Early 2025 NFL All-Rookie Team: Defense

Every NFL campaign, a new wave of first-year ballplayers arrive with something to prove. While the offensive side of the ball often grabs headlines, the defensive side of the ball is where many young players make the largest impacts early on. From explosive pass rushers to rangy safeties and sticky cover corners, this year’s defensive class has already turned heads.

Below, I’ll spotlight a group of rookies primed to break out based on scheme fit and opportunity. Whether they’re day-one starters or high-upside contributors in rotation roles, these rookies have the tools—and the landing spots—to shine in their debut seasons. Here is a projection for the 2025 All-Rookie Defensive Team. 

A future DPOY candidate, the Penn State product in Abdul Carter will be presented with isolated opportunities early in 2025, considering the talent around him in New York. With Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux already in town on the edge, along with one of the game’s premier IDLs in Dexter Lawrence on the inside, teams will be forced to pick their poison on each rep. For Carter, a dynamic and nuanced sack artist, I don’t expect it’ll take long to assert himself as one of football’s premier young pass-rushers. He’s got all the clubs in the bag to become a flat-out star. 

One of my personal favorite selections in the class, grabbing Donovan Ezeiruaku in the second round was a heck of an addition by Dallas. Everyone knows who Micah Parsons is, but adding a young player like Ezeiruaku to fill the shoes of departures in Demarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong over the last few offseasons was good business. One of the country’s most productive pass-rushers over the last few seasons, Ezeiruaku is a player teams could kick themselves for passing on a few years down the line.

Interior Defensive Line (2)

A former all-world recruit out of high school, Walter Nolen’s game didn’t blossom until he transferred to Ole Miss after a pair of seasons at Texas A&M. In Oxford, Nolen evolved into a dynamic early-down run stopper and someone whose pass-rush profile remained on full display during his week at the Senior Bowl. In Arizona, he’s by far their most talented interior presence and should be presented with every opportunity to make an impact early on.

A bit of a sleeper pick here if we’re just looking at where Aeneas Peebles came off the board (sixth round), but there’s nothing to scoff at in his game—he can flat-out play. In each draft, there are a few players that we look back on and ask how in the world they slipped to the insert round. Peebles is one of those potential names in the 2025 class. Considering the hit rate that Baltimore has had over the years on draft weekend, their ability to develop, and their current depth chart up front, Peebles has as good a shot as any late-day-three player to quickly outplay his draft slot. 

Linebacker (2)

Medical rechecks caused Jihaad Campbell to slip a bit on night one, but if all checks out and he’s able to play at 100%, the Eagles got away with a steal. A hybrid off-ball linebacker and a player that is expected to earn snaps at edge, Campbell is a mature, uber-athletic, and highly instinctive downhill defender that adds speed and pop to a youth-infused Eagles defense. The presence of Jalen Carter up front, Campbell at the second level, and Quinyon Mitchell on the back end showcases elite young ballplayers at all three levels for head coach Nick Sirianni.

2025 should present a large opportunity for Pooh Paul. A Rams defense that was hurting for added pop in the middle of their defense last fall, his addition should quickly boost a unit that is littered with young talent up and down their front seven. One of the SEC’s premier defenders in 2024, Paul is expected to compete for one of the starting spots in camp against Omar Speights, Troy Reeder, and Nate Landman. 

Cornerback (3)

One of the premier corners in the entire class, Arizona hopes Will Johnson could become a Patrick Peterson-type of player down the road. Injury red flags caused the former Michigan standout to slip into night two, but there’s zero question about his ability as a fundamentally elite corner on the perimeter. He has an All-Pro type of ceiling at the position.

Another corner that slipped a bit due to medical concerns (labral tear in his left hip), it’s unfortunate that we didn’t get to see Benjamin Morrison compete for much of 2024 for the Fighting Irish. A healthy Morrison, however, was a first-round lock for many teams, and is a player who could quickly become Tampa’s premier perimeter corner. There weren’t many corners in the class, maybe the aforementioned Johnson, who entered the draft as elite as Morrison is as a pure cover man. He’s as smooth as silk on the outside. 

A name that was discussed to likely hear his name called on night one, Trey Amos fell into the lap of Washington, who desperately needed fresh legs on the outside. While Marshon Lattimore, Mikey Sainristil, free agent addition Jonathan Jones, and nickel Noah Igbiboghene are all under contract, Lattimore’s 2024 in Washington was one he’d like to forget after coming over from New Orleans at the deadline and Sainristil’s best spot in the NFL could be in the slot despite his success on the outside in his rookie year. 

Enter Amos, a player that fits everything Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. wants in a perimeter starter with the size (6-foot-1), length, instincts, and pure coverage ability to start for a long time. There are some good ballplayers in front of him on the depth chart, but it shouldn’t surprise if Amos starts on the outside opposite of Lattimore in Week 1 with Sainristil at nickel.

Safety (2)

C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Texans) is gone, but I don’t think the Eagles defense is going to miss a bit with the addition of Andrew Mukuba. A mature and versatile defender, Mukuba improved year after year in his time spent at Texas and Clemson, and is a player whose tenacity, awareness, and tackling ability should fit seamlessly within defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme.

The theme so far here in the secondary has surrounded players with injury concerns that caused their stock to slip, and that doesn’t change here with Kevin Winston Jr. A healthy Winston is an elite defender who checks and bolds all of the traits teams look for in a multi-level defender in today’s game. He’s rangy, can eliminate tight ends up the seam, and is arguably the class’ premier tackler when working downhill due to his technique and long, wiry frame to haul players within his wide radius. Tennessee found a potential long-term, core contributor in the third round.