How often do NFL rookies start? Potential rookie starters for top NFC teams

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Inside: How often do rookies start? Which rookies are Week 1 starters? That, plus the current downfall of former Texas QB Quinn Ewers and an update on fifth-year options. Let’s go.

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How often do rookies start?

Do rookies start more than sophomores? What percentage of starters are rookies? I had questions, so I did some digging. Here’s what the numbers say (all stats per TruMedia):

• 87.5 percent of the 257 rookies drafted in 2024 played at least one snap last season. Only 10.7 percent of last season’s UDFAs saw the field.
• About eight rookies played for each team at some point last season, a number that appears consistent across the past five years.

Seeing the field is one thing. Starting is another. About 50 percent of those rookies started at least once last year (149), a number that’s been consistent for a few years now:

• 2023: 134 rookie starters
• 2022: 151
• 2021: 152

That suggests roughly 150 drafted rookies will start at some point this season, about four or five per team. Each season, about 1,400 players start games. If you’re a math major, Will Hunting or close to a calculator, you might be thinking, “Nearly 11 percent of all starters are rookies? That feels high. How does that compare to veterans?”

What a coincidence. I thought that too! Great minds, right?

Here’s a chart showing the breakdown of 2024’s 1,418 different starters by experience level — excluding UDFAs, though I have a separate note on them below:

You might’ve noticed that:

1. The curve is quite linear, without a steep drop at any particular point, suggesting the NFL is less ageist than most suspect.
2. But the benefits of four-year rookie contracts exist. Nearly half of the league’s starters were rookie-contract players.
3. The most surprising number isn’t on the chart. It’s the 15.2 percent of 2024 starters who were undrafted free agents from any year, a combined number greater than any individual experience level. We should all get familiar with the best UDFAs of 2025.

I also wondered this: How many of those rookies were immediate starters? Let’s look at the past four years of Week 1 rookie starters:

• 2024: 33 starters, led by four Giants (Malik Nabers, Theo Johnson, Tyler Nubin, Darius Muasau)
• 2023: 38 starters, with three Rams (Puka Nacua, Byron Young, Steve Avila)
• 2022: 42 starters, including three Bears (Braxton Jones, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker)
• 2021: 47 starters, led by six (!!) Jets (Zach Wilson, Elijah Moore and more)

It’s mildly surprising to see that number having declined, considering college prospects seem to be entering the league at more experienced ages, thanks to NIL money. Regardless, this gives us a good baseline: Probably about 40 rookies will be in their respective starting lineups in Week 1. 

That works out to an average of one or two rookies per team. Who might that be this year?

Which rookies start Week 1 for top NFC teams?

After The Athletic’s beat reporters published their updated depth charts and takeaways following the draft, I wanted to know which rookies are expected to start from day one.

Listed in the order of our post-draft team Power Rankings, we’re starting with the top NFC teams today. (Click each team name for a full write-up by our expert on that franchise.)

Tier 1: Contending teams

Eagles: If healthy — he’s still recovering from post-combine surgery — first-round LB Jihaad Campbell is talented enough to play off-ball linebacker or edge rusher and improve Vic Fangio’s defense right away. Yes, improve! Scary.

Lions: If starters stay healthy, a seemingly big if in Detroit, don’t expect any Week 1 rookies to start. WR Isaac TeSlaa, whom GM Brad Holmes said was his favorite receiver in the class, and first-round DT Tyleik Williams should earn regular snaps.

Commanders: They’ll hope first-rounder Josh Conerly Jr. wins the starting right tackle job, which he should, while CB Trey Amos could start opposite Marshon Lattimore.

Packers: Matthew Golden, the only first-round receiver drafted by Green Bay since LeBron James entered the NBA, could win the No. 1 role before long. If he holds onto the ball, he’ll be ok — after all, he’s competing with Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Drop city!

Rams: After winning the 2024 draft, their biggest news this year was Sean McVay & Co. grabbing the Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick. Every rookie here is an expected backup for now.

Tier 2: Playoffs or bust

Buccaneers: WR Emeka Egbuka is behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and maybe Jalen McMillan for now, while CB Benjamin Morrison should compete for reps. None of their rookies are projected starters, but our Ted Nguyen loves the Egbuka fit.

Cowboys: Despite failing to address their receiver room for now (I’ve seen the rumors that Amari Cooper may return), Dallas’ consistent drafting success continued in 2025. RG Tyler Booker and CB Shavon Revel Jr. should see immediate starting snaps, with edge Donovan Ezeiruaku rotating in.

Seahawks: The third-best draft, per Dane Brugler’s rankings, left Seattle with one surefire starter in LG Grey Zabel, a flexible defensive piece in S Nick Emmanwori and rotational talent in QB Jalen Milroe, TE Elijah Arroyo and DT Rylie Mills.

The costly 2024 of Quinn Ewers 

As the dust settled on the 2025 draft, I spent time thinking about which aspect of the Quinn Ewers slide was worse.

That the QB had been a potential top-10 pick in 2024? That he fell to the seventh despite a third-round projection? Or that he landed with the Dolphins, who already have Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson, young quarterbacks drafted as top-five picks?

Was it that the 22-year-old Ewers’ final year at Texas had been clouded by the phenomenon of teammate Arch Manning, potential 2026 or 2027 first-rounder? That Ewers still could’ve entered the transfer portal, improved his draft stock and maybe even made four times as much money in 2025 alone?

The fall of Ewers might seem less significant when compared to Shedeur Sanders, his more famous peer. But for as far as Sanders fell, the velocity of his descent pales when compared to that of Ewers, whose initial potential far eclipsed even Sanders’ greatest heights. 

It was only four years ago when Ewers received a perfect rating in 247Sports’ recruiting rankings. As the No. 1 recruit in the 2021 class, Ewers was ahead of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy.

His surprising slide was the result of a solid but unspectacular college career, one that never lived up to the hype. The Athletic’s Chris Vannini and Sam Khan, who covered Ewers during his time at Texas, shared an insightful back-and-forth on the situation. Sam touched on the three reasons Ewers fell:

• He suffered injuries in all three years at Texas.
• His deep-ball accuracy left a lot to be desired.
• His pocket awareness was questionable at times.

There are still plenty of positives about the Dolphins’ third-string QB. (And, as our college football newsletter discussed, him playing more college football could’ve been an awkward experience amid Arch-mania.) Ewers has arm strength, a lightning-fast release and soft touch, plus the resilience built up over the last few years. If Tagovailoa misses time, keep an eye out.

Fifth-Year Options: Brief

The deadline for teams to exercise fifth-year options on players drafted in the first round of the 2022 draft is today, May 1. Some FAQs:

Who is it used on? Teams are given fifth-year options on first-round rookies, which they can choose to exercise prior to each player’s fourth year. This allows the team to keep said player for one additional year without agreeing to an extension. It’s not available to players drafted in any other round.

How does it work? The salary paid during that one-year option is calculated based on the player’s position, snap count and Pro Bowls. OverTheCap has a full explainer here.

Who got extended? Almost everyone you’d expect, from DE Travon Walker to DB Dax Hill. What’s more interesting is who got declined:

• Giants No. 7 pick OT Evan Neal
• Saints No. 19 pick OT Trevor Penning
• Ravens No. 25 pick C Tyler Linderbaum, a two-time Pro Bowler who should get a cheaper extension instead 👀

We’ve got a full list for you here, which offers a helpful reminder about the difficulty of drafting well.

Yesterday’s most-clicked: Our roundtable on Mel Kiper Jr.’s Shedeur Sanders rant.

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(Photo: Nick Laham / Getty Images)

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