Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season saw some great performances from Year 2 players, but it also saw a devastating end to the season for one of the top players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Coming off a poignant performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers was emerging as a superstar in the NFL. However, a quiet game against the Kansas City Chiefs and then suffering a season ending ACL tear in the Giants’ 21-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers reminded players and fans of just how quickly fate can change in a season or even an NFL career.
While Nabers has moved on to working his way back in 2026, other Year 2 players are emerging at or near the top of their positions. One of those players is Drake Maye, who suddenly finds himself as perhaps the best QB taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, at least as far as current play. Where does Maye’s rise rank him in this week’s top 10 among Year 2 players?
Top 10 players from the 2024 NFL Draft: Week 5 Rankings
No.1: Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots (Round 1, No. 4 overall – 2024 NFL Draft)
Week 4 2025 NFL Stats: Yards: 203 | TD: 2 | INT: 0 | QBR: 94.6
NFL season stats: Yards: 988 | TD: 7 | INT: 2 | QBR: 63.9
After making his debut in the top 10 a couple of weeks ago, Drake Maye is at the top of the list due to an outstanding performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. In the 42-13 taming of the Panthers, Maye looked the part of a franchise quarterback completing 14 of his 17 pass attempts for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns. Maye also used his legs in running for a touchdown. If you are a Patriots fan, the most encouraging part of the performance was the connection to Stefon Diggs who had 100 yards receiving in the game. The big test coming up for Maye in the Patriots is a Sunday night battle with Josh Allen and the 4-0 Buffalo Bills.
No. 2: Jared Verse, OLB, Los Angeles Rams (Round 1, No. 19 – 2024 NFL Draft)
Week 4 2025 NFL Stats: Tackles: 6 | Sacks: 1 | FF: 1 | INT: 0
2025 NFL season: Tackles: 17 | Sacks: 2 | FF: 2 | INT: 0
Jared Verse is not only an elite trash talker, but he also backs it up on the field. In back-to-back weeks, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year has recorded a sack and a forced fumble in making his presence known on the field. When it comes to top edge defenders, Verse is in the top 5 with a 92.1 overall grade according to ProFootball Focus (PFF), which lands him just behind Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, Laiatu Latu and Myles Garrett. That is some great company to be in and it feels like just the beginning for the second-year stud.
No. 3: Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Round 4, No. 125 overall – 2024 NFL Draft)
Week 4 2025 NFL Stats: Rush YDS: 63 | TD: 0 | Rec: 5 | YDS: 102
NFL season stats: Rush YDS: 231 | TD: 0 | Rec: 19 | YDS: 193 | TD: 2
Bucky Irving is emerging as one of the best dual threat running backs in the league in Year 2. In the team’s 31-25 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, Irving was everything with 63 yards rushing on the ground and 102 yards receiving, which included a 72-yard touchdown reception. The eye-popping performance, however, was soured by a lower leg injury that has Irving’s status for Week 5 up in the air. If Irving can’t go against the Seattle Seahawks, it would be a big blow to the Buccaneers’ offense. That is just how important Irving has become as a dynamic playmaker.
No. 4: Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos (Round 1, No. 12 overall)
Week 4 2025 NFL Stats: Yards: 326 | TD: 2 | INT: 1 | QBR: 82.5
NFL season stats: Yards: 861 | TD: 7 | INT: 4 | QBR: 51.1
When Bo Nix plays the way he did in Week 4, the Denver Broncos are a hard team to beat. In the team’s 28-3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Nix completed 29 of 42 passes for 326 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. It was the first time he hit the 300-yard passing mark this season and now has a bigger test going up against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5. The question for Nix is can he ride the momentum into Philly and continue getting the ball to his playmakers? In the words of head coach Sean Payton, “just keep firing” Mr. Nix.
No. 5: Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders (Round 1, No. 13 overall)
Week 4 2025 NFL stats: Rec: 5 | Yards: 46 | TD: 0
2025 NFL season: Rec: 19 | Yards: 225 | TD: 0
When will Brock Bowers heat up in Year 2? After a 100-yard receiving performance in a Week 1 win over the New England Patriots, the Georgia product hasn’t put up the production he did in his rookie season. Part of that is due to a knee injury he’s been deal with since Week 1. He has still been full go in recent weeks but has yet to come close to that 100-yard performance. Still, Bowers is a threat when he is on the field averaging 11.8 yards per catch. In the three losses, Bowers has five receptions or less. To turn the season, the Raiders will need to get Bowers available more.
