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The casual football fan generally doesn’t have any clue which NFL rookies to expect to be good coming into every season. Certain players get hyped up and whatnot, but ultimately the average fan doesn’t know what to believe. Given that we just witnessed one of the most talented draft classes in recent memory, there are a few guys who we pretty much know will be stars in the NFL. However, most fanbases don’t have one of these rookies on their team therefore it’s good to be aware of who is likely to exceed expectations.
I’ve watched and researched many of the prospects from the 2024 draft and have been evaluating prospects for over four years. Additionally, I’m very familiar with the various schemes in the NFL and know where certain players fit best. That allows me to have a rough idea of whether a rookie will succeed or not. Ultimately these are all humans we’re talking about, and it’s impossible to be 100% right on all these players. I’m just here to give my best-educated guess on which underrated NFL rookies will perform the best.
This list was assembled to represent rookies who will likely outperform expectations and aren’t very well-known by most casual fans. It’s also not listed in any particular order. These players aren’t necessarily the most talented rookies but rather those who are best set to succeed in year one. There were some players who I wanted to throw on this list, but I just knew they wouldn’t realistically play much this year.
There also are a lot of players who were close to making the list but didn’t. I’m positive there will be some fifth-round player who isn’t on this list that breaks out this year, but it’s impossible to know every one of the players who will do such a thing. However, I feel confident that this list best portrays who to look out for just based on the little amount of info we fans have.
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In most other drafts where the top-end talent isn’t so strong, Byron Murphy II would’ve easily gone top ten. Seattle fans were probably underwhelmed hearing a DT get called, but I’m here to tell you that Murphy II is no joke. If you enjoy watching trench play, nothing is more satisfying than turning on Murphy’s film. He is the ideal Interior Defensive Lineman in practically every way possible. That’s not to say he’s perfect, but he just has every little trait you look for in the position. Some will disagree, but shorter DTs are preferable, especially in the pass rush. Murphy is only 6’1″ but uses his height to his advantage by getting stellar pad level. Not to mention, he’s a fantastic athlete too.
In MacDonald’s system, Murphy will play the same role that Justin Madubuike played and could be even better. I couldn’t have loved this pick anymore, and I’m excited to see Murphy break out. I’d be shocked if Murphy somehow disappointed, which is why I threw him on this list despite being a first-rounder. The coach and scheme are too perfect, and there just seem to be no red flags with him.
There’s a chance I’m vastly wrong about my projection for Trey Benson in the pros, as he was quite the gamble, considering his injury risks. I’m not a doctor, but I’ve seen much worse injury histories than what Trey Benson went through in college. However, that’s why I said I could be vastly wrong, as I didn’t get to see the detailed medical reports on him as NFL organizations did. The bottom line is Trey Benson has all the tools to be an elite workhorse back but has the risk of never seeing the field.
I firmly believe Benson was a first-round caliber player solely based on his film. The only reason I could’ve imagined he fell to the third was injuries. With players like that, it always goes either one of two ways. Either they turn out like Jason Verrett or they develop into a superstar, and everyone questions why they passed on them. I honestly don’t know what will be the case with Trey Benson, but I do know people need to be aware of him, as he could take the league by storm.
Benson is a well-built and thick back with unexpected explosiveness and speed. Don’t ever expect him to be the type of guy to make guys miss in space and elude defenders. However, he’s a powerful and damaging back with homerun-hitting ability. James Connor is aging, and there’s no way he’ll continue to carry the workload he has over the past few years. The Cardinals are banking on Benson to become the next workhorse back, and I don’t see why he couldn’t, barring any injuries.
Throughout the draft process, hardly anyone was talking about Ricky Pearsall, and I projected him as a day-two guy who would go on to prove people wrong. Well, the Niners just said screw it and took him at the end of the first. It was probably a shocker to most, but I couldn’t have blamed John Lynch for making this move. There was no guarantee whatsoever that they would’ve gotten him in the second, and needed someone to be there in case Brandon Aiyuk got traded. Chances are that Aiyuk moves elsewhere, and they’ll need a new number two. Even if they keep him, it helps to have another weapon when one of the stars inevitably goes down.
Pearsall will never be an X-Receiver and likely won’t be elite. Although, as a hybrid Z-Receiver/ Slot he has the perfect skill set to thrive in a Shanahan offense. Coming into the league with sure hands, exceptional quickness, and a refined route-running ability, it’s hard seeing him fail in this offense. Pearsall uses his foot quickness to beat press coverage, making him a versatile weapon. While he may never have an elite release package, you know it’s good enough to play as a Z. He’s not your typical guy to go round one, but when we look back five years later, we’ll think this was a damn good pick.
The Packers Safety room was in shambles heading into the offseason but they managed to assemble one of the more underrated duos in the league. They got their heady vet in Xavier McKinney and then drafted Javon Bullard to be that rangy playmaker in the second level. Bullard is still far from a high-end starter but has all the traits to become a star someday. Playing next to two savvy vets will surely help his development. While getting forced into a starting role as a second-rounder could set up for failure, a guy like Bullard is used to immense pressure coming from Georgia.
Bullard has plenty of speed to prevent big plays on the back end and has elite quickness coming downfield. He’s far from the box Safety type, but he is a solid tackler needless to say. With his coverage instincts and athleticism, he’ll be tremendously impactful in quarters and cover six. Additionally, you could use him as a single high Safety. It’s a bit more risky to put someone unproven like Bullard on this list, but I just see a world where he has some bright moments this year.
