Every year in the NFL, and to varying degrees, there are rookies all over the place who end up shocking the rest of the league.
We saw it last season with New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, who was backing up Spencer Rattler at the start of the season and wound up contending for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. It doesn't have to be quarterbacks, but there could be a number of rookies around the NFC poised to surprise everyone just like Shough did a season ago.
This year's draft class was loaded at a number of positions, and there are rookies in the NFC getting fantastic opportunities to make an impact.
We're going to take a look at one rookie from each division in the NFC who can outplay their draft status, and might just blow people away in 2026.
NFL predictions: 4 NFC rookies who could shock the NFL world in 2026
NFC North: Zavion Thomas, wide receiver, Chicago Bears (3rd round)
Despite being a pretty highly contested selection on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, Zavion Thomas has built up a pretty decent amount of hype in the 2026 offseason program.
Although head coach Ben Johnson cautioned against getting too deep in the weeks on hyping up the 3rd-round rookie out of LSU, it might be a classic case of a coach downplaying a rookie's great offseason program in order to keep him hungry when the pads come on at training camp.
Thomas has phenomenal speed, running a blazing 4.28 in the 40-yard dash. That kind of vertical speed has been highly effective in Johnson's offense, and we've seen significant impact from players like Jameson Williams or even Kalif Raymond in the past.
Johnson knows how to get these guys to play fast, and with DJ Moore off to the Buffalo Bills in a trade, it seems like Thomas -- the 89th overall pick in this year's class -- could really turn heads in his rookie season.
NFC South: Bryce Lance, wide receiver, New Orleans Saints (4th round)
It's possible that the New Orleans Saints could be the team, in back-to-back years, to have the rookie who really comes out of nowhere to make a substantial impact.
In a year with some pretty solid receiver prospects overall, it would be an underdog story among underdog stories for Bryce Lance to enter any sort of rookie of the year conversations. Heck, he's not even the highest-drafted receiver on his own team with Jordyn Tyson in line for a ton of snaps as the Saints' top pick this year.
However, Lance was already turning heads at Saints OTAs and minicamp, earning 1st-team reps and getting opportunities to work with Tyler Shough and the top offense. Lance is 6-foot-4, has 4.34 speed, and some absolutely outrageous athletic traits.
The Saints will get Lance opportunities to make plays as a vertical threat, even if he's not refined as a prospect coming out of North Dakota State. And if he can win at the catch point, he's going to get more chances each week as the year progresses.
NFC East: Jaishawn Barham, EDGE/LB, Dallas Cowboys (3rd round)
If the Dallas Cowboys are going to exceed expectations defensively and bounce back this coming season, then they're going to need contributions -- maybe significant ones -- from players like Jaishawn Barham.
There are plenty of veterans on that defensive front in Dallas to eat up snaps, and there will even be plenty of higher draft picks getting priority when it comes to the team's investment, but Jaishawn Barham could make himself undeniable with his outstanding hustle and effort.
The traits are really there with Barham, who had 10 tackles for loss and 4 sacks last season at Michigan.
Christian Parker has been in Philadelphia with Vic Fangio where they molded Zack Baun from a player without a true position into a DPoY candidate at off-ball linebacker. It might not be that far-fetched with Dallas needing playmakers at the second level to think Barham, with his versatility, to become something quickly for the new Cowboys defensive coordinator.
NFC West: Carson Beck, quarterback, Arizona Cardinals (3rd round)
There was once a time when Carson Beck was making routine appearances very early in our 2026 NFL mock draft predictions. Although those projections turned out to be very wrong, the possibility still exists for Beck to make his case as a starter at the next level.
After watching him win a lot of games at Georgia, then at Miami as well, it's hard to imagine Beck falling flat on his face with rookie head coach Mike LaFleur and the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona has some stellar talent at the offensive skill positions in tight end Trey McBride, receivers Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr., and top pick Jeremiyah Love.
Beck might not have as bad of surroundings as some folks think. Arizona might have a better supporting cast than what the Saints had for Tyler Shough last year. You just never know.