No. 6: Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders (Round 1, No. 2 overall – 2024 NFL Draft)
Week 4 2025 NFL stats: DNP
*Week 2 2025 NFL stats: Yards: 200 | TD 2 | INT: 0 | QBR: 26.9
NFL season stats: Yards: 433 | TD: 3 | INT: 0 | QBR: 40.9
When Jayden Daniels is on the field, he is still one of the top Year 2 players in the NFL. That is crystal clear. The question surrounding the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is when will he get on the field again? Dan Quinn, any idea?
"He had a strong workout here Saturday, and we'll take today and tomorrow and work out his practice plan," the Commanders head coach said. "We'll go through the whole process with him this week, medically, how he feels, how he practices, and give you the updates Wednesday, as I know them and I thought just from a team standpoint."
If he can get on the field in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers, it should be one of the top showdowns of the weekend. All eyes will on Daniels and how he can lead the offense coming back from injury.
No. 7: Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers (Round 1, No. 31 overall – 2024 NFL Draft)
Week 4 2025 NFL stats: Rec: 4 | Yards: 46 | TD: 0
2025 NFL season: Rec: 20 | Yards: 327 | TD: 0
Ricky Pearsall entered Week 4 coming off an impressive Week 3 performance in a win against the Arizona Cardinals. In that game, Pearsall hauled in 8 receptions for 117 yards looking like a top target in the offense. In the Week 4 loss to the Jaguars, the second-year receiver caught 4 passes for 46 yards, but still leads the team in receiving yards and ranks second behind Christian McCaffrey in both catches and targets. As his importance in the offense is growing, a minor PCL injury to his right knee could get in the way. Pearsall was a non-participant at Tuesday’s practice and his status is up in the air for Week 5.
No. 8: Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears (Round 1, No. 9 – 2024 NFL Draft)
Week 4 2025 NFL stats: Rec: 4 | Yards: 69 | TD: 1
2025 NFL Season: Rec: 20 | Yards: 296 | TD: 5
Just call Rome Odunze the touchdown maker in Chicago. While the team is depending on the second-year maturation of Caleb Williams, it is Odunze’s Year 2 rise that has been a great surprise in the offense. Not that the top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft wasn’t expected to make a Year 2 jump, it’s just the focus on the offense shifted to the rookies taken in the 2025 NFL Draft along with Williams. Odunze, however, has been influential in the Bears turning around a slow start to a 2-2 record. It’s not only the touchdowns, it’s the chemistry and dependency he has formed with Williams which could be a connection that carries the Bears’ offense into the future.
No. 9: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons (Round 1, No. 8 overall -2024 NFL Draft)
Week 2 2025 NFL Stats: Yards: 313 | TD: 2 | INT: 1 | QBR: 90.5
NFL season stats: Yards: 918 | TD: 3 | INT: 3 | QBR: 60.5
Michael Penix Jr. bounced back in a big way in the Falcons’ 34-27 win over the Washington Commanders. Penix threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns in the game including a 69-yard connection to Bijan Robinson. With a 90.5 QBR rating in the win, Penix showed he can spread the ball around and show off the arm talent that won him the starting role over veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. Was it a statement win for the second-year quarterback? Coming off a disappointing 30-0 loss, it was an encouraging bounce back for a young quarterback out to prove he’s the guy in Atlanta.
No. 10: Laiatu Latu, DE, Indianapolis Colts (Round 1, No. 15 – 2024 NFL Draft)
Week 4 2025 NFL Stats: Tackles: 4 | Sacks: 1 | FF: 0 | INT: 0
2025 NFL season: Tackles: 8 | Sacks: 1 | FF: 0 | INT: 1
It might be time to start talking about the Year 2 transcendence of Colts’ defensive end Laiatu Latu. Coming off a career game against the Rams, the second-year player made his own presence on the field with a sack and pass defense which really shows off his versatility and athleticism on the field. While there are other defensive second-year players who should be on this list, Latu gets the nod because of what his is bring to a Colts’ defense that has been off to a hot start. A PFF grade of 92.3, ranking him No. 3 amongst edge defenders is another reason he has clipped the top 10 among 2024 NFL Draft picks.