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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Few sports have the constant turnover of star talent over the course of a couple of years like the NFL. In recent years especially, the NFL has become a young man’s game.
Some of the best players in the NFL are 25 years old or younger.
So as we look ahead to the 2026 season, it’s an interesting question to wonder what kind of team you could form if you only took NFL players 25 and under. It’d be a group full of young players who have already established themselves or have shown bright flashes with more room to grow.
Here is this year’s under-25 All-NFL team along with other players who were considered. To be eligible to make the list, players must be 25 or younger on Sept. 9, the opening day of the 2026 season.
QBs: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
You could legitimately pick any of the three top quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft as the starter on this team. And while wins and team success are not quarterback stats, that helps Maye get the nod as the U25 team QB.
Maye not only helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl last season, but he led the NFL in completion percentage (72.0%) and traditional quarterback rating (113.5). He was the runner-up for MVP to Matthew Stafford of the Rams.
Maye and the Patriots were blown out in the Super Bowl by the Seahawks, but some of that was also a product of needing more talent around him. Reaching the Super Bowl in his second season is a remarkable accomplishment and helps Maye earn this spot.
Honorable mentions: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears; Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
While it feels like Robinson has been in the NFL for a very long time, he doesn’t turn 25 until January as he enters his fourth pro season.
Robinson is coming off back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons for the Falcons, earning first team All-Pro honors in 2025 for the first time in his career. He also has 1,738 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns from scrimmage in his career.
It was also a tough call between Robinson and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs to get the top spot. Both are worthy, but because I can only pick one, the edge goes to Robinson.
Honorable mentions: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions; De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
WRs: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks; Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams; George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
If you want an idea of just how much of a young man’s game the NFL has become, the two best receivers in the NFL in 2025 were both under 25 years old. Smith-Njigba (1,793 yards) and Nacua (1,715 yards) were the only two players to eclipse 1,500 yards receiving last season.
Smith-Njigba was a first-round pick in 2023 and blew up in 2025, earning AP Offensive Player of the Year honors and helping Seattle win the Super Bowl. Nacua has been one of the better draft steals of the decade — a fifth-round pick who became Matthew Stafford’s top target in Los Angeles.
The third receiver on this team was a tough call between Pickens, Drake London and even 2025 rookie phenom Tetairoa McMillan. But I’m giving the slight nod to Pickens, who has a pair of 1,100-yard seasons to his credit and is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Honorable mentions: Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears; Drake London, Atlanta Falcons; Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
TE: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
The tight end position has had quite the youth movement in the last couple of years, led by the former Georgia star in Bowers.
He was an All-Pro as a rookie after catching 112 passes in 2024 for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. Bowers only played 12 games last season but still posted very good numbers (64 catches, 680 yards, 7 TDs) and should be better in 2026 with rookie Fernando Mendoza at quarterback.
There’s only one tight end on this team because Pickens has been more productive than Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts. But despite that, as you’ll see from the honorable mentions, the tight end position is in a great spot for years to come.
Honorable mentions: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons; Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts; Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns; Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
OTs: Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions; Darnell Wright, Chicago Bears
There’s a strong case that Sewell isn’t just the best under-25 tackle — he may be the best tackle in football, period. He has been a first team All-Pro selection for three consecutive seasons.
Sewell has been Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 offensive tackle in two of the last three seasons. He has also been the NFL’s best run-blocking tackle twice in three seasons per PFF, including earning a 96.7 grade in run blocking in 2025.
The NFC North gets the other spot after Wright had a great third season with the Bears, who had a big 2025 thanks to former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Like Sewell, Wright made his mark in 2025 as a run blocker with a grade of 85.6 per PFF, which was sixth best among tackles.
Honorable mentions: Armand Membou, New York Jets; Paris Johnson Jr., Arizona Cardinals
IOL: Peter Skoronski, Tennessee Titans; Tyler Booker, Dallas Cowboys; Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Titans didn’t have a lot to be excited about in 2025. But the play of their former first-round pick in Skoronski at left guard was a very bright spot.
He was PFF’s No.2 pass-blocking guard last season, earning a grade of 84.5 in passing situations. He allowed just two sacks in 1,055 offensive snaps.
Booker is coming off a very nice rookie season for the Cowboys. The former Alabama guard allowed just three sacks in 1,002 snaps at right guard in Dallas. PFF ranked Booker No. 7 among guards in run blocking (76.8 grade).
The center spot was a tight battle between Frazier and Tanor Bortolini of the Colts. Both are worthy, but I’ll give the nod to Frazier because he’s had two quality seasons as a starter and has a more established track record. Still, Bortolini has the talent to be among the NFL’s top centers again in 2026.
