Gaffney's 2025 NFL Week 1 Team of the Week

In an attempt to do something new for the 2025 NFL season, we're going to be dropping "Team of the Week" honorees for each of the 18 weeks of this season. Now, how this is going to work will be as follows: Offense will be a quarterback, offensive lineman, running back, and a tight end or wide receiver under the "pass catcher label", then on defense, IDL, EDGE, linebacker, and defensive back. In addition, we'll highlight two additional rookies, one on each side of the ball. With that out of the way, here's our first and second teams for Week 1.

Gaffney's 2025 NFL Week 1 Team of the Week (First-Team)

Offense: Josh Allen (QB, BUF), Armand Membou [R] (OL, NYJ), Derrick Henry (RB, BAL), Puka Nacua (Pass Catcher, LAR)

What else can you really say about Josh Allen on Sunday night, specifically in crunch time, other than that's the exact performance from that guy, in that exact situation, against that very opponent that you'd hope for and expect out of a guy of his stature? Outside of the fumble, which was pretty rough, you can say a lot of those same things about Derrick Henry as well, but for Allen, that's as good a performance as he's ever had, and completely picked up his defense on what was a brutal night for them.

Not to dismiss the efforts of Puka Nacua, but Jets' Armand Membou was one of the bigger stories of Week 1, even in a losing effort (not by much, mind you). The rookie right tackle out of Mizzou was tasked with going up against T.J. Watt for just about all of Sunday, and depending on who you listen to or get info from, Membou either gave up one or zero pressures (the snap in question is below so that you can decide for yourself) on 21 pass blocking reps. His run blocking was just as good, and PFF graded him in the 90s on that front—just an unreal game on the whole for the 21-year-old. Jets fans should be over the moon with him right out of the gate.

Defense: Javon Hargrave (IDL, MIN), Harold Landry (EDGE, NE), Edgerrin Cooper (LB, GB), Patrick Surtain (DB, DEN)

I can't imagine anyone going into this season with the two-leg parlay of Harold Landry and Javon Hargrave, leading edge rushers and IDL in sacks, respectively, after Week 1, and yet we are! Hargrave especially looked great, coming off a triceps tear three games into 2024, getting pressure from a variety of different spots, and came up big with a couple of first-down sacks in the fourth quarter that both ended up leading to punts. Even after all these years, it would appear he's still going to be an ever-reliable pass rush chess piece in between the tackles for Brian Flores.

Call it a favorable matchup against Raiders right tackle DJ Glaze if you must, but Landry was equally as good in his debut for the New England Patriots. Having shed about a dozen or so pounds before his final year with the Titans, his get-offs were the fastest they were in his career in 2024, and in 2025, he's now picked up a third of his quick pressure production of a year ago in a single afternoon with five. Also getting in there for some run stops on a largely un-noteworthy debut for Ashton Jeanty, call Landry's return to Massachusetts successful.

Big shoutout as well to Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper. I thought he looked excellent against both the run and pass in a dominant Green Bay victory, and yes, Pat Surtain was about how you'd expect vs. Cam Ward and the Titans.

Rookies: Emeka Egbuka (WR, TB) and Will Johnson (DB, ARI)

Given that Armand Membou made our first team offense outright, that opens the door for one of the most uber-reliable pass catchers in the college ranks over the last several years to get some spotlight here: Tampa Bay's Emeka Egbuka. The latest in a string of highly-touted Ohio State WR prospects hauled in four of his six targets, two of which were for touchdowns north of 25 yards, and ultimately, the latter being for the win. Egbuka went as far as to claim he would "game" said catch, as corroborated by teammates Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield, but unfortunately, he was not mic'd up for this, a genuine tragedy. Not the most talented receiver of his class, but you win games because of guys like Egbuka, and Tampa did just that on Sunday.

Cardinals Will Johnson's draft slide was one that I figured would make a lot of teams look foolish in retrospect (was my No. 6-ranked prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft), and at least after this week, that rings especially true. On a day when he was mainly tasked with defending Rashid Shaheed, he allowed a grand total of 32 yards on four grabs, racked up 3 PBUs (would've also had an INT if not for a suspect flag away from the play), and not to mention this crushing hit to kick off a defensive series on Chris Olave. Great debut for a player who's probably looking to prove a ton of teams wrong for the foreseeable future.

Gaffney's 2025 NFL Week 1 Team of the Week (Second-Team)

Offense: Justin Herbert (QB, LAC), Joe Alt (OL, LAC), Breece Hall (RB, NYJ), Brock Bowers (Pass Catcher, LV)

Defense: Milton Williams (IDL, NE), Myles Garrett (EDGE, CLE), Fred Warner (LB, SF), Sauce Gardner (DB, NYJ)

Rookies: Tyler Warren (TE, IND) and Carson Schwesinger (LB, CLE)

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