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One of the most important assets an NFL team can own is young talent. A franchise quarterback, star left tackle, or wide receiver who still has a rookie contract — that’s not breaking the bank — but helping open your “Super Bowl window.” Hitting stars in the design is how real competitors are built.
Below we’ll examine our NFL Offensive All Under 25 First and Second Teams. The only rule is that these players must be under the age of 25 going into the 2023 NFL season – that first full week of September. There are plenty of stars to discuss on this list. Let’s jump in.
First team
Quarterback
After a very tough rookie season in which the Jaguars went 3-14, their No. 1 overall pick rebounded under new head coach Doug Pederson. Lawrence went 9-8 as a starter last season and threw 25 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions after throwing 17 top picks the year before. Lawrence’s passer rating, going from 71.9 in 2021 to 95.2 in 2022, is the largest increase in NFL history for any quarterback who threw at least 400 passes in each of his first two seasons. It is also the biggest passer score increase by a No. 1 pick from Year 1 to Year 2 since Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Jaguars appear to have a franchise quarterback, and the table is poised to flourish in 2023.
Run back
Taylor is again our first team to run back, even though 2022 was his worst NFL season. The Colts star missed six games due to ankle injuries, but still averaged 91.27 yards from scrimmage per game. Taylor was the top running back in the NFL in 2021, as he led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns, recording 10 100-yard rushing games. With former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen now his head coach, Taylor is set to recover this season.
Wide receivers
An easy choice. Last season’s Offensive Player of the Year caught a league-leading 128 passes for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns, as Jefferson had the best season of any wide receiver in Vikings franchise history. Speaking of Vikings wide receivers, Jefferson also passed Randy Moss in recording the most receiving yards in a player’s first three seasons in NFL history with 4,825. He is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NFL.
Chase didn’t set the NFL world on fire like he did in 2021 due to a hip injury, but he still led all Bengals wideouts in every statistical category with 87 catches for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games played. His rookie campaign was legendary as Chase caught 81 passes for 1,455 and 13 touchdowns at an average of 18 yards per catch. Chase is third all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game (86.2). Only Justin Jefferson and Julio Jones have more. Only 23 years old, 2023 could be a career year for Chase and Joe Burrow.
Our three First Team wide receivers from last year remain the same. Lamb set career numbers across the board in 2022 with 107 catches (NFL’s No. 5 T) for 1,359 yards (NFL’s No. 6) and nine touchdowns (NFL’s No. 6 T). Notably, Lamb accounted for 30 percent of the Cowboys’ receipts, which was the second-highest percentage in the NFL in 2022. With this figure, Lamb became the first Cowboy to record 30 percent of Dallas’s catches in a single season since Michael Irvin in 1995.
Tight end
Freiermuth is one of the more underrated tight ends in the NFL. While catching only two touchdowns in his second NFL season, Freiermuth recorded 63 receptions for 732 yards. Both were ranked No. 6 tight ends in 2022. Of those 63 receptions, 37 resulted in a first down. That’s more than George Kittle, Dalton Schultz and David Njoku. Freiermuth should only get better and better as he continues to build chemistry with quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Tackle the left
Thomas was last season’s most valuable offensive tackle, per PFF WAR. Only two tackles who played at least 1,000 offensive snaps achieved PFF numbers above 90: Thomas and Trent Williams. The former No. 4 overall pick started 16 games in 2022 and was recognized with a Second Team All-Pro bid. He is the left tackle of our first team Under 25.
Left guard
Here’s an interesting one. Dickerson stepped in as a rookie in 2021 and played both guard positions. In 2022, he moved to left guard, started in all 17 games and made it to the Pro Bowl. While it’s true that playing with guys like Jordan Mailata and Jason Kelce while blocking for someone like Jalen Hurts makes life easier, Dickerson seems like a legit starter inside. He only needs to watch the penalties as he was flagged 14 times in 2022. That should not happen again in the future.
Centre
Humphrey is arguably the best center in the game, period. He beat Jason Kelce for the highest PFF rating among centers (89.9) and also had the highest run-block rating at his position (91.0). Humphrey hasn’t missed a start in his two NFL seasons, earning his first Second Team All-Pro selection and Pro Bowl bid last year as the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII.
Correct guard
Call it a dynamic Chiefs duo on the offensive line. It didn’t take long for the NFL world to see that Trey Smith was a steal in the sixth round. That’s why you can’t put all your stock in the medicines during the trip. Smith has started in all 33 games he has played in, achieving a PFF mark of 72.3 in 2022, which ranked No. 12 among all guards. In addition to being a good offensive lineman, Smith is also Patrick Mahomes’ “enforcer,” according to teammate Travis Kelce.
Correct approach
Sewell was a top 10 tackle last year by PFF (80.6) and the fourth best run blocker among tackles (83). He was seen as a franchise left tackle in the 2021 NFL Draft, but will enter 2023 as a Pro Bowl right tackle. Sewell, just 22 years old, has a long and more than likely successful NFL career ahead of him.
Second team
QB: Justin Fields (Bears)
RB: Travis Etienne (Jaguars)
WR: Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins)
WR: DeVonta Smith (Eagles)
WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions)
TE: Cole Kmet (Bears)
LT: Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers)
LG: Tyler Smith (Cowboys)
C: Tyler Linderbaum (Raven)
RG: Alijah Vera-Tucker (Jets)
RT: Abraham Lucas (Seahawks)
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