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Aidin looks at the biggest fantasy football disappointments from the 2025 NFL Draft class. His rookies who didn't meet expectations and their 2026 outlooks.
We're all excited for the 2026 NFL Draft, and many young prospects are poised to shake things up for years to come. However, as NFL fans and fantasy football managers, we have to temper our expectations when it comes to these young stars.
The 2025 NFL Draft was slated to produce many immediate contributors, and while players such as Tyler Warren (PPR TE4), Tetairoa McMillan (PPR WR16), and Emeka Egbuka (PPR WR23) had great fantasy seasons, others weren't so lucky due to reasons such as injuries, limited playing time, a bad situation, and more.
Without further ado, let's look at the 10 biggest fantasy football disappointments of the 2025 NFL Draft class. Only players from the first three rounds are featured, as there are little to no expectations for players drafted in the fourth to seventh rounds. None of these guys are busts yet, and it's too early to make any grand declarations on their future NFL careers. This article is about judging their rookie seasons strictly through a fantasy football lens.
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10. Travis Hunter, WR - Jacksonville Jaguars
Drafted: 1st round, 2nd overall
After a bit of a slow start, two-way phenom Travis Hunter showed the world why he was picked second overall and why he could become this generation's Deion Sanders.
TRAVIS HUNTER OMG 😱
WHAT A CATCH FOR THE ROOKIE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nDrJOPSGit
— ESPN (@espn) October 7, 2025
Hunter caught a 44-yard bomb and made a crucial stop on future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce. Hunter then had an incredible performance against the Rams in Week 7, putting up 24.1 PPR points (Week 7's PPR WR9) and making solid plays on defense.
Unfortunately, he tore his LCL in practice after that game and didn't return for the Jaguars' playoff game. His injury and slow start were disappointing, but the flashes he showed once he got going should make Jaguars fans extremely excited for the future.
9. Cam Ward, QB - Tennessee Titans
Drafted: 1st round, 1st overall
Cam Ward had his work cut out for him in his rookie season. The University of Miami product was sacked a league-high 55 times and finished as the overall fantasy QB22, but there are reasons to be optimistic. Tennessee's offensive line is growing, with Peter Skoronski taking a huge leap in Year 3.
Cam Ward and Chimere Dike connect for a 38-yard TD!
NEvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/e2JoWXjqCh
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
While Ward had almost no one to throw to, he ended the year on a high note, as he threw for 649 yards and six touchdowns to no interceptions with a 102.1 passer rating in the final three games that he started and finished.
Let's hope Ward can build off this success under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.
8. Elijah Arroyo, TE - Seattle Seahawks
Drafted 2nd round, 50th overall
AJ Barner showed flashes of potential as a rookie in 2024, but the Seahawks wanted extra insurance, so they drafted Elijah Arroyo in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately for Arroyo, Barner broke out in Year 2 and is now a reliable starting tight end. Injuries haven't helped Arroyo, either, as a knee injury he suffered in Week 14 ended his regular season, and he missed the entirety of Seattle's run to lifting the NFC Championship trophy.
He finished the year with 36.9 PPR points in 13 games and is hoping to have a bigger role on the offense next season.
7. Kyle Williams, WR - New England Patriots
Drafted: 3rd round, 69th overall
Sticking with another Super Bowl team, the Patriots had a magical season in 2025, but not much of that was due to their third-round pick, Kyle Williams.
Williams has all the tools to be a great deep threat in the future, but his inconsistencies with route running have limited his snap count this season.
He finished the year with 209 yards and three touchdowns, but all three of his TDs went over 30 yards, including a 72-yard bomb against the Buccaneers. If he can fine-tune his game to become a better route runner, he'll be golden.
6. Matthew Golden, WR - Green Bay Packers
Drafted 1st round, 23rd overall
Speaking of "golden," Matthew Golden famously went the entire 2025 regular season without scoring a touchdown, which is a major disappointment, especially after all the hype he received in the offseason.
The rookie Matthew Golden making plays in the clutch 😤
GBvsCHI on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/SptNF8rny3— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026
But one could make the case that, considering how competitive the Packers WR room is, his struggles were understandable. Golden also struggled with injuries, missing three games due to shoulder and wrist injuries.
However, not all hope is lost, as he had a great game in the playoffs against the Bears, catching four of his five targets for 84 yards and scoring his first career touchdown at the pro level. Packers fans will hope that Golden can build off that performance and grow into a star.
5. Tre' Harris, WR - Los Angeles Chargers
Drafted 2nd round, 55th overall
Tre' Harris' 2025 season was a tale of two halves. The first was his first eight games, as he had 103 yards and one touchdown with 9.4 yards per catch.
The second half was a solid improvement, as he had 221 yards with 11.6 yards per reception in his final nine games. While his final stats fell a bit short of expectations, there are reasons to be optimistic.
He started in seven of the team's last eight games, including the playoff loss against New England. New OC Mike McDaniel is an offensive genius, and he can help unlock the team's passing attack.
4. Jack Bech, WR - Las Vegas Raiders
Drafted: 2nd round, 58th overall
The Raiders didn't anticipate being the worst team in the league at the start of the year, and maybe that's why Pete Carroll didn't give Jack Bech too much playing time until the season was lost.
Geno goes to Jack Bech for 37 yards!
LVvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/aI6spg1cFQ
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
Throughout the first 12 weeks, Bech only appeared in 27.5% of the team's offensive snaps, while fellow rookie fourth-round pick Dont'e Thornton Jr. appeared in 52.0% of the team's offensive plays.
Bech overtook Thornton on the depth chart to end the year, and he put up 132 yards while having a 72.7% snap share in his next four games. With expected new HC Klint Kubiak and (potentially) Fernando Mendoza coming to town, Bech's career trajectory could skyrocket very quickly.
3. Tai Felton, WR - Minnesota Vikings
Drafted: 3rd round, 102nd overall
The only saving grace of Tai Felton's quiet rookie year is that the Vikings picked the speedster as a player they could develop for the future. The presence of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, combined with the Vikes' unstable quarterback situation, didn't help matters, either.
But even if you take everything into account, his final stats of three catches for 25 yards are absolutely shocking. The Vikings didn't feel Felton was ready enough to contribute as a WR4, and made an unusual trade for 35-year-old Adam Thielen, which didn't help the rookie's confidence and development at all.
2. Savion Williams, WR - Green Bay Packers
Drafted: 3rd round, 87th overall
Just like fellow teammate Golden, Savion Williams was a victim of the Packers' highly competitive and young WR room. Although the former TCU star finished as the PPR WR145, he managed to rack up 717 yards as a punt returner in 12 games.
“Remember the Savion Williams catch against NYG?”
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/eq29NI6YBW
— Marques Eversoll (@MarquesEversoll) January 24, 2026
Williams missed most of the second half of the year due to a foot injury, but he hopes to put that behind him and take a leap forward in 2026.
He finished the 2025 season with more rushing attempts (11) than catches (10), which is something to keep an eye on, and he could develop into a solid gadget player.
1. Kaleb Johnson, RB - Pittsburgh Steelers
Drafted 3rd round, 83rd overall
Kaleb Johnson had an incredibly exciting final season with the Iowa Hawkeyes, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. Many thought he had a shot at becoming a fantasy-relevant player as a rookie with the Steelers, but he got little to no playing time behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.
He finished the year with 28 carries and 69 rushing yards, which was a major disappointment. But Johnson won't let a bad rookie season get to his head.
"It's a waiting game as a rookie," Johnson said in an interview with Trib Live's Chris Adamski. "My time will come, and I'm going to shine when my time comes."
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