In the NFL, we’ve seen teams change their fortunes instantly with one great pick or one great draft class. Teams that looked good but not great elevated their play thanks to standout rookies.
Just last year, first-round left guard Grey Zabel and second-round safety Nick Emmanwori helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, and the year before that, cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell helped the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy.
This season, several rookies landed in ideal spots to contribute right away, and their talent plus fit could help solidify teams looking for a boost. Here’s one player from every round who can make an instant impact.
Bain slid down the draft board Thursday night, but he landed in the perfect spot for his talent to shine under a defensive playcaller who’ll unleash him.
The Buccaneers’ defense fell below its usual standard in 2025, largely because it couldn’t convert pressures into sacks. While Tampa Bay finished 12th in the NFL in pressure rate, its sack rate tied for 22nd (per TruMedia). Remove blitzes, and that pressure rate drops to 20th.
Injuries up and down the line prevented the Bucs from finding the right combination up front, and they lacked anyone who could consistently win without blitzing.
Adding Bain gives this defense another sawed-off, full-speed maniac off the edge that Todd Bowles can deploy in multiple alignments. Bain’s superpower is gaining leverage instantly while playing with power and excellent hand usage, and in Bowles’ scheme, he’ll line up all over the formation. Whether Bowles uses him to dent pockets in a Rolodex of pass-rush games or eases up on the blitz dial, Bain can become the versatile edge winner Yaya Diaby hasn’t yet developed into.
I’ll be curious to watch whether Bowles blitzes as heavily now that he has even more hellraisers on defense.
I’ve said before that the Chiefs need to diversify their body types and personnel on the edge. For the longest time, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo leaned on bigger, longer EDGE defenders to compress the pocket while Chris Jones created cleanup sacks.
But as Jones begins to slow down, the rest of the EDGE room hasn’t been able to win consistently without him. According to NFL Pro, no Chiefs defensive lineman posted a pressure rate above 14%, and Jones led the team in both quick pressures (20) and average get-off time (0.85 seconds).
Kansas City needed another player who could win quickly and force quarterbacks up into Jones instead of the other way around.
Enter Thomas, who brings electrifying speed and burst off the edge. Though undersized, Thomas finished 12th in college football in sacks across the 2024 and 2025 seasons combined while posting a 15.4% pressure rate. He brings a different flavor to the Chiefs’ EDGE room with his lightning-quick first step and bend around the corner.
I was a big fan of Thomas entering the draft, and I think this landing spot will help unlock his full potential while allowing him to grow into a three-down threat for Kansas City.
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“Big Citrus” in Minnesota is a great fit for both player and team, even after Caleb Banks went to the Vikings in Round 1. I think both players complement each other well, but Orange has a chance to instantly elevate Minnesota’s run defense.
The Vikings struggled last season when opponents deployed bigger personnel packages. According to TruMedia, Minnesota ranked 25th in defensive success rate against runs out of 12, 13, 21, and 22 personnel.
As fun as Brian Flores’ defense can be, it’s hard to consistently ask defensive backs to fit the run against 300-pound offensive linemen because the front was simply too small.
Orange combines great size (322 pounds), power, and run-game awareness to hold the point as a nose tackle, just as he did at Iowa State. In Minnesota, he’ll get the chance to do the same. A player like Orange not only eats double teams to free up the second level, but he can also shed blockers and make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage.
He may not offer much pass-rush juice, but if he consistently helps force second- and third-and-long situations, that’s a win.
Anytime your future offensive coordinator says he’ll take his shirt off in the draft room if they pick you, you belong on an instant-impact list.
With Mike McDaniel bringing his Need for Speed offense to Los Angeles to pair with Jim Harbaugh’s Big Mean Machine foundation, the Chargers needed a true floor spacer.
Ladd McConkey thrives in intermediate areas, but adding someone who can stretch the field vertically will create more room underneath while further unlocking Justin Herbert as a downfield passer.
Thompson is instant juice. He was the fastest player at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.26-second 40-yard dash. He’s not just a straight-line burner, either — he can stop, sink his hips, and change direction better than many speed specialists.
Thompson is diminutive at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds, but he won’t have to play on the outside. He can truly be the “three-point shooter” in the Chargers’ offense.
While Carolina’s offensive line appears built for both the present and future after signing tackle Rasheed Walker and drafting left tackle Monroe Freeling, Hecht might be the biggest steal of Round 5.
Luke Fortner currently projects as the starting center, which would mark a major step back for a run game that performed well in 2025.
With Cade Mays and Austin Corbett gone, the Panthers need a dependable center to keep things moving efficiently.
Hecht is a reliable player even without elite physical tools. I thought he displayed the best technique and hand placement among centers in this class and showed solid explosiveness, evident by his 5.10-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
He knows how to win leverage, and between road graders Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, he could quickly become a stabilizing presence for a team trying to maximize Bryce Young’s supporting cast.
I’m a big fan of Hecht’s game, and I think he can start from Day 1.
The Lions have searched for pass-rush juice opposite Aidan Hutchinson for *checks notes* about three years now.
According to Sports Info Solutions, Detroit’s pressure rate with Hutchinson on the field is 42.2%, which would lead the NFL. Without him, that number plummets to 21.1%, which would rank dead last by a wide margin.
Finding anyone who can provide complementary pass-rush juice would dramatically help this defense, especially if the secondary gets healthy.
Skyler Gill-Howard
DET • DT
Career: Former Division II walk-on who transitioned from Northern Illinois linebacker to Texas Tech defensive tackle
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Gill-Howard was an unsung hero on Texas Tech’s interior defensive line. While I’m not saying he’ll start immediately, he can provide pass-rush pop from the interior.
He has impressive quickness and can cross blockers’ faces, which could be useful when the Lions run pass-rush games up front. He also offers effective secondary moves when his first rush stalls, helping him win late in reps.
With Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill handling early downs, Gill-Howard could carve out a valuable third-down role.
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I’m not sure how Burks lasted until Round 7, but it benefits the Colts because he provides a second gear not many in the draft class possess. Burks ran a 4.30-second 40-yard dash, posted a 42-inch vertical and broad-jumped 131 inches at the combine.
That athleticism absolutely shows up on tape. He’s a field-tilter who can take the top off a defense, but he’s more than just a vertical threat. His body control and ball tracking — especially along the sideline — impressed me.
Indianapolis already paid Alec Pierce handsomely and still has Josh Downs, but the depth behind them remains thin. Players like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Anthony Gould don’t meaningfully move the needle for a team trying to win now.
Burks’ speed is a game-changer, and despite his draft fall, if there’s any Day 3 player who can make an instant impact, it’s him.
