Will Campbell isn't the only big name who got put on notice at the NFL Draft

Not all 32 NFL teams have ample cap space to improve their teams in free agency, but even without first-round picks, each of the teams has a clear path to improving their roster during the NFL Draft. Diamonds in the rough can be found everywhere you turn.

By improving your roster, some players who were on the same team in a prominent role the season prior might see a role shift or at least have a player directly coming for their job. Will Campbell is a prime example of one of several players who could wind up losing their jobs sooner rather than later based on what their respective teams did in the NFL Draft.

Will Campbell, New England Patriots

• Draftee putting him on notice: Caleb Lomu

The New England Patriots selected Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft hoping he'd protect Drake Maye's blindside for a decade, if not longer, but Campbell's rookie year was dicey at best. He struggled mightily after returning from an injury in the playoffs and was especially overmatched in New England's Super Bowl defeat against the Seattle Seahawks.

Now, Campbell revealed that he wasn't 100 percent healthy, but he was still healthy enough to play, and he did not look good in the slightest.

With Campbell's struggles in mind, the Caleb Lomu selection was fascinating. Yes, it was great value for New England to land a tackle of his caliber at No. 28 overall, but the fact that they felt the desire to trade up to get him cannot be overlooked. Yes, their offensive line needed work, but with Campbell and veteran Morgan Moses in the fold, did they really need another tackle?

I get that Lomu can be seen as an eventual Moses replacement, but it's hard not to get the impression that this pick puts pressure on Campbell to produce. Campbell is going to get the first crack as the starting left tackle, but if he gets off to a poor start, it wouldn't be shocking to see Lomu take his spot on the blindside and see Campbell either get moved to guard or even to a reserve role. As a win-now team, New England has little patience for development, especially at such an important position.

James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

• Draftee putting him on notice: Jeremiyah Love

James Conner has been a rock-solid starting running back when healthy in recent years, averaging 4.4 yards per carry in parts of four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, he was limited to just three games in 2025 after suffering a season-ending foot injury, and now, there's every reason to believe he's started his last game in Arizona's backfield.

The Cardinals made what could be considered the most surprising selection of the first round, selecting Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall. Love is one of the best players in the class and was deserving of being selected early, but a Cardinals team that doesn't have a quarterback and isn't built to compete selecting a running back as early as they did was pretty shocking to see.

It goes without saying that the Cardinals will plan on giving Love the lion's share of the touches in the backfield after using such a high pick on him, and that means Conner and even new signee Tyler Allgeier will face an uphill battle when it comes to playing time.

Deonte Banks, New York Giants

• Draftee putting him on notice: Colton Hood

Kayvon Thibodeaux is a player many think will either get traded or lose playing time since the New York Giants added Arvell Reese to an already stacked defensive line, but the same can be said about Deonte Banks, a former first-round pick in his own right.

Banks started each of the 29 games he played in his first two NFL seasons, but he only started six of the 16 games he played in 2025, thanks to poor performance. To put into perspective how mightily Banks struggled in 2025, his 42.4 PFF grade ranked 112th out of 114 cornerbacks. He was objectively one of the worst cornerbacks in the sport.

The Giants might still be holding out for the smallest glimmer of hope that Banks figures it out, but all of a sudden, the Giants have cornerback depth. Paulson Adebo and Dru Phillips have starting spots locked up, and Greg Newsome just signed a one-year deal this offseason. Adding Hood to the mix gives the Giants four corners who should slot above Banks on the depth chart. If Banks isn't traded, he's got a lot to prove.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

• Draftee putting him on notice: Jadarian Price

The Seattle Seahawks lost Kenneth Walker to free agency but figured to be fine letting Zach Charbonnet run the show at the running back position. Well, that might not be the case now, as they used a first-round pick on Jadarian Price.

We can argue whether Seattle should've used a first-rounder on Price (it's tough to make that argument), but it's clear that the Seahawks think a lot of him if they were willing to use a first-rounder on him despite the fact that Charbonnet is in town and running back is not a very valuable position.

The lion's share of carries might be Charbonnet's to lose, but even if so, the Seahawks figure to give Price a ton of touches. This puts the pressure on Charbonnet to prove before losing the starting job, if he even still has it.

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