Superstar talent is necessary to win a Super Bowl, but impactful young players are a critical part of building a competitive roster.
Yes, the obvious note is that their contributions are vital. Because of the salary cap, however, identifying the right prospects in the NFL draft and quickly developing them is paramount for teams.
That’s the long version of introducing the best building block on each roster entering the 2024 season.
Every player highlighted is currently on his rookie contract, hasn’t agreed to an extension and hasn’t earned a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro selection. Additionally, all 2024 rookies are not considered because they—while talented—haven’t yet had an NFL snap.
Buffalo Bills: Greg Rousseau, Edge
Tight end Dalton Kincaid deserves a mention, but Greg Rousseau is a rising player at a premium position. The edge-rusher has collected 17 sacks with 67 pressures through three seasons on the Bills. Buffalo recently picked up Rousseau’s fifth-year option, tying him to the organization into the 2025 season. Based on his current trajectory, Rousseau will deserve an extension in the near future.
Miami Dolphins: Jaelan Phillips, Edge
Copy and paste the above section for Rousseau’s college teammate at Miami. Jaelan Phillips is recovering from an Achilles injury, so the Dolphins won’t necessarily be rushing into extension talks. Still, he looks like a foundational piece of Miami’s future. Phillips has recorded 22 sacks and 79 pressures in his three seasons.
New England Patriots: Christian Gonzalez, CB
Unfortunately for Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots, a shoulder injury limited him to four appearances in his debut season. The good news? Gonzalez earned Defensive Rookie of the Month in September last year. Gonzalez is about as promising as an unproven player can be.
New York Jets: Garrett Wilson, WR
Sauce Gardner is a well-established elite cornerback, attaining All-Pro status in both seasons so far. He’s ineligible for consideration. Another first-rounder of the Jets in 2022, wide receiver Garrett Wilson is already the team’s top target but hasn’t garnered the same level of accolades. Wilson had a 1,100-yard rookie campaign before surpassing 1,000 last season—even without Aaron Rodgers.
Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR
In very unsurprising news, the Ravens have crushed some draft picks lately with Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum. The next in line is likely Zay Flowers, who paced Baltimore in receptions (77) and yards (858) with a handful of scores as a rookie. Although the team needs to upgrade the receiving unit for Lamar Jackson, Flowers is clearly a positive part of the solution.
Cincinnati Bengals: Myles Murphy, Edge
Midway through his rookie year, Myles Murphy wouldn’t have merited this billing simply for being a 2023 first-round pick. He improved in the second half enough to jump past a few possible options in the secondary. Murphy totaled 20 stops with three sacks as a rookie but should hold a larger role in his second year.
Cleveland Browns: Dawand Jones, OT
Dawand Jones took on a first-string spot as a rookie after Jack Conklin’s early injury and played well. Jones started nine games at right tackle and allowed a modest three sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s a key piece of Cleveland’s future up front.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter Jr., CB
Offense or defense? Flip a coin. Pittsburgh’s choice is between receiver George Pickens and corner Joey Porter Jr., and—while either is reasonable—I lean toward the latter. Porter yielded 7.1 yards per target as a rookie, defending 10 passes and missing only three tackles. He finished fifth in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Houston Texans: Nico Collins, WR
Both quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge Will Anderson Jr. went to the Pro Bowl as rookies, yet Houston still has plenty of options. Wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell fit the criteria, as does cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Impressive list, right? Collins lands the honor thanks to a breakout season with 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns.
Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB
Anthony Richardson only played in four games as a rookie because of health setbacks. He presumably learned that he can’t be as reckless running the ball, too. Nevertheless, that brief action featured an interesting dual-threat playmaker who totaled seven touchdowns. Richardson needs to prove he’s legitimately the QB of the future, but there’s no question Indy is building around his potential.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Travon Walker, Edge
You’re not going to believe this, but the No. 1 pick of the 2022 NFL draft is pretty good. Travon Walker put together a strong sophomore year, notching 50 tackles with 10 sacks and 30 pressures. He gives the Jags a pretty devastating duo opposite Josh Allen on the edges.
Tennessee Titans: Will Levis, QB
Whether you’re personally sold on Will Levis is a fair question. Tennessee, though, has already shown it believes he’ll develop into the cornerstone of this offense. Otherwise, the team wouldn’t have committed the money to Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd during the offseason.
Denver Broncos: Quinn Meinerz, OG
Sean Payton’s teardown is underway, but Quinn Meinerz should be an important part of the rebuild. (Well, I think so, at least.) Meinerz has established himself at right guard for Denver, which selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft. Meinerz is entering the final year of his contract, so his extension will likely be an expensive one.
Kansas City Chiefs: George Karlaftis, Edge
Wide receiver Rashee Rice is a sensible choice, his off-field concerns notwithstanding. But the Chiefs have a rising star on the edge, where George Karlaftis enjoyed a breakout 2023. He collected 10.5 sacks and 35 pressures in the regular season and three sacks in the playoffs.
Las Vegas Raiders: Tyree Wilson, DL
After missing the 2023 offseason while recovering from a foot injury, Tyree Wilson shifted to defensive tackle in some alignments, too. It was a heavy year of learning for the edge-rusher. Wilson is unproven at best, but all of that context is fair to consider. He’s aiming to improve on 29 takedowns with 3.5 sacks in his rookie season.
