First-round picks get most of the spotlight as NFL rookies, but the ones drafted on Day 2 are just as talented and don’t have to deal with added pressure, allowing them to play freely to make an immediate impact.
Last season rookies Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III, two running backs drafted in the second round, quickly established themselves as dynamic playmakers and had their respective teams in position to make the playoffs. The Jets’ offense wasn’t the same after Hall suffered a season-ending injury, ending their hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season.
Walker was instrumental in the Seahawks’ advancing to the playoffs, and he finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
