During the NFL regular season, RotoWire.com – as part of our NFL betting analysis – looks at the Round 1 draft picks from the 2025 NFL Draft to determine the "rookie index" for which first-year players brought the most positive impact to their new team. We factored in player grades from Pro Football Focus, total fantasy points, total box score statistics for the individual, whether they were starting, Google Trends search interest score, and total volume of articles.
2025 NFL Round 1 Rookie Impact Rankings
Rank | Player (Team) | Score |
1 | Emeka Egbuka | 280 |
2 | Tyler Warren | 234 |
3 | Jaxson Dart | 228 |
4 | Ashton Jeanty | 213 |
5 | Cam Ward | 182 |
6 | Tetairoa McMillan | 178 |
7 | Omarion Hampton | 164 |
8 | Travis Hunter | 161 |
9 | Jihaad Campbell | 146 |
10 | Mason Graham | 139 |
(Indianapolis Colts)
(New York Giants)
(Tennessee Titans)
(Carolina Panthers)
(Los Angeles Chargers)
(Jacksonville Jaguars)
(Philadelphia Eagles)
(Cleveland Browns)This analysis comes from RotoWire.com, where the best sportsbook promo codes are available.
Which 2025 1st Rounders Have Made The Most Impact?
Among rookies who have shined brightest as first-round picks in 2025, Emeka Egbuka of the 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers leads the way through Week 8. Egbuka is seventh in the NFL in receiving yards (562), tied for sixth in yards per catch (16.5) and tied for eighth for TD receptions (five).
He has 280 points across the metrics used for this story. The 19th pick in this year's NFL Draft out of Ohio State ranks ahead of another former Big Ten star, Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (234 points) on our list. The former Penn State All-American has 492 yards on 37 catches with three scores for the 7-1 Colts in 2025.
Both Egbuka and Warren are helping their teams toward title contention about halfway through the season. At FanDuel Sportsbook, the Colts have +1100 odds to win the Super Bowl, seventh on the operator's board, and the Bucs are tied for 12th at +2700.
The top-ranked quarterback from this year's draft class is former Ole Miss signal caller Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants. Since taking over as the starter in Week 3, Dart has passed for 984 yards and eight touchdowns (to three interceptions) in seven games for the 2-6 Giants, good for 228 points in our metrics.
Former Boise State stud running back Ashton Jeanty (213 points) and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans (182 points) are next in line.
Jeanty, of the 
Las Vegas Raiders, has 445 yards and three touchdowns on 111 carries, averaging 4.0 yards per rush and setting the table in coach Pete Carroll's first season in Sin City.
Ward and the Titans have muddled through another forgettable year in the Music City. The former Miami, Washington State and Incarnate Word gunslinger has averaged 201.9 passing ypg through eight games.
Other Rookies of Note
Outside of the top five, Tetairoa McMillan of the Carolina Panthers (178 points), Omarion Hampton of the Los Angeles Chargers (164) and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars (161) are among the players that have done the most for their respective teams out of the gate as first-rounders.
The Panthers' rebound has been due in large part to McMillan, the former Arizona Wildcats' pass catcher, who has 37 receptions for 512 yards and two TDs. Hampton has 314 yards and two touchdowns on 66 carries for the 5-3 Chargers. Hunter has gained 298 yards on 28 catches as a receiver and added three pass deflections and 15 tackles at cornerback for Jacksonville this season.
The others in our top 10 for performance as a first-round pick are linebacker Jihaad Campbell of the Philadelphia Eagles (146 points) and defensive tackle Mason Graham of the Cleveland Browns (139).
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NFL Rookie Q&A
Q: What is RotoWire's Rookie Index?
A: A data-driven ranking of Round 1 rookies using RotoWire rankings, fantasy points, box scores, starting status, Google Trends, and media volume/sentiment (normalized and weighted).
Q: Who leads the rankings through Week 8?
A: Top 10: Emeka Egbuka (TB) 280; Tyler Warren (IND) 234; Jaxson Dart (NYG) 228; Ashton Jeanty (LVR) 213; Cam Ward (TEN) 182; Tetairoa McMillan (CAR) 178; Omarion Hampton (LAC) 164; Travis Hunter (JAX) 161; Jihaad Campbell (PHI) 146 and Mason Graham (CLE) 139.
Q: Which players are included in this scoring system?
A: Only picks from the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft were ranked against one another for this story. While there are other rookies making splashes so far this season, RotoWire.com wanted to see how the first-round picks were making an impact on their new teams.
