As the 2025 NFL season recedes into memory, a handful of high-profile narratives dominate headlines — Myles Garrett’s single-season sack record and Matthew Stafford’s MVP campaign among them. Yet NFL Pro’s analytics also highlight lesser-heralded contributors who posted remarkably efficient seasons across positions. Between February 2025 and the close of the regular season, a mix of established veterans and emerging starters produced measurable, above-average impact that didn’t always show up in award lists. This piece profiles eight such players and places their 2025 output in context for teams, agents and analytical readers.
Key takeaways
- Devin Bush (Browns) started all 17 games, posted 125 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three interceptions, two sacks, two forced fumbles and eight passes defensed; he returned two interceptions for TDs, including a 97-yard pick-six.
- Blake Corum (Rams) increased rushing yards from 207 in 2024 to 746 in 2025, scored six rushing TDs, led running backs with 13.3 rush EPA and registered 0.09 EPA per carry.
- Mike Jackson (Panthers) led the league with 19 passes defensed, allowed four touchdowns and recorded four interceptions; among defensive backs with 50+ targets he posted a coverage EPA of -19.0.
- Chris Olave (Saints) reached a career-high 1,163 receiving yards and nine TDs, accounted for 28.8% of New Orleans’ receiving yards and led the league with seven third-down receiving touchdowns.
- Kyle Pitts (Falcons) paced Atlanta with 928 receiving yards and a career-high five TDs; he ranked second among tight ends in yards and fourth in yards after catch (431).
- Mac Jones (49ers), as the fill-in from Week 2–10, produced the fifth-most passing yards in that span, completed 69.6% of his passes and posted a pass EPA figure that ranked 11th among qualified passers.
- Jamel Dean (Buccaneers) ranked second in target EPA (-28.3) among defensive backs with 50+ targets, allowed a 43.1% completion rate and was particularly stingy in the red zone.
- Several efficient contributors on non-playoff or rebuilding teams boosted their market value or roster roles heading into 2026 free agency and roster decisions.
Background
The 2025 season combined headline-making individual achievements with quieter efficiency stories scattered across rosters. While stars like Matthew Stafford and Myles Garrett attracted awards and national attention, teams and analysts increasingly turned to advanced metrics — EPA, target EPA, success rate and explosive play rates — to evaluate player contribution beyond raw totals. NFL Pro aggregates All-22 film, Next Gen Stats and team-level context to isolate efficiency, helping surface players whose per-touch or per-snap production outpaced their volume.
Several structural factors raised the profile of efficiency metrics in 2025. Offensive scheming trends emphasized spread concepts and situational passing, amplifying the value of players who converted third downs or produced high EPA on limited snaps. Defensively, emphasis on coverage splits and target-adjusted metrics identified corners and safeties who consistently limited completion percentage or forced tight windows despite heavy overall passing volume.
For front offices, those indicators matter in personnel decisions. Free agency and contract negotiations increasingly include analytics-based comparators, so efficient seasons from mid-tier players — particularly when combined with age and injury history — can shift market forecasts and roster priorities for the 2026 cycle.
Main event
Cleveland’s Devin Bush delivered an unexpected resurgence in 2025. After a knee injury stalled his early career trajectory, Bush started all 17 games for the Browns and posted 125 tackles and seven tackles for loss. His three interceptions placed him third among linebackers, and he returned two picks for touchdowns, including a memorable 97-yard score vs. Cincinnati. Those scoring plays made Bush the only player in 2025 with multiple defensive pick-sixes, and his all-around box score helped him emerge as a late riser as free agency approached.
In Los Angeles, Blake Corum’s second-year jump changed the Rams’ backfield efficiency profile. Corum tripled his rushing yardage from 207 in 2024 to 746 yards in 2025 and went from zero career TDs to six. Per NFL Pro, he led all running backs with 13.3 expected points added on rushes and recorded 0.09 EPA per carry; his 5.1 yards per carry tied for fourth among backs with 50+ carries. Corum’s efficiency was a key factor in the Rams’ team-level jump from 24th to seventh in rushing offense year over year.
Carolina’s Mike Jackson broke out as a coverage standout. He led the league with 19 passes defensed while matching the four interceptions he allowed in touchdown throws, an efficient ratio by volume-adjusted measures. Among defensive backs with 50 or more targets, Jackson’s coverage EPA ranked sixth at -19.0, and he forced a tight window on 32.3% of targets (eighth among qualified corners), per NFL Pro. That season represents his best efficiency since entering the league in 2019.
Chris Olave quietly paced a sub-.500 Saints unit with a career-best receiving year. Olave totaled 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, accounting for 28.8% of New Orleans’ receiving yardage. He was a deep-threat engine — 25 explosive routes (tied for 12th) and ten routes over 20 mph (fourth) — and proved especially valuable on third down, totaling 381 receiving yards and seven third-down touchdowns, the most in the league.
Kyle Pitts reasserted himself in Atlanta’s offense, finishing 2025 with 928 receiving yards and a career-high five touchdowns. Among tight ends, Pitts was second in receiving yards, fourth in yards after catch (431) and sixth in missed tackles forced (10) according to NFL Pro. His profile — size, contested catch ability and YAC — positioned him as a potentially valuable free-agent or franchise-tag candidate depending on Atlanta’s contract decisions.
