The NFL's top 25 players under 25 on offense are the present and future. These are the young studs of the league who will lift your team to Super Bowl glory alongside the vets.
I didn't include players recently selected in the 2024 NFL draft (with one exception), with all of these offensive players at or below 25 before the start of the 2024-25 NFL season:
1. Justin Jefferson, WR Minnesota Vikings
It doesn't matter who's throwing him the ball, Justin Jefferson will catch it. Entering his fifth season in the NFL, Jefferson averages 100 yards per game with 30 touchdowns across 60 contests. Even after missing half of last season with an injury, he enters the 2024 season as the best young player in football.
Despite the uncertain situation at QB in Minnesota, Jefferson is still tied for third in Offensive Player of the Year odds odds at +1000. That's a testament to just how talented the Vikings' receiver is.
2. CeeDee Lamb, WR Dallas Cowboys
Somehow, I think CeeDee Lamb has become underrated. He’s snagged over 1,100 yards and six touchdowns in each of the last three seasons, leading all of football in receptions last year.
Despite basically nobody else of impact catching balls from Dak Prescott last year, Lamb was able to fight off double-teams and out-duel every opposing top cornerback.
Lamb won’t have much help in the WR room this year, but I still expect a monster season. He’s one of my value picks in Offensive Player of the Year odds if he doesn't hold out!
3. CJ Stroud, QB Houston Texans
CJ Stroud might've won the NFL MVP as a rookie last season if he stayed healthy for two more games.
The Texans QB had the lowest interception rate and highest yards per game in football last year. Now, he's got Stefon Diggs sliding into the receiver room to help him out. I wouldn't be shocked if Stroud upset the household names and won NFL MVP at +1000 odds this year.
4. Penei Sewell, OL Detroit Lions
Sewell is an absolute beast. The Lions tackle earned an elite 90.7 PFF grade last season, played more snaps than any other offensive player in football, and still allowed just ONE sack on the year.
Sewell is the best tackle in football and he's still only 23.
5. Ja’Marr Chase, WR Cincinnati Bengals
It feels weird having Chase this low because he’s still a top-five receiver in the league. He’s been to three Pro Bowls and has over 1,000 yards in every season. But, he just he’s kind of been trending in the wrong direction.
Chase’s touchdowns have gone down in each of the last three years and his yards peaked in his rookie season. Maybe a full season of healthy Joe Burrow in 2024 will turn things back around and push him into the top tier again.
6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR Detroit Lions
I really thought about sliding St. Brown in above Chase, given what he did in 2023. But, it was still only one season.
The Lions got a steal in St. Brown in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, with the 24-year-old establishing himself as a legit WR1 last year. St. Brown caught 19 passes for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns for Detroit last season earning a first-team AP selection.
7. Jordan Love, QB Green Bay Packers
If Jordan Love's second half last year was any indication, he could follow in the Rodgers and Favre footsteps and win an MVP with Green Bay.
From weeks 10 to 18 last year, Love rocked a 70% completion rate and 18:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That's elite stuff.
8. Creed Humphrey, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
According to advanced metrics, Humphrey took a step back last year. But, he still only took eight penalties and allowed four sacks in 2024. And, the Chiefs center earned grades over 90 per PFF in the previous two seasons. He's an elite lineman.
9. Jaylen Waddle, WR Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Waddle has been forced to play second-fiddle to Tyreek Hill the last few seasons, but he's still one of the best young players in football.
He's certainly a tier below the other top receivers above, but his consistency in posting 1,000-yard seasons makes him probably the best WR2 in football.
10. Garrett Wilson, WR New York Jets
Garrett Wilson has caught over 2,100 yards and snagged seven touchdowns in his first two years in the NFL. That may seem pretty pedestrian, but when you consider he's done that while catching balls from Zach Wilson and Trevor Semian, it's far more impressive.
If Wilson gets a full season of Aaron Rodgers this year, I think he could make a jump into the Jefferson and Chase tier of this list. He's a sneaky Offensive Player of the Year bet at +2800.
11. Puka Nacua, WR Los Angeles Rams
In one year, Nacua went from unknown to stud WR1. In his rookie season, he snagged 1,500 yards and six touchdowns, dethroning Cooper Kupp in LA. If he posts that again this season, he'll cement himself as one of the best in the league. But, he has only done it once.
12. Sam LaPorta, TE Detroit Lions
Another Lion!? There's a reason Detroit is +140 favorites to win the NFC North. They're full of elite young talent and LaPorta is just one of many.
