This year's NFL draft did what it always does: It reminded us of how enjoyable it is to watch dreams come true. Now it's time to ponder the pressure that comes with being a big name joining a franchise that has invested heavily in that person. Some players are walking into situations where they'll fit nicely with a ready-made supporting cast. Others will be asked to do much more, whether that involves changing the trajectory of an organization or simply elevating it in a way that couldn't happen before that player arrived.
In a perfect world, every rookie would be able to seamlessly transition into the NFL, with everyone knowing that maturation takes time. But we don't live in a perfect world. We live in a world where certain players will be tasked with meeting high expectations from the moment this coming season kicks off. It's the goal of this edition of The First Read to tell you which first-year players really need to succeed in a major way.
These are the rookies who better deliver in Year 1 for a variety of reasons ...
Hunter was the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he was easily the most hyped player in this class. His new general manager, James Gladstone, was one of the loudest voices when it came to celebrating Hunter’s potential, as Gladstone talked about his first draft pick as a player who might revolutionize the game. Hunter had better be all that and more after Gladstone produced the most jaw-dropping trade of the draft, moving up to take Hunter at No. 2 and giving Cleveland a second-round pick this year and a first-round pick next year to do so.
Of course, the big question about Hunter is where he’ll end up playing most frequently. He’s made it clear that he wants to contribute on both sides of the football, and the Jaguars have a plan for him, one that already has included discussions with the medical and training staff about how to make that happen. There’s no doubt that Hunter is a special talent, given all his success as a Heisman Trophy-winning two-way player at Colorado. However, there’s a reason no player in the current NFL has ever achieved major success in the role he’s pursuing. It’s really hard to pull off (and it’s already fair to say Hunter won’t even be Jacksonville’s best wide receiver after Brian Thomas Jr. produced 87 receptions, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2024). Hunter had better be a weekly highlight reel in his first season after the way Jacksonville touted him. Anything short of that will lead to tons of scrutiny.
It’s no secret what new head coach Pete Carroll wants to do on offense in his first season with the Raiders. He seems to clearly want to replicate the same formula he used during his time in Seattle, which involved handing the ball to a bell-cow back as often as he possibly could. Jeanty was the sixth overall pick in this year's draft -- which makes him the highest-drafted runner since the Giants selected Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018 -- for that reason. Jeanty was hailed as one of the best talents in the class because he’s a three-down back with home-run ability. That means he’ll have plenty of opportunities to carry this offense, even with the Raiders trading for veteran quarterback Geno Smith this offseason and boasting a blossoming superstar in tight end Brock Bowers. Carroll needs to change the culture fast in Las Vegas and establish this franchise as an up-and-comer in the AFC West. Jeanty blowing up in Year 1 is essential to those hopes.
There is no personnel move the Bills made this offseason that has more potential to help this team reach the Super Bowl. Buffalo has given up an average of 33.2 points per game in its last five playoff losses, with four defeats at the hands of the Chiefs. The Bills actually might have won last year’s AFC Championship Game in Kansas City if a concussion hadn’t knocked cornerback Christian Benford out of the game in the first half. Buffalo will be better situated to overcome the Chiefs if Hairston can grow up in a hurry and establish himself as a starter alongside Benford and slot corner Taron Johnson. Hairston will compete for the job, but the best-case scenario is that he beats out Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson once the season opens. The rookie has the coverage ability and ball skills to be a standout in the secondary. He also possesses something the Bills need in abundance on the back end: blazing speed. Hairston ran the 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.28 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, and that has to excite a Bills team that has watched too many opposing quarterbacks produce big plays against this defense in January.
Golden became the first wide receiver drafted by the Packers in the first round since 2002, so you knew he was going to be high on this list. There are a ton of expectations on this player, and deservedly so. Golden joins a squad that desperately needs him to become a reliable deep threat. Green Bay lost Christian Watson to a torn ACL in the regular-season finale, and even running back Josh Jacobs was openly talking about the need for the team to find a No. 1 receiver this offseason. Golden doesn’t have to be WR1. He just needs to be the game-breaker he was at Texas last year. Golden led the FBS with 23 receptions of 20 yards or more, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds at the combine. Only one player -- Maxwell Hairston -- ran a faster time in that event this year. Golden also has the potential to play outside or in the slot, so he offers head coach Matt LaFleur the opportunity to become really creative in the passing attack. The Packers come into this season with a lot of weapons at the skill positions. Golden is the one best situated to make it easier for quarterback Jordan Love to shake off some of the criticism he received last season.
Ward is on this list because he was the first overall pick in April's draft. He would be higher if the Titans had a more well-rounded roster, so it’s better to not put too much pressure on this young man in this space. Ward’s success is important because the Titans selected him after giving up on Will Levis, a player they drafted in the second round in 2023. Tennessee certainly doesn’t want to become one of those teams that is selecting a quarterback every two or three years, so hitting on Ward is critical to what it's trying to build in the second year under head coach Brian Callahan. It’s important to note here that Callahan was the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati when the Bengals made quarterback Joe Burrow the top pick in the 2020 draft. The head coach has experience with handling players in Ward’s situation, and it helps that Ward was a huge success at three different programs in college. That means he knows how to learn fast. He’ll also be helped by the presence of a couple veteran receivers -- Tyler Lockett and Calvin Ridley -- and an AFC South that could be the worst division in football. Ward doesn’t have to be the star that Houston’s C.J. Stroud and Washington’s Jayden Daniels blossomed into as rookies. All he needs to do is create some real optimism for the future in Tennessee.
