All 32 NFL teams are well into 2024 training camp, with countless position and roster battles underway. We've still got roughly a month to go until lineups are finalized and regular season games kick off. And yet a handful of NFL newcomers are already making a strong impression.
Here are nine of the top first-year standouts from this year's rookie class:
9. Packers OG Jordan Morgan
The Arizona product was drafted as a tackle, but with Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom already at bookend, the rookie has seamlessly slid inside to right guard, commanding recent first-team reps as one of Jordan Love's top interior blockers. His high energy could end up earning him a Week 1 starting gig.
8. Saints OT Taliese Fuaga
It's a good thing New Orleans invested in the offensive line, with longtime starter Ryan Ramczyk banged up and former first-rounder Trevor Penning shifting to right tackle. It's even better that Fuaga, the big Oregon State product, is already wowing fellow linemen with his power at the starting blind-side spot.
7. Colts WR Adonai Mitchell
Recent reports indicate fellow pass-catcher Alec Pierce may be ahead in the race for No. 3 receiver duties behind Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, but with the caveat that Mitchell has also shown a knack for simply "making plays" since the spring. "He's an alpha," receivers coach Reggie Wayne insists.
6. Eagles RB Will Shipley
Philadelphia spent big money on Saquon Barkley in free agency, but that hasn't stopped Shipley from squeezing his way into the first-team rotation, especially as a pass-catching option out of the backfield. The Clemson product already looks like a safe bet to challenge Kenny Gainwell's change-of-pace spot.
5. Dolphins OLB Chop Robinson
Miami is desperate for pass-rushing juice with veteran starters Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips both banged up. Good thing it spent its first-round pick on Robinson, who's flashed his trademark Penn State burst while taking top reps in the rotation. His explosiveness could make an instant impact.
4. Bears DE Austin Booker
Widely overlooked during Chicago's busy offseason, Booker was just a fifth-round pick out of Kansas. He's looked more like an early-round investment in camp, however, leaping into first-team reps with veteran Jacob Martin banged up, promising some creative pass-rushing deployments in their system.
3. Patriots WR Ja'Lynn Polk
Wondering why vets like JuJu Smith-Schuster are squarely on the roster bubble in New England? Polk is a big reason. The second-round Washington product has been especially tough in the red zone and fighting for 50-50 downfield balls, per Tyler Sullivan, and may well be the No. 1 wideout on the team.
2. Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Heralded as the consensus top pass catcher of the 2024 rookie class, Harrison has lived up to the hype in the desert, by all accounts. Highlight reels show him going up with his 6-foot-4 frame to make contested catches, but his consistency as a route-runner has already won over head coach Jonathan Gannon.
1. Giants WR Malik Nabers
While Harrison went ahead of Nabers in the first round, it's hard to say any rookie has single-handedly added more electricity to his team's offense than the splashy LSU product. Hardly a day goes by without Nabers securing a highlight-reel grab, either going deep or working the sidelines, and it's easy to forecast him opening 2024 as Daniel Jones' No. 1 target ... by a long shot.
