Last season, it was New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough taking everyone's pre-draft expectations and completely blowing them away during his rookie season.
Who is going to be following his lead in the class of 2026?
It may not even be someone at the quarterback position, and it could come from anywhere around the NFL. We're going to be taking a look at a handful of players from the AFC and trying to call our shot: Which AFC rookies are going to pull a "Tyler Shough" this coming season?
We're going to look at one rookie from each division in the AFC who could absolutely blow away expectations in the 2026 season.
2026 NFL Predictions: 1 rookie from each AFC division who could shock the league
AFC East: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, New England Patriots (2nd round)
There are a lot of really talented rookies on the defensive side of the ball in this year's draft class, including David Bailey, the 2nd overall pick by the New York Jets. While Bailey is a front-runner for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year for obvious reasons, he might end up playing second-fiddle in his own division.
The New England Patriots are obviously the reigning AFC Champions, and we know Mike Vrabel has been able to maximize talent in his system in the past. The Patriots are coming off of a rough year where, especially factoring in their playoff run, they were the worst team in the NFL in overall sack differential (sacks allowed offensively vs. sacks on defense).
Their best pass rusher down the stretch was K'Lavon Chaisson, who left for the Commanders in free agency. Gabe Jacas, a second-round pick out of Illinois, has a chance to come in and immediately compete for starter snaps.
Jacas had 19 of his 27 collegiate sacks over the past two seasons, and added 35.5 career tackles for loss. He was the 55th overall pick in this year's draft, and combines excellent production with outstanding athletic traits. It feels like he could really thrive in an environment where most of the team is already well established.
AFC South: Nate Boerkircher, tight end, Jacksonville Jaguars (2nd round)
Now, wouldn't this be hilarious?
If Nate Boerkircher ends up being what the Jaguars think he is capable of being, it would force a lot of folks in the NFL Draft community to eat crow.
Maybe even a lot of fans in Duval County.
The Jaguars were flamed for drafting Boerkircher in the 2nd round when he was a projected 4th- or 5th-round pick at the earliest from most folks. He's obviously got an uphill battle ahead of him to play well enough to prove himself worthy of being this high of a draft pick, but...what if he does?
That would be a really juicy thread to follow all season long. Boerkircher isn't the biggest, most athletic, or most productive tight end prospect we've seen come along. He also didn't even have 40 receptions at the collegiate level. He'll be playing second-fiddle to the now highly-paid Brenton Strange in Jacksonville, but he could still prove a lot of people wrong.
AFC North: Elijah Sarratt, wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens (4th round)
You are always going to get offseason hype for wide receivers during OTAs and mandatory minicamp around the NFL, but there might be reason to buy some stock in Ravens rookie receiver Elijah Sarratt.
We all saw what Sarratt is capable of as one of Fernando Mendoza's favorite targets this past season at Indiana. Although he wasn't on the same level as a prospect as his teammate Omar Cooper Jr., Sarratt certainly proved he had NFL chops, and probably should have been higher than a 3rd-round pick. He's got an NFL-ready frame, he's a good route runner, and he's outstanding at finishing catches.
Even with 3rd-rounder Ja'Kobi Lane going ahead of him in the Ravens' own draft class, Sarratt was getting some nice run with the Ravens' top offense and has the type of skill set to really be effective in that type of offense. The Ravens don't throw the ball a ton, but they operate with a high efficiency rate with Lamar Jackson at QB, and Sarratt could quickly become a trusted target with Zay Flowers getting most of the attention from opposing defenses.
AFC West: Tyler Onyedim, defensive lineman, Denver Broncos (3rd round)
The Denver Broncos made one really loud "bang" this offseason with their blockbuster trade to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Otherwise, they operated in borderline silence this year as they prioritized bringing back their own players from a team that hosted the AFC Championship Game last season.
As a result of that strategy, the Broncos are bringing back an absolutely ridiculous 94 percent of their snaps from last year, and almost every spot on the depth chart is filled. The one spot that might be up for grabs this offseason is the defensive end position opposite All-Pro Zach Allen, which was vacated when John Franklin-Myers left in NFL Free Agency.
One of the top contenders to win that job (or a significant chunk of those snaps) is the team's top pick in this year's draft: Tyler Onyedim. Onyedim wasn't the most high-profile defensive line prospect in this year's class, but he is a great fit for Denver's scheme with NFL-ready size, elite length (over 34-inch arms), and great quickness off the ball.
If he can prove to be good enough in run defense early on, he might make the Broncos quickly forget about losing Franklin-Myers.