2026 NFL Draft Rookies Shine in Debuts as Chiefs Defense, Rookie Guards Make Immediate Impact

Story by Daniel Rios “The Draft Nick”

The 2026 NFL season is officially underway, and while it’s only one week into the new season, rookies are already making their presence felt. From dominant offensive guard performances to second-round linebackers making impact plays and mid-round receivers outplaying their draft selection, this rookie class wasted little time showing why teams invested in them during the 2026 NFL Draft.

Here are some rookies that impressed me after Week 1.

Offensive guards dominated 

Offensive line play gets overlooked by the average NFL fan, which is why this section heads off this article. Multiple rookie offensive guards took the field for the first time this past Sunday, and most of them looked dominant in their debuts.

• Francis Mauigoa, New York Giants

• Olaivavega Ioane, Baltimore Ravens

• Keylan Rutledge, Houston Texans

• Emmanuel Pregnon, Jacksonville Jaguars

• Kadyn Proctor, Miami Dolphins

• Austin Barber, Cleveland Browns

There are more players to shout out, but we can’t have this list going too long. It’s hard to pick out one performance in this group, but Ioane has to be the one that stood out to me the most.

Ioane was my seventh-ranked player in the 2026 draft, and when the Ravens drafted him, it felt like the perfect fit. He dominated in the run game and, even in pass pro, drove defenders into the ground with pure strength all day long.

Mauigoa had more eyes on him due to playing on Sunday Night Football, and he made the most of it. Against Dallas’ defense, Mauigoa gave up zero sacks, hits, hurries and pressures. He showed out against NFL veterans Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams, who couldn’t generate pressure off of him.

One guard whose performance went under the radar because of his draft position and his team’s overall performance is Barber. Barber went in the third round to the Browns and started due to guard Teven Jenkins being out with an injury. He matched up with Arik Armstead 15 times and didn’t allow a single pressure. Not only that, but when the Browns rushed behind Barber, they averaged 4.5 yards per attempt.

Round 2 Linebackers made their impact felt 

Five linebackers were taken in the second round, with four seeing action on Sunday. Three of them stood out and made a real impact in their debuts.

Jacob Rodriguez, Miami Dolphins 

Statline: 14 total tackles, 5 solo tackles and 6 run-stop tackles

Jacob Rodriguez was all over the field against Las Vegas in his debut. He missed one tackle on Ashton Jeanty, which, as we all know, isn’t the easiest player to bring down. Rodriguez showed his tackling ability and coverage instincts in his debut – a great start for the rookie in Miami.

Josiah Trotter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Statline: 11 total tackles, 4 solo tackles, 2 run-stop tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception

Josiah Trotter was my second-ranked linebacker and 38th overall prospect in the 2026 class. The main concern with him coming out of Missouri was his pass coverage, but he showed he can cover in the pass game by getting a pick-six against Joe Burrow.

In the loss against Cincinnati, Trotter led the team in impact plays and allowed just two receptions on four targets in pass coverage. Tampa Bay is going to need a lot of production out of its draft class, and Trotter is giving them just that.

Anthony Hill Jr., Tennessee Titans 

Statline: 16 total tackles, 2 solo tackles, 4 run-stop tackles

As much as I’ll give myself credit for being high on players, I’ll do the same for the ones I was lower on. Wasn’t the biggest fan of Anthony Hill Jr. coming out of Texas, but he’s proved me wrong early in his Titans career. It wasn’t the result Tennessee wanted, but a good sign for what Hill can become in this Saleh defense.

Hill was flying across the field to get in for tackles, and in pass coverage had two pass breakups. Linebacker was a weakness for this Titans team last year, so the hope was Hill could raise the floor of the unit in 2026, and it seems like he’s doing just that.

Chiefs’ rebuilt defense showed out 

Kansas City Chiefs fans were probably panicking when they lost both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason. Then the 2026 draft happened. The Chiefs used their first four picks on defense, hoping to rebuild with more explosive players.

The first one was used on corner Mansoor Delane, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact. It took three plays for Delane to get an interception against Denver when he basically ran the route for Courtland Sutton. The third pick, edge rusher R Mason Thomas, shined, having a 10.5 percent pressure rate and two pressures on the night. He found success against Mike McGlinchery, with a 15.3 percent pressure rate and two pressures in 13 matchups.

Overall, the Chiefs’ defense suffocated Denver. The Broncos had an EPA/Play of -0.44, the worst in the league. It’s new faces making the plays in Kansas City, but the same mastermind behind the plan. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo used his new playmakers to perfection on Monday night.

Mid-Round Receivers showed promise

Antonio Williams, Washington Commanders 

Statline: 4 Rec, 64 Yards, 1 TD

The Washington Commanders’ receiver room looked suspect all offseason long, but when they signed Stefon Diggs it got a major boost. It allowed third-round pick Antonio Williams to operate in the slot more often, and it worked out on Sunday against Philadelphia.

Williams had just four targets in his debut, but was efficient as a route runner. His EPA/Target was 2.16, which led the Commanders, and he led the group in yards per route run with 5.82. Injuries hurt Williams in his last year at Clemson, which caused him to fall in the draft, but it seems they found a gem in the third round of the 2026 draft.

Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins 

Statline: 5 Rec, 94 Yards

We all know this Dolphins team isn’t going to be competitive in 2026, but all fans should want to see is their young players making plays early in their careers. For Miami, Rodriguez and Caleb Douglas did just that in their debuts.

Douglas was second on his team in EPA/Target, Targets share, targets and routes. But he led the team in targets success rate at 71.4 percent, meaning every time Malik Willis looked his way, a good play would happen.

In 11 matchups against Las Vegas corner Eric Stokes, Douglas was targeted three times and caught all three passes for 52 yards. He’s already finding success against veterans in the NFL, which is why fans should be excited for the third-round pick out of Texas Tech.