These NFL rookies are outperforming their draft slots. One of them wasn't even drafted

What makes the NFL and its draft so interesting — other than seeing the next step for college heroes — is that rookies can typically make immediate and tangible impacts on a team's fortunes for the upcoming season. And it's not just first-rounders, either.

Through two weeks of this NFL season, there are a lot of interesting rookies getting playing time and important roles for their teams. I wanted to highlight a crop of them, which actually was hard for me to pare down. This is carryover from a broader discussion about this year's draft class: the projected first-rounders were underwhelming, but there was a lot of depth and potential with the players slated to go in the second round and beyond.

Here are the players having outsized roles during their inaugural campaigns that were picked 33rd and beyond:

Jaishawn Barham , LB, Cowboys, pick No. 92

After a strong preseason and a Week 1 game that seemed to have his head spinning , the Cowboys slapped the green dot on Barham in Week 2 and he proceeded to fly around and impact the game against the Commanders.

Barham still has coverage stuff to clean up and does his best work going forward in the run game and as a blitzer (where his edge background from college shows up), but it was an encouraging performance seeing him not only make plays against the run, but force a fumble on a screen, too.

The Cowboys' defense is still a major work in progress , but Barham has already put together more positive plays in the middle than anybody else suiting up for Dallas last year.

Now, if they could only get off the field on third down …

Also, speaking of linebackers, Josiah Trotter (pick No. 46) has had moments for the Buccaneers, including a Week 1 pick 6. There has been some botches in the Bucs' defense overall, but he's very young and his downhill style should fit well in Todd Bowles' preferred chaos as he gets more comfortable.

Hezekiah Masses, CB, Raiders, pick No. 175

Not a player I thought I'd be writing about so early this season! But Masses already has multiple interceptions in his young career, along with other big plays against the run.

It's not just the turnovers he's forced. Masses has already put out good film where he stays sticky in one-on-one situations with wide receivers.

Now, the Dolphins and the sloppy Chargers aren't exactly world-beaters, and Masses will have a much stiffer challenge this week with Saints receivers Chris Olave and even Devaughn Vele , who is Mr. Reliable for Tyler Shough . But so far he looks like a feisty cornerback willing to play the run. That's an archetype that's always an enjoyable watch.

Austin Barber, OG, Browns, pick No. 86 Denzel Boston, WR, Browns, pick No. 39

Looks like Browns general manager Andrew Berry's hot streak in the draft continues! Austin Barber, who played tackle at Florida, was kicked inside during preseason to right guard. And all he has done since is stack up strong film, including not allowing a single pressure in Week 2 on 36 pass-blocking snaps against the Buccaneers.

Denzel Boston caught a long touchdown in the midst of a Week 1 blowout loss against the Jaguars, but then kept the good times rolling in Week 2. He's on the field almost every snap for the Browns' offense and has already shown off his body control and strong hands on the outside. He also has the ability to pick up yards after the catch when he does work over the middle. Boston looks like a true X who can win in isolated situations, which he's shown through two weeks and in the preseason. He has topped 20 mph multiple times this season (per NextGenStats), easing concerns about his long speed and ability to separate. Boston doesn't look just like a keeper, he looks like a guy you can build a passing game around.

Also, a shoutout to two more Day 2 wide receivers in the Commanders' Antonio Williams (pick No. 71) and Malachi Fields for the Giants (pick No. 74). Williams looks like a slot demon with some real juice to threaten defenses vertically and Fields is already one of the better blocking receivers in the NFL right now. He has only 55 receiving yards so far, but his role might expand quickly with Malik Nabers hurt again and Jameis Winston throwing balls up like it's a game of 500. Also, keep an eye on Ted Hurst (pick No. 84) for the Buccaneers. He has been thrust into a role early as the Bucs try to find an outside option.

One of the most unexpected names on this list! It's not because Benson lacks talent — he clearly has it, and he put together a strong preseason at guard . But "good preseason tape at right guard" is way different than "starting at left tackle in Week 1." And Benson has more than held his own on the blindside and been a part of this more explosive Chiefs offense that is pounding it in the run game and allowing Patrick Mahomes to party like it's 2021 with the deep ball.

Hunter's appeal in college was in his flashes. I loved his quick feet but had concerns about how much he tried to backdoor blocks despite weighing over 315 pounds and not being a tip-top athlete. Well, it turns out that when asked to hold down at the point of attack, he can use that size and strength to affect the run!

Hunter plays a role that might not always show up in the box score, but he is a great type of running mate to pair with Derrick Brown . It's been an encouraging showing for him early in his career. His Panthers teammate Will Lee III (pick No. 129) has had a couple of moments in coverage, too. And Hunter's college teammate (at least for one year at Texas Tech) Skyler Gill-Howard (pick No. 205) has been an interesting, undersized gap shooter for the Lions.

A couple of more defensive tackles have shown up early too. Gracen Halton (pick No. 107) was almost needed to play well for the 49ers to hold up against the run this year. He's not only brought some stoutness to clear the way for Fred Warner to do his thing, but real explosiveness to make tackles.

