If you want to win Super Bowls, you better have young talent. Not only are these players closer to their athletic primes, but they are also usually on their rookie contracts, and their low salary cap number gives teams the ability to use those financial resources elsewhere.
Below, we will reveal our NFL Defensive All-Under-25 First and Second Teams, using a 4-2-5 format with a slot corner. The only rule is that these players must be under 25 years old entering the 2024 NFL season — that first full week of September. There are plenty of notable names to discuss here, so let’s go ahead and jump in.
First Team
The Michigan kid who also played his college football at Michigan and is now starring for the Detroit Lions has proven to be an NFL star, as he built on his impressive rookie season with 51 combined tackles, 11.5 sacks, 33 QB hits, seven passes defended, three forced fumbles and an interception in 2023. Hutchinson also recorded 101 pressures, which ranked second in the NFL behind the great Micah Parsons.
The No. 3 overall pick burst onto the scene with 45 combined tackles, seven sacks and 22 QB hits in just 15 games played, which earned Anderson Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He recorded the third-most pressures by a rookie over the last five seasons with 59. Only Parsons and Nick Bosa recorded more in their first NFL seasons. Anderson also had the third-best pass-rush win rate among edge defenders at 26%.
Another impressive rookie makes the list here, as Carter recorded 33 combined tackles, six sacks, eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 2023. He ranked top five among all first-year players last season in pressures, tackles for loss and sacks!
Still one of the most underrated players in the league, McNeill recorded 32 combined tackles, 10 QB hits and a career-high five sacks for the Lions in just 13 games played in 2023. He’s such a disruptive player in the middle, and should cash in very soon with him being in a contract year.