If you want sustained success in the NFL, you’re going to have to draft well. The process of drafting young players to perform at a very high level at a low price is a massive benefit to a front office, seeing as though they have extra cap space to spend on high-end players to complement their home-grown talent.
Coincidentally, most of the top-performing teams in the NFL have numerous talented players on rookie contracts currently. That got us wondering: which teams have the best young cores in the league right now?
For the sake of this argument, we’re only including players currently in their rookie contracts. For former first-round draft picks, you’re still eligible if you’re in the fifth-year option year of your deal. Players who have signed contract extensions but have yet to see those deals kick in are still eligible, as well. Without further ado, these are our five best young cores in the NFL.
5) Seattle Seahawks
Young core selected: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Byron Murphy II, Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori
With an 11-3 record as of this writing, the Seattle Seahawks are one of the top teams in the NFL this season. A lot is factoring into that strong season: Good coaching, a well-rounded roster, and strong quarterback play are among them. They also have one of the best young cores in the league, thanks to their strong drafting in recent years.
There’s no telling where the Seahawks’ offense would be without Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the NFL with 1,541 receiving yards in 14 games and looks like the Offensive Player of the Year front-runner.
Seattle also has one of the best pass-protecting tackles in the league in Charles Cross, while rookie guard Grey Zabel hasn’t given up a sack yet in pass protection all year.
When you have the third-best defense in the NFL by Defense Impact scoring, it’s a foregone conclusion you’ve drafted well on that side of the ball. Byron Murphy II ranks twelfth in interior QB pressures in just his second season.
In the secondary, Devon Witherspoon has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons and would be in line for a third in 2025 if not for injury. Nick Emmanwori has been a key impact defender out of the slot for the Seahawks, as well.
4) New England Patriots
Young core selected: Drake Maye, TreVeyon Henderson, Kayshon Boutte, Will Campbell, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones
The New England Patriots’ appearance on this list comes down heavily to the presence of an MVP-caliber quarterback on a rookie contract in Drake Maye. He ranks third in the NFL in PFSN’s QB Impact grading, he leads the league with a 70.9% completion percentage, and he ranks in the top five in practically every major passing category.
Maye’s breakout season has played a significant role in the Patriots entering Week 16 with an 11-3 record. He’s aided on offense by plenty of young talent. TreVeyon Henderson has eight total touchdowns in his last five games, Kayshon Boutte has a career-high six receiving touchdowns, and Will Campbell has been one of the most consistent rookie offensive linemen from the 2025 NFL Draft class.
On defense, New England has Christian Gonzalez, who was a second-team All-Pro in 2024. He’s kept that high level of play up this year, as he ranks 12th among all cornerbacks in CB Impact. Marcus Jones is another gifted cornerback who has three interceptions and two punt returns for touchdowns so far in 2025.
3) Los Angeles Rams
Young core selected: Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Steve Avila, Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Cobie Durant, Kamren Kinchens
Fun fact: The Los Angeles Rams have had just one first-round pick in the NFL Draft since 2017. The fact that they’ve drafted well enough to make this list, despite that, speaks to how good a general manager Les Snead is. It also makes the fact that they have two first-round picks in 2026 even more dangerous.
The Rams’ young offensive core is headlined by Puka Nacua, who’s averaging a career-high 105.2 receiving yards per game and is firmly cemented as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers. He’s joined on offense by Kyren Williams, who’s surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and ten rushing touchdowns each of the last three years, and ascending guard Steve Avila.
Los Angeles’ defensive line plays a huge role in their defense ranking fifth in the NFL in Defense Impact grading. Both Jared Verse and Byron Young rank in the top 13 in quarterback pressures, and both Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner are in the top 20 in DT Impact. Throw in two playmakers in the secondary in Cobie Durant and Kamren Kinchens, and you have one of the best young cores in the NFL.
2) Houston Texans
Young core selected: C.J. Stroud, Woody Marks, Tank Dell, Aireontae Ersery, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley, Jalen Pitre, Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock
Few NFL teams are as hot as the Houston Texans right now, as their defense is playing lights out, and their offense has led them to six wins in a row going into Week 16. They’ve done a pretty good job of building a strong young core as the foundation for that success, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
We’ll start with offense; however, having C.J. Stroud on a rookie deal has been huge for the Texans’ turnaround over the last few years. He has a career-high 65.3% completion rate this year and has bounced back after a rocky sophomore 2024 campaign.
Houston’s young offensive pieces are still a work in progress, though Woody Marks and Aireontae Ersery have made noise as rookies, and Tank Dell is an impact player when healthy.
On defense, the Texans have been lights out. Will Anderson Jr. has 10.5 sacks in 14 games and ranks second behind only Aidan Hutchinson with 82 QB pressures in 2025.
Derek Stingley is an All-Pro cornerback with 13 interceptions and 43 pass deflections over the last three years. Houston’s defense has been stellar, generating takeaways this year, too, as Jalen Pitre, Kamari Lassiter, and Calen Bullock all have four picks each in 2025.
1) Detroit Lions
Young core selected: Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell, Sam LaPorta, Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Jack Campbell, Tyleik Williams
For the Detroit Lions to rank this high on the list of top young cores without having a young quarterback, it says a lot about how well they’ve drafted in recent years. Their trade with the Rams, which involved acquiring Jared Goff and numerous high-end draft picks for Matthew Stafford, allowed them plenty of opportunities to swing at the plate, and they’ve made a lot of their selections work out well.
Penei Sewell technically still counts for this list, as the 2025 NFL season is the fifth-year option year in his rookie deal. He’s arguably the best offensive tackle in the league. Jahmyr Gibbs ranks fourth by PFSN’s RB Impact and appears on pace for his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. Sam LaPorta is one of the NFL’s best tight ends and was outpacing his 2023 All-Pro campaign in receiving yards in 2025 before he got hurt.
As if that’s not enough, the Lions are stacked with young defenders. Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch have both been named Pro Bowlers during their rookie contracts, and Kerby Joseph was a first-team All-Pro in 2024. Jack Campbell has a career-high 143 tackles and five sacks going into Week 16, and Tyleik Williams has shown encouraging flashes at defensive tackle in his rookie year.
Honorable Mentions
- Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, Darnell Wright, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Kyle Monangai, Kyler Gordon
- Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr., Brandon Dorlus, Xavier Watts
- Philadelphia Eagles: Cam Jurgens, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Jihaad Campbell
- Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, RJ Harvey, Troy Franklin, Nik Bonitto, Patrick Surtain II, Jahdae Barron
- New York Giants: Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Tyler Nubin
