ESPN's Jamison Hensley writes that Baltimore Ravens rookie first-round safety Malaki Starks' maturity should make him an immediate impact player in his first year in the NFL. "You throw a situation at him, and he knows," head coach John Harbaugh said. "He's been studying and comes prepared. I've never seen him make a real mistake yet. He's very much a pro, probably way advanced beyond his years." Despite playing with the first-team defense from the first day of spring practices, Starks hasn't blinked. He also made a strong first impression by organizing walk-throughs at the team hotel during rookie minicamp. Ar'Darius Washington's torn Achilles definitely sets Starks up to have a big role in 2025 alongside Kyle Hamilton. Despite not showing elite athleticism at the combine, he has the ability to become fantasy relevant in IDP leagues sooner than later.

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ESPN's Eric Woodyard writes that Detroit Lions rookie first-round defensive tackle Tyleik Williams could play a big role right away as he's expected to fill in for starting defensive tackle Alim McNeill (knee) as he recovers from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 campaign. "Knowing what we know and where he's at and what he can do, we like what he is," head coach Dan Campbell said. "He is smart. He can get lined up. I know he's been grinding in the rehab, the training, so that's good." The Lions were careful not to overwork Williams during offseason workouts after coming off a long championship season at Georgia, but when Week 1 rolls around, it sounds as though he'll be on the field often for Detroit's D-line. The 22-year-old also fell to the turf while running his 40-yard dash back in March, which was another reason Detroit took it easy on him during spring work.

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Atlanta Falcons rookie first-round defensive end James Pearce Jr. has impressed the team as potentially one of the best pure pass-rusher's in this year's NFL draft. "Been really [pleased] at his willingness to really collaborate with the people that we hooked him up with, whether it's been strength coach, whether it's been nutrition," head coach Raheem Morris said. "Really his buy-in. Really smart, sharp, particular guy that asks a lot of questions." Morris said he "fell in love" with Pearce as a person during the pre-draft process. ESPN's Marc Raimondi writes that the 21-year-old's size (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) also stands out, and he's added muscle to go with his 4.47-second 40-yard dash time. There's a reason the Falcons traded back up into the first round to take Pearce at 26th overall, and they're hoping the combination of Pearce and linebacker Jalon Walker will pay immediate dividends.

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New York Giants rookie first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart had an "excellent" spring, according to head coach Brian Daboll. During offseason workouts, Dart confirmed the team's decision to trade back into the first round to select him, as Daboll was impressed with the way the Ole Miss product processed and retained information. However, it wasn't all good, as Dart also held onto the ball too long at times. The 22-year-old started taking spring reps with the third-team offense but was working with the second team two weeks in, behind Russell Wilson but ahead of Jameis Winston. The presence Wilson means that Dart will most likely be given time to develop in 2025, but there's a chance he makes starts later this year if Wilson tanks. The 6-foot-2, 224-pounder's rushing ability in college might not translate to the NFL, and he doesn't have any elite characteristics. Dart is merely a stash in dynasty/keeper formats in 2025.

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Pittsburgh Steelers rookie first-round defensive tackle Derrick Harmon is in line to start right away in his first year in the NFL. "He goes out there with the 1s," defensive line coach Karl Dunbar said. "He's our left starting defensive tackle. You can write that." However, Harmon won't necessarily be a starter alongside Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton in the team's base 3-4 defense. "I feel, like, comfortable," Harmon said of the defense. "[At] Oregon, we had the same defense, so I'm playing the same-for-same position. Biggest difference for me is really just learning the speed of the game." The 21-year-old was extremely productive at Oregon last year, racking up 45 tackles (27 solo), five sacks, 11 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries for the Ducks and could become a dominant defender for Pittsburgh sooner than later.

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ESPN's Rob Demovsky writes that Green Bay Packers rookie first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden appears set for a significant role on offense with the likes of Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks with Christian Watson (knee) still rehabbing from ACL surgery. Golden might not be an immediate starter, but he got plenty of run with the starters during offseason workouts and caught quarterback Jordan Love's eye quickly. "I think from the get-go, from Day 1 when he got here, he's showcased kind of just the versatility he has running routes, the speed he has and his ability to catch," Love said. The 21-year-old is a burner who caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns at Texas in 2024. It remains to be seen if he'll see enough targets to be in contention for a weekly fantasy lineup spot, but his overall upside as a potential deep threat with Watson sidelined is enough to make him an attractive late-round flier in redraft leagues.

