So long, 2020 NFL draft. It's time to start thinking about your fantasy football season and which rookies could make an instant impact to help you win your league. Yes, several first-round picks will be guaranteed starters come Week 1, but the best teams find multiple starters throughout their class.
Let's evaluate the rookies from each day of the draft who will make an early impact. This is more about having a clear role than coming in and dominating.
Here are 15 rookies selected in Rounds 1-7 who will have an immediate impact:
More NFL draft coverage:
Grades: Kiper on all 32 teams
Day 2 recap: Picks I liked
Round 1 winners, questions
Kiper's top 300 rankings
Instant-impact rookies from Round 1
These are five fits I liked from Day 1 of the draft:
Chase Young, DE, Washington Redskins
Pick: No. 2
OK, let's start with an easy one. Pass-rushers have a great chance to make an early impact. Just last season, rookie edge rushers Josh Allen and Maxx Crosby topped 10 sacks, Nick Bosa had nine (and four more in the playoffs), and Young's new teammate Montez Sweat had seven. Washington's front seven is loaded with former first-rounders, but the defense ranked 26th in the league in pressure percentage last season (26%), and it struggled to get to quarterbacks on third down. Expect Young to rotate at defensive end with Sweat and veteran Ryan Kerrigan.
My top-ranked prospect overall since last September, Young dominated for the Buckeyes last season, with 16.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. He has a unique blend of size (6-foot-5, 264 pounds), athleticism and veteran technique, and he could get double-digit sacks in his first season. I love the fit in Washington, where new coach Ron Rivera and coordinator Jack Del Rio take over a talented defense.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: No. 32
The Chiefs had their pick of any running back in the class, and they went with the 5-foot-7 Edwards-Helaire, who last season became the first player in SEC history with 1,000 rushing yards and 50 receptions. Immediately, comparisons were made to Andy Reid's former back Brian Westbrook, and besides the similar stature, Edwards-Helaire ran a 4.60 40-yard dash at the combine, and Westbrook ran a 4.57 at the 2002 combine. Westbrook was a stellar pass-catcher for the Eagles, and I see the same ceiling for Edwards-Helaire in Reid's offense.
Edwards-Helaire is also a tackle-breaking machine. He ranked second in the FBS last season with 97, according to ESPN Stats & Info's tracking. He's likely to share time with Damien Williams in Year 1, but I expect Kansas City to get creative to get him the ball. Plus, we know Patrick Mahomes loves this pick.
Damon Arnette, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
Pick: No. 19
I criticized taking Arnette this high on Thursday, but it's not because I don't like the player. It was more about value. The Raiders probably could have taken Arnette 15 spots lower if they had found a trade partner. I still expect Arnette to play early and often because cornerback is a huge hole for this team. This defense allowed a league-high 8.3 yards per attempt in 2019, and coach Jon Gruden clearly wasn't happy with his secondary.
After Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock traded former first-rounder Gareon Conley at midseason, rookie second-round pick Trayvon Mullen emerged as a starter, but he committed 10 penalties and had some ups and downs. And remember: First-round safety Johnathan Abram played just 43 defensive snaps because of a shoulder injury.
Now, the Raiders should get an instant starter opposite Mullen in Arnette, who doesn't have stellar athleticism but has great technique. Arnette is also a tough corner, and Gruden will love that; Arnette played all of last season with a broken wrist. In a competitive AFC West, the Raiders should be in the fight for a wild-card spot -- if they can get their defense fixed.
Tristan Wirfs, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pick: No. 13
As I mentioned when I graded the 2020 draft class, the Bucs won't have many new starters this season, particularly on offense. The starters they brought in, though, will each help a running game that was one of the league's least efficient last season, as Tampa's backs averaged 3.7 yards per carry (28th in the NFL) and just 2.1 yards before contact (27th). Quarterback Tom Brady won't turn the ball over like Jameis Winston did, and defenses will have to respect the play-action game. Rob Gronkowski is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league. Wirfs, the new starter at right tackle, is the best road grader in this draft class.
There were a few teams that viewed Wirfs, at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, as a potential guard, and his talent in the running game is undeniable. Just watch his highlights. He also gave up zero sacks at Iowa last season while playing both right and left tackle. For a team that believes it has enough talent to chase another title for Brady, Wirfs will fill a void.
Kenneth Murray, ILB, Los Angeles Chargers
Pick: No. 24
The Chargers traded their second- and third-round picks to move back into Round 1 to get Murray, who should slot in as the middle linebacker in Gus Bradley's defense. We know about L.A.'s star edge rushers, but the defense was soft up the middle last season, and Murray and the return of safety Derwin James, who played in just five games last season, will help fill the gaps.
Murray is a run-and-hit linebacker with solid diagnostic ability who explodes into tackles. He also has some juice as a blitzer, as he had four sacks last season. I mentioned the Raiders as a potential wild-card team, but the Chargers have a chance to make some noise too.
