How non-first-round rookies are faring this NFL season: Denzel Boston among the leaders of the pack

The NFL season is nearly a quarter complete, and several teams are already receiving good value on draft selections made in April. The first round represents roughly 12.5% of the selections made in the 2026 NFL Draft, and while they are considered the most likely to contribute early, teams fill out their roster with players selected in other rounds. 

Who are those non-first-round picks to take on an important role this season? There are 18 (8 on offense, 10 on defense) who have played 150+ offensive or defensive snaps through four weeks. It's an arbitrary number, but one that serves as a governor for the exercise. Among that sample size, there are six second-round picks, six third-round picks, three fourth-round picks, two fifth-round picks and one undrafted free agent. The undrafted free agent is Chiefs left tackle Kahlil Benson, whom I wrote about earlier this season. 

LB Jaishawn Barham, Cowboys (Round 3, No. 92 overall)

The Cowboys were an ideal landing spot for Barham because he had played both edge rusher and off-ball linebacker in college. New Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker studied under Vic Fangio with the Eagles. Over the past few years, Philadelphia has had a number of those body types with cross-trained backgrounds, such as Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Nolan Smith, etc. 

With Barham, the athleticism jumps off the page, but there are still some inconsistencies in the run game. He has been credited with three pressures by TruMedia, but has not done as well at utilizing his quickness and setting up pass-rush moves as he did at Michigan. The production has been there early, but there is another level he can take his game when Parker grows more comfortable in his role. 

WR Denzel Boston, Browns (Round 2, No. 39 overall)

Over the past decade, Boston has had the seventh-most receiving yards by a rookie through the first four weeks of the season. Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua are some of the notable names with more receiving yards as rookies through the first four games. TruMedia credits him with zero drops on the season. There have been a few that could have been categorized as such, but the defender was hanging all over him, and a penalty was not called. There were some missed connections with Deshaun Watson that could have manifested even better numbers. 

Boston is a big body who can win downfield, but what separates him is the attention to detail in his route-running. He can win at all three levels of the field. When the ball is not coming his way, he is a competent and willing blocker in the run game as well.

He finished the pre-draft cycle as my No. 20 overall prospect. 

Notably, Browns right guard Austin Barber is also one of the 18 rookies to meet the criteria. He has been very good despite making the transition from left tackle and looks like a long-term starter for the organization. 

CB Brandon Cisse, Packers (Round 2, No. 52 overall)

Cisse builds speed quickly and is sticky in coverage. There was a blown coverage against Chicago where it looked like he was expecting safety help over the top, but otherwise, he rarely loses leverage. 

Cisse had Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels dead to rights in the backfield in Week 4, but he failed to complete the play. He has also not traveled from one side of the field to the other. 

WR Malachi Fields, Giants (Round 3, No. 74 overall)

Fields has had two receptions and somewhere between two and six targets in each of his four games. On Sunday against the Cardinals, he scored his first touchdown. His two receptions were a byproduct of a lapse in coverage and a scramble drill. Individual catches against the Rams and the Cowboys better represented his potential. He has size and speed, but the route-running has been inconsistent. Fields does bring added value as a blocker in the run game. 

He has eight receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. 

LB Anthony Hill Jr., Titans (Round 2, No. 60 overall)

Hill was one of my guys leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. His athleticism is off the charts, and his ability to make an impact extends beyond playing in the box. The Texas product has the range to play sideline to sideline as well as the quickness to thrive as a spot rusher. Hill tends to get stuck on blocks in the box, and improving upon that will allow him to be more effective in fitting run gaps. 

Linebacker is a spot where experience is paramount, so starting early in his career allows him to troubleshoot some of his shortcomings, which will benefit him in the long run. 

WR Ted Hurst III, Buccaneers (Round 3, No. 84 overall)

Hurst is more than a space eater in Tampa Bay's offense. He does a good job creating separation and covers ground quickly with long legs. On the season, he has eight receptions for 128 yards and one touchdown, but he had a few deep balls fall haplessly to the ground off his fingertips against Cleveland. Of note, seven of his eight receptions have come to the left side of the field. As the team battles injuries at the receiver position with Jalen McMillan and others, Hurst is a player worthy of a larger target share. 

The Buccaneers are now playing undrafted free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels in Baker Mayfield's absence. 

WR Bryce Lance, Saints (Round 4, No. 136 overall) 

The younger brother of Chargers quarterback Trey Lance has mostly been a sacrificial player for the Saints: clearing out defenders and blocking in the run game. He generally struggles to create separation, but he has been most effective planting and driving back toward the quarterback.

Lance has four receptions for 50 yards on the year. 

CB Hezekiah Masses, Raiders (Round 5, No. 175 overall)

Through the first two games, Masses had been targeted eight times and allowed one reception for 16 yards, according to TruMedia. He also had two interceptions in that time period. In Week 3 against the Saints, the rookie out of California was the victim of routes snapped off by Chris Olave. Masses allowed four receptions on the day — all by Olave — for 51 yards. Week 4 is where some of the concerns really took hold. His feet settled a bit at the stem, which enabled his assignment to gain separation, and there was a 42-yard gain to Tyquan Thornton. Masses' eyes lingered in the backfield, and Thornton caught him sleeping on a double move.

Nevertheless, Masses has the size and has met the physical challenge presented by the NFL. His awareness of what is happening around him and his ability to get his eyes back on the ball allow him to make game-changing plays. His performance should inspire confidence from the coaching staff. His potential was evident dating back to his time at Florida International and is one reason why he was a personal favorite in the pre-draft process. 

OG Emmanuel Pregnon, Jaguars (Round 3, No. 88 overall)

The Jaguars offensive line was a potential problem area coming into the season, but the development of Pregnon, who was my No. 48 prospect overall, has brought stability to the unit. He has a wide, powerful body, and defensive tackles have had a difficult time playing through him; Bengals veterans Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence were a few of the exceptions. Pregnon was inconsistent pulling and engaging blocks in open space, but he has shown improvement as recently as Sunday.

TruMedia credits him with 0 sacks and 6 pressures allowed thus far.

LB Jacob Rodriguez, Dolphins (Round 2, No. 43 overall)

Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley awarded Rodriguez the responsibility of serving as the green dot on defense as a rookie, meaning he communicates defensive calls to the rest of the unit. Rodriguez is an instinctual player who plays square to the line of scrimmage and displays the range to play sideline to sideline. 

One year after a fellow linebacker, Carson Schwesinger, broke the drought of linebackers winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, Rodriguez is on the path of building a case of his own. Through four games, he has 46 tackles, including three tackles for a loss and an interception. 

Among others in Miami, Dolphins' fifth-round safety Michael Taaffe also met the criteria. 

The five other rookies who have played at least 150 snaps, but were not represented on this list, are Buccaneers linebacker Josiah Trotter, Bears cornerback Malik Muhammad, Colts safety A.J. Haulcy, Panthers cornerback Will Lee III and Chargers center Jake Slaughter, who was called into action out of necessity when starter Tyler Biadasz suffered an injury.