Over the last few years it has become more common for Day 2 and Day 3 picks to make an instant impact on NFL rosters, the most recent examples being Bucky Irving and Kamren Kinchens.
Here is a look at some early candidates from the 2025 NFL Draft to get significant playing time in their rookie seasons.
Day 2 and Day 3 NFL Draft selections to watch in Year 1
Pat Bryant was a productive player at Illinois, especially in the red zone, but it was a bit of a surprise to hear his name called in the third round. The Denver Broncos obviously think very highly of him as coach Sean Payton even compared Bryant to former All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas after the draft. Denver has a lot of good role players, but the one thing they didn’t have last season was a consistent second option next to Courtland Sutton. If Bryant has a strong training camp and preseason he could get the opportunity to start early on.
Bradyn Swinson had a very strong season at LSU in 2024 collecting 8.5 sacks and forcing 2 fumbles. He will likely slot in as a rotational pass rusher as early as the season opener, and even has a chance to be a starter right away. Pass rush was a huge problem for the New England Patriots last season after losing Matthew Judon to the Falcons, so Swinson falling to the fifth round seemed like a no brainer.
Dorian Strong had two very good seasons for Virginia Tech in 2023 and 2024. He played his best in press coverage, a trait that is highly valued by teams so it was a surprise he fell to the sixth round. The Bills used their first round pick on Maxwell Hairston, a cornerback from Kentucky, but Strong was still able to stand out in rookie camp. The Bills lost two cornerbacks that played a significant amount of snaps, which gives both rookies the opportunity to take the bulk of those snaps.