Los Angeles Chargers: Asante Samuel Jr., CB
Though he didn’t perform as well in 2023, Asante Samuel Jr. remains the Chargers’ top corner. They shouldn’t let the impending free agent walk following the 2024 campaign, either. Samuel has tallied 11-plus pass defenses with two interceptions in each of his three seasons.
Dallas Cowboys: Jake Ferguson, TE
While cornerback DaRon Bland is ineligible, defensive tackle Mazi Smith struggled in his rookie year. As a result, Jake Ferguson stands out as the best choice in Dallas. He reeled in 71 passes for 761 yards—which both trailed only CeeDee Lamb—and five touchdowns last season. Ferguson’s spot as Dak Prescott’s safety outlet may only increase now that Tony Pollard left for Tennessee in free agency.
New York Giants: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge
As if 11.5 sacks last season isn’t exciting enough, Kayvon Thibodeaux is no longer the Giants’ top edge-rusher. They acquired and extended Brian Burns, whose presence should benefit Thibodeaux in 2024. The third-year defender is positioned well to thrive this season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Carter, DT
Jalen Carter, meanwhile, is taking on a larger role in Philly. Star veteran Fletcher Cox retired this offseason, opening a starting job for Carter. He notched six sacks, 18 pressures and two forced fumbles and finished as the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2023.
Washington Commanders: Jahan Dotson, WR
One year from today, Washington undoubtedly is hoping we’ll be highlighting quarterback Jayden Daniels. For now, wideout Jahan Dotson is the clear choice. The speedy receiver didn’t have the production hoped in 2023, but a breakout year is entirely plausible after Curtis Samuel’s departure and the arrival of coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Chicago Bears: Darnell Wright, OT
Similar to Washington, the Bears want Caleb Williams to demand this position next year. Until then, the spotlight falls on Darnell Wright—one of the players tasked with protecting the No. 1 overall pick. Wright started all 17 games at right tackle as a rookie. While he yielded seven sacks and committed 11 penalties, per PFF, Wright still showed he could be a long-term blocker in Chicago.
Detroit Lions: Brian Branch, DB
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta earned Pro Bowl invites in 2023, so neither one is eligible. Edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson joined them, too. In other words, this is a great problem for Detroit. Brian Branch spent most of his rookie year at nickelback, tallying 74 tackles with 13 pass defenses (three interceptions). He ceded a quality 6.4 yards per target, as well.
Green Bay Packers: Jayden Reed, WR
Since youth is the overarching theme on the Packers roster, you could make a reasonable case for several players. Jayden Reed impressed as a rookie, reeling in team-leading totals of 64 passes for 793 yards and eight touchdowns while adding two rushing scores. Jordan Love’s development partially hinges on the growth of players like Reed.
Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, OT
If you’d prefer Jordan Addison here, I wouldn’t argue. Justin Jefferson’s presence makes me lean toward left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who’s probably on the verge of earning some accolades. One more standout year, and he’ll probably command the reputation of an elite blocker.
Atlanta Falcons: Drake London, WR
Bijan Robinson would be a logical pick, but positional value favors Drake London. He’s registered 800-yard seasons with shaky quarterback play, so expectations are much higher with Kirk Cousins slinging the ball in Atlanta. London paced the Falcons with 905 yards last season.
Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young, QB
Look, his rookie year was a disaster. I’m not arguing that. Bryce Young was the No. 1 overall pick for many good reasons, though, and a new coaching staff with an improved receiving corps has created a more encouraging situation in 2024. Young must be far better this season, but it’s much too early to give up on him.
New Orleans Saints: Chris Olave, WR
Pro Bowl-type recognition may be around the corner for Chris Olave, considering he already has a couple of 1,000-yard seasons. New Orleans would be justified to believe he’ll headline the receiving corps for the remainder of the decade—and maybe more.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: YaYa Diaby, Edge
As a rookie, YaYa Diaby played in a relatively small 46 percent of Tampa’s defensive snaps. Nevertheless, he posted 7.5 sacks and 14 pressures. Production does not necessarily rise with playing time, but Diaby is a threat for double-digit sacks in a more featured role.
Arizona Cardinals: Paris Johnson Jr., OL
Similar to Robinson in Atlanta, positional value is the reason that tight end Trey McBride isn’t the Cardinals’ representative. Instead, the honor goes to Paris Johnson Jr. because of his projected future as the left tackle. The current plan, per Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon, is flipping Johnson from the right side to protect Kyler Murray in 2024.
Los Angeles Rams: Kobie Turner, DT
Kobie Turner is not Aaron Donald. Also, if the Rams get similar production from Turner in 2024 compared to his rookie year, look out. Turner gathered 57 tackles with nine sacks and 20 pressures. Anything close to those numbers would be hugely encouraging on a youth-filled line.
San Francisco 49ers: Deommodore Lenoir, CB
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was an All-Pro in 2023, and both quarterback Brock Purdy and safety Talanoa Hufanga have recently been Pro Bowl selections. The list is thin for San Francisco, which is heavy on standout veterans. Deommodore Lenoir has become a fixture of the secondary in the last two seasons. Last year, he set career-best marks of 84 tackles, three interceptions and 7.2 yards allowed per target.
Seattle Seahawks: Charles Cross, OT
Because cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon have Pro Bowl nods, Seattle’s player is either of its recent first-rounders. But as Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the Seahawks’ third receiver, Charles Cross is tasked with locking down Geno Smith’s blind side. Cross isn’t yet a dominant force, but he’s been a steady blocker in two seasons.