Domonique Orange (pick No. 82) has done the same for the Vikings, who tried to inject some youth into their front with Big Citrus and their first-round pick Caleb Banks. While Banks has shown off his talent, and his at times maddening inconsistency, Orange has been much more steady to start his career and fits this Vikings defense, with its constant movement up front, perfectly.

Pick a Dolphins rookie, cause they needed it!

Caleb Douglas (pick No. 75) at the very least looks the part. He's a big, strong athlete who eats up ground with his strides. He has shown great feel for using his size. He even had impressive snaps from the slot, throwing defenders off before breaking and coming down with the football against Taron Johnson in Week 1, one top of his snaps as an isolated outside receiver. Jacob Rodriguez (No. 43) has been a tackling machine, and one of two rookies in the league to wear the defensive green dot. And even Michael Taaffe (No. 158) has shown off range as a deep safety, and I like his feel for playing high-lows when asked to play as a quarters safety.

There's plenty of playing time to go around in Miami , and these three have all shown flashes and even sustained play that makes me want to keep peeking at this Dolphins team that is purely playing for their future anyway. Just as long as they don't play the 49ers, Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan every week.

Here's another young linebacker filling up the box score. Hill is a great athlete who can be slow to react at times in diagnosing what's happening in front of him. The game looked like it slowed down a bit for him in Week 2 against the Eagles, and he constantly gets himself around the ball. Hopefully the slew of tackles starts turning into something more impactful, but it's encouraging that what I thought would be a sideline-to-sideline player has held up OK early when working in the box.

And speaking of Titans: Fernando Carmona, the 142nd overall draft pick, has been at the very least playable at guard. His best work is in the run game, so even if he had some losses in pass protection over the first two weeks, it's still encouraging he's been able to hold up.

These two might not have box score numbers, but their production might start showing up more as the season goes along.

Cashius Howell, Edge, Bengals (pick No. 41) Dani Dennis-Sutton , Edge, Packers (pick No. 120)

Two complete opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of build here. Howell is a designated pass rusher type who hasn't made a blip in the box score. But his underlying numbers and flashes on film indicate it's only a matter of time before he starts getting home. Howell has already racked up nine pressures and a 20.5% pressure rate, ranking second and third among rookies, respectively, according to Next Gen Stats.

(He should have gotten credited with a sack on the play embedded below).

The player to top the leaderboard for pressure rate among rookies entering Thursday? Dani Dennis-Sutton. A fourth-round selection, Dennis-Sutton has been a key contributor to coordinator Jonathan Gannon's Packers defense — a group trying to keep their heads above water until Micah Parsons returns. Instead, Dennis-Sutton and Lukas Van Ness , in the midst of a breakout season, and even personal favorite Karl Brooks , have been taking it to offensive lines whether rushing four or blitzing on passing downs.

7 other notable rookies, including the man who caught first TD in 2026 NFL season

The Bears' defense has been ( wavers hand) so far, but Malik Muhammad (pick No. 124) has had some moments, even when some of his veteran teammates have been faltering around him. A dynamic slot player is important in Dennis Allen's defense, and Muhammad holding it down while Kyler Gordon is out (again) is at least one encouraging aspect of this defense.

Patriots tight end Eli Raridon (pick No. 95) opened up the NFL season with the first touchdown of the year in Week 1. He's already asked to be the in-line blocker on run plays, and the Patriots even attempted to dial up shot plays to him in Week 2. I'm bullish on Raridon and think he can end up as a strong starter who can stay on the field every down sooner than later. He even has over 2 yards per route run. And yes, I know. Small sample size.

And speaking of Patriots rookies, Gabe Jacas (pick No. 55) keeps showing up for New England 's defense. Jacas has strong hands, but he's also shown off some quickness after the snap, and he's not only holding up at the point of attack, but impacting games with big plays for the defense, too.

Jaguars offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon (pick No. 88) had a strong start in Week 1, especially in the run game, before coming back down to Earth a bit going against Zach Allen in Week 2. Still, his double-teams with Anton Harrison are appointment viewing, and him just even being an average starter as a rookie will help the Jaguars' offense stay explosive on the ground and through the air as he helps shore up their offensive line.

Let's round it out with a few running backs. Kenneth Walker has exploded out of the gates for the Chiefs' running game, but Emmett Johnson (pick No. 161) has kept the juice flowing when he's on the field. Keeping Walker fresh is important for the Chiefs to keep rolling on the ground this year, and Johnson holding his own whenever he's out there is a really good sign for this KC offense maintaining its start.

Same with Kaelon Black (pick No. 90) for the 49ers. With Christian McCaffrey coming off a heavy workload last season, having another running back who has a great feel and vision on zone runs, plus ability as a pass protector, is a welcome addition to the 49ers' backfield that has been rotating players behind the dynamic CMC for years. Black looks like he can maintain efficiency in this offense as a runner and help out in other ways with his pass protection.

Speaking of protection, how about CJ Donaldson , an undrafted player for the Saints, getting the important passing down reps for New Orleans (he has only 4 rushing yards) even with veterans Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara , with their combined $16 million salary cap hit this year, on the roster. That might speak more negatively about Etienne and Kamara, players who have struggled in protection over the past few years, but it's still notable that Donaldson is getting these snaps.