If you’ve read any of my content from this past draft season, you’ll know I’m very high on Jared Verse. Everyone can agree this guy has physical traits, but his refinement as a pass rusher is where he’s slept on. In addition to being a freak athlete, his hands as a rusher were some of the best I’ve seen coming out of college. Many claim he doesn’t have the finesse to his game, and while he is more of a power rusher, there were many times he won using bend, and he managed to pull off quality swipe moves.
LA was reportedly willing to trade a ton for Brian Burns, and Verse, who happened to be available, isn’t too far off from Burns. They draw a lot of parallels to each other, which explains why LA took him over many other talented prospects. LA could’ve gone in several different directions, but they chose EDGE above all else. That tells me they saw something special in Verse. In the grand scheme of things, I’d bet Verse emerges as the best EDGE from this class.
It was shocking to see a Receiver as talented as Adonai Mitchell fall out of the top 50, but then news came out about some red flags, which explained it. There were reports about how he had diabetes and allegedly wasn’t taking care of it properly. There was a bit more to it than that, such as the fact he would take some plays unseriously. Regardless of all the red flags, the man is uber-talented and killed it in training camp. He’s projected to be a massive part of the offense, and I could see him being on a mission to prove people wrong.
The great thing about him landing in Indy was that he’d be forced to prove himself to get a starting job and that he did. I love the offense they’re building here, and Mitchell has a chance to show why he should be a focal point of the offense. Playing next to Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. will take some weight off his shoulders, but I have hopes Mitchell can eventually grow into this team’s number one. We’ll see if the preseason hype is legit, but everyone should know he has some freighting upside.
Chargers fans were panicked when they chose Joe Alt over a top-tier Receiver with pick five. However, there’s no need to worry, as Ladd McConkey was a true first-round talent overlooked by the more flashy Receivers from this class. The big turn-off for most is his lack of size, but when put in the proper role, I don’t see why he couldn’t be a highly productive NFL Receiver. He’s not going to be that guy you throw 50/50 balls to, as his lack of length and size hinder his contested catch ability. Where he thrives is creating separation so he doesn’t have to win contested catches. Other analysts and I thought he was the best route runner last year. That’s saying a lot considering this was an all-time great Receiving class.
McConkey is the ideal counterpart to DJ Chark and Quentin Johnston. It’s not like this Receiving core isn’t lacking talent, but they have a solid group of unique skill sets that should work together. McConkey is being thrust into a starting role. In most scenarios for a rookie, that’s not ideal, but that’s awesome for McConkey as he is very pro-ready. I’m expecting McConkey to be depended on heavily by the team, and I’d be surprised if he let them down.
You may be wondering how a third-string Slot Corner is on this list. Given the players above him, I am projecting him to eventually start by year’s end. I don’t strongly believe Tykee Smith will become this big name quickly, but I do see him slowly working his way into the starting mix and gradually developing into a star. Everything the Bucs love about Antoine Winfield Jr., you also get with Smith. He isn’t on that level yet, but his skill set is eerily reminiscent of Winfield Jr. That means he can play the box safety role, man up Slots, play single-high, and will essentially fit any coverage scheme you run.
Versatility is purely why Smith is so special. Is he the most athletic or the biggest Safety out there? No, but he has a good understanding of practically every role you can use a Safety in. Just based on the fact he’s such a well-diversified player, it’d be foolish to think he doesn’t eventually see the field at some point. Players like Smith aren’t often liked as prospects by the masses, but they usually pan out well. We’ll see what happens, but he’s learning from the best mentor they could’ve given him.
Like the Bryon Murphy II pick, Troy Fautanu wasn’t the most electrifying player they could’ve gotten. However, the O-Line was arguably Pittsburgh’s most significant need. Fautanu isn’t listed as the starter currently, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t start at some point this season. If you watched the combine, you’ll know how athletic he is, but in addition to that, he has a refined skill set. He doesn’t just have elite footwork in pass-pro but also is a decent run blocker.
There are some limitations to his game such as his size, which is why many thought he was a Guard. He has the tools to overcome his limitations, and while he may never be elite, you can’t go wrong taking a safe Tackle prospect like Fautanu. Pittsburgh has consistently gotten excellent development out of their offensive linemen for years. They now have a young ascending Tackle duo, and who’s to say this couldn’t quickly become one of the best Tackle duos in football?
I wasn’t expecting Johnny Wilson to go too high, but man was it a shocker to see him fall to round six. The best reason I could see why teams weren’t high on him was they just viewed him as a Receiver. The problem with that is he doesn’t have anywhere near ideal change of direction and agility to consistently get open as a Receiver. However, if you play him as a tight end, he’ll be matched up with a linebacker more often than not, where his lack of agility and change of direction won’t hinder him as much. You just teach him how to block at that point, and he’ll be a legitimate TE/ Slot Receiver. His combination of size, speed, and ball skills are rare and shouldn’t be overlooked.
One of the reasons I feel so good about him transitioning to Tight End is that he dominated DBs as a blocker. That won’t translate to blocking EDGEs and LBs, but his desire to block is there. The Mike Gesickis and Darren Wallers of the world are becoming more popular, and I get a feeling Wilson will be the next version of that type of player. Philly has an excellent culture, and they’ve needed a quality secondary Tight End for some time. It’ll be terrifying if Wilson becomes a stud, as this offense already has enough talent.
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