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Denver Broncos rookie first-round cornerback Jahdae Barron played outside corner, nickel, safety and dime linebacker in college at Texas, but right now, the Broncos are primarily working him out at cornerback -- both outside and in the slot -- according to ESPN's Jeff Legwold. "He was a can't-miss prospect for us. He can tackle, he can cover, he has excellent ball skills ... it was a no-brainer to draft him," defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. It will be interesting to see how the 23-year-old is schemed into an already strong Broncos defense in 2025, and he'll no doubt give the team the ability to throw different looks at opposing offenses. Joining a secondary that already includes Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss should help Barron grow quickly, although we wouldn't expect him to be on the IDP fantasy radar right away.

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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Cleveland Browns have signed free-agent placekicker Andre Szmyt to a one-year, $840,000 contract. Szmyt was on Cleveland's roster this offseason until the team waived him earlier in the month. However, he's back now with the release of defensive lineman Ogbo Okoronkwo earlier in the day. The Syracuse product has yet to attempt a kick on an NFL field but will compete with veteran teammate Dustin Hopkins for the Browns' starting job. In college, Szmyt was 85-for-105 (81%) on field-goal attempts and hit extra-point tries at a stellar 98% clip.

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Per the team, the New England Patriots have waived rookie defensive lineman Wilfried Pene. The 24-year-old signed with the team as an undrafted free agent on May 12 after four collegiate seasons with Virginia Tech. Pene played in 34 games for the Hokies and accrued 73 total tackles, ten for loss, and five quarterback sacks. He started all 13 games for VT last season and will be free to sign with another organization if he goes unclaimed off waivers. Currently, Milton Williams, Khyiris Tonga, and Christian Barmore are slated to start along the Patriots' defensive front.

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In a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers noted newly acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf as a big reason he chose to land with the team. "DK is a lead-by-example guy," said the veteran. "He's a big reason I'm in Pittsburgh as well. Conversations that we had, and just the kind of person that he is." Metcalf may not be of the same ilk as Rodgers' two-time former teammate, Davante Adams, but he's one of the more explosive pass-catchers in the league and gives the 41-year-old a target unlike he's ever had. Rodgers is unlikely to have a significant fantasy impact, given that the Steelers are expected to be a run-centric squad. However, Metcalf could be a huge beneficiary as the team's far-and-away No. 1 option, and prove to be one of the better values amongst the top 50 picks in drafts.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is expected to have a big role in the offense in his first year in the NFL, especially with Chris Godwin recovering from ankle surgery, according to ESPN's Jenna Laine. Egbuka is already helping the Bucs stretch the field horizontally and has looked like a running back at times while showing up in the short passing game. However, the 22-year-old from Ohio State has also made big plays down the field during offseason practices. "The thing that sticks out is how cerebral he is," quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "He's so smart. Right now, I think we could plug-and-play him at every [wide] receiver spot; he understands the offense that well. That's just him being a pro already." Egbuka is extremely attractive in dynasty/keeper leagues, but his redraft fantasy value in 2025 could depend on whether injuries in front of him open up more opportunities.

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Seattle Seahawks WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling appears to be the leading candidate for the No. 3 wide receiver job entering training camp but may be push for the job by WRs Jake Bobo and Tory Horton during camp, in the opinion of Seahawks.com's John Boyle.

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Despite the fact that Cincinnati Bengals rookie first-round defensive end Shemar Stewart was the only first-rounder that didn't take part in any offseason workouts due to a contract dispute, the coaching staff remains high on him. "It's a lesson for him in the NFL -- control what you can control," defensive coordinator Al Golden said. "From our standpoint he's done a good job in terms of the learning. We are as excited as anybody to get him out there." The 21-year-old pass-rusher was taken with the 17th overall pick and could take on an even bigger role in his first NFL season if the Bengals end up trading All-Pro pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. However, despite the fact that Stewart seems like an eager learner, the lack of on-field reps during offseason workouts will most likely shorten his learning curve in 2025. It would be a surprise if Stewart doesn't sign his rookie deal before training camp.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, who is expected to see more opportunities in 2025, has improved his footwork and pass protection, according to head coach Todd Bowles. "He got to where he needed to be, but his footwork wasn't always the cleanest last season," Bowles says. "He's cleaned that up." Despite only "starting" three games in 2024, Irving finished as the RB13 in point-per-reception scoring in fantasy in his rookie season by racking up 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 207 rushing attempts. He added 47 receptions on 52 targets for 392 yards through the air. The 22-year-old makes up for his lack of size and athleticism with excellent vision and a knack for breaking tackles in open space. The primary concern with Irving as it pertains to being a true RB1 is the question of whether he can be a true workhorse back and withstand all the physical punishment between the tackles.

