NFL’s most underrated players at each position, plus Bengals drama continues on team’s final day of minicamp

It has been a busy week around the NFL with 25 different teams going through mandatory minicamp. Most of those teams will be going through their final day of camp today, so now seems like a good time to take a look at our top minicamp takeaways from around the league. 

Here are some of the storylines that Tyler Sullivan has been tracking over the past 24 hours: 

• Steelers are going to be more pass-heavy in 2025 “Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has a reputation of being a bit more conservative, and that was backed up last year with Pittsburgh running the ball the fourth-most in 2024. However, that seems like it’s going to change in 2025 to lean towards a more pass-heavy approach, especially after signing Aaron Rodgers and trading for DK Metcalf this offseason. On Wednesday, Smith said as much, telling reporters that “We didn’t bring Aaron in here and sign DK for all that money to go run the wishbone.”
• Nick Chubb is ready to roll in Houston. “The newest member of the Houston Texans backfield believes he’s on the verge of a rebound following some injury-filled seasons the past few years. “That’s all behind me. Injuries happen,” he told reporters on Wednesday, via NFL.com. “With what I did, it takes about two years to really get back. So, I’m over the hump. Now, I’m feeling as good as I have been in a long time.” 
• Breece Hall brushes off trade rumors. “The Jets running back was very aware of the offseason trade rumors, but conversations with new head coach Aaron Glenn eased concerns about a potential departure. ‘I was seeing it just like everybody else was,” Hall said, via Fox Sports. ‘It didn’t happen. I’m here. [Aaron Glenn] called me and told me he wanted me to be here. For me, that meant a lot. Like I said, I’m here. I’m here to work, to do my job, and prove to them that I deserve to be here.'”

We’ve got more minicamp takeaways, and you can check those out here.  

2. Kirk Cousins landing spots: QB breaks his silence at mandatory minicamp

Kirk Cousins wasn’t at OTAs this spring, but he did show up for mandatory minicamp during which he gave his first interview of the offseason. Cousins definitely isn’t happy about the fact that he’s headed into the season as the Falcons backup QB, but it sounds like he’s ready to trudge forward. 

• What Cousins said. “We’re moving forward, and it’s about how we as a team and as a quarterback room can be the best we can be in 2025.”

That sounds like a guy who’s a team player, but it also sounds like a guy who would willingly leave Atlanta in an instant if a starting job came open. So is there any team that actually needs Cousins right now? That’s a great question, and Cody Benjamin attempted to answer it by looking at several landing spots for the veteran quarterback. 

1. Saints. “After Derek Carr’s abrupt retirement, Moore doesn’t really have a proven point guard for a lineup of veteran playmakers. Should Cousins be cut by the Falcons, it’s hard to envision a better opportunity; he’d get a crack at playing Atlanta twice in the NFC South, and his entry wouldn’t necessarily prevent Shough from taking over in the long run.”

2. Texans. “The Texans insist C.J. Stroud’s absence from practice at initial organized team activities (OTAs) is nothing to be concerned about, attributing the quarterback’s limitations to general shoulder soreness. That may be true. We’ve also seen plenty of teams downplay offseason ailments over the years, only to crumble as a result of them later. Shoulder soreness for a quarterback? That’s not ideal. Especially with Stroud coming off a sophomore slump of a 2024 season. Cousins would have to accept an initial backup role in Houston, but the Texans could use better insurance.”

3. Falcons. “It’s the boring answer, but honestly, Cousins’ current options are slim.”

You can check out Benjamin’s full explanation for each landing spot here.

3. Most underrated players at each position

For some reason, people love to talk about overrated players, but you rarely ever hear anyone talk about underrated players, so we thought we would put an end to that today by going around the NFL and taking a look at the most underrated player at each position. 

Being underrated is underrated and no one knows that better than Jared Dubin, so we had him put this list together.

• Most underrated QB: Matthew Stafford. “It’s easy to forget what Stafford can do when he’s afforded even remotely good protection in the pocket and capable wide receivers. … Even in his late 30s, Stafford can still sling it with the best of them.”
• Most underrated WR: Chris Godwin. “Godwin racked up 50 catches for 576 yards and five scores in just seven games in 2024, which works out to a full-season pace of 121-1399-12. He remains one of the most effective slot receivers in the NFL, but he also provides much more than what you imagine a typical slot man does.”
• Most underrated TE: Isaiah Likely. “If Likely weren’t on the same team as Mark Andrews, it’s likely that he wouldn’t be on this list. He’s never played more than 60% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps in any of his three seasons, yet he still has been a significant contributor to the passing game in each of those seasons.”

