LOS ANGELES — Tight end Terrance Ferguson was a second-round pick out of Oregon, drafted to a Los Angeles Rams team that was heavy at the position.
And because the rookie missed time during training camp with a groin injury — and tight end is a difficult position to learn in a Sean McVay offense — Ferguson spent most of the first quarter of the season on the scout team. He was also a healthy scratch in Weeks 3 and 4.
“[I learned to use] those reps to get better, not just feeling sorry or using them to get by [and] get through the day, but using them to actually get better,” Ferguson said. “And I think that really served me well.”
It didn’t take his head coach long to notice.
“You see some of the things that he was able to do and you’re saying, ‘Man, maybe we should get those plays in,’ because he’s doing an excellent job of bringing some of that stuff to life against a great defense that we have,” McVay said.
Ferguson was active in Week 5 because starter Tyler Higbee was dealing with a hip injury, and he was ready. He caught his only target for a 21-yard reception, but his best game was last Thursday when he had three catches and a touchdown in an OT loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Through 15 weeks, Ferguson has nine catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
Ferguson was one of 36 rookies ESPN interviewed about the biggest lesson they learned this season. Going from college star to NFL scout team was a humbling adjustment, but it was vital to know the playbook and stay ready because “you’re one play away from 50 snaps.” One player lamented the mistake of letting a bad play linger and affect his preparation the following week. Another wished he had taken more seriously advice about ignoring expectations. And several stressed the importance of having interests outside of football; hobbies to look forward to during down time to combat the mental exhaustion of a long season.
“The preparation part, I’ve been able to see it from multiple standpoints of being in the backup role and having to operate the same way [each week],” said New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who became the starter in Week 9. “That way when I have this starter role, it’s not any different.”
Malaki Starks didn’t have to wait. The Baltimore Ravens’ first-round pick out of Georgia — taken No. 27 overall — came into the NFL with high expectations. And one thing the safety learned was that those expectations can be a detriment.
“The biggest piece of advice that someone told me that I wish I would have listened to was about expectations,” Starks said. “No matter what round you go in, you’re going to be a rookie. And what pick you’re taken at doesn’t change that.
“So be a rookie. Don’t live up to unrealistic expectations. Don’t be too hard on yourself, but still push yourself. Realize there’s a balance. And just leave it all on the table. What people say and what people think doesn’t matter; you just go out and play your best ball.”
Or, as New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart said: “Just constantly understand that you’re never going to have it figured out.”
ARIZONA CARDINALS QUARTERBACK Jacoby Brissett set an NFL record for completions in a single game when he went 47-of-57 for 452 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 11 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
49ers starting nickelback Upton Stout had his share of struggles in coverage, and during a drive early in the fourth quarter, the rookie third-round pick out of Western Kentucky gave up a completion for a sizable gain as the Cardinals got down to the Niners’ 8.
That’s when Brissett completed a short pass to tight end Elijah Higgins, and Stout darted in from the side, hit Higgins at the 1 and forced a fumble to prevent a touchdown.
Upton Stout strips the ball at the goal line 💪pic.twitter.com/yeE4Ef7kiA
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 16, 2025
“I love how he runs and hits out there,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s been beat a few times, and that’s stuff I know he’ll continue to get better at because he’s got the skill set to do it, and he’s got the work ethic and the character to do it, too.”
Stout said his mindset is, “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low, and just realize right now it’s not the end.
“Whatever is going on right now, that’s not what is going to be for the next two, three, four, five years. It’s just, have fun, realize that you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to mess up. But it gets greater later. That’s how I look at it. It gets greater later.”
It was pretty great for guard Donovan Jackson at Ohio State when he helped the Buckeyes win the 2024 national championship. The Minnesota Vikings took Jackson with the 24th pick overall, and he currently starts at right guard. At 6-4, 315 pounds, Jackson knew he had the physical tools to compete on the next level, but he didn’t know how much he would need a different kind of strength.
“The NFL is a whole lot more mental than you think, more than physical,” he said. “With the mental aspect, week after week, you’re going against someone who’s the best in their position or someone who’s upcoming to be the best in their position. So having that mental fortitude to be able to watch film one week, wipe off whatever happened and move forward for the next week [is important].
“That’s something I struggled with at first. I would have one bad play a game prior and I’d be thinking about that during the entire week prep and that would affect my next week. So just seeing it, learning from it, wiping it off and keep going because at the end of the day, they’re in the league for a reason.”
New York Jets offensive tackle Armand Membou, who was the seventh overall pick out of Missouri, has been one of the few silver linings in another tough season for the Jets. But even Membou had to learn how to deal with setbacks.
“I mean, shoot, you’re going to get beat,” he said. “Everyone is going to get messed up, so you have to have that next-play mentality and move on.
“It’s different, because back in college, I mean, at least for me, I wasn’t getting beat much. But going to the league, going against these All-Pros and stuff, you’re going to lose reps.”