San Francisco’s sample size for Mac Jones was brief but informative. With Brock Purdy injured, Jones started from Week 2 through Week 10 and posted the fifth-most passing yards in that span, completed 69.6% of attempts and produced a pass EPA that ranked 11th among qualified passers. Jones was particularly efficient on short and intermediate throws: he led in combined short/intermediate passing yards (1,849), posted a 75.2% completion rate in those ranges and ranked in the top four for pass EPA on such throws.
Despite a porous Tampa Bay pass defense overall, Jamel Dean stood out. Among defensive backs with 50+ targets, Dean ranked second in target EPA at -28.3 and second in completion rate allowed (43.1%). He added nine passes defensed, two forced fumbles, three interceptions, a defensive touchdown and a sack, and he conceded just one touchdown when he was the nearest defender. His red-zone metrics were especially stark: he ranked fifth in red-zone target EPA (-8.5) and second in red-zone completion rate (16.7%).
Analysis & implications
These efficiency profiles carry different implications depending on position and contract status. For linebackers like Devin Bush, a 17-game, high-impact season with multiple defensive scores substantially improves leverage in free agency, particularly for teams seeking a three-down linebacker capable of coverage snaps and turnover creation. However, teams will weigh age and injury history alongside those 2025 gains.
Running back efficiency — illustrated by Blake Corum — often translates into immediate schematic benefit for offenses. Corum’s EPA-leading rush profile suggests he was generating more expected points than his carry share indicated, allowing the Rams to improve rush success without a full backfield overhaul. For contract valuation, short-term RB production spikes can drive interest but not long-term guarantees unless tied to sustained workload.
For cornerbacks, context matters: Mike Jackson and Jamel Dean produced strong target-adjusted numbers while playing in defensive units that faced varied passing environments. Target EPA and completion-rate-over-expected help control for opponent game scripts; teams that value isolated coverage performance will prize those metrics when building nickel and boundary matchups. Still, play-calling and safety help influence box-score outcomes, so complementary film study remains essential.
Quarterback evaluations from small samples — Mac Jones’ eight-game run, for example — require cautious interpretation. Jones’ high short/intermediate efficiency and positive win-probability addition during a depleted 49ers stretch increase his trade/resignation value, but decision-makers must balance roster health, system fit and sample volatility before making long-term investments. Analytics can identify upside, but clubs typically blend film, medicals and situational context into final determinations.
Comparison & data
| Player | Key 2025 stat | Notable metric |
|---|---|---|
| Devin Bush (LB) | 125 tackles, 3 INT, 2 INT-TDs | Only player with multiple pick-sixes |
| Blake Corum (RB) | 746 rush yards, 6 TD | 13.3 rush EPA, 0.09 EPA/carry, 5.1 YPC |
| Chris Olave (WR) | 1,163 rec yards, 9 TD | 28.8% of team receiving yards; 7 third-down TDs |
| Mac Jones (QB) | 5th-most passing yards (Wk2–10) | 69.6% comp, 51.7 pass EPA (ranked 11th) |
The table above condenses headline numbers and one advanced metric per player. While these metrics are not exhaustive, they show how limited volume can coexist with outsized efficiency. For teams and evaluators, comparing EPA and per-play rates to raw totals highlights underappreciated contributors in both strong and weak offenses.
Reactions & quotes
After Bush’s 97-yard return against Cincinnati, Browns staff emphasized his leadership and timing rather than framing the play as an anomaly. Team officials noted the pick-six as a product of scheme and film study rather than pure instinct.
“He’s put in the work and the tape shows it — he’s playing faster and smarter this season.”
Browns defensive coach (statement to press)
Rams coaches credited Corum’s efficiency to schematic touches that played to his burst and pass-protection aptitude; they also stressed rotational load-sharing with Kyren Williams as a factor in Corum’s improved per-carry production.
“We found ways to get him favorable looks and he made the most of them — he’s an emergent weapon.”
Rams offensive coordinator (postgame press conference)
Analysts tracking coverage metrics pointed to Dean’s red-zone numbers as the clearest sign of repeatable value, arguing that his ability to shrink windows under pressure makes him attractive in short-field situations despite team-level struggles.
“Target-adjusted metrics show he’s limiting big plays when it matters most.”
Independent coverage analyst (analytical outlet)
Unconfirmed
- Contract-market projections cited by some agents for Devin Bush in 2026 have not been publicly verified; reported interest from multiple teams remains speculative.
- Internal schematic adjustments credited for Blake Corum’s uptick are described in team interviews but lack independent play-by-play confirmation tying specific play-designs to EPA gains.
Bottom line
Beyond headline-makers, the 2025 season produced a roster of players whose per-play efficiency materially affected team performance and, in several cases, their market value heading into 2026. Analysts and front offices should treat such seasons as meaningful signals, not definitive career inflections, balancing them against injury history, age and role durability.
For teams, the takeaway is clear: integrating film study with target-adjusted and per-play metrics uncovers contributors who can be acquired or retained at reasonable cost to fill schematic needs. For readers and fantasy managers, monitoring EPA, target EPA and usage context can identify high-upside players before broader recognition arrives.