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Free-agent kicker Justin Tucker received a 10-game suspension from the NFL on Thursday, according to league insider Ian Rapoport. The eight-time All-Pro was released by the Baltimore Ravens this offseason after allegations of sexual misconduct by numerous accusers. The 35-year-old suspension will begin on the NFL's roster cutdown day (August 26), and he will be eligible for reinstatement following Week 10 of the 2025 campaign (November 11). His suspension can be served whether he is with a team or not. Tucker is one of the best kickers in NFL history, but the off-the-field developments are sure to negatively impact his legacy and his chances to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the future.

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Free-agent PK Justin Tucker (Ravens) was suspended by the NFL on Thursday, June 26, for the first 10 games of the 2025 season for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis finds himself as the backup quarterback to No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, just one season after he was looking to establish himself as the franchise QB of the future. Levis showed a few flashes of upside in his 21 game appearances since being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Kentucky, but overall, it hasn't been good enough. Levis has completed 61% of his passes for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions en route to a 5-16 record as a starter. Still, Levis continues to have a positive attitude and outlook heading into 2025. "Will has been great with how he's handled this kind of new situation," offensive coordinator Nick Holz said. "Attitude-wise, he's a good dude and a good teammate. I give him a lot of credit for that because when you draft another quarterback with the No. 1 pick, it's not an easy situation." The latest rumors suggest the team is willing to keep Levis on the roster, but that could be a negotiating tactic to eventually trade him at the end of training camp. While his accuracy and decision-making have drawn plenty of criticism, he has top-tier arm talent and could use a fresh start.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and veteran signal-caller Derek Carr (shoulder) announced his retirement shortly after. This leaves Shough as the favorite to win the QB1 job in his rookie season, though he is competing with sophomore Spencer Rattler. After a long college football career full of adversity, Shough is ready for the growing pains and downs of his first year in the NFL. "I think for me and what I've been through: I've been carted off the field, I've been booed, I've been an MVP, I've been a starter, I've been a backup to [Justin] Herbert," Shough said. "You're not going to faze me if we start off 0-2 or I suck. It's going to be fine." The former Oregon Duck, Texas Tech Red Raider, and Louisville Cardinal acknowledge that while he's an older first-year player, he's still a rookie who will have to learn. Even if Shough pans out, he likely won't be a fantasy football contributor in single-QB leagues this season since he does not have much of a rushing skill set. That said, he could be a QB2 sleeper for Superflex and two-QB leagues while throwing passes to Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Alvin Kamara, Juwan Johnson, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker was a fourth-round selection in last year's NFL Draft, but the North Carolina product only played in nine games and caught just one pass for 21 yards and a touchdown. Entering his sophomore campaign, the 24-year-old said he feels more comfortable and ready to play at full speed. Head coach John Harbaugh is optimistic about the speedster's future. "Every day, all he does is show up and go 100 miles an hour," Harbaugh said. "He's got a chance to be really good." While Walker figures to open the season as no better than the WR4 behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins, he could be worth a final-round dart throw in best ball formats based on the offseason praise. However, it would be a surprise if he's a consistent fantasy producer and worth rostering in 12-team setups.

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Arizona Cardinals rookie first-round defensive tackle Walker Nolen III has impressed coaches and teammates right away during OTAs and minicamp and looks the part while fitting into a veteran defensive line room from not only a physical perspective, but also while standing out on the field at practice, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "He has unbelievable lateral quickness. Very few players can go kind of backdoor and to come down the line and make a [tackle for loss]," veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell said. "He's one of those guys that has that unique ability where he has quickness. His quickness is different level, and he has good instincts." The 21-year-old 6-foot-4, 296-pounder had 14 tackles for loss and a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2024 at Ole Miss. Nolen won't be on the IDP fantasy radar in 2025, but he could be a key pass-rusher on the interior in Arizona before long.

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