September 13th, 2023
The NFL saw the exit of top stars after last season, with Tom Brady, Devin McCourty, A.J. Green, and J.J. Watt hanging their boots after a successful career. However, the older players are leaving the scene for young stars like Micah Parsons, Justin Jefferson, and Sauce Gardner across the league to emerge and take the stage.
The NFL season may be demanding for fans. This is they should look for exciting activities between match days. If you are in Australia, a viable option is to engage in casino games. However, you start, read the overview of casino sites in Australia to nail down the platform that is tailored to your preferences. That said, here are the best young players under 25 years old as we enter the 2023 fall months.
Micah Parsons, Edge (Dallas Cowboys)
Parsons had another strong year as a pass rusher after continuing his excellent play from his rookie season. Registering a 92.0 pass-rush grade and 23.4% pass-rush win percentage according to Pro-Football-Focus in 2022, Parsons has established himself as one of the most impactful players in the NFL, age regardless.
Justin Jefferson, WR (Minnesota Vikings)
For the Minnesota Vikings for three years running, Justin Jefferson has demonstrated exceptional performances, earning commendable evaluations. His performances in the last three years have recorded at least a 90+ grade. He is therefore unparalleled among NFL receivers and stands head and shoulders above many others his age based on dominance and consistency.
Tristan Wirfs, OT (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Although Wirfs’ overall grade dipped from his 2022 performance from 84.3 to 83.1, his pass-blocking grade spiked to a near-elite 89.1. The stand-out Tampa Bay offensive tackle allowed only six total pressures on 696 pass-blocking snaps, consistently putting up strong play that can help him properly transition from right tackle to left tackle during the 2023 season.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR (Cincinnati Bengals)
Chase received grades during his first two professional seasons, registering 86.1 in 2021 and 85.2 in 2022. He’s recorded 3,000 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns over the same period. With explosive plays of at least 20 yards, Chase is sure to be one of the top wide receivers in the NFL.
Sauce Gardner, CB (New York Jets)
Sauce Garder has displayed such an impressive outing in his rookie year that we've decided to include him in this list. The New York Jets cornerback registered an elite 90.0 coverage grade with 20 forced incompletions and less than 400 receiving yards allowed on 613 total coverage snaps. Remember that despite being targeted constantly (74 times), Sauce remained a shutdown player throughout the 2022 season.
Creed Humprey, C (Kansas City Chiefs)
Humprey has remained as rock solid as you'd expect a young offensive lineman to be. He's registered consecutive elite performances in 2021 and 2022, registering 91.8 and 89.9 respectively. On over 1,400 true pass-blocking snaps played, Humprey gave up only 28 total pressures and one sack over the last two seasons!
Patrick Surtain II, CB (Denver Broncos)
Patrick’s 66.3 coverage grade in 2021 was immense for a rookie cornerback (bar Sauce Gardner’s unbelievable feat). However, his 2022 86.7 coverage grade was what the fans expect from a player getting into elitism. Patrick allowed only 47 passing yards in coverage with eight forced incompletions.
Rashawn Slater, OT (Los Angeles Chargers)
No thanks to his injury during the 2022 season, Slater would have likely recorded a better outing. Ending his rookie year with an 83.6 overall grade on over 1,000 snaps played, the Los Angeles offensive tackle has cemented himself among the NFL International Series tops in his age range. Undoubtedly, a healthy season for the Northwestern graduate will be at the top of his priorities going into the 2023 season.
CeeDee Lamb, WR (Dallas Cowboys)
Lamb has been an immediate impact receiver for the Dallas Cowboys since his debut season. Recording just under 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie years, Lamb has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, his receiving grades have spiked, jumping from 72.6 in 2020 to 84.8 in 2021 and 87.0 in 2022. Save Justin Jefferson, Lamb has recorded more explosive plays of 20 yards or more since 2021 than any other player, old or young, in the NFL.
Andrew Thomas, OT (New York Giants)
Andrew registered a significant leap in his sophomore season in 2022, recording a jump from his 2021 78.9 grade to an elite 90.3 in 2022. Initially a first-round (4th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2020, Andrew Thomas also registered an 89.9 pass-blocking grade in 2022, one of the highest in the league, allowing only seven sacks or hits on 700 pass-blocking snaps. This should provide a sufficient explanation if anyone wondered why Andrew Thomas got a record-setting contract with the Giants.
Trevor Lawrence, QB (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Lawrence has made immense progress over the last season under head coach Doug Pederson. The quarterback's skill was demonstrated in 2022, elevating him to the top spot among draught prospects in 2021. Lawrence led the Jaguars to their first playoff win since the 2017 season when Todd Wash coordinated the defense. However, the future looks bright for Jacksonville with Lawrence on the roster as he looks poised to improve his game.
Christian Barmore, IDL (New England Patriots)
Barmore makes this list because of how his impact jumps out when you watch him from the screen. The defensive tackle has wreaked havoc on opposing sides, making contributions that his stat line will heavily underrepresent (2.5 sacks in 10 games in the 2022 season). Although Barmore, 23, is frequently disregarded, the Patriots consider him to be a treasure.
Summing Up
These young stars take the top stage among their peers, displaying impressive performances in their budding careers. There are undoubtedly other young players putting out their A-game in the league, and fans can expect more from this new crop of NFL stars.