Young talent is imperative for success in the NFL. Having young stars on rookie contracts allows teams some extra financial flexibility for roster construction, and if you do it right, it could lead to Super Bowls. But who are those best young players in the NFL?
Below, we will reveal our NFL Offensive All-Under-25 First and Second Teams. The only rule is that these players must be under 25 years old entering the 2024 NFL season -- that first full week of September. There are plenty of studs to discuss here, so let's go ahead and jump in.
First Team
QB: Brock Purdy (24)
Maybe Purdy isn't Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, but he is the best quarterback the San Francisco 49ers have had in some time, and even got to the Super Bowl in his first full season as a starter. In 2023, Purdy averaged the most yards per attempt in a season all time with 9.6, and set a franchise record with 4,280 passing yards.
For those who believe he's just a game manager, Purdy ranked second in air yards per completion last season (7.3), and led the NFL in completion percentage on throws with 20+ air yards (55%). The 49ers scored on 11 of 17 second-half drives in the playoffs last year (excluding kneel downs) en route to their Sin City showdown vs. Kansas City, and it's fair to believe Purdy will improve as he continues to grow into his own.
RB: Bijan Robinson (22)
Robinson set an Atlanta Falcons rookie record with 1,463 yards from scrimmage, and added eight total touchdowns. He also avoided 71 tackles in 2023, which ranked fifth in the NFL. At just 22 years old, Robinson's best football is obviously ahead of him, and it will be interesting to see how new Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson features him in this new scheme.
WR: Ja'Marr Chase (24)
Chase exploded onto the NFL scene with 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in his rookie season. While he hasn't met those numbers over his last two NFL seasons, he's crossed 1,000 receiving yards each year, and caught a career-high 100 passes for 1,216 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023 while quarterback Joe Burrow missed seven games due to injury. With another big year, Chase could become the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history next offseason.
WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown (24)
St. Brown used to be one of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL, but we can't call him underrated anymore after the contract he signed this offseason. The former No. 112 overall pick had a career year in 2023 despite having to deal with some injuries. St. Brown's 119 receptions tied for second in the NFL, his 1,515 receiving yards ranked third and his 10 receiving touchdowns tied for fourth. He recorded nine 100-yard receiving games last season, and is one of just five players to record 100 receptions in each of the past two seasons.
WR: Garrett Wilson (24)
Wilson became the first New York Jets player to cross 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, and he accomplished this while playing with six different quarterbacks. If Aaron Rodgers can stay healthy and bring some consistency to the quarterback position in New York, Wilson will explode in 2024.
TE: Sam LaPorta (23)
LaPorta set a rookie tight end record by catching 86 passes in his first NFL season, and turned those 86 receptions into 889 yards and 10 touchdowns -- which led all tight ends. It was undoubtedly one of the best rookie campaigns in NFL history, as Iowa continues to churn out stars at tight end. The Detroit Lions have plenty of weapons, but LaPorta quickly emerged into a trusted target of Jared Goff.
LT: Charles Cross (23)
Cross was selected with one of the picks acquired in the Russell Wilson trade, and he has started in all 31 games played over his first two NFL seasons. SI.com's Albert Breer wrote last month that Cross has looked great in training camp, and could ascend to an All-Pro level in 2024. At just 23 years old, he's going to improve.
LG: Tyler Smith (23)
The Dallas Cowboys star earned his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in 2023 playing at left guard. Smith earned a 74.4 overall PFF grade, and an 80.7 run-blocking grade. At just 23 years old, the former first-round pick out of Tulsa will be an important player on the Cowboys offensive front for years to come.
C: Tyler Linderbaum (24)
Linderbaum made the Pro Bowl last year after making the Pro Football Writers Association NFL All-Rookie Team in 2022. PFF actually ranked him as the No. 3 center in the NFL entering this season, pointing to his noticeable improvement in pass blocking in 2023. The former Iowa star also allowed zero sacks last season.
RG: O'Cyrus Torrence (24)
The second-round pick out of Florida in 2023 started at right guard immediately for the Buffalo Bills, and played well enough to earn a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. There were times where Torrence struggled in pass blocking, but I'm expecting a jump in 2024.
RT: Penei Sewell (23)
This one was easy, as Sewell is already one of the best tackles in the entire league. In 2023, he allowed the lowest pressure rate (3.0%) among tackles, earning Sewell his first All-Pro selection and second straight Pro Bowl bid. It's why Sewell signed a four-year, $112 million extension with Detroit this offseason.
Second Team
QB: C.J. Stroud (Texans)
RB: Breece Hall (Jets)
WR: Puka Nacua (Rams)
WR: Chris Olave (Saints)
WR: George Pickens (Steelers)
TE: Dalton Kincaid (Bills)
LT: Rasheed Walker (Packers)
LG: Zion Johnson (Chargers)
C: Steve Avila (Rams)
RG: Dylan Parham (Raiders)
RT: Darnell Wright (Bears)