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who landed with the Denver Broncos in the third round, and played his best against top competition. "He's today's Isaiah Likely. That's what he is, that's what he looks like to me. Exactly the same. Everyone would take an Isaiah Likely, there's no question about that."

"He was a track-and-field phenom in high school," Riddick said of Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley, an absolute steal by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round. "He can play inside and outside, tough as hell. I'll tell you what, (defensive coordinator) Brandon Staley LOVES him. Loves him."

While there was plenty of discourse about the 2025 draft class not being top-tier in terms of the overall talent available, Riddick strongly disagrees, and believes the results will be proven on the field this season.

"When people said that this draft was weak . . . first of all, I hate stereotypes like that . . . but I'm like, there are so many good players," Riddick said. "And you'll see that this fall."

To see the entire conversation, including a deep dive on what No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is bringing to the Tennessee Titans, check out the full episode of BPA here: