How Every Cardinals Rookie Can Actually Make an Impact in 2026

The Arizona Cardinals welcomed seven new players to the mix via the 2026 NFL Draft, a stacked rookie class that hopes to make an instant impact just as much as they project to be long-term investments.

The Cardinals liked the class so much they avoided trade offers for each pick, which was a different beat of the drum for the typically trade happy general manager Monti Ossenfort.

How can those dividends pay off immediately?

RB Jeremiyah Love

How he can make an impact: Love, being the third overall pick, has the privilege of carrying the heaviest expectations while also having the most opportunity to make an impact. Love, as a running back, will be tasked with revamping the rushing attack while also improving the passing game out of the backfield. Simply put, he's a playmaker. Let's not overthink this: He can impact the Cardinals by being a focal point in both facets of moving the ball down the field.

RG Chase Bisontis

How he can make an impact: Starting at right guard, which appears to be the expectation. Bisontis fits that coveted mold of an old-school, nasty guard that also excels in pass protection. He's a capable person of doing both, and if he can play up to par, Arizona's rushing attack (with Love mixed in) should be able to really flip the script with free agent guard Isaac Seumalo on the other end.

QB Carson Beck

How he can make an impact: Beck's situation is unique in how the Cardinals' quarterback spot plays out. Jacoby Brissett is fully expected to be the opening day starter, though the third-round pick in Beck could very well find starting opportunities later in the season if Arizona is indeed as bad as projections say. Beck could come in and emerge as a game manager for the Cardinals, which is all the team should ask of a rookie quarterback at this point in time.

DT Kaleb Proctor

How he can make an impact: Proctor, despite being a fourth-round pick, should actually have ample opportunity to make an instant impact in a Cardinals defensive line that rotates players heavily. Proctor can make an impact especially paired next to Walter Nolen III, a fellow hyper-athletic presence in the interior. If both are healthy, Proctor can shoot gaps with the best of them and create chaos alongside Arizona's 2025 first-round pick.

WR Reggie Virgil

How he can make an impact: Virgil's skillset mostly relies on him making plays deep down the field, and that's the hope here. Arizona doesn't have a burner that can flat-out take off and take the top off the secondary, and Virgil best fits that mold. In a crowded room his role won't be favorable, though Virgil can be a nice change-up for head coach Mike LaFleur when an unexpected big play is needed.

ILB Karson Sharar

How he can make an impact: Sharar played over 500 snaps of special teams at Iowa, and with a top-heavy inside linebacker room, the sixth-round pick will certainly have to shift his focus to playing the third phase of the game to make the roster. He's experienced and embraces special teams, he should have opportunity to showcase his skills there.

OT Jayden Williams

How he can make an impact: You'll be hard-pressed to find a seventh-round pick who can make an impact immediately, and such is the case for Williams. The good news here? He's a versatile swing tackle who has starting experience against college football's best in the SEC. In a best-case scenario he'll fill the Kelvin Beachum role, which is a win for both team and player this early.

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