It’s one thing to survive a rookie season. It’s another to use it as a springboard.
That’s the idea behind this group of 2025 first-rounders, a five-man list of sophomore candidates who could make a serious leap in 2026. None of them finished in the top five for Offensive or Defensive Rookie of the Year, and none made the Pro Bowl, but each one flashed enough to hint at something bigger ahead.
At the top of the list is Cam Ward, and the setup around him finally looks a lot more workable. The No. 1 overall pick threw for 3,169 yards with 15 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions in 17 games, but his rookie development was held back by a bad team and a lack of organizational support.
Now the Tennessee Titans have a veteran coaching staff and better talent around him. New offensive coordinator Brian Daboll drew plenty of praise for his work with Josh Allen, and the Titans added Carnell Tate with the fourth pick in the 2026 draft and signed Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency.
Ward appears to have what he needs to take a major step.
Omarion Hampton comes next, and the path for him is just as clear. The Los Angeles Chargers running back put up 545 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns in 9 games before a season-ending ankle injury ended his rookie year.
The offensive line didn’t exactly help, either, after ranking second-worst in the league in run blocking. Now the Chargers presumably have a healthier front and a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel.
The only real question is whether Hampton becomes the feature back or if McDaniel leans on the hot hand. Hampton looks too talented to keep from getting most of the carries.
Travis Hunter remains one of the league’s most fascinating young players, even after a knee injury cut his rookie season short. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ No. 2 overall pick caught 28 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown in 7 games, with most of his early work coming on offense.
In year two, he’s expected to spend more time on defense. If Hunter develops into a top corner, that changes the equation for Jacksonville.
The Jaguars can still use him on offense in small doses, but doing both full-time in the NFL is a heavy lift.
Josh Simmons also has a chance to become much more important for his team after an uneven rookie year. Drafted 32nd overall by the Kansas City Chiefs, the tackle allowed just 2 sacks and 18 pressures in 8 games, but he missed nine contests, including four for what the team called a family situation.
His talent was never in question, and he slid in the 2025 draft because of injury concerns. With Patrick Mahomes back from a season-ending knee injury, Simmons’ job at left tackle matters even more.
He added bulk in the offseason, saying he’s around 285-290 pounds now and hopes to reach 300 for Week 1.
Jihaad Campbell rounds out the group, and the Philadelphia Eagles may already have their answer at linebacker after Nakobe Dean left in free agency for the Las Vegas Raiders. Campbell, the 31st overall pick, played in 17 games and finished with 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception, starting 10 times along the way.
His athleticism gives Vic Fangio another versatile piece on defense, and that kind of range is hard to find at linebacker. The encouraging part is that PFF ranked Campbell 15th among 88 qualified linebackers.
In Other News...
Titans Injury Wave Puts Early Pressure On Their Young Offense
The Titans are already dealing with an early-season squeeze on their young offense, and the injury report has only made the margin for error thinner. Tennessee has lost Jaren Kanak and Jaylen Harrell for the season, while backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and first-round pick Carnell Tate both showed up on the injury report before being expected to come through fine.
With Tony Pollard working back from a sore foot, the running back room had enough uncertainty that Tennessee moved to add DErnest Johnson for depth. The hope is that the current wave of injuries stops short of becoming a longer-term problem, but for a team trying to settle in around inexperienced playmakers, every missed practice has felt like another test of just how quickly this offense can steady itself. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Rookie Is Making Tennessees New O-Line Battle Very Real
The Titans search for answers along the interior of the offensive line has already gotten interesting in camp, and Fernando Carmona has been right in the middle of it. The rookie fifth-round pick has moved from the edge to the middle before, handling both left tackle and guard in college, and his first preseason appearance came at right guard, where he gave Tennessee another look at a spot that is far from settled.
Head coach Robert Saleh has noticed the way Carmona has attacked the opportunity, and the rookie has also pointed to the daily reps against defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons as part of his growth. With another preseason start apparently on deck, Carmona is doing more than simply filling a practice rep. He is making the Titans keep a close eye on a battle they may have hoped would sort itself out a little more quietly. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Defense Suddenly Has A Chance To Be The NFLs Best
The Titans were part of the same offseason conversation as a handful of other defenses that could take a real step forward in 2026-27, thanks to coaching changes, draft capital and a busy run of personnel additions. For Tennessee, the appeal was straightforward: more speed off the edge, more disruption up front and a clearer sense that the defense could look far different by the time the season arrives.
Robert Salehs arrival has already changed the tone around the unit, and the Titans did not stop with a single fix in one area. They added another premium pass-rush piece with their second first-round pick, the kind of move that can reshape a front if the player hits as expected. The bigger question now is how quickly all those changes come together, and whether Tennessee can turn a promising collection of moves into something more than just offseason optimism. [Read more 🡒]