Honorable mentions: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Las Vegas Raiders; Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys; Tanor Bortolini, Indianapolis Colts
Edge rushers: Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans; Jared Verse, Cleveland Browns
The 2023 NFL Draft produced several star pass rushers, three of whom earned consideration here. But Anderson stands head and shoulders above the other young pass rushers in the NFL.
Anderson was the 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and has only gotten better with 11 sacks in 2024 and 12 in 2025. He also led the NFL in quarterback pressures with 102 according to PFF.
Verse, who earns the other first-team spot, was tied for second in pressures last season with 100. He’s already an accomplished young edge rusher, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 and earning two Pro Bowl nods. His sack numbers aren’t elite with just 12 over his two seasons.
But he’s been disruptive with 189 pressures in just two seasons, and he’ll have a chance to make a name for himself in Cleveland as the centerpiece of the return in the Myles Garrett trade.
Honorable mentions: Nick Herbig, Pittsburgh Steelers; Tuli Tuipulotu, Los Angeles Chargers
DTs: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles; T’Vondre Sweat, New York Jets
Outside of quarterback, defensive tackle may be the hardest position for young players to adapt to in the NFL. That’s why you typically don’t see many great young DTs.
That’s also what makes Carter so noteworthy. He’s already been to two Pro Bowls in his three-year career and has a Super Bowl ring to his name. Carter has 13.5 career sacks, 25 tackles for loss and 13 pass breakups, which is an impressive number for a defensive tackle.
Sweat doesn’t have the name recognition that Carter does, but he has quietly become one of the NFL’s best young defensive tackles. He was PFF’s No. 5 defensive tackle in 2025 with a grade of 83.4 as well as its fourth best DT against the run (79.3).
He’ll now suit up for the Jets, giving him an opportunity to shine in a bigger market.
Honorable mentions: Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks; Moro Ojomo, Philadelphia Eagles
Off-ball LBs: Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns; Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers
Perhaps no team had a more impactful rookie class in 2025 than the Browns, and the play of Schwesinger was a big reason why.
Schwesinger was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2025, finishing sixth in the league in tackles (156). He also showed quite an ability to defend the pass with three pass breakups and two interceptions. With Myles Garrett gone, Schwesinger is now the face of the Browns’ defense in 2026.
The second spot on this team was a tough choice between Cooper and Cedric Gray of the Titans. Cooper gets a slight nod with two full seasons of quality play, while Gray has had only one high-end season. That said, there’s a lot to like about Gray coming off a 164-tackle season in 2025.
Honorable mentions: Cedric Gray, Tennessee Titans; Leo Chenal, Kansas City Chiefs
CBs: Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans; Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks; Sauce Gardner, Indianapolis Colts
A big reason the Houston Texans have reached the divisional round of the playoffs three years in a row is because of their defense. It’s easy to see why with Will Anderson Jr. on the defensive line and Stingley in the secondary.
Stingley has been a first team All-Pro selection in back-to-back seasons and has three straight years of at least 13 pass breakups and four interceptions.
Spot No. 2 at corner goes to a member of the Super Bowl champion Seahawks in Witherspoon, who has earned Pro Bowl honors for three straight seasons. He was PFF’s No. 1 corner in 2025 with an 89.9 grade, and he was No. 2 among corners in coverage grade (84.6) and run defense grade (86.7).
Rounding out my starters at corner is Gardner, who was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and was a first team All-Pro selection in each of his first two seasons.
While he hasn’t been quite as good in his last two seasons, Gardner is still one of the best corners in football. Injuries cost him six games in 2025, but he should still be a major part of the Colts’ defense in 2026.
Honorable mentions: Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles; Trent McDuffie, Los Angeles Rams; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles; Kamari Lassiter, Houston Texans
S: Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens; Brian Branch, Detroit Lions
It’s easy to make a case for Hamilton being a top-five defender in all of football. He has twice been named a first team All-Pro and is coming off back-to-back seasons of 100 tackles and nine pass breakups.
Hamilton’s unique size and speed combination make him as dangerous a defensive back as there is in football, and it will be interesting to see what the arrival of new Ravens coach Jesse Minter does to enhance him.
While not the athlete that Hamilton is, Branch has a similar type of impact for the Lions because they can line him up in many different places on the defense. He has 50 pass breakups, seven interceptions and 20 tackles for loss in three NFL seasons.
However, Branch suffered a torn Achilles in December of 2025, so we likely won’t see him until late next season given the typical recovery timeline of those injuries.
Honorable mentions: Kamren Kinchens, Los Angeles Rams; Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks; Tykee Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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