Potential NFC under-the-radar stars in 2025: One player from each team who could make a surprising impact

NFL players who sign one-year, prove-it deals for under $10 million typically aren’t viewed as future impact players. 

However, inside linebacker Zack Baun went from being a former third-round pick the New Orleans Saints let walk in free agency to a 2024 first-team All-Pro, Defensive Player of the Year finalist and Super Bowl LIX champion with the Philadelphia Eagles. He even joined Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks (2000) and San Francisco 49ers All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman as the only players in the 21st Century to register 150 or more tackles and six or more forced fumbles in a season, including the postseason, per CBS Sports Research. As a result, Baun signed a three-year, $51 million contract with Philadelphia that included $34 million fully guaranteed this offseason. 

There may not be specific NFL players who will mimic Baun’s trajectory with a first-team All-Pro finish, but there certainly are unheralded players who could become impact contributors for their respective squads in the coming season. So who could be next to make a somewhat similar rise for each NFC team in 2025? Let’s take a look. 

Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride and 2024 fourth overall pick wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. get the spotlight with the Arizona Cardinals, but 2023 third-round pick wide receiver Michael Wilson could be on the verge of a breakout in 2025. He was third on the team in targets (71), catches (47) and receiving yards (548) in 2024, but quarterback Kyler Murray thinks Wilson has the ability to be a 1,000-yard receiver. 

“Mike [Wilson] is a 1,000-yard receiver. I truly believe Mike can have 1,000 yards and be very comparable to the guys we see doing it year in and year out,” Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said on April 9, via PHNX Cardinals podcast. “It’s all about opportunities, staying healthy and the connection we have on the field, but … he’s got it. He can play receiver.” 

Given that kind of belief from his quarterback, Wilson could make a huge leap in the coming season. 

The Falcons desperately need help rushing the passer. Their 31 sacks in 2024 were the second-fewest in the NFL, and since the 2019 season, Atlanta’s 169 team sacks are the fewest in the league and 30 less than any other team. That’s why the Falcons drafted two edge rushers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft in Georgia’s Jalon Walker and Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. 

However, 10-year veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd, who signed with Atlanta on a one-year, $10 million deal in free agency, could make a massive difference both on and off the field. He is one of four players with at least eight sacks in every season of the 2020s joining Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett, New York Giants Pro Bowler Brian Burns and Cincinnati Bengals 2024 NFL sacks leader Trey Hendrickson. Floyd was also a Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2021 season, and he could have a major impact in helping mold both Walker and Pearce. 

The Falcons haven’t had a player hit double-digit sacks in a season since Vic Beasley in 2016, the longest active drought in the NFL, but Floyd could potentially be the one to break that dry spell. 

S Tre’von Moehrig

The Carolina Panthers 2024 defense was one of the worst the NFL has seen in a long time, ranking last in nearly every key defensive metric. The unit also became the first in NFL history to allow over 3,000 yards rushing (3,057) and 35 or more passing touchdowns (35) in a single season. 

* Worst by team since 1987 Falcons

That’s why the addition of safety Tre’von Moehrig, who the Panthers signed to a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency this offseason, could be huge for Carolina. Pro Football Focus grades him as the NFL’s sixth-best safety against the run (87.5 PFF run defense grade) as he is fresh off posting career highs in both tackles (104) and tackles for loss (five) in 2024. Moehrig, who will turn 26 years old on June 16, is also incredibly durable as evidenced by playing in 66 of a 68 possible games in four seasons and leading the Raiders in defensive snaps played (4,066) since he was drafted in 2021. Moehrig’s presence could help tighten up a leaky Panthers secondary in 2025, which could pay dividends. 

It’s hard for any quarterback to get in rhythm when they can’t get comfortable in the pocket. That was certainly the case for Chicago Bears 2024 first overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams during his rookie season: he was sacked 68 times, tied for the third-most in a single season. Having a center who can steady an offensive line and help make sure everyone is on the same page is critical. That’s why the Bears stole Drew Dalman from the Atlanta Falcons on a three-year, $42 million deal in free agency. Pro Football Focus assigned him the fourth-highest offensive grade (78.8) in the NFL among centers last season. His presence along the Chicago Bears offensive line could make a massive difference for Williams in 2025. 

EDGE Dante Fowler Jr. 

Dallas lost its longest-tenured defensive player this offseason with four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence signing with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. The Cowboys replaced him with a former Dallas teammate in 10-year veteran Dante Fowler Jr., who played a season as a Cowboy in 2023. He followed former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Washington in 2024, and he led the NFC runner-up Commanders with 10.5 sacks. 

Fowler could thrive in 2025 playing opposite All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons. He was in a more rotational role in his first tour of duty in Dallas, but Fowler could thrive once again in 2025 and perhaps post another double-digit sack season with Dallas.

The Detroit Lions 2024 first-round was a Week 1 starter as rookie, but he had an up-and-down first year. His 71.2 passer rating against as the primary defender in coverage of 71.2 ranked 49th among 148 players with at least 50 passes thrown their way last season, per TruMedia. Penalties were also an issue: Arnold’s 11 accepted penalties against him were tied for the most in the NFL among defensive backs. 

He also didn’t have any interceptions in 2024 after co-leading the SEC with five in his last year at Alabama in 2023. Should Arnold start taking the football away and play a cleaner brand of coverage, he could be a star for the Lions in 2025. 

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft, a 2023 third-round pick out of South Dakota State, took a leap in his second in 2024, but he could take an even bigger jump to becoming a Pro Bowl tight end in 2025. Kraft was the fourth-most targeted Packer last season, but he ended up second on the team in both catches (50) and receiving yards (707) while leading Green Bay in touchdown catches (seven). 