Instant-impact rookies from Rounds 2 and 3
Teams can find instant starters on Day 2 of the draft. Here are five prospects who should play early.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
Pick: No. 34 (Round 2)
The Colts entered last season with T.Y. Hilton, Devin Funchess, Zach Pascal and rookie second-rounder Parris Campbell atop their wide receiver depth chart. Not bad, right? Well, Hilton caught just 45 passes in an injury-plagued season, Funchess lasted one game before getting hurt, and Campbell dealt with injuries (and wasn't effective) over seven games. Indianapolis had to grab another receiver early, and I like Pittman, who might have been a first-rounder in any other year.
The 6-foot-4 Pittman is a fluid route runner and hands catcher. I wouldn't be surprised if he leads the Colts in targets in 2020.
Zack Moss, RB, Buffalo Bills
Pick: No. 86 (Round 3)
I was surprised to see Moss still on the board in the third round, and the Bills picked up my fifth-ranked running back to play the Frank Gore role next to Devin Singletary, who was picked in the third round a year ago. Moss had eight games with 100 rushing yards last season but also showed some receiving skills, catching 28 passes and averaging 13.9 yards per reception. For as good as Singletary was as a rookie, he had only two rushing touchdowns, so it could be Moss who gets the carries inside the 10-yard line. This is a really strong tandem to help Josh Allen, who enters a critical Year 3.
Take a look at some of the highlights of former Utah running back Zack Moss' college career.
Xavier McKinney, S, New York Giants
Pick: No. 36 (Round 2)
The Giants got my top-ranked safety and No. 15 overall prospect at the top of the second round, and McKinney should step in as the immediate starter at free safety next to Jabrill Peppers. McKinney has some versatility -- he played more than 100 snaps at safety, outside linebacker, inside linebacker and cornerback for Alabama last season -- and is a playmaker, as he had three interceptions, four forced fumbles and three sacks. That's the type of player new coach Joe Judge needs to turn around a defense that gave up too many big passing plays in 2019.
Logan Wilson, ILB, Cincinnati Bengals
Pick: No. 65 (Round 3)
The Bengals gave up the most rushing yards per game last season (148.9), so give them credit for trying to fix that weakness by taking three off-ball linebackers in this class, all of whom were values on my board. Wilson is a stellar tackler, but he has some upside as a three-down defender with the athleticism to cover tight ends and running backs; he had four interceptions last season. Whether he plays in the middle or on the strong side, I expect him to start for Cincinnati.
Alex Highsmith, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: No. 102 (Round 3)
I called Highsmith underrated on the broadcast, and he's a great fit as an edge defender in the Steelers' 3-4 defense, even if he's only a situational pass-rusher at the start of his career. Pittsburgh, of course, has T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, but the 6-foot-3, 248-pound Highsmith has really long arms and could rotate in and wreak havoc on quarterbacks. He had 14 sacks last season. Dupree is playing on the franchise tag this season, so there's no guarantee that he returns in 2021. Highsmith could take his starting spot.
Instant-impact rookies from Rounds 4-7
The NFL's best teams find good players on Day 3 of the draft. Here are five fits I like:
Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Pick: No. 222 (Round 7)
With Kenyan Drake the lead back in Arizona, Benjamin won't get 20 carries per game. But he can be a nice change-of-pace back and third-down threat; he caught 77 passes for 610 yards and four touchdowns for Arizona State the past two seasons. He has more upside than Chase Edmonds because of his receiving skills.
Justin Strnad, OLB, Denver Broncos
Pick: No. 178 (Round 5)
Strnad was having a great 2019 before a biceps injury cut short his season, but he could have been a Day 2 pick without the injury. He is very instinctive, always around the ball, and he has some coverage skills, even if he isn't an elite athlete. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Strnad will likely play inside linebacker in the Broncos' 3-4, and he'll make a big impact on special teams, too.
James Proche, WR/PR, Baltimore Ravens
Pick: No. 206 (Round 6)
Proche, who caught 111 passes and had 15 touchdowns at SMU last season, might have a hard time cracking a deep Ravens receiver rotation in Year 1, but he has some upside as an early-impact punt returner. He has great hands and decent speed. I'd bet on his future as a solid receiver, but his early time will likely be on special teams.
Amik Robertson, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
Pick: No. 139 (Round 4)
I mentioned Damon Arnette finding an immediate role in the Raiders' secondary, but I like Robertson's potential too. He's only 5-foot-8, so he's likely going to stick in the slot, but he was extremely productive at Louisiana Tech, with 14 interceptions and 48 pass breakups. He's a playmaker. Expect 10 to 20 defensive snaps as a rookie. Could he make Lamarcus Joyner expendable after the season?
Bradley Anae, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Pick: No. 179 (Round 5)
Anae is a high-motor bulldozer of a defensive end who had 30 career sacks for Utah, and I had a third-round grade on him. With the Week 1 status of Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory up in the air, I wouldn't be surprised if Anae were the Cowboys' third defensive end.