When you're tasked with predicting which rookies will provide the greatest returns in Year 1, the obvious temptation is to spotlight all the first-round picks. After all, they essentially were the most highly coveted prospects less than two months ago.
But where's the fun in that? Nobody lives to project CHALK. So, of the 25 players selected in this exercise, less than half came from Round 1. (Granted, three slots are reserved for special teamers, but cut me some slack here, people -- I'm trying!)
Alright, enough preamble. Which newbies will provide instant impacts at each position? Here is my forecast, with the defensive and special teams choices listed below. Click here for offense.
DEFENSE
Drafted: Round 1, No. 3 overall
Widely considered the best defensive player in this draft class, Carter is unsurprisingly the favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. His explosiveness off the edge jumps off the screen, but with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in place as the incumbent outside linebackers, what’s the plan with the No. 3 overall pick? Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen sees it as “a really good problem to have.” And he’s not wrong: You can never have enough good pass rushers.
“Ultimately, we want to get our best 11 on the field,” Bowen said last month. “Whatever way we gotta maneuver to do that, we gotta find ways to get the guys that can impact the game on the field.”
Carter is undoubtedly one of the best 11 on this defensive roster, and playing alongside Burns, Thibodeaux and DT Dexter Lawrence, the rookie’s poised to get the kind of one-on-one matchups he can feast on.
Drafted: Round 2, No. 44 overall
Like we just discussed with Abdul Carter, Ezeiruaku walks into an advantageous environment. Sharing the field with perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons, the rookie is set to receive favorable matchups -- and he has the pass-rushing arsenal to take advantage of them. With pterodactyl length and hair-on-fire spirit, Ezeiruaku explodes off the snap with a quick first step, often allowing him to get the edge and bend to the quarterback. If the pure speed rush doesn’t work, no worries: The dude knows how to use his hands, and he has a full bag of tricks that range from a spin to a Euro step to a pretty wicked ghost move. So, why did he last until midway through the second round? Well, he’s on the lighter side, naturally raising concerns about how he’ll set the edge against NFL blockers. But the Boston College product is poised to rack up the kind of sexy stats that garner recognition, having finished last season at second in the FBS in sacks (16.5) and third in tackles for loss (20.5).
Drafted: Round 1, No. 5 overall
Graham’s NFL career, for better or worse, will always be compared to those of Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. Cleveland had its pick of those two at No. 2, but the Browns decided to trade down, collecting valuable draft currency and ultimately selecting this prospect crop’s top defensive tackle at No. 5. Top-five picks always face immense pressure to produce, but this juicy subplot brightens the spotlight. Working in Graham’s favor: He gets to line up alongside the force of nature that is Myles Garrett. And he was one of the cleanest evals in this draft class, as a former wrestler who consistently wins with leverage, heavy hands and a non-stop motor. I anticipate early game-wreckage, inherently spawning an unthinkable development: a whole bunch of Ohioans praising a Michigan man.
Drafted: Round 1, No. 21 overall
Typically, this is the time of year when NOTHING is guaranteed. Coaches constantly stress that rookies -- no matter how highly they’re drafted -- must earn their keep before even thinking about filling a starting slot. Apparently, though, the Steelers aren’t doing that whole song and dance with Harmon.
"He goes out there with the ones," defensive line coach Karl Dunbar said last week, via PennLive.com. "He's our left starting defensive tackle. You can write that."
Instinctive and versatile with a well-rounded skill set, the first-round pick is the kind of defensive lineman who thrives in Pittsburgh. Harmon racked up an eye-popping 55 pressures in 2024 -- 12 more than any other FBS interior D-lineman, per PFF -- and now he gets to learn from a 15th-year pro with a doctorate in disruption, Cam Heyward.
Drafted: Round 2, No. 33 overall
The first pick of the second round is one of the more interesting stories in this draft class. Schwesinger arrived at UCLA as a walk-on and didn’t see much action beyond special teams during his first three years with the program. This past fall, though, he entered the starting lineup in the third week of the season and never looked back, earning first-team All-America honors after leading the nation with 90 solo tackles. Rangy and instinctive with skills to defend against the run or pass, Schwesinger fits the mold of the modern off-ball linebacker. And playing behind Cleveland’s Myles Garrett-led front should keep the rookie pretty clean, allowing him to fly around the field and stuff the stat sheet.
Drafted: Round 2, No. 49 overall
My colleague Lance Zierlein annually does a fantastic job with his draft profiles. And his pre-draft comp for Knight -- Germaine Pratt -- certainly looked prophetic after the Bengals pounced on the linebacker midway through Round 2. Pratt, of course, requested a trade from Cincinnati back in February. Two months later, the Bengals drafted Knight, and two months after that, they cut Pratt. It’s the NFL circle of life. Pratt was Cincy’s leading tackler and defensive captain last season -- can the rookie fill his shoes in Year 1? It’s early, but Knight has made a nice impression on the veteran ‘backer he’ll be starting alongside.
