NFL Star Rookies? The Best Schematic Fit From Each NFC Draft Class

It is all too easy to get caught up in the hype of first-round picks in the immediate aftermath of every NFL Draft, but history proves that the greatest impact is often made by players selected after Day 1. 

Case in point: The two best defensive rookies in the NFL last year — Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Seattle Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori — were both Day 2 steals.

The players listed below might not be the biggest names today, but they are clean schematic fits for their respective teams and appear to have a relatively clear path to playing time. It's why they're primed to make big contributions in 2026. And only a few of them were drafted in the first round. 

With training camp now underway, here are my NFC rookies to watch.

Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Downs, DB, Ohio State (No. 11 pick)

Okay, this is just too obvious to ignore. Downs was the easiest evaluation of this draft class, as his tape was filled with instinctive, athletic and physical plays that should translate into immediate NFL success. This Cowboys' defense desperately needed a sheriff and Downs is him.

New York Giants: Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame (No. 74 pick)

Between Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and Calvin Austin — not to mention free-agent tight end Isaiah Likely — the Giants already boast plenty of playmaking wideouts for Jaxson Dart. The pass-catchers are relatively small by NFL standards and certainly not indicative of the team’s Giants moniker. The nearly 6-foot-5, 218-pound Fields, on the other hand, is a legitimate big-bodied X receiver who wins above the rim. I think he’ll quickly become one of Dart’s favorite downfield targets. 

Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Stowers, TE/WR, Vanderbilt (No. 54 pick)

No tight end in the NFL