Bo Nix has transformed the Denver Broncos into a perennial playoff contender in his first 2-season in the NFL. He is given the reins by Coach Payton to be the natural playmaker in and out of the pocket; essentially playing Bo Nix football. Nix is great at extending plays with his legs and keeping his eyes downfield for open targets. He will sit in the pocket and dish the rock to his weapons like a Vegas blackjack dealer or escape and make a play with his athleticism. Nix is developing into the Broncos' franchise signal-caller. Despite his and the team's success, the next phase of his development is protecting the football, especially under pressure. Nix tends to put the ball in harm's way whenever he feels pressure, and there's no obvious route out of danger. Improving his decision-making and protecting the football will ensure he rises into the next crop of high-quality NFL starting quarterbacks for years to come.

Brock Bowers is one of the best weapons in the NFL and can win in a multitude of ways against a variety of opponents. He's smart enough to dissect zone defenses pre- and post-snap and crafty enough to beat man coverage with intentional routes. The different ways he can catch the football with the radius and tracking ability he possesses are special; add to it his quickness to get up to speed after the catch, and it's easy to see how impressive he is. The former first-round selection dealt with some injuries last season that kept him sidelined, but when he was on the field, the impact was there. As Bowers continues to grow, he's only going to be more difficult to defend.

Drake London is one of the league's better young wide receivers. He has never played with a top-shelf quarterback in the NFL during his career, yet he consistently puts up good numbers. He's held back by that uncertainty with the Falcons quarterback situation. London is an uber-efficient route-runner with strong footwork and use of hands to fend off bump-and-run coverage. He's the prototypical X-receiver, but he plays all over the formation, forcing advantageous matchups. London isn't in the elite tier of No. 1 receivers in the league, but with better quarterback play, he will enter the conversation.

Brock Purdy is an established starting quarterback with plenty of postseason experience, including leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl. He played in only nine games last season due to multiple injuries. Purdy's proven to be the near-perfect quarterback for Kyle Shanahan's system. His game thrives on throwing with outstanding anticipation, accuracy, and timing. Purdy is an above-average athlete with good pocket quickness to create for himself whenever he senses pressure. He plays with immense heart and toughness, earning him a place among the NFL's winners. Purdy is a physically limited quarterback; he's on the shorter side of the height spectrum, and his arm strength is only average. His decision-making declined under heavy and consistent pressure last season. He's the prototype for high-end game manager and point guard-styled QB archetypes; you can win with those styles if your roster is built properly.

Nico Collins is established as an explosive X-receiver with the height, weight, and speed to generate big plays. Due to injuries, he's never played a full 17 games in his NFL career, yet he's crossed the 1,000-yard mark three seasons in a row. If he could avoid the nagging injuries each season, his productivity would climb. Collins is a complete X/Boundary-receiver. He brings verticality to the passing offense, serves as a high-volume possession target, and wins difficult contested situations. CJ Stroud trusts him to make the plays that propel their offense, and for good reason. A fully healthy season of Collins could catapult him higher in wide receiver rankings and discussions.

Before the ACL injury that ended Tucker Kraft's season, he was not only on pace for a career season but also one of the best seasons for a tight end in the NFL. While being a good in-line option for the Packers, Kraft is moved around the formation, pulled to lead block on screens and quarterback keepers, and does it all as a blocker. His real value has come from being a three-level threat in the passing attack. While he isn't the most fluid route-runner, he's one of the best tight ends in the league after the catch with finesse and power, has a varied route tree menu, and the ball skills to go and get it when asked. Kraft is an ascending player in the NFL, and coming off an injury, hopefully, it doesn't take him too long to find his footing.

James Cook emerged as one of the league's top running backs last season. He was the second most important player on the Bills' offense. He rushed for 1,621 yards and 12 touchdowns. Cook displayed his smooth, fluid movement skills while attacking the line of scrimmage. He changed directions to force missed tackles with good suddenness. Cook caught the ball well in the passing game, adding another dimension to his skill set. The Bills' offense is better when Cook is featured.

Trey McBride broke the single-season reception record for a tight end last season. With 126 catches for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns, he was a revelation for an otherwise unspectacular Cardinals offense. They got him the ball on a ton of short passes and tight end screens, and let his physicality after the catch rack up yards and touchdowns. More of an explosive straight-line mover, McBride uses subtle changes in footwork and attacking angles to create separation and insane ball skills to catch the football anywhere around him. While he isn't the most functional blocker, he does more at the second level and chips defensive ends before going out on routes. Watching McBride imitate a pinball after the catch, it's no shock the Cardinals wanted him to touch the ball as much as possible.

