Every year, we have rookies who surprise, astound and shove their dismissive ADP to the side. They will not be denied as they break out as studs in the NFL and in the dynasty fantasy football realm. Let’s go searching for players from this year’s NFL draft class who could cape up as our dynasty rookie draft superheroes. The must-have Dynasty Rookie Draft Sleepers for 2025.
Every year, we have rookies who surprise, astound and shove their dismissive ADP to the side. They will not be denied as they break out as studs in the NFL and in the dynasty fantasy football realm. Let’s go searching for players from this year’s NFL draft class who could cape up as our dynasty rookie draft superheroes. The must-have Dynasty Rookie Draft Sleepers for 2025.
Dynasty Rookie Draft Sleepers
(Outside the top 36 in March Superflex Rookie ADP per DynastyLeagueFootball)
Elijah Arroyo (TE – Miami)
An athletic move tight end that can be a mismatch for any pass defense. Arroyo was utilized in motion, up the seam, and on screens a ton in 2024. This was done to maximize his after-the-catch abilities, give him free releases off the line, and hide some of the route-running growth that he still needs to achieve. Arroyo is an upright runner and long strider who can chew up space quickly in the open field. He has 4.5/4.6 speed. He has surprisingly good deceleration and nice footwork for his size. He doesn’t use his plus feet enough in his route running or off the line to this point. Linebackers that are physical and can run with him don’t have a hard time staying with him. Arroyo’s routes lack that added nuance that can allow him to separate early and late, and his release package is limited. Arroyo can succeed against zone coverage with a decent feel for finding the holes in the coverage, but he’ll need to grow his game if he hopes to become a true mismatch weapon that can match with man coverage and good coverage linebackers. Arroyo uses his speed well after the catch, but he needs his play strength to show up more consistently. He forced only five missed tackles in college. He has the athleticism and upper body strength (as exhibited in his blocking) to improve in this area. I’d love to see Arroyo stiff-arm defenders in the NFL. Arroyo is a functional blocker. He has a decent anchor, can set the edge in run blocking, and can operate as a puller. He displaces defenders, but he isn’t an overwhelming people mover.
Brashard Smith (RB – SMU)
Smith is a converted slot wide receiver who transferred from Miami to SMU and switched to running back. He was also a wide receiver in high school. His feel for the running back position is impressive, considering the short timeframe that he has been a full-time player at the position. Smith is lightning in a travel-sized bottle. He is a quick and decisive runner with silky smooth feet. He runs with conviction but also has the patience to allow his blocks to set up in front of him. He wins with lateral agility, speed, and vision. Smith’s frame and wide receiver background show up in his rushing style. He isn’t a powerful or physical runner, but he can churn out yards quickly. Smith isn’t a decorated pass protector. He is adept at picking up rushers and understanding his assignment, but he will sometimes drop his head and eyes and lunge at defenders. Smith’s wide receiver background is evident when you watch him run routes. He was deployed from the slot or out wide on 14.7% of his snaps in 2024. He can exploit the soft spots in zone coverage and also has the raw speed (4.39 40 speed) to burn corners with a double move. Smith plucks balls out away from his frame. He could be a nice chess piece for a creative offensive coordinator in the NFL.
Jaydon Blue (RB – Texas)
Blue is a gliding slasher back. He wins with vision and razor-sharp short-area agility. Blue can jump-cut a defender out of his shoes. He creates something out of nothing routinely with his nifty footwork. He is a decisive runner with quick decision-making. Blue has very little wasted movement. He can string together moves and quickly get downhill with little decrease to his speed. Blue has superb raw speed (4.4) with quick acceleration (94th percentile 10-yard split). He has an easy second gear and can hit home runs in the open field. He isn’t a powerful runner, which isn’t surprising considering his build. Blue should be a passing game weapon at the next level. He can turn on the jets on a wheel route, leaving defenders in the dust (vs. Ohio State). Blue can also snap off a mean angle route. He is relatively untested in pass protection. He had only 44 pass-blocking snaps in college and allowed two sacks and four pressures.
Jarquez Hunter (RB – Auburn)
Immediate and palpable speed on film. Hunter hits the accelerator to the metal as soon as he gets the ball in his hands. He has 4.44 40 time speed. He can gain the edge consistently in outside-zone runs. His smooth lateral agility sneaks up on you. Hunter doesn’t wow with insane twitchiness, but he has good bend and can deploy jump cuts to avoid would-be tacklers or adjust to hit the hole quickly. His low center of gravity allows him to get skinny through the hole. He has nice leg drive for his size and consistently fights for extra yards. He finishes runs well, fighting for an extra 1-2 yards with every carry. He can push a pile. Hunter is an adequate check-down option in the passing game out of the backfield. He is also a willing blocker in pass pro. He engages quickly with incoming rushers and can anchor them. He can get into trouble when tasked with sustaining his blocks, but considering his size, he is more than passable in protecting his quarterback.
Tory Horton (WR – Colorado State)
Horton is a big, galloping physical wide receiver who exhibits play strength in all facets. He can handle physical corners, create missed tackles, win at the catch point, and move people around in the blocking department. In 2023, Horton ranked 16th in missed tackles forced among wide receivers. Horton’s hips are a tad tight. He has quick feet that get him out of jams and allow him to snap off some crisp, short-area routes (whips). In the short and intermediate areas of the field, it’s best to get him moving linearly with crossers, but he can earn separation early and late on ins, outs, and hitches. Don’t be surprised if speedy corners hang with him on these routes, though. He has a decent second gear, but it’s not elite. Horton can win down the field, but many times, this is due to his strength at the catch point or route running rather than blinding speed. Horton does have strong ball tracking downfield. He can generate YAC, but it won’t be a hallmark of his game. He profiles better as a possession receiver who will move the chains and occasionally stiff-arm a defender or juke them and create something extra with the ball in his hands. His 90th percentile 10-yard split doesn’t emphatically show up as a run-after-the-catch threat. Horton is a ball-winner at the catch point. He exhibits some nice body control while snagging balls away from his frame. He owns a 53.3% contested catch rate in college.
Marcus Yarns (RB – Delaware)
Yarns’ 84th percentile 10-yard split is on display immediately. He has quick acceleration, getting up to top gear quickly. Yarns has the raw speed (4.45 40-yard dash) to hit homers as well as the necessary short-area quickness to author chunk plays. Yarns is more of a linear runner than a twitchy jitterbug. That doesn’t mean that he can’t hit a defender with a juke and leave them in the dirt. Yarns is a decisive runner who gets downfield quickly, wasting little time hitting the hole. He has decent finishing power at the end of his runs, as he can fight for some “dessert yards” after the main course. Yarns has solid contact balance for his size and can run through arm tackles. Yarns is a true pass-game weapon. He has lined up in the slot or out wide 13-19.4% of his snaps over the last two years. He was tasked with plenty of branches of the route tree running outs, ins, fades, whip routes, and wheels. He is crisp at the top of his routes and looks like a legit receiver. He should quickly earn passing down snaps in the NFL not only because of his route prowess but also because of his aptitude for pass protection. Yarns is more than willing to get his uniform dirty and doesn’t shy away from incoming rushers with chips or diving at their ankles. While he won’t knock rushers back a few yards, he can definitely defend his patch of grass and keep his quarterback clean.
