6 NFL rookies taken outside the 1st round who could be ROY candidates

Training camps are set to open around the NFL in the next week, giving us our first look at the 2026 rookie class. We already know the big, impact players at the top of the first round who are expected to influence the league immediately — but the real meat and potatoes of a class comes later in the draft, with the best teams being able to find standout talent outside of the top picks.

Whether it be players who slid out of the first round, or positional impact that pushed these guys lower than expected, there are six players who could really turn heads when football begins and potentially push themselves from outside the first round and into the ROY conversation.

Allen was wildly overlooked in the 2026 draft, largely because of the defensive prowess that came out of Ohio State this year. This was coupled with the fact that off-ball linebackers have been devalued at draft time, only to show their importance when the season begins.

Look no further than Carson Schwesinger last year, who went from being a 2nd round pick of the Browns to ROY thanks to his football IQ and an unparalleled tackling machine in the class. Allen has that same potential as well, and he’s already being penciled in as the Colts’ starter at MLB. There will be a lot of opportunities to make plays, and he can do it.

Does anyone really believe that Jacoby Brissett is going to start a full season for the Cardinals this year? We know the team is all-in on the tanking train, which could mean that we see Arizona try to start Beck sooner rather than later, either to evaluate if he has any potential at all — or to precipitate their tanking.

There is a very real possibility that two realities come to pass: 1. Carson Beck has a breakout season and 2. The Cardinals are still terrible. Tyler Shough made a major pitch for the ROY award last year, and Beck is in a very familiar spot. All the tools are there for him to succeedf, but durability has been a major issue. That means he’s still a player to watch.

The Panthers’ receiving room is in flux with Tetairoa McMillan a lock to be their No. 1 guy, and then a lot of players who are fighting for their spot in the pecking order. That order could very well be upended by the rookie Brazell, who was garnering rave reviews during Panthers mini camp for his burgeoning rapport with Bryce Young.

That element is critical, because it’s the same hype we heard about McMillan last year. From the jump he was developing a relationship with Bryce, and we saw that translate into success. With Brazell the Panthers got a 6-4 receiver who ran a 4.37 at the combine, the ideal vertical threat is definitely rough around the edges, but he could bring something to the Panthers offense as a rookie and get plenty of targets with additional focus on McMillan during his second year.

There is no planet in which T.J. Parker should have fallen to the second round, but everyone else’s loss is the Bills’ gain. Right now he’s sitting behind Bradley Chubb on the depth chart, and he’s likely to primarily be used in some third down pass rush packages, but Chubb has both had and up-and-down injury history, as well as seeing his impact fall off.

That could all lead to a lot more reps for Parker, and he has the skill to take advantage to become one of the better rookie pass rushers in this class.

Rodriguez was a tackling machine at Texas Tech and fell in the draft due to a perceived lack of athleticism. That shouldn’t matter, however, because the linebacker’s first step and football IQ have been compared to that of a poor man’s Luke Kuechly.

The Dolphins are going to be bad in so many ways, but that allows for a rookie like Rodriguez to step in and stuff the stat sheet. If we see Rodriguez getting spelled with Jordyn Brooks, or rotating to an outside linebacker role in Miami’s 4-3 then he has a chance to really surprise.

The Eagles love to pick players with specific, well-defined skillsets they know they can exploit when it comes to the regular season, and it’s for this reason I think they have plans for Eli Stowers. One of the best pass-catching tight ends in this class, he brings verticality out of the position the team doesn’t really have right now. Currently he’s third on the depth chart, but don’t let that get confused with his role — because he will be the primary No. 2 tight end on a majority of passing plays this season.

Around the league, we’re seeing more 2TE sets reign supreme, and it’s also for this reason I think we will see a lot of Stowers reps early, and often this season. If he can finish with 700-800 yards then he will be in the conversation, and I believe it’s highly possible in this Eagles offense that is retooling after trading A.J. Brown.