<
        >
          EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
          Get ESPN+

          NFL's top 25 players under 25

          Odell Beckham Jr., Marcus Mariota and Ezekiel Elliott all make our annual list of the NFL's best young players. ESPN Illustration
          • Mel Kiper Jr.
            Close
            Mel Kiper Jr.
            Football analyst
              Mel Kiper has served as an NFL draft analyst for ESPN since 1984. He is a regular contributor on SportsCenter and ESPN Radio and writes weekly for ESPN Insider.
          • Mike Sando
            Close
            Mike Sando
            ESPN Senior Writer
            • ESPN Insider NFL columnist and blogger
            • Covered the NFL since 1998
            • Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee
            Follow on Twitter
          Dec 8, 2016, 08:00 AM ET

          'Tis better to receive than to give for the NFL's top young talent in 2016. Wide receivers outnumber quarterbacks by an 8-3 margin in ESPN's annual Mel Kiper-inspired ranking of the top 25 players under 25 years old. It's the same drill as in years past: The rankings are a blend of production and potential, which made for a few strong objections from NFL evaluators. What fun would it be if everyone agreed?

          1. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

          Age: 24

          Beckham's 262 receptions for 3,770 yards and 33 touchdowns place him in elite company through the first three seasons of a career -- even though Beckham has missed five games and still has four to play this season. Since 2001, only Jarvis Landry has more receptions (268) through three seasons. Only A.J. Green has more receiving yards (3,833). Only Rob Gronkowski has more receiving TDs (34).