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Should you draft Pat Bryant, Tory Horton and Jaylin Lane in fantasy football in 2025? Dave breaks down the fantasy outlooks for these rookies.
For many years, it was a long-standing truth among fantasy football players to fade rookies in their league's annual draft. That's because it would often take rookies a few years to fully develop before becoming usable fantasy assets. That’s not been the case in recent years, though, as gamers have grown accustomed to rookies delivering high-end fantasy finishes and being impact players from Day 1.
While many of you are probably aware of the big-name rookies available in fantasy drafts this year (Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Tetairoa McMillan, to name a few), you might be unaware of several lesser-known rookies who could emerge as fantasy starters. Rookie wide receivers Pat Bryant, Tory Horton, and Jaylin Lane are a few names to monitor in drafts this year. There are pros and cons to drafting each player, but if the chips fall the right way, each has a path to fantasy relevance.
So how should gamers approach these three players in their 2025 fantasy football drafts? Let’s take a few minutes and discuss exactly what managers should be doing with rookie wide receivers Pat Bryant, Tory Horton, and Jaylin Lane.
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Pat Bryant 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Bryant had a career year in 2024 during his final collegiate season. He posted a 54-984-10 line and had career highs across the board. Bryant wasn’t projected to be a high pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton saw something in the former Illinois receiver, and the Broncos selected Bryant in Round 3.
WATCH: #Illini WR Pat Bryant hears his name called, getting drafted by the Denver Broncos No. 74 overall (third round) in the 2025 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/8KL2p8egjp
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) April 26, 2025
His pairing with Denver is an interesting one. The Broncos already have a similar player in Courtland Sutton, who is set to play the X-receiver role. The team also has Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. as speed flankers, and tight end Evan Engram could function in a hybrid or slot-receiver role.
The team also has running backs RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins in the mix for targets. Unless injuries strike this depth chart, it’s hard to see where Bryant fits into this offense for 2025. Mims is currently dealing with a groin injury, and this could be a potential opening for Bryant. However, Payton has said the team still expects Mims to suit up in Week 1.
The path to fantasy relevance for Bryant just seems incredibly narrow. Denver also recently signed Sutton to an extension, so Bryant may not have a significant role anytime soon. The team does have an out in Sutton’s contract following the 2026 season. Perhaps if Bryant proves to be a reliable option, Denver might move on from Sutton at that time and make Bryant a bigger part of the offense. That really makes him a better dynasty football asset than a redraft target.
Unless Sutton is injured or Bryant really plays well in a limited role to start the year, it’s hard to see a scenario where he carries any significant fantasy value as a rookie. Gamers in traditional redraft leagues can safely ignore Bryant in drafts.
Tory Horton 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Horton was one of the more underrated wide receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. He posted back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. However, a knee injury prematurely ended his 2024 season. As a result, Horton fell down draft boards and eventually slipped to the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Seattle eventually rolled the dice and selected Horton with the 166th overall pick.
Fifth-round pick Tory Horton extends the @Seahawks' lead!
LVvsSEA on @NFLNetwork
Watch live out-of-market preseason games on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/etLKlC23Vd— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025
While he is a relatively unknown player in casual fantasy football circles, Horton was a popular player among many dynasty football players. He is a good player, and Seattle may have found a diamond in the rough.
Every Tory Horton target from his preseason debut. pic.twitter.com/XYLAXgDX9i
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) August 9, 2025
In addition to his knee injury, another concern regarding Horton was the level of competition he faced while playing at Colorado State. While that’s a fair concern, Horton is a good separator and route runner, and there’s a good chance his game can translate to the NFL.
Horton also posted a very strong 3.45 yards per route run (YPRR) in 2024 per PFF. This ranked sixth among all collegiate receivers with at least 30 targets. YPRR is a highly predictive metric for future success, so it’s good to see Horton scored well in this area.
With the Seahawks cutting veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Cooper Kupp looking like a player in decline, there is a realistic scenario where Horton eventually emerges as the team’s WR2.
That makes Horton a great sleeper to target in the final rounds of your draft. He’s an underrated player and could find himself with a larger role in Seattle’s offense sooner rather than later.
Jaylin Lane 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
Lane was selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. He spent five years in college playing at both Middle Tennessee State and Virginia Tech.
Unfortunately for Lane, he was never really a productive player at the collegiate level. His best season was 2022, when he posted a 69-940-5 line at Middle Tennessee State. Lane would then transfer to Virginia Tech, but failed to eclipse 550 receiving yards or 45 receptions in two seasons at the school.
Lane is not a polished receiver or route runner. He can be very effective in the open field with the ball in his hands. Until he further hones his craft, Lane will likely be relegated to a gadget role on offense or kick return duties on special teams. That means he might carry little fantasy value for the 2025 season.
Who Should I Draft in 2025 Fantasy Football Leagues?
If you squint really hard, then you can see a path to fantasy relevance for each of these players. In Lane’s case, he is just a Deebo Samuel Sr. injury away from potentially being Washington’s WR2. Luke McCaffrey reportedly struggled in training camp this summer, and veteran Noah Brown has struggled with injuries during his career.
If he plays well, Lane could pass McCaffrey and Brown on the depth chart. Lane is not a great technician or route runner, but is a playmaker in the open field. He could easily function in an RB/WR hybrid role if Samuel is injured or his play further declines. However, this scenario seems a bit unrealistic.
It’s hard to see a path to playing time for Bryant. He’s at least fourth on the depth chart behind Mims, Franklin, and Sutton. Bryant also has to contend with Engram, Harvey, and Dobbins for the targets. If Sutton is injured, Bryant could possibly slide into that role in Denver’s offense. However, it’s far from guaranteed that he could keep said role and would not be a lock for a huge target share.
That brings us to Horton, who is the most intriguing name of this trio. He was one of the stars of the summer for Seattle and played well in the preseason, too. Horton is a little banged up and currently nursing an ankle injury. We’ll have to see if he’s cleared for Week 1, but Horton is by far the most complete wide receiver between himself, Lane, and Bryant. That makes Horton the preferred pick, as good separators usually find a way on the field sooner rather than later.
He will probably start slow, but there’s a very realistic chance of playing time in the event of a Kupp injury or if Horton proves to be the better player. Target Horton with one of the last picks in your draft. If you feel more comfortable watching him from afar on waivers, that’s okay, too. Just be ready to pounce if Horton flashes early, as he could quickly become a hot waiver wire commodity.
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