If you want to check out Dubin’s full list of underrated players, we’ve got that here.   

4. Rookies picked after Round 1 who could be key contributors in 2025

For the most part, when a team takes a player in the first round of the draft, they expect that player to be a key contributor during their rookie year. Players taken after the opening round don’t necessarily have that same kind of pressure, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a key contributor. 

With that in mind, we decided to take a look at few rookies around the NFL who could come up big for their team this year. Let’s take a look at the list: 

• Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue — Round 5 (No. 149 overall). “Last season, 13 of Blue’s 135 carries went for over 10 yards, and his 365 yards receiving make him an asset in space in the screen game. … Look for Blue to be a splash-play specialist in Year 1.”
• Vikings WR Tai Felton — Round 3 (No. 102 overall). “Yes, Justin Jefferson is the man. In my view, the best receiver in the NFL. Jordan Addison is no slouch at WR2. The Vikings needed a long-term answer at WR3, and they got it with Felton.”
• 49ers DL CJ West — Round 4 (No. 113 overall). “The 49ers don’t have a primary interior rusher who can stay on the field for three downs and routinely win. Well, they didn’t. They do now with West, whom they stole in the fourth round.”

This was actually one of the final stories that Chris Trapasso wrote for us here at CBS Sports, so I wanted to make sure we got it in today’s newsletter. Everyone should make sure to check out his full story here.  

5. Five teams that are probably looking forward to summer break

One week from today, all 32 NFL teams will be on their summer break. For some teams, that break can’t come soon enough. Jordan Dajani decided to take a look at several teams who have had a rough offseason and because of that, they’re probably looking forward to their summer off. 

Here are the top three teams on Jordan’s list: 

• Saints. “The headline of the Saints’ offseason was the retirement of quarterback Derek Carr. To replace Carr, New Orleans selected former Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough with the No. 40 overall pick. Shough possesses legitimate arm talent and is uber competitive, but he will turn 26 years old early in his rookie season, and has dealt with numerous serious injuries such as a broken collarbone and broken fibula. Is he really the answer for New Orleans?”
• 49ers. “No team lost more talent, as safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, offensive guard Aaron Banks, cornerback Charvarius Ward, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, pass rusher Leonard Floyd, defensive tackle Maliek Collins and running back Elijah Mitchell are now playing for new franchises. The 49ers also traded away versatile offensive weapon Deebo Samuel and running back Jordan Mason.”
• Browns. “There’s not much reason to be optimistic about Cleveland moving forward. The offensive line is still a question mark and Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has already been ruled out for the season.”

You can see Dajani’s full list of unfortunate teams here. 

6. Extra points: Bengals first-round pick leaves minicamp early

This is always a busy time in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that’s happening, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. 

• Shemar Stewart leaves minicamp early. The ongoing drama between the Bengals and Stewart took another bizarre turn on Thursday after the rookie left minicamp early. Stewart still hasn’t signed his rookie contract and that’s mostly because the Bengals are trying to insert language into the deal that could possibly void his guarantees and Stewart doesn’t want that. In the grand scheme of things, Stewart only left minicamp a few hours early, but it’s another PR disaster for the Bengals. We took a closer look at the situation and you can check that out here. 
• Raiders sign Germain Pratt. Speaking of the Bengals, they cut Pratt earlier this week and he’s now headed for Las Vegas after signing a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Raiders. Pratt, who was a team captain, led Cincinnati in tackles in last season, but was let go after the Bengals drafted two linebackers in April. 
• Saquon Barkley backtracks on retirement talk. Last month, the Eagles running back hinted that he might end up retiring early, but that no longer seems to be the case. Barkley said this week that he’s entering his “prime” and that he definitely plans to play several more years. You can read his full comments here. 
• Cowboys documentary on Netflix. Jerry Jones is getting a documentary. On Aug. 19, Netflix will be releasing America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys. Here’s a brief description from the streaming company, “Through first-hand interviews and never-before-seen footage, this series unravels the dramatic twists and turns on the road to the Cowboys becoming the most valuable sports franchise in the world.”
• Jimmie Ward arrested. The Texans safety was arrested on Thursday morning on a felony charge of family violence, according to the Houston Chronicle. Ward has been with the Texans since 2023 and has started 20 games over the past two seasons. 

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Author: John Breech
June 12, 2025 | 1:15 pm

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