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NFL Predictions: Day 3 rookies for every AFC team that could start in 2026

Which Day 3 draft picks could start for AFC teams in 2026?
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Brenen Thompson
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Brenen Thompson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Tennessee Titans: Fernando Carmona Jr., offensive guard (5th round)

The Tennessee Titans took a bit of a risk this offseason by signing former Bengals starting guard Cordell Volson to play the right guard position for them. Peter Skoronski is holding things down on the left side, which is where Carmona played for Arkansas last year, but he has a chance to win that starting right guard job if the Titans open up competition.

Either that, or if Volson is unable to stay on the field, Carmona could come in and take that job away from him. As the son of a coach, Carmona has football in his DNA. He's got a chance to be a quick starter for a Titans offensive line that has a need on the interior.

Indianapolis Colts: Bryce Boettcher, linebacker (4th round)

Just like you'll see throughout this list, there are a lot of linebackers who were probably picked a round or two later than they should have been. The Colts might have gotten two of them.

They stole CJ Allen in the 2nd round, and they landed Bryce Boettcher in the 4th. That could be this team's starting linebacker duo of the future, and that's perhaps the thinking even from the ownership on down. Boettcher was a tremendous value for them in the 4th round, a tackling machine who played baseball at Oregon (drafted by the Houston Astros) and will immediately make an impact on special teams.

Houston Texans: Kamari Ramsey, defensive back (5th round)

If the Houston Texans are taking a defensive back, it's probably worth paying attention to. This is one of the NFL's most loaded secondary groups already, and they added playmakers like Reed Blankenship (free agency) and Kamari Ramsey to it.

Ramsey was a big-time steal for a defense like this in the 5th round. He played safety prior to the 2025 season at USC, where he shifted to the slot out of necessity. That positional versatility, plus his toughness, will immediately endear him to DeMeco Ryans and his staff. Even with a loaded defense already, Ramsey should be in the mix from the jump.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Wesley Williams, defensive end (4th round)

This might be a cop-out, but Wesley Williams might not start for the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense in 2026. However, I think we're going to see him be one of the biggest immediate contributors as a core-four special teams aces.

The Jaguars will probably want to line him up all over the defensive line formation, but he brings tremendous value on special teams with five blocked kicks in his college career. Because of his versatility, we could see him playing extensive snaps on the Jags' defensive front quickly.

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