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Three budding NFL stars who need more opportunities in 2025
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium. Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Three budding NFL stars who need more opportunities in 2025

By Jalyn Smoot  |  Last updated Jul 26, 2025 7:13 PM ET

Training camp is underway, and the dawn of the 2025 NFL season is quickly coming into view.

As the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles emphasized this week, the new league year provides a fresh slate for every team and a new chapter for each player.

For rising NFL talents, the 2025 campaign could be a springboard toward stardom. Let's take a look at three budding stars who deserve more playing time in the upcoming season.

Bengals RB Chase Brown

With the superstar receiver tandem of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins commanding major attention from opposing defenses, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown could be in store for a huge year.

Brown, 25, finished the season strong after wrestling the starting role away from veteran rusher Zack Moss after a month as the reserve.

From Week 5 onward, the Bengals ball-carrier rushed for 806 yards, which was the sixth-highest total of any AFC rusher. He was one of seven running backs to record 3+ receptions in at least 10 games. 

In his last 8 games, Brown averaged 116 scrimmage yards. That projects to 1,976 over 17 games, which would have been the third-most in the NFL last year.

Proving valuable as a rusher and receiver, Brown should be a core piece of the Bengals' vaunted offense moving forward.

“Brown is going to be one of the focal points of our offense because he deserves to be,” Pitcher added.

Entering the year as a starter for the first time in his career, Brown could be in store for a breakout season in 2025.

"Chase Brown is going to be, by the end of the season, a household name," Bengals OC Dan Pitcher said during training camp. "He's everything that Austin Ekeler was. You'll all know who he is."

Lions WR Jameson Williams 

Williams, a former Detroit Lions first-rounder, was one of the league's most dynamic players in 2024.

The speedy wideout had six 40+ yard receptions, the third-most in the NFL. Only Ja'Marr Chase, Brian Thomas and Alec Pierce had more. 

Williams, 24, has game-breaking speed similar to Tyreek Hill and DeSean Jackson and could sprint toward stardom in 2025.

In just 11 starts, he was one of 24 wideouts with a 1,000-yard season in 2024. Slated for increased playing time in 2025, Williams could erupt in Detroit. 

Jayden Reed 

Last season was a mixed bag for the Green Bay Packers wideout Reed. He erupted for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against the Eagles in Brazil.

Three weeks later, Reed stuffed the stat sheet once more and posted 139 receiving yards and a touchdown in a divisional matchup against Minnesota.

Following his hot start, Reed never drew more than six targets after Week 4 and seemingly tumbled down the Packers' pecking order. The 25-year-old receiver was used almost exclusively in three-receiver sets, playing just 63% of the snaps.

Despite his lack of playing time, the 5-foot-11 wideout led Green Bay in receiving yards (857) and was second in receiving touchdowns (6). 

Additionally, Reed caught nine of 11 targets of 25+ air yards, proving himself a capable deep threat for Jordan Love and the Packers. 

Even after selecting Texas wideout Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Packers must find ways to feature Reed more often.

Jalyn Smoot

Jalyn Smoot is a University of North Texas graduate passionate about writing, sports, and film. Throughout his near decade-long career as a freelance reporter, he has been featured on Bleacher Report, Major League Baseball, Apple News, Fox Sports, and NewsBreak.

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