Snap judgments: Which NFC rookies will earn the most playing time?

With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview, it's time to focus on how the teams will deploy their picks on the field. Not every first-round pick will get the most playing time among each team's rookies this season.

After analyzing the NFC selections, Yardbarker NFL writers selected the player on each team who's most likely to earn the most snaps.

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | Center/guard Cooper Beebe (third round) | Beebe played left tackle, left guard, right guard and right tackle with Kansas State, so naturally, the Cowboys plan to use him at center. His predecessor, Tyler Biadasz (now with the Commanders), left big shoes to fill, but a two-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year should have no trouble beating out undrafted free agent Brock Hoffman for the job.

NEW YORK GIANTS | Wide receiver Malik Nabers (first round) | New York hasn’t had a 1,000- yard receiver since former LSU star Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018. After 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns with LSU, Nabers — OBJ 2.0 — will get every chance to improve the league’s second-worst passing offense.

 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (first round) | The first cornerback off the board should have no problem beating out a struggling James Bradberry, who was partly responsible for Philadelphia allowing 267.7 yards per game passing in 2023 (per StatMuse) — the second most in the NFL last season. Mitchell missed the team’s phone call on draft night, but he won’t miss many plays in 2024.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Quarterback Jayden Daniels (first round) | The days of easing the draft’s top quarterbacks into starting positions are long gone. With only fellow Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to beat out, Daniels, a dual-threat QB, should play immediately. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (first round) | This was one of the most obvious matches in the draft because the Cardinals had a desperate need for an impact player at wide receiver. Not only is Harrison Jr. going to get the most playing time among Arizona rookies, he might get the most playing time of any rookie and should be a contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

LOS ANGELES RAMS | Defensive tackle Braden Fiske (second round) | First-round pick Jared Verse, a defensive end, will also get significant playing time. But the Rams desperately must replace future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald at defensive tackle, a position they didn't address in free agency. That should open the door for Fiske to be a Day 1 starter on the inside next to second-year standout Kobie Turner.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Cornerback Renardo Green (second round) | As deep and good as the roster is, the 49ers had needs, with cornerback depth topping the list. Green figures to get an early look as a third corner and should provide needed depth behind Deommodore Lenoir.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (first round) | The Seahawks invested heavily in the secondary and at edge-rusher in recent draft classes, and now, they have turned their attention to the middle of the defensive line, which desperately needed help. Murphy should solidify a run defense that was one of the NFL’s worst and provide a push in the pass rush. — Adam Gretz

NFC North 

CHICAGO BEARS | Quarterback Caleb Williams (first round) | Expect no settling-in process for Williams, who will start Week 1 and for the foreseeable future in Chicago. Taking over the reins as the new face of the franchise won't come without its bumps, but the former USC star is well equipped to handle the pressure, having earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade among college QBs (93.6) since 2021.

DETROIT LIONS | Corneback Terrion Arnold (first round) | A versatile cornerback with elite shutdown skills, Arnold was the second player selected off the board at his position, and he will start from the get-go for the Lions. The former Alabama standout proved effective playing outside and inside coverage, allowing the fourth-lowest passer rating (50.7, per Pro Football Focus) in 2023, which should only increase Detroit's ability to use him.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Safety Javon Bullard (third round) | Selected with the 58th pick, Bullard may play more snaps than first-round pick Jordan Morgan (OT) and second-rounder Edgerrin Cooper (LB), who could find themselves in either backup or rotational roles early on. Bullard started at safety (363 snaps) and played nickel-corner (144 snaps) while at Georgia and should offer the Packers the same versatility starting Week 1.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Edge Dallas Turner (first round) | QB J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick, isn't guaranteed to start right away, as Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah recently noted. That leaves fellow first-rounder Turner (No. 17), who led the SEC in sacks (10) in 2023 while playing over 600 snaps for Alabama. He'll be a key piece of a retooled defense. — Mike Santa Barbara

NFC South 

ATLANTA FALCONS | Defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro (second round) | Things will have gone very wrong if Atlanta's first-round pick, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., plays more than any other of the team's rookies. Instead, Orhorhoro — whom the team traded up to select at No. 35 — should get the most playing time among Falcons rookies.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Wide receiver Xavier Legette (first round) | First-year head coach Dave Canales has emphasized quarterback Bryce Young’s need to get the ball out quickly, and Legette’s efficiency on targets 0-9 yards downfield last season should help. Per data from Pro Football Focus, he ranked fifth in yards per route run among wideouts with at least 30 targets on short routes last season. He’ll likely be featured in 11 personnel, often alongside fellow wideouts Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga (first round) | Fuaga should make an instant impact because of questions at both tackle spots. After not allowing a sack in 694 pass-rush opportunities (per PFF) at Oregon State from 2021-23, the No. 14 overall pick of the draft will likely also quickly become quarterback Derek Carr’s best friend.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Offensive lineman Graham Barton (first round) | The Bucs are likely to move Barton to the interior after he played left tackle at Duke. With questions at guard and center, Barton might have his pick of positions where he starts his NFL career. — Eric Smithling