There’s always pre-draft discussion on whether NFL teams should draft for need or talent — and whether to start a player or sit him to give him time to develop. The truth is that it’s best to draft a player who can instantly make an impact. Making that work is just one of many challenging parts of running a football team.
There will be no shortage of rookies who enjoy instant NFL success this season. General managers occasionally thread the needle of drafting for both need and talent, simultaneously. So let’s take a look at where those two factors seem immediately apparent. Here are 14 highly talented rookies who are stepping into situations where their teams need them to immediately make an impact.
1. Bears QB Caleb Williams
OK, so here’s the least surprising one.
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The No. 1 overall pick, a quarterback, needs to change things in Chicago. The surprising thing is that he might actually have the supporting cast to do it. The Bears underwent a face lift on offense that involved acquiring receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift, tight end Gerald Everett and center Ryan Bates. They should all help Williams succeed in ways Justin Fields could not.
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2. Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
He’s already the No. 1 receiver on his team — and it’s not just because the rest of the receivers are underwhelming. Even as a rookie, Harrison could be the No. 1 receiver on several NFL teams. This guy is an instant starter — and he’s joining Kyler Murray, who desperately, desperately, desperately needs a playmaker at receiver.
3. Chargers WR Ladd McConkey
L.A. traded Allen and let Mike Williams walk in free agency. With Justin Herbert at quarterback and a total absence of proven receivers on the Chargers’ depth chart, McConkey might have the clearest path to 100 targets among all NFL rookies — maybe excluding Harrison.
4. Bills WR Keon Coleman
After Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis exited Buffalo, Coleman will join Curtis Samuel, a free-agent signing, and Khalil Shakir, an incumbent starter who saw his workload spike at the end of last year. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Coleman is a bigger receiver than either Samuel or Shakir. The rookie has the size to hold up on the perimeter in a way that the others cannot. It’s Coleman’s job to lose.
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[McKenna: Bills rookie WR Keon Coleman much more than the goofball we see on viral videos]
5. Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks
With a surplus of good, productive backs in the NFL, we rarely see a guy enter a situation as the clearcut RB1. The Panthers were probably the most running-back-needy team entering 2024. Brooks doesn’t have a brutal group to beat out, with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders. Carolina’s offense was a sad sight in 2023. This year, Brooks will be a part of the overhaul.
6. Bucs C Graham Barton
All the players on this list will make an impact in their rookie year, but some might not be the Day 1 starter. Barton will be. The first-round pick is joining a roster that desperately needs a high-performing center. Barton, a Duke prospect, actually played some left tackle before settling at center (due to his lack of length). But this guy is the real deal. He’ll anchor the offense for first-year offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
[READ MORE: Why a former 250-pound lacrosse player is Bucs’ future leader on offensive line]
7. Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton
Tyron Smith is now a Jet, which has left Dak Prescott without a blindside protector. (And frankly, Smith was injured so regularly that Prescott has often been without his top blindside protector in recent years.) That’s why the Cowboys drafted Guyton in Round 1. He was the eighth tackle and the 29th pick in this year’s offensive-heavy class. It’s pretty simple: Guyton needs to start. And the TCU prospect needs to be yet another example of the Cowboys’ strong work in drafting O-linemen.
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8. Lions CB Terrion Arnold
The Lions defense improved slightly last season, allowing 23.2 points per game (24th) after giving up 25.1 ppg in 2022. The secondary remains their biggest issue, though it improved from 2022 (245.8 ypg allowed, 30th) to 2023 (247.4 ypga, 27th). Even after signing cornerback Carlton Davis to a massive deal in free agency, Detroit drafted Arnold to play on the other side. The rookie-veteran combination could finally provide the turnaround the Lions so badly need in their secondary.
9. Texans CB Kamari Lassiter
GM Nick Caserio must have loved what he saw from Derek Stingley Jr. last season. The former No. 3 overall pick was a menace to opposing receivers and quarterbacks. Can Lassiter have a similar impact? It’s a lofty goal, especially considering that Lassiter was a second-round pick. But there will be plenty of opportunity. Now-retired Steven Nelson played CB2 but tallied the most snaps on defense (1,192) last year. Even if Lassiter doesn’t get all those snaps, it’ll be plenty of work for a rookie.
10. 11. Rams DLs Jared Verse, Braden Fiske
It’s fitting that L.A. added two rookies to begin the process of replacing Aaron Donald. Donald was, often, worth two defenders on the field, which was what made him one of the greatest defensive tackles in NFL history. Verse, an edge, and Fiske, a defensive tackle, should be starters in Week 1. Fiske, in particular, has some similarities to Donald. The rookie is an undersized defensive tackle with startling quickness and a nonstop motor. That sounds vaguely like Donald coming out of Pitt.
12. Colts DL Laiatu Latu
Even with serious injury concerns, Latu managed to land in the top 15 of the draft. And he was the first defensive player off the board. His talent was so irresistible that Indianapolis overlooked the medicals that scared other teams away. It might have something to do with Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who is a really nice match for Latu. It’s just the perfect system for a pass-rusher who needs to succeed right away — and almost definitely will.
13. Dolphins edge Chop Robinson
Bradley Chubb is recovering from a torn ACL and Jaelan Phillips is returning from an Achilles tear. Both injuries tend to limit athleticism and production, particularly in the player’s first year back. So while Robinson is nominally the third edge on Miami’s depth chart, he will be a high-impact player and a Week 1 starter.
14. Vikings edge Dallas Turner
Turner has the unfortunate task of replacing Danielle Hunter — you know, the guy who is among the best edge players in the NFL. Turner is a freakish athlete who was a favorite to be the first defensive player off the draft board. The knock on him was that he lacked polish as a rusher — but he still managed to put up 14.5 sacks in the SEC. Turner is just what the Vikings need on defense to deal with Hunter’s absence. That’s why Minnesota traded up to No. 17 for Turner. He’s a plug and playmaker.
Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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