It's a demanding task to sift through the early stretch of the NFL season and decipher what trends are meaningless and what could be early foreshadowing for the months to follow. Luckily, we love a challenge.
There's enough of a sample size to pick out some players who appear on the precipice of breaking out and becoming stars. Some are obvious, others are a bit more under the radar, but it'll be fun to revisit in January.
Here is a trio of names expected to level up in the coming months.
3 players on the cusp of a breakout in 2025 NFL season
Jordan Mason (RB) - Minnesota Vikings
Back in March, the Minnesota Vikings sent two late-round picks to San Francisco in exchange for Jordan Mason—a stroke of genius by a proactive front office. It's stunning that Mason didn't attract more attention in the trade market after being one of the lone bright spots on a 49ers squad decimated by injuries.
Filling in for the sidelined Christian McCaffrey, Mason was among the league leaders in broken tackles and averaged over five yards per carry on 153 attempts. His blend of physical prowess and quick bursts makes him one of the most complete backs in the game, and he has all the traits of a high-end bell cow.
With Aaron Jones on IR, Mason should continue to monopolize touches in the backfield and be the featured ball carrier for the foreseeable future. With consistent usage, Mason has "potential Pro Bowler" written all over him.
Jake Ferguson (TE) - Dallas Cowboys
Jake Ferguson is in a high-profile relationship and plays for "America's Team," but he's yet to ascend to the upper echelon of tight ends. Up until this point, Ferguson has lingered in the above-average starter tier at the position but is poised to move up a level.
With CeeDee Lamb out for a few weeks, Ferguson slots in as Dak Prescott's most reliable target. The 26-year-old does much of his damage as a checkdown outlet or up the seam, but his volume is what helps boost his statistical output. Ferguson has a chance to have his first 1,000-yard campaign under his belt.
Drake Maye (QB) - New England Patriots
Based on every advanced analytical and basic box score metric, Drake Maye has quietly been a top-ten signal caller so far in 2025. That doesn't necessarily match the eye test yet—he's still a young gunslinger adapting to the pro level and overly prone to making head-scratching decisions, but the fact that he's even producing at this level right now is indicative of his unlimited trajectory.
Top receiver Stefon Diggs is still coming along, and the Patriots benefit from playing in a weak AFC East and a fourth-place schedule. Maye will line up against plenty of putrid defenses while having more time to digest Josh McDaniels' system. If he can clean up the turnovers, Maye can lead this squad to the playoffs and transform into one of the NFL's premier young talents.