The departure from a 16-game regular season eliminated a clean midway point to the NFL regular season, but there is a large enough sample size to assess the contributions of the rookie class through Week 8. Reflecting upon the 2026 NFL Draft, there were 19 offensive and 13 defensive prospects taken in the first round. Although the No. 1 overall selection has yet to make his first start, several others are making a meaningful impact on their respective teams.
Daniels is the selection by default. He is the only rookie quarterback to appear in more than one game and the only quarterback with more than 36 dropbacks. The undrafted free agent out of Kansas had some good moments.
He looked crisp in three quarters against the Steelers, but accuracy waned in the game's most critical moments. His comfort is throwing to the boundary rather than attacking the middle of the field, but he would lock onto his first read, and defenders began breaking on it once they picked up on the tendency. When the sea parted before him, Daniels showed the foot speed to get chunks of yardage on the ground.
To be a viable quarterback long-term, Daniels must do a better job handling pressure. He was sacked nine times on 123 dropbacks because the protection was either not set to handle the blitz or he could not feel the pressure on his back. He completed 60 of 98 pass attempts for 501 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Preseason selection: Fernando Mendoza, Raiders The running back position was more complicated than quarterback because each of the candidates has either missed time due to injury or is serving in a reserve role. Love leads all rookie running backs with 76 carries despite missing two games and is now actively dealing with an ankle injury that landed him on the injured reserve. His presence on the end-of-year All-Rookie team is very much in doubt.
Love shows good vision and does well breaking his feet down in space to leverage defenders. He is patient before making his move and has 11 receptions as well. Arizona's offensive line has left a lot to be desired.
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