With more targets and a healthier season from quarterback Jordan Love, Kraft could become a household name in the NFL in 2025. 

Los Angeles Rams guard Steve Avila, a 2023 second-round pick out of TCU, looked like he was on the path toward stardom after a stellar rookie year: he was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team. However, his 2024 campaign got derailed by injury in Week 1. Avila underwent surgery to repair an MCL tear in his knee, which caused him to miss seven games last season. With another healthy season working under coach Sean McVay, Avila could return toward reaching his Pro Bowl trajectory. 

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave was once considered one of the better players at his position in the entire NFL. He registered two Pro Bowl selections in a three-year span from 2021 to 2023, a stretch that also included reaching the Super Bowl in 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles. The San Francisco 49ers rewarded him nicely for his production in the 2023 offseason by signing him to a four-year, $84 million contract, but after he suffered a torn triceps injury that ended his 2024 season after three games, they kicked him to the curb. 

Minnesota signed Hargrave to a two-year, $30 million contract with $19 million fully guaranteed this offseason, and if he can bounce back to perform at his level from a couple of years ago, Hargrave could be a star once again in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme. 

Edge rusher Chase Young was once on the path to stardom with Washington after totaling 7.5 sacks en route to winning 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. However, a torn ACL in 2021 threw him off track. He’s since bounced around to two other teams: the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints. 

The Saints feel like he could be close to really breaking through in 2025 after re-signing him to a three-year, $51 million deal in free agency with $33 million in total guarantees. That deal comes on the heels of Young producing 21 quarterback hits in 2024, a new career high. He’s still just 26 years old, and he could take a leap toward stardom for New Orleans in 2025. 

New York Giants 2023 third-round pick wide receiver Jalin Hyatt left college football as the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner, which goes to college football’s top wide receiver. However, the speedster’s NFL career has been lackluster through two seasons: Hyatt has caught just 31 passes for 435 yards, and he has yet to score a receiving touchdown. 

Things could be different for Hyatt in Year 3 though with the Giants moving on from Daniel Jones and bringing in three quarterbacks who love to throw deep: 10-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson, one-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jameis Winston and 2025 25th overall pick Jaxson Dart, who led college football in yards per pass attempt (10.8) in 2024. Yes, OTAs are noncontact, but Hyatt appears to be building a nice early rapport with Wilson, who is slated to begin 2025 as the Giants starting quarterback. If New York can actually find consistency throwing deep now that Jones is gone, then perhaps Hyatt could take a major leap. 

Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith, the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, got off to a slow start to his NFL career, registering just one sack and no starts as a rookie. In 2024, he started 10 of the 16 games he played and produced 6.5 sacks. Smith then flashed in the 2024 playoffs, co-leading the league in sacks (4.0) while ranking second in quarterback pressures (19) behind only Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (22).

Following edge rusher Josh Sweat’s departure to the Arizona Cardinals and edge rusher Brandon Graham’s retirement, Smith is an unquestioned starter for the first time entering his third NFL season. He now has a chance to transform from a player with tantalizing potential to a real star in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme in 2025. 

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, didn’t have a chance to hit the ground running as a rookie after being shot in an armed robbery attempt in San Francisco just before the start of the 2024 season. He worked his way into making his NFL debut in Week 7, and he produced 400 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 31 catches in 11 games played, four of which were starts.

With a normal offseason to train, plus Pro Bowl wide receiver Deebo Samuel being traded away to the Washington Commanders, Pearsall has the opportunity to emerge as a key contributor in 2025 as an every week starter in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. 

Just a couple seasons ago, edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu was the Seattle Seahawks’ sacks co-leader with 9.5. That’s why Seattle re-signed him to a three-year, $45 million extension in the 2023 offseason. However, he hasn’t been healthy since, missing a combined 22 games since 2023 with a variety of injuries: a torn pectoral muscle, an MCL sprain and a torn quadricep muscle. Should he be able to remain healthy in 2025, Nwosu could reemerge as an impact player for the Seahawks in Year 2 under coach Mike Macdonald and his defensive scheme. 

Edge rusher Haason Reddick was one of the NFL’s top sack artists from 2020 to 2023: his 50.5 sacks were the fourth-most in the league in that span. However, a contract dispute with the Philadelphia Eagles that turned into a trade to the New York Jets last season derailed Reddick’s production. His holdout led to him not making his Jets debut in 2024 until Week 8, and he only registered one sack in New York’s final 10 games of the season. That chipped away at the 30-year-old’s ability to command a multiyear deal in free agency this offseason, which is why he settled for a one-year, $14 million deal with $12 million fully guaranteed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s certainly a chance Reddick could return to stardom with a regular offseason in Tampa Bay this year. 

A year ago, Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn coaxed a team-high 10.5 sacks out of edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., but he left to return to the Dallas Cowboys in free agency. Washington opted to replace his production with nine-year veteran Deatrich Wise Jr. after signing the 30-year-old to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. Wise was never a star in his eight seasons with the New England Patriots, but his production has remained steady with 17.0 sacks across the last three seasons. 

The Commanders defensive front is loaded with talent up the middle with Pro Bowler Daron Payne, former first-round pick Javon Kinlaw and 2024 second-round pick Jer’Zhan Newton at the defensive tackle position. Playing alongside those three defensive tackles could help Wise make a little bit of a leap in his early 30s. 

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Author: Garrett Podell
June 6, 2025 | 8:15 am