IT WAS WEEK 3, and Cincinnati Bengals offensive guard Jalen Rivers was walking into the locker room at halftime of the team’s game in Minnesota. Rivers, a fifth-round pick out of Miami, was stopped by Bengals offensive line coach Scott Peters, who told him he’d be going into the game.
“I wasn’t thinking I was going [to play], but of course as a backup, if you’re dressed, you’ve got to be ready for anything,” Rivers said. “Because I was just on the field goal unit.
“But when they came to me and said, ‘You’re going in at right guard,’ it’s like, ‘All right. I’m ready.'”
Rivers has started seven games since that moment.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, a third-round pick out of Arkansas, learned the most important part about being ready was “getting in the playbook.”
“If you’re out there and you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re not going to be able to play well,” TeSlaa said. “So, once you know the playbook, you’ll be able to play full speed and play a lot faster, play a lot better.”
Jahdae Walker TD. Packers run a zero blitz and stack alignment completely confuses the packers DBs. Great throw and catch under pressure.
Shout out to Ryan Poles for keeping Jahdae Walker and punting on the missed 4th round pick. #DaBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/UGOsrvTr05
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) December 21, 2025
Chicago Bears undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker made the most of his opportunity Saturday night. His second career catch was a game-saving touchdown that helped the Bears force the Green Bay Packers into overtime, where Chicago finished a wild comeback win.
“[Coaches] always tell me, ‘Be ready — you’re one play away from 50 snaps,”’ Walker said.
The NFL is so much “more detailed than college,” said New York Jets starting tight end Mason Taylor, a second-rounder out of LSU. “All the little things matter, from your splits on offense to your footsteps to your footwork.
“If they tell you to run 12 yards and it’s 10, you’re in the wrong spot.”
Tight end Nick Kallerup, who joined the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota, said staying ready is most important, even when playing time feels out of sight. Kallerup was a healthy scratch for the first seven games.
The Seahawks kept him on their 53-man roster out of fear that another team would snag him if they tried to sneak him onto their practice squad. But then No. 3 tight end Eric Saubert landed on injured reserve, and Kallerup has played extensively since then, averaging almost 19 snaps over the last six games.
“It was hard remembering the playbook while you’re running scout cards for two months,” Kallerup said. “So, I’d say staying on top of that, staying ready so when the opportunity comes, you can take advantage of it.”
Part of the preparation process includes absorbing the knowledge of teammates.
“The biggest lesson I learned inside the building is to lean on guys around me, and that’s what I’ve been doing the last month or two months,” said Josh Conerly Jr., taken No. 29 out of Oregon by the Commanders. “Laremy [Tunsil] for sure, but I talk to everybody in here.
“I’ve had conversations about anything in life, being far from your parents, how you eat, how many times do you lift in a week, how do you hydrate. Little things like that. I talked to Von Miller about recovery and how he changed his routine of recovery and making sure his body is right on Sunday.”
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS RUNNING back Bhayshul Tuten, a fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, has an interesting routine when he’s gaming at home.
“I got my ankles in an ice bucket,” Tuten said. “I got to do leg [compression] boots when I’m watching TV.
“So just trying to implement it into my daily life as much as I can.”
The daily life away from the team for an NFL rookie is crucial.
“Find some hobbies,” said Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Jalon Walker, the 15th overall pick out of Georgia. “You got a lot more free time than you think. So, just find something that you’re interested in doing. Books, anything.
“I stay around [the facility] more often. More treatment, so I don’t have to go home and sit in the house all day. … I’m not a reader. Audiobook, I could do that. Music. I don’t play video games. It’s like there’s only so much you could do without exerting yourself. I could build a Lego set. That’s about it.”
There are worse things to do with your downtime in the NFL than building a Lego set. The key is valuing the downtime.
“Football always has to be the most important thing,” said Cardinals starting left cornerback Will Johnson, a second-round pick out of Michigan. “Just making sure you’re locked in on the film and the scheme, and taking care of your body — just doing all the right things outside of the building is just probably the biggest thing and the hardest thing, because you got more time to be distracted.”
Part of the distraction could be looking too far ahead. Dallas Cowboys starting right guard Tyler Booker, taken 12th overall out of Alabama, learned from his teammates about the importance of staying in the present.
“Give your all each day and don’t look too far ahead, because that’s when you’re like, ‘Oh, man, I have this many games left,'” Booker said.
Booker and many of the 2025 rookies have only two games left, while others will experience the playoffs in their first year.
“It’s a grind for sure, so know it’s going to be a grind,” said Packers wide receiver Savion Williams, a third-round pick out of TCU. “But if you love it, you’ll be fine.
“If you love the game, [accept] everything that comes with it.”
Contributing: Todd Archer, Courtney Cronin, Turron Davenport, Rob Demovsky, Mike DiRocco, Alaina Getzenberg, Brady Henderson, John Keim, Jamison Hensley, Stephen Holder, Tim McManus, David Newton, Daniel Oyefusi, Jordan Raanan, Marc Raimondi, Mike Reiss, Kevin Seifert, Katherine Terrell, Nick Wagoner, Josh Weinfuss and Eric Woodyard.