5 Rookies Looking To Make an Impact on the AFC East in 2026

Betting on who will come out of this division on top is like a social casino of outcomes. The Patriots reclaimed the crown for the first time since the end of the Tom Brady era, but the Bills are still consistently a Super Bowl favorite. 

Now, looking toward 2026, which rookies are poised to make an immediate impact?

2026 AFC East Rookies to Make a Big Impact

Caleb Lomu - New England Patriots

With the 28th overall pick in this year’s draft, after trading up with the Bills, the Patriots got some offensive line reinforcement. With the left tackle position taken care of with Will Campbell and the right tackle spot held down by Morgan Moses, Caleb Lomu looks to enter the 2026 season as the swing tackle.

Coming out of Utah, Lomu was a left tackle who starred for the Utes. This year, anything can happen, so having a quality backup tackle like Lomu could be the difference for the Patriots this year. Who knows, he could come in right away if he straight-up beats Moses in camp.

David Bailey- New York Jets

You don’t pick an EDGE with the second-overall pick and not expect him to be a superstar. It was either David Bailey or Arvell Reese, and the Jets went with the Texas Tech superstar.

After three good seasons at Stanford, Bailey jumped to Tech and had one of the best seasons in program history from his defensive end position. Thanks to his 19.5 tackles for loss and FBS-leading 14.5 sacks, Bailey led the Red Raiders to their first conference title in 31 years.

He has an incredible first step and projects to be an impact player quickly for the Jets. It would not be surprising if he’s a favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year all year long.

Jacob Rodriguez - Miami Dolphins

Another former Texas Tech Red Raider, Jacob Rodriguez took the college football world by storm last year. He had his breakout in 2024 while leading the nation with 77 solo tackles and amassing 10.5 tackles for loss. However, last year, he was on another level. In total, he added 128 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, one sack, six pass breakups, four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries (one touchdown).

As a linebacker, Rodriquez finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, the highest a true linebacker finished since Manti Te’o in 2012.

Miami just paid one of the top linebackers in the NFL, Jordyn Brooks. Now, assuming Rodriguez plays as well as everyone expects, Miami could have the top linebacker duo in the NFL. If there’s an under-the-radar DROY pick, it may be Rodriguez. He has a nose for the football and is athletic enough to deal with the jump in competition level.

Kenyon Sadiq - New York Jets

Back to the Jets, Kenyon Sadiq became what felt like the 50th tight end drafted by New York over the last few seasons. Jokes aside, he was a weapon at Oregon despite how loaded the wide receiver room was. Last season, Sadiq amassed 560 yards and eight touchdowns on 51 receptions. He tested like an athletic freak, so the Jets felt more than comfortable taking him 16th overall.

The NFL is moving toward using more tight ends, and the Jets have a solid young one-two punch with Sadiq and Mason Taylor. Sadiq is as versatile as any in the NFL. He can line up in-line, and he can split out and run routes as a receiver. With Mason inside and Garrett Wilson outside, Sadiq may have plenty of opportunities to make an immediate impact.

Davison Igbinosun - Buffalo Bills

Finally, a bit of a wild card. Last year, the Bills had the best secondary in terms of yards per game allowed, and this year, they added to the unit with a high-ceiling, low-floor prospect out of Ohio State.

Davison Igbinosun was as polarizing as any prospect in the draft, for good reason. Everyone looks to his 2024 season, in which he was the single-most penalized player in all of college football. In 2025, he cut down on penalties and was a shutdown corner for the Buckeyes.

He is an emotional player; there is no way around it. When he hauled in the game-sealing interception against Michigan, he took off his helmet and ran down the field. Igbinosun turned around Ohio State’s cornerback room, and it got back to the physical, in-your-face unit it once was.

The Bills have two top corners in Maxwell Hairston and Christian Benford, so Igbinosun will likely start the year as a depth piece. However, he has the ability to break through as a rookie.