After months without the best in football, we're finally on the precipice of the 2025-26 NFL regular season and NFL betting on meaningful games. The action kicks off from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia when the defending champion Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 4.
So RotoWire.com wanted to look at which second-year professionals will avoid the "sophomore slump" as we name our All-Sophomore Team for the season ahead.
Here's who we have making the cut:
Offense
Position | Player | Team |
QB | Commanders | |
RB | Buccaneers | |
RB | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Giants |
WR | Giants | |
WR | Brian Thomas Jr. | Jaguars |
WR | Marvin Harrison Jr. | Cardinals |
TE | Georgia | |
OT | Chargers | |
OG | Raiders | |
C | Steelers | |
OG | 49ers | |
OT | Titans |
When it comes to second-year pros, none had a better rookie campaign (according to approximate value with Pro-Football-Reference.com) than Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. He was third leaguewide with a 20 AV in 17 starts for the NFC East stalwarts, leading them to a 12-5 record and their first NFC Championship Game in 34 years.
Overall, Daniels' 3,568 passing yards and 25 touchdowns (to nine interceptions) highlighted his talent under center. And the second overall draft pick's ability to spread the field on the ground was an X-factor all year long, with 891 yards and six scores in the rushing game to propel offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's attack.
Will Daniels be a contender for NFL MVP betting in his second season?
Outside of the Nation's Capital, the other rising second-year players that made the cut on our team for 2025 included running backs Bucky Irving of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tyrone Tracy Jr. of the New York Giants. Irving gained 1,122 yards rushing and had eight scores with an AV of 12 in 17 games played as a rookie in 2024-25. The former fourth-round pick out of Oregon is joined by Tracy, who had 839 yards and five touchdowns rushing for the "G-Men" last year. His AV of six also included 38 catches for 284 yards and a TD.
At wide receiver, we have Malik Nabers of the Giants (1,204 yards, 7 TDs, 9 AV), Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars (1,282 yards on 87 catches, 10 TDs, 11 AV) and the Arizona Cardinals' Marvin Harrison Jr. (885 yards, 62 catches 8 TDs, 8 AV).
Rounding out the skill position players is Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (1,194 receiving yards, 5 TDs, 9 AV), who dominated opposing defenses all year long and broke the rookie record for any position with 112 catches on his way to first-team All-Pro honors in the Sin City.
The men in the trenches on our NFL All-Sophomore Team include tackles Joe Alt of the Los Angeles Chargers (who had eight AV in 16 games played as a rookie) and JC Latham of the Tennessee Titans (7 AV), guards Jackson Powers-Johnson of the Raiders (4) and Dominick Puni of the San Francisco 49ers (7) and center Zach Frazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers (6).
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Defense
Position | Player | Team |
DL | Colts | |
DL | Rams | |
DL | Titans | |
DL | Byron Murphy II | Seahawks |
LB | Rams | |
LB | Dolphins | |
LB | Packers | |
CB | Eagles | |
S | Rams | |
S | Texans | |
CB | Eagles |
On defense, Laiatu Latu of the Indianapolis Colts (two AV in 17 games), Braden Fiske of the Los Angeles Rams (5 AV), T'Vondre Sweat of the Titans (7) and Byron Murphy II of the Seattle Seahawks (5) man the line on our all-sophomore team.
At linebacker, Rams' 19th overall pick Jared Verse (10 AV), Chop Robinson of the Miami Dolphins (2) and Edgerrin Cooper of the Green Bay Packers (4) provided solid play as rookies.
As for the defensive backs, second-year up-and-comers Kamren Kinchens of the Rams (3 AV) and Calen Bullock of the Houston Texans (5) made the cut at the safety position, joining cornerbacks and Eagles teammates Cooper DeJean (5) and Quinyon Mitchell (5) on that side of the ball for 2025.
Special Teams
Position | Player | Team |
Kicker | Jaguars | |
Punter | Bears | |
Returner | Dolphins |
Kickers rarely get off to the kind of career start that Cam Little of the Jacksonville Jaguars did in 2024-25, as he hit 27 of 29 field goal attempts and nailed all 29 extra-point tries. In this year's preseason, he exceeded the longest kick in league history against the Steelers, connecting from 70 yards out (it's not official because it was in a preseason game).
Joining Little on the All-Sophomore Team is Chicago Bears punter Tory Taylor, who averaged 47.7 yards per punt last year, and returner Malik Washington, who averaged 30.7 yards per kick return for the Dolphins.
Head Coach
Coach | Team |
Raheem Morris | Falcons |
Raheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons has more than two years of experience as an NFL head coach, thanks to his three-year stint with the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011 and his 11-game run as the Falcons' interim coach in 2020. But he is starting his second full season in charge in Atlanta, qualifying him for our All-Sophomore Team on the sidelines.
Last year, Morris led Atlanta to an 8-9 record, finishing second in the NFC South. The franchise missed the postseason for the seventh straight year, but they improved from 7-10 in 2023.
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