Each year the NFL draft brings in dozens of new players, some of whom go on to become household names while others remain trapped deep in the basement of the depth chart. Many rookies saw their first start in week one of the NFL season, so in today’s column we are going to rank the performance of five notable newcomers.
Tyler Warren: Tight End, Indianapolis Colts
At the top of our list we have Tyler Warren, who made an impressive start for the Colts going 7-9 for 76 yards. With a 33-8 victory over the Miami Dolphins, this win marked the Colts’ first season opener win since 2013.
Will Warren help take the Colts to the Super Bowl this year? Probably not, but I do have faith they will at least secure a trip to the postseason.
Carson Schwesinger: Linebacker, Cleveland Browns
Carson Schwesinger’s defensive performance was explosive in week one, despite a one-point loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Schwesinger finished his debut with six tackles and two stops, one against running back Chase Brown.
This earns Schwesinger the second highest rank as he is providing the Browns with a solid defense to help make up for them being, well … the Browns.
Tetairoa McMillan: Wide Receiver, Carolina Panthers
In his debut for the Panthers, the eighth-round draft pick cemented his worth as a potential WR1 this season. The 26-10 loss against Jacksonville does not reflect McMillan’s performance as he finished week one with the sixth best Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade.
McMillian was five for nine with 68 yards against the Jaguars, leaving room for improvement but showing enough potential to earn rank No. 3 on my list.
Emeka Egbuka: Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I had a feeling Emeka Egbuka would be a sleeper pick for the Buccaneer’s offense this season, and after week one my suspicions appear to have been confirmed. Egbuka appears to be a strong target for quarterback Baker Mayfield, and his second touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons was enough to secure their first week victory.
Egbuka caught four passes for 67 yards, as well as put two touchdowns on the board to defeat their division rivals in his debut. You may want to learn how to pronounce it now, because Egbuka is going to be a big name this season.
Cam Ward: Quarterback, Tennessee Titans
While Cam Ward’s performance for Tennessee leaves much to be desired, I’m giving the No. 1 draft pick an honorable mention for taking six sacks from the Broncos heavy defense.
Ward only completed 12 out of 28 passes for 112 yards in his NFL debut, which is certainly not great on paper. However, he did not choke and made it through the game with his head held high, which is in itself a feat for his first time under the lights.
Ward showed grit that has been missing in Tennessee, so even if he does not shape up to be the top of his rookie class — at least he’s not Will Levis.
White is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.