There are several obvious answers when it comes to which rookies will have the biggest impact on the 2023 NFL season.
Three quarterbacks were selected among the first four picks and each will have the chance to prove they can be franchise saviors this fall. Another stacked class of wide receivers should only further the league’s passing revolution. A pair of players who finished their careers as the all-time sack leaders in different Power 5 conferences will sow chaos even against an upgraded class of blockers.
But this season’s debutant stars won’t be limited to first round picks. Several rookies have used offseason workouts and preseason snaps to showcase their ability to make a difference on Sundays. College stars who waited until the third day of the 2023 draft to hear their names called — or potentially not at all — will rise from that relative NFL obscurity to leave their marks on the league. We can’t say for certain who those emerging studs will be, but after months of workouts and exhibition play, we can make some educated guesses.
32 of them, to be exact. Let’s take a look at potential impact rookies for each team in the league, ranging from the obvious to the surprising.