"He can do everything at a high level. Just a matter of putting it all together," Logan Wilson said, via the team website. "He's fast, hits, big, shifty. All the things you want in a linebacker, he's got."
Drafted: Round 2, No. 47 overall
As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported during Johnson’s draft slide, the cornerback’s knee was red-flagged for longevity concerns during the combine. But I’m not here to project which players will make it to their second contract -- I’m trying to identify who’ll thrive in their first season. And by that criterion, Johnson is a prime candidate. A highly pedigreed cover man with prototypical size and a mature game, the Michigan product projects as a Day 1 starter in Arizona. And his instinctive ball-hawking feels like a perfect fit in the Cardinals’ zone-heavy defense.
Drafted: Round 2, No. 61 overall
Atrocious cornerback play last September forced Washington to move rookie Mike Sainristil outside, and he acquitted himself quite well, but the scrappy 5-foot-9 playmaker is likely still at his best in the nickel role. So, who can fill the CB slot opposite Marshon Lattimore? The Commanders signed veteran Jonathan Jones, who offers inside/outside ability, but Amos sure has the look of a Dan Quinn corner. Washington was thrilled when he was still available late in the second round, and no wonder: The big, physical CB displayed enticing press-man ability last season in the SEC, earning first-team all-conference honors. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. undoubtedly appreciates Amos’ ball production (SEE: 3 INTs and 13 PBUs in 2024), having spent much of last season begging for takeaways.
Drafted: Round 1, No. 20 overall
Denver’s first-round selection of Barron took many by surprise, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph called it a “no-brainer” move for the franchise.
“He’s a very mature, smart football player. My cousin (former Texas secondary coach Terry Joseph) actually coached him for three years in college, so I watched him play for a long time,” Joseph said last week. “His ball skills, his combine workout -- entire process was really buttoned up, you know, so he was a can’t-miss prospect for us.”
Helming a defense that emerged as one of the league’s best last year, Joseph has plenty to be excited about this offseason. After adding linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency, the Broncos spent their top pick on a multifaceted cover man who should slot right in as the unit’s starting nickel. NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah comps Barron to one of the most versatile and impactful defensive backs in the game today: Detroit’s Brian Branch.
Drafted: Round 1, No. 27 overall
Starks is represented by Nicole Lynn, but the trailblazing agent has a serious competitor when it comes to the dogged promotion of her client: ME! Seeing how my infatuation with the safety approached stalker levels during this draft cycle, his placement here was guaranteed the moment I was handed this assignment. The fit in Baltimore is perfect, as Starks’ center field chops will allow Kyle Hamilton to return to the overhang role that made him a first-team All-Pro in 2023. And Malaki has already endeared himself to his head coach.
“He was organizing walk-throughs at the hotel for the rookies pretty much the whole camp -- I think that’s pretty cool,” John Harbaugh said last week. “He’s always on point.”
I. Love. This. Guy.
Drafted: Round 3, No. 96 overall
Atlanta’s defense basically has been an annual disappointment since the team’s last playoff appearance in 2017. But over the past couple seasons, the unit has rostered one undeniable star in Jessie Bates III. What’s better than one ballhawking safety? Two of ‘em! Watts, who began his college career as a wide receiver, logged an astounding 13 interceptions over the past two seasons.
"He’s coming in with such a serious demeanor and a mindset, playing in a pro-style defense at Notre Dame and being able to do some of those different things and, like, his mindset is very similar to Jessie," Falcons coach Raheem Morris said last month. "What better example for Watts to have than to be able to look at a guy like that and how he prepares and how he studies and how he's actually able to go apply it in the grass, right?"
SPECIAL TEAMS
Drafted: Round 6, No. 182 overall
My initial instinct was to take the new kicker attached to one of the NFL’s very best offenses: Baltimore’s Tyler Loop. But at a position that’s largely defined by stress tolerance, the Ravens rookie is walking into an absolute pressure cooker. In the wake of Justin Tucker’s release amid allegations of improper conduct during massage therapy sessions, Loop is tasked with replacing one of the greatest kickers in football history on a team with serious Super Bowl ambitions. Probably wiser to go with the highest-drafted kicker in Borregales, who’s joining a franchise in the midst of a rebuild.
Drafted: Round 6, No. 216 overall
So, you’re telling me the only punter drafted this past April is A) from the positional hotbed of Australia and B) now in the positional paradise of Denver? Lock it in! Crawshaw’s going to send balls into orbit in the mile-high air -- I know Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi agrees.
“He is as talented as a punting prospect that I’ve ever had,” Rizzi said last week.
Drafted: Round 4, No. 103 overall
Tennessee hired venerable special teams coordinator John Fassel this offseason. Under Fassel’s tutelage over the last three years in Dallas, KaVontae Turpin emerged as one of the league’s most dangerous returners, making the Pro Bowl twice and earning first-team All-Pro honors this past season. Dike brings extensive college experience as a kick and punt returner. Not to mention, he blazed the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds. Oh, and here’s a fun note of debatable relevance: Dike’s No. 2 comp on MockDraftable is a man by the name of Devin Hester.
