NFL rookie watch: Five non-first round players to make noise after minicamp
Rookie minicamps are complete, and the NFL released its regular season schedule. Teams are now beginning organized team activities (OTAs).
The NFL calendar is always fluid, meaning players will always make some sort of noise over the course of the offseason. Several rookies have already made good early impressions on their respective teams.
After being selected No. 1 overall, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward seems like a lock to be their Day 1 starter. Jacksonville Jaguars budding star Travis Hunter is poised to play both offense and defense.
While Ward and Hunter are two of the league's marquee rookies, there some first-year players who weren't selected in the first round creating plenty of buzz.
Which non first-round rookies have stood out thus far this offseason? Paste BN Sports identifies five rookies who are making waves after rookie minicamp:
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough
Derek Carr's retirement propelled Shough into the spotlight in New Orleans. Shough now finds himself in a three-way competition for the Saints starting quarterback job with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. However, Shough is the favorite to win the job.
“Thought he’s done an excellent job. For these quarterbacks, a lot of times really what you care about is how you command the huddle, the whole operation when they come in here,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said of Shough this offseason. “This is a new system, a new language and all those things associated with it. He hoped in here and really done an excellent job of taking control of it.”
At 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds, Shough has the prototypical quarterback build. He’s good at going through his progressions and has a capable arm.
Shough spent seven years in college. He turns 26 in September. But his experience in college should bode well for him as he transitions to the NFL game.
Baltimore Ravens edge Mike Green
The Ravens' pass rush win rate ranked 29th in the NFL in 2024, per ESPN. Veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy was drinking out of the fountain of youth last season when he led the team with a career-high 12.5 sacks. The Ravens can’t rely on the now 34-year-old veteran to replicate that type of production.
Green is a young, athletic and a relentless edge rusher who could immediately contribute in Baltimore. Green led the FBS in sacks his final year at Marshall.
“He’s a relentless player,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Green. “He comes off the ball, he’s very physical and he does not stop playing until the final whistle. He’s physical, he’s aggressive. He plays the kind of football that we like to play.”
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders
There might not be a rookie with a bigger chip on their shoulder than Sanders after he fell to the fifth round. Sanders was projected at worst to be a second-round pick in many mock drafts.
Sanders hasn’t let his shocking draft slide shake his confidence.
“My job here isn’t to prove people wrong,” Sanders said to the media at Browns rookie minicamp. “I prove myself right. I fully have self-belief.”
Sanders faces unimposing competition at quarterback in Cleveland in Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Deshaun Watson, who’s expected to miss the 2025 season.
The Browns aren’t going to just hand Sanders the keys to the car. He’s received backup reps thus far. But if he proves himself right along with a plethora of others, he’ll win the Browns starting QB job.
The Browns have endured 40 starting quarterbacks since 1999, the most in the NFL during that span. Sanders already receives an inordinate amount of media attention. It’ll be movie-script worthy if he puts an end to Cleveland’s quarterback quandary.
Atlanta Falcons safety Xavier Watts
The Falcons selected four defensive players in their five-member draft class. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. are the high-profile first-round picks as the team attempts to upgrade a poor pass rush. But Watts is figured to have an early impact as well. The Falcons allowed 34 passing touchdowns, the second highest mark in the NFL last year.
Atlanta parted ways with veteran safety Justin Simmons in free agency. Watts is in line to replace Simmons. The Notre Dame product is a versatile safety with good instincts. He should pair well with two-time All-Pro safety Jessie Bates.
“High-end instincts, a former receiver (and) ballhawk,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said. “This guy is a stud.”
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Tre Harris
The Chargers were hoping Harris was still on the board when they were on the clock in the second round. They got a little nervous when Harris’ college teammate Jaxson Dart was drafted No. 25 overall in the first round.
"It was funny because they kept showing Jaxson Dart highlights. I'm like, 'Oh my God, he's in every one of these highlights, you know, like, 'Stop showing Jaxson Dart highlights,'" Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said to the media after selecting Harris in the second round.
Los Angeles struggled passing the football in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as Justin Herbert averaged a career-low in passing yards per game. Harris has an opportunity to immediate contribute. He’s a traditional X receiver but can play at the Z spot. He lined up out wide on 326 of his 366 total snaps during his final season at Ole Miss. He’s one of just 11 receivers in Ole Miss history to surpass 2,000-yards despite appearing in only 20 games.
Follow Paste BN Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.