In his rookie campaign, he had 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. That's awfully similar to Travis Kelce's totals from his first two seasons in the league. We might be watching the next great TE emerge.
13. Tyler Linderbaum, C Baltimore Ravens
If the Ravens are going to win the AFC North this year (they're currently +145 favorites) they'll need the offensive line to hold up. One player there are no worries about is Linderbaum.
Linderbaum took a solid jump in year two last season, earning a 78.3 PFF grade and ranking out as the seventh-best center in the league.
14. Breece Hall, RB New York Jets
Opposing defenses loaded the box against the Jets last year, not worried about the pass at all. Even still, Breece Hall rushed for 1,000 yards and scored nine total touchdowns. He's a threat in both the passing and running game, and could be even better if Rodgers' return opens things up.
15. Brock Purdy, QB San Francisco 49ers
Purdy is probably the hardest player to rank on this list. How much of his 30-touchdown season and league-leading QBR, passer rating, and touchdown rate in 2023 were because of San Fran's system?
Even if he's just a 'system quarterback', Purdy is a damn good one — and one of the best young QBs in the NFL.
16. DeVonta Smith, WR Philadelphia Eagles
Smith's first three seasons in the NFL were pretty solid, averaging over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns per season. He could be even better this year, with new Philly OC Kellen Moore's offense bringing the best out of speedy slot guys like Smith.
17. Christian Darrisaw, OL Minnesota Vikings
Darrisaw graded out as PFF's seventh-best tackle last year, held up by one of the best pass-blocking grades in football.
If Justin Jefferson is going to win Offensive Player of the Year this season, he'll need Darrisaw to be elite at protecting whatever mediocre QB the Vikings throw out there.
18. Triston Wirfs, OL Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Triston Wirfs has been pretty consistent as Tampa's LT the past three years. He's rocked a PFF grade between 82 and 85 every year, never allowing more than five sacks. He's just a hair behind Darrisaw, but still a franchise LT.
19. Bijan Robinson, RB Atlanta Falcons
I'll admit this is a bit of a projection to the future, as Robinson ran for just 976 yards and had eight total touchdowns last year. That's solid, yes, but Falcons coach Raheem Morris has said Atlanta is going to use BRob a lot more this season. If he gets more touches, we could be looking at some great value in 2024 Offensive Player of the Year odds.
20. Chris Olave, WR New Orleans Saints
Olave has kind of been buried in a boring Saints offense, but he still caught 87 balls for 1,123 yards last year. That's more receiving yards than DeVonta Smith, Garrett Wilson, and Jaylen Waddle. He may not have the huge upside of other young WRs, with Derek Carr as his QB, but Olave is a solid top-25 receiver and only entering year three.
21. Trevor Lawrence, QB Jacksonville Jaguars
After a huge jump from 2021 to 2022, Lawrence took a bit of a step back last year. His Jags went only 8-8, the QB's touchdowns went down, and interceptions went way up. Lawrence was a sexy NFL MVP value pick last year but didn't end up receiving a single vote.
He'll need to right the ship in 2024 to maintain hope of reaching the immense upside he had on draft day in 2021.
22. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Detroit Lions
With another hamstring injury and concerns about his ACL, Gibbs hasn't had a good time this preseason. But, the young rusher still flashed enough in 15 games last year (945 rushing yards, 11 TDs) to earn a spot on this list.
23. Tyler Smith, OL Dallas Cowboys
In his second season in the NFL, Smith allowed just one sack and earned All-Pro status at left guard. He ranked out as PFF's No. 4 guard, allowing just 17 QB pressures all season. I've got questions about Dallas' OL this year (leading me to hammer the UNDER 10.5 on their win total), but Smith is not a concern.
24. Trey McBride, TE Arizona Cardinals
In his second NFL season, McBride quietly became a top-five tight end in football. Despite the rotating roster of Cards QBs, the Colorado State product caught 81 passes for 825 yards and three touchdowns. That's just 12 fewer receptions and 150 fewer yards than Travis Kelce, for context. He's sneakily one of the best young pass-catchers in football.
25. Caleb Williams, QB Chicago Bears
Williams is the runaway Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite at +140, so I had to include him on this list.
Everything we've seen from Hard Knocks, preseason games, and training camp has been solid on Williams. But, he still hasn't played a meaningful game in the NFL. The real question is how high will he be on this list next year?
Honorable mentions: WR Nico Collins, TE Kyle Pitts, RB De'Von Achane
