It's tough for rookies to make a significant impact in the NFL. Most are buried on the depth chart and those who do play are often struggling to keep up with the veterans around them.
But every year a handful of players step into situations conducive to making a strong first impression and quickly become households names around the league.
A lot of factors go into becoming a household name—and they aren't strictly about talent.
To come up with this list of rookies, here are few criteria which were considered:
- Playing time: each rookie on this list has an opportunity to win a starting job at some point during the 2016 season.