Jordan Love is one of the more efficient passers in the NFL. He is coming off another strong season, his third consecutive season over 3,300 yards. He threw for 3,381 yards with 23 touchdowns, six interceptions, completing 66.3% of his passes, and a passer rating of 101.2. Love continues to play at a highly efficient level and pace for the Packers. His accuracy, footwork, and ball placement are very good and getting better. He cut down on his interceptions compared to 2024, but there are head-scratching decisions where he tests heavily targeted weapons. He's on the cusp of elevating his game, but postseason moments and success will dictate where he ultimately lands among his peers.

AJ Brown is a talented wide receiver who has established himself as a true WR1 in the league. He is a proven floor-raiser on offense. After being traded to the Eagles during the 2022 NFL Draft, Brown passed 1,400 yards receiving in consecutive seasons in Philly. He is a physical route-runner with strong hands to pluck the ball away from defenders at the catch point. Brown is a tough run-after-catch threat who fights through tackles and delivers a stiff straight arm to corners in pursuit. Brown's production has declined the last two seasons, but he is expected to bounce back and return to his floor-raising ways with the New England Patriots.

George Pickens was drafted in the second round but clearly was a first-round talent. He is coming off a career season with the Cowboys, in which he caught 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. Pickens raised the floor and ceiling of the Cowboys' passing offense. He had stretches of dominant play and fared well against top corners on the perimeter. Pickens proved he is capable of putting up WR1 numbers, and this was alongside an established star, CeeDee Lamb. Pickens had a stellar season with good route running, great hands, and strong after-the-catch ability. He did it all in 2025.

Derrick Henry continues to be one of the most unstoppable forces we've seen at running back. At the age of 31, he rushed for 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns without his elite quarterback, Lamar Jackson, for much of the season. Henry doesn't appear to be slowing down; if he gets a crease into daylight, he possesses breakaway speed and a vicious, stiff arm that sends defenders flying like a paper airplane. No clue how he keeps dominating at this rate, but Henry is clearly not from this planet!

Dak Prescott deserves more credit and praise as one of the league's top signal-callers. He is coming off his fourth 4,000-yard passing season. He is entrusted with carrying the Cowboys' passing offense with his arm, and he answers the bell more often than not. Prescott is a highly accurate passer in and outside of the pocket. When protected and with high-caliber weapons at his disposal, he will put up All-Pro numbers. The Cowboys put their offensive fate into Prescott's hands, and he delivers.

There is nothing flashy about the dominance of Amon-Ra St. Brown. He will not wow anyone with elite size, speed, or physical traits, but the Lions' star is extremely productive. St. Brown excels as a first and second-level route-runner. He has excellent route tempo and pace to keep cornerbacks off balance and honest in their coverage. St. Brown has eclipsed 1,100 yards in four consecutive seasons. He is a model of consistency and is a quarterback-friendly wide receiver. St. Brown earned the right to have his name mentioned as a top-5 to 7 receiver in the NFL today.

CeeDee Lamb has been the life force of the Dallas Cowboys' passing offense for a few years now. Finally, they gave him an equal running mate in George Pickens. Lamb is a do-it-all playmaker for Dallas. Whether he's running NBA crossover routes to fool and lose his defender or making great plays after the catch. Lamb is a great option to have as your offense's WR1. He aligns and makes plays from various positions within the formation. Lamb battled some concentration drops last season, which needs to be cleaned up this season. Nonetheless, he's one of the league's premier and most versatile playmakers.

Lamar Jackson played in 13 games because of nagging hamstring and back injuries. Those injuries limited his mobility and magician-like escapability. He was unable to replicate the MVP-caliber season he had in 2024. Jackson never returned to full form after missing five games due to the injuries, but defenses respected him regardless. Jackson continued to help power the Ravens' offense forward. He handled the blitz, throwing 12 touchdowns to three interceptions. Jackson played more from the pocket and attacked the vertical plane well. The Ravens offense still lives and dies on Jackson's back, and his star impact cannot be replicated.

Saquon Barkley's 2025 campaign can be described as a falloff after his championship run in 2024, during which he rushed for over 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. But the film displays that Barkley hasn't lost a step. He rushed for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns with a plus-76 rush yards over expectation. He is still a dynamic athlete who will explode through a running lane if given a sliver of space. Barkley's offensive line was ravaged with injuries, leading to him being hit behind the line of scrimmage on 47% of his carries last year. He's still a dangerous running back to gameplan for.

Drake Maye made one of the biggest jumps we've seen from rookie to year two. He threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Maye helped engineer the Patriots' Super Bowl appearance with his improved play. The game slowed down for him to read and react post-snap and find the open target. His legs created second-reaction throwing windows to overcome tight defense coverage. Maye helped spearhead the Patriots' run to the AFC East title and the dethroning of the Josh Allen-led Buffalo Bills. His accuracy improved, and his efficiency rose as a result. His first postseason experience resulted in team success, but Maye's play tapered off in those high-leverage games. He threw six touchdowns to four interceptions, with his passer rating dropping to 82 and his completion percentage to 58%. If Maye can continue his high level of play, he will force his name to be discussed among the league's elite franchise quarterbacks.