The NFL's "draft season" really is a full-time affair. We spend months scouting players, building rankings and watching film to determine who is good and where they might be drafted. After the draft, the focus shifts to depth charts, roster moves and which rookies will actually have an opportunity to play.
Now, with preseason underway, we're getting a much clearer picture of which rookies could have the biggest impact during the 2026 NFL season.
In this series, we've been monitoring position battles, tracking training camp reps and assessing potential roles for the 2026 draft class. Next up is the AFC West, where several rookies could play significant roles in determining who wins the division.
AFC West rookies who could make an immediate impact in 2026
8. Las Vegas Raiders QB: Fernando Mendoza
The No. 8 spot comes with a huge caveat. Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft at the most important position in sports. So, of course, he could be the most impactful rookie in the entire class in 2026.
But we still don't know when exactly he will start.
Right now, Mendoza is very much the backup to veteran Kirk Cousins. And it could be that way for a while. Part-owner Tom Brady has made it known, with both words and actions, that he thinks rookie quarterbacks should have every chance to sit for as long as they can.
There's a world where Mendoza plays 10 games this year, and there's a world where he plays four. How far in either direction will obviously affect how impactful his rookie season is.
7. Kansas City Chiefs WR: Cyrus Allen
The Kansas City Chiefs have been cobbling together their wide receiver corps ever since the departure of Tyreek Hill. And to their credit, they've done just fine, winning two Super Bowls and appearing in a third in the four years since Hill signed in Miami.
But the passing game and receiver talent have floundered in that time. The Chiefs haven't had a receiver break 700 yards since 2023.
Now, Cyrus Allen shouldn't be counted on to become "WR1" as a rookie. The fifth-round pick was under the radar before a breakout year at Cincinnati in 2025, and was still taken in the middle of Day 3. But he has been a standout at camp this summer, becoming a favorite target of Patrick Mahomes.
With questions surrounding the wide receiver position for the Chiefs, there is an opening for Allen to make an impact as a rookie.
6. Las Vegas Raiders EDGE: Keyron Crawford
The Las Vegas Raiders were able to retain Maxx Crosby this offseason, and everyone seems thrilled to be moving forward together. But how can the Raiders build around Crosby to keep him happy long-term?
Keyron Crawford hopes to be part of that formula. The Raiders haven't had an edge rusher not named Crosby record eight sacks in a season since Malcolm Koonce did it in 2023.
Crawford is still a developing player, and he won't become a sack artist as a rookie, but the path to playing time is there. He has been getting reps with the first team defense, and Vegas would love for him to take hold of that role as they rebuild around Crosby.
If Crawford can see the field early and often in 2026 and begin to lay the groundwork for the new Raiders defense, that can have a lot of impact for this year and beyond.
5. Las Vegas Raiders DB: Treydan Stukes
The Las Vegas Raiders are preparing for a major facelift in their secondary under new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. The team selected four defensive backs between Rounds 2 and 5 in this year's draft.
The first pick of that run was safety Treydan Stukes. Stukes is a fast and versatile playmaker who can play in the slot and at free safety. He has impressed this summer and worked his way into the first-team defense over Isaiah Pola-Mao.
If Stukes can steady the ship for a unit transitioning from one era to another, the experience he gains and plays he makes in 2026 could mean a lot for a defense trying to find its way.
4. Los Angeles Chargers EDGE: Akheem Mesidor
The Los Angeles Chargers really value having good depth off the edge. Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu have been constants since 2023, but they've always invested in the No. 3 option behind them, whether that was Joey Bosa, Bud Dupree or Odafe Oweh.
Now, Oweh and Bosa are elsewhere, and Dupree is 33 years old and hasn't recorded over 6.5 sacks since 2020. And with Mack entering his age-35 season, it was time to invest more into the position.
So they selected Akheem Mesidor in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. Mesidor, at 25 years old, was one of the draft's oldest prospects. And with six years of college experience, the expectation is that Mesidor is impactful right away.
Mesidor's "old-man strength" was shown off during his final years in Miami, but it looks translatable to the NFL. He's also very technical and violent with his hand use, and a reliable hustle player finishing plays through the whistle.
As an experienced edge rusher for a team with aspirations for late-season football, Mesidor has a lot of room to impact the 2026 season.
3. Kansas City Chiefs DT: Peter Woods
The Kansas City Chiefs invested heavily in their defense in the 2026 draft. And one of the headlines of that was taking Peter Woods out of Clemson.
Woods spent much of last offseason as the No. 1 player on draft boards for the class. His blend of size and quickness stood out at a position that is growing in value each year.
But Woods took a step back, like much of the Clemson team, in 2025, and he fell to the end of the first round to the Chiefs.
Part of that step back was weight reduction. Woods really slimmed down ahead of the 2025 college football season and was rumored to weigh under 300 pounds. He's now back up to roughly 310 pounds, which should help him hold up against NFL offensive linemen.
Chris Jones has not been the same regular-season player over the past two seasons. In 2022 and 2023, Jones posted 15.5 and 10.5 sacks on the way to back-to-back Super Bowls. But over the last two seasons, he's had just 12 combined sacks.
If Woods can be an impactful defender right away for Kansas City and alleviate some pressure for Jones, thus making him more effective, it could go a long way towards the Chiefs being back in contention for a championship.
2. Los Angeles Chargers C: Jake Slaughter
Things have escalated quickly for Chargers' second-round pick Jake Slaughter. When LA selected Slaughter out of Florida, it was supposed to be to compete for a starting job at guard. Now, with the injury to Tyler Biadasz, Slaughter is moved into the "OC1" role.
A career center, Slaughter is a taller pivot man with very good athleticism. And even though brute strength isn't one of his... well, strengths, he plays fast and with aggression.
Those characteristics originally made him an interesting option at guard in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's scheme, which favors athletic linemen who can play in space. But the injury to Biadasz has changed the equation.
Now, as the starting center for Justin Herbert on an offensive line that has dealt with plenty of dysfunction over the years, there's suddenly a lot on Slaughter's plate during his rookie season.
1. Kansas City Chiefs CB: Mansoor Delane
And finally, the player who can make the biggest impact and has the most pressure on him in 2026 is Mansoor Delane. The Chiefs moved up in the first round of the draft to select the LSU cornerback with the No. 6 overall pick.
Delane now becomes the de facto No. 1 corner for a team that just let go of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, not to mention other pieces of the once-strong secondary.
Delane was a high-level prospect coming out of college. A very cerebral and sticky corner, he showed the ability to succeed in man or zone despite not being the best athlete at the position. His standout trait, though, was not only anticipating what the opposing quarterback would do, but baiting the passer into throws Delane knew would happen.
That intelligence will be needed as Delane is thrown into Steve Spagnuolo's scheme. And unlike Woods and R Mason Thomas, who have veterans around them, Delane is leading a unit with several other young pieces taking on bigger roles.
Whether Delane is ready to cover the best receivers in the AFC could be the difference between the Chiefs winning another Super Bowl or falling short in 2026.
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