McMillan should have ample opportunities to compete for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award as the eighth overall pick of this year's draft. That’s how big a need he fills in joining the Panthers this season. After the roller-coaster second season Bryce Young went through -- he was benched after the first two weeks, but returned and led Carolina to a 4-6 record in his final 10 games -- there are no more questions about whether he should be the starter. There were far more concerns about the people catching his passes, which is why McMillan means so much to this franchise. Head coach Dave Canales can only ask so much of wide receiver Adam Thielen, who turns 35 in August, while second-year wideout Xavier Legette is still learning after arriving as a first-round pick in 2024. McMillan has the size (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) and catch radius to become an instant go-to guy for Young this season. It’s not hard to imagine McMillan dominating 50/50 balls and in the red zone. He doesn’t have the deep speed to threaten defenses vertically, but he can do more than enough to elevate Carolina’s offense this fall.
The Chargers hit a home run in the second round last season when they drafted Ladd McConkey, who turned into one of the best slot receivers in the league as a rookie. It would be a blessing for them if Harris, this year’s second-round pick, produces a similar impact. There was no bigger need for the Chargers coming into the offseason than wide receiver. They approached it in free agency by bringing back Mike Williams, who spent seven years with the franchise before playing last season with the Jets and Steelers. Given the inability of Williams to stick with other teams -- and the inconsistency of third-year receiver Quentin Johnston -- Harris should receive plenty of chances to find a job as a starting receiver on the outside. Harris has the requisite size (6-2, 205 pounds), and he averaged 128.8 receiving yards a game at Ole Miss last year, which led all FBS players. We all know head coach Jim Harbaugh loves to pound the rock, which is presumably why the Chargers used their first-round pick on running back Omarion Hampton. However, Harbaugh also has lauded the skills of quarterback Justin Herbert since becoming the head coach last offseason. And the only way Herbert keeps improving -- and putting this team in better position to challenge the Chiefs in the AFC West -- is with better pass catchers around him.
There was a lot of speculation that the Broncos would come out of the first round of the draft with a running back. Since that didn’t happen -- they chose cornerback Jahdae Barron with the 20th overall selection -- Denver used the second round to take Harvey, who has a shot at being an early standout. Broncos GM George Paton said the team fell in love with Harvey during the draft process and was praying the player would still be there late in Round 2. That affection comes from the skill set Harvey possesses. He has 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, and he averaged 6.5 yards per carry for his career at Central Florida. That type of game-breaking ability makes Harvey’s lack of size (he’s 5-8 and 205 pounds) less of a concern.
Head coach Sean Payton wants a more dynamic presence in his backfield and a player who might ultimately fill his coveted “joker” position as a matchup nightmare. Harvey could be that guy, especially if he improves his receiving skills in his first season. The Broncos already have their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, a dependable offensive line and some veteran options in the pass game (wide receiver Courtland Sutton and tight end Evan Engram) to go along with an elite defense. Harvey now checks a huge box in the backfield as the likely lead runner in a rotation of ball-carriers. His presence might help this team push the Chiefs for AFC West supremacy and, at very least, return to the postseason for a second straight season.
These two are lumped together because both ended up as first-round picks on a team desperate for pass-rushing help. Walker, the 15th overall selection, played off-ball linebacker at Georgia but can rush from the edge as well. Pearce came with a heavy price as the 26th overall selection -- the Falcons sent a second- and seventh-round pick and a 2026 first-rounder to the Rams to move back into the first round -- but his talents are undeniable. His impressive speed (4.47-second 40 time) made him one of the best pass rushers in the country over the past two seasons. The Falcons wanted both these players because defense was one of their major problems in 2024. Atlanta ranked 31st in the league in sacks last season, and they can ill-afford to be that inept at rushing the quarterback once again. The Falcons face too many tough quarterbacks this coming fall -- a group that includes Washington’s Jayden Daniels, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, the Rams’ Matthew Stafford and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield (twice) -- and they can’t afford an eighth straight season without a playoff appearance.
There are so many reasons why Stewart belongs on this list. The first is that the Bengals defense suffered through a surprising decline last season, one that led to the firing of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and kept this team from reaching the playoffs. The Bengals only produced 36 sacks in 2024, with a league-high 17.5 coming from All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who’s currently sideways with the organization over his desire for a pay raise. The Bengals don’t know if Hendrickson will be showing up for work when this season begins. They also watched their other starting defensive end, Sam Hubbard, retire this offseason. Now is also a good time to mention that Stewart was one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in this draft. He’s a physical freak who turned in one of the most impressive combine performances in Indianapolis, yet he also produced just 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in three years at Texas A&M. The Bengals are betting that Stewart can be more successful at both pressuring and taking down quarterbacks at a higher level of football. Given everything going on in that franchise, he had better be exactly that.
