We spend months trying to figure out which players will be drafted, and when, every year before the NFL Draft. Then, all offseason, we try to figure out which rookies will play and how they will do during their rookie season. But once the season starts it can be hard to measure the value rookies are having.
Some rookies, sure, will play a big role for their team and put up decent statistics. But what about the role players, backups that only start a handful of games, or linemen who aren't meant to put up numbers?
How do you gauge the value of a rookie before he has played an NFL snap? In this series, we project which first-year players will make the biggest impact during the 2026 season by evaluating several key factors, including opportunity, team need, talent, scheme fit, and long-term upside.
Which AFC North rookies will make the biggest impact in 2026?
8. Cleveland Browns WR: KC Concepcion
KC Concepcion was a first-round pick for the Cleveland Browns in last April’s draft. Out of Texas A&M, Concepcion is a smaller receiver (sub-six-foot, sub-200 pounds) who will most likely operate out of the slot in Todd Monken’s offense.
Conepcion was 18th on my overall big board for this past draft. He’s an explosive athlete, which makes him a YAC (yards-after-catch) threat as well as someone who can stack defenders downfield.Â
He got knocked during the draft process for drops after being credited with seven in each of the past two seasons by PFF, but there are also several instances on tape of him making tough catches.
Ultimately, Concepcion is last on this list because the Browns’ offense won’t be good, and the team likely won’t be good as a whole, due to the roster and quarterback situation. So while Concepcion will be a good player in the league, his importance in 2026 will be minimal.
7. Cleveland Browns WR: Denzel Boston
Denzel Boston is garnering rave reviews out of training camp. The Cleveland Browns selected Boston in the second round of April’s draft, after taking Concepcion just the day before.
Boston is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Concepcion - a bigger receiver (nearly 6’4, and 212 pounds), with very strong hands.
He isn’t a strong separator in his routes or very fast, but he’s very good at putting his hands up late to make contested catches.
Boston, like Concepcion, will struggle to make an impact this year because of the Cleveland offense. But he gets the spot ahead of his teammate because his skill set could translate more easily early on in their rookie seasons.
6. Baltimore Ravens CB: Chandler Rivers
While the Ravens dodged a bullet with the injury news for Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins, Baltimore will likely be counting on fifth-round pick Chandler Rivers at some point this season.
Rivers is a quick and tough cornerback who will likely play a majority of his time in the slot in the NFL, although most of his experience in college experience was spent out wide.
Rivers's versatility will be key. Stars like Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton have both played All-Pro level nickel corner in the last couple of years, but when injuries hit the Ravens' secondary, they have been asked to move around. So if Humphrey has to take snaps at outside corner, or Hamilton more as a true safety, things could open up for Rivers to play in the slot.
But don't count out the chance for Rivers to play outside. Baltimore is without proven depth on the outside at the moment, and veteran Chidobe Awuzie has a history of missing time with injuries.
For a team with Super Bowl aspirations and a defense with a recent history of dealing with injuries, Rivers could find himself in a key role as a rookie.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers OT: Max Iheanachor
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Max Iheanachor in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Iheanachor was having a strong training camp before suffering an upper-body injury a couple of weeks ago.
While the injury may set Iheanachor back, there's a strong belief he was trending towards becoming the team's starting right tackle at some point during his rookie season.
Iheanachor still has developing to do. He is a raw player who is very new to football, but he is strong, athletic, and a very natural blocker. His balance and hand use make him very smooth in pass protection. But he's still gaining the technique and confidence to become a plus-run blocker.
The number of games Iheanachor ends up starting in 2026 will obviously skew how impactful his season is. But a starting offensive lineman, even for half a season, is very meaningful for a team trying to make the playoffs. On the other hand, if a young quarterback ends up playing in Pittsburgh this season, keeping him protected will be very important for evaluation for 2027.
4. Cincinnati Bengals EDGE: Cashius Howell
The Cincinnati Bengals had one primary objective this offseason: improve the pass rush. In 2025, they finished 23rd in quarterback pressure rate and 24th in quarterback sack rate.
Improving the pass rush will be no easy task - especially with star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson off to Baltimore. But one piece of the puzzle is going to be Cashius Howell.
The Bengals drafted Howell in the second round of the draft. Howell is an undersized, but quick, pass rusher off the edge with 25 sacks in his final three years of college.
The Bengals are a playoff-hopeful, and maybe even Super Bowl-hopeful team because of their quarterback and offense, but the defense has been holding them back for years.
Even as a rotational player, if Howell can be part of Cincinnati improving their pass rush, and in turn their defense, he can be a big part of their team this season.
3. Baltimore Ravens WR: Ja'Kobi Lane
We've covered Baltimore's defense, but how about their offense? Baltimore is once again updating their offensive attack with new Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle. And as Derrick Henry ages (or does he?), and Lamar Jackson scrambles less, the team is going to need more pass-catching options.
Baltimore drafted two receivers in last April's draft in Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt. So far through camp and the preseason, Lane has been the standout.
Baltimore took Lane in the third round of the draft. He's a long and lanky receiver with strong hands, but sometimes has a hard time getting open.
The Ravens haven't had two receivers catch more than 45 passes in a single season since 2021. If they are going to improve their Super Bowl odds, while potentially relying more on the pass game, they'll need another receiver to step up.
If Lane can be that receiver, he will have a huge impact on Baltimore's season as a rookie.
2. Cleveland Browns OT: Spencer Fano
Whoever ends up playing quarterback in Cleveland this season will be playing behind a totally revamped offensive line. The only returner from last season is guard Teven Jenkins, who started in four games in 2025.
Headlining those changes is Cleveland's first pick from the 2026 NFL Draft, left tackle Spencer Fano.
Fano is an elite athlete with an all-time mentality for the offensive line. And while he hasn't played left tackle since he was a freshman at Utah, his athleticism and coordination makes him an excellent candidate to switch sides.
Starting all 17 games on the offensive line as a rookie carries a lot of value, even for a bad team. The play of one high-end tackle can impact the entire offensive line, the play of the quarterback, and in turn, the whole offense.
Fano will, hopefully, give Todd Monken a building block to judge the offense off of. And for a new head coach, scheme, and line looking to usher in a rookie quarterback in 2027, that is extremely important.
1. Baltimore Ravens OG: Olaivavega Ioane
The most impactful rookie in the AFC North this year will likely be Olaivavega Ioane. Baltimore had one of the worst interior offensive lines in the league last year, and then Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Ioane joins John Simpson to bring a new energy and mentality to the group as they get bigger and stronger.
Ioane's ability and blocking style is the type of lineman a team can build a scheme around. He is immovable in pass protection, so he will keep the interior of the pocket clean in the dropback game. He is also light on his feet in addition to being a great blocker on the move. So the run game can be designed around him.
OC Declan Doyle is coming from Chicago with Ben Johnson, and Denver with Sean Payton. Doyle is implementing a zone run scheme in Baltimore, just like they did in those two previous stops. And in those years with Denver and Chicago, Quinn Meinerz and Joe Thuney were both All-Pro guards.
Ioane, like Grey Zabel last year, has a chance to immediately improve the level of play of an interior offensive line for a team looking to win a Super Bowl. With the NFL's emphasis on the run game and blocking interior pressure, there's no greater impact a rookie can have than that.
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