These NFC South rookies will join Rueben Bain as first-year starters

The NFC South is currently viewed as the NFL's worst division. Is it really the worst one? Well...yeah. Yeah, it is. We don't have to sugarcoat this. But because the NFC South is so bad, the division is a great place for young players who are hoping to break through. Rookies could play a big role in the division this season.

But which rookies will play a big role? Here's one from each NFC South team to keep an eye on this year. Where applicable, I've chosen to highlight the lowest-drafted rookie who I view as a potential 2026 starter. What does that mean? It'll make sense when we get to the Buccaneers.

WR Zachariah Branch, Atlanta Falcons

You might think corner Avieon Terrell is the clear answer here, but I wouldn't be so fast to think that. The Atlanta Falcons have some good talent at cornerback still, whereas the wide receiver position behind Drake London isn't nearly as settled.

The team added Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency, and the two look to be the primary receivers beside London when the team is in 11 personnel, but neither guy really feels like a lock for the role. Just look at their 2025 stats.

All Zachariah Branch has to do to earn snaps is beat one of those guys out, which really doesn't seem like it should be that hard. Zaccheaus has been hit or miss for his entire NFL career, while Dotson started off well but has been a non-factor since leaving Washington. Maybe one of those guys works out, but it's highly unlikely that both do.

Branch is an electrifying player who is capable of taking any ball to the house. He's not super well-equipped for fighting for the ball downfield because of his lack of size, but he can make things happen in space. Atlanta should game plan around finding ways to get Branch involved out of the slot.

OT Monroe Freeling, Carolina Panthers

It's actually very possible that no rookies start for the Carolina Panthers in 2026, but offensive tackle Monroe Freeling is the most likely if one does.

Freeling has to show that he can quickly adapt to the speed of the NFL game if he wants to steal a starting spot, most likely at left tackle, as Ikem Ekwonu deals with a knee injury—he suffered a torn patellar tendon in the playoffs, and that likely puts his availability for the early part of the season in doubt.

Assuming Ekwonu isn't good to go for Week 1, Freeling would need to beat free-agent acquisition Rasheed Walker—who ranked 53rd out of 84 tackles by PFF grade last year—for the starting role, even if it winds up being a temporary role. If Ekwonu is back for the start of the season, that really complicates this, though, as Freeling definitely isn't ready to pass Taylor Moton up for the right tackle role. We'll just have to wait and see if Freeling can do enough to be Carolina's lone rookie starter.

WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints

Is this too easy of a pick? Sure, but there's really no other rookie on the New Orleans Saints roster with a clear path to starting. It wouldn't be too shocking if second-round defensive tackle Christen Miller beats out Davon Godchaux for the starting role, but it's not something I'd necessarily expect.

That leaves former Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson as the top rookie on the Saints. New Orleans appears to be all-in on Tyler Shough at quarterback, and the team showed that by drafting him a key weapon at wide receiver in Tyson, who will make for a really nice pairing at receiver with Chris Olave.

There's really no argument against Tyson starting for the 2026 Saints. The team went receiver early (and often, drafting Bryce Lance in the fourth and Barion Brown in the sixth) because they had no one else on the roster they could trust beyond Olave. Devaughn Vele is intriguing still, but behind him you had Mason Tipton and, like...Bub Means? The Saints have a good chance to win the NFC South, and sticking with those guys wasn't going to increase that chance. Drafting a receiver early and immediately putting him out there in the starting lineup was an imperative this offseason.

LB Josiah Trotter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

So, first off: first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. will start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2026. I'm not here to argue against that. In fact, I'm here to argue that the Bucs will have multiple rookie linebackers in the starting lineup when Week 1 arrives, with second-round pick Josiah Trotter earning an immediate role with the team as well.

With Lavonte Davis gone, there's a big opening at linebacker and a lot of guys competing for those spots. The unsettled nature of this should work strongly in Trotter's favor. He showed in college that he can be a strong, physical run defender. He needs to work on his coverage skills, but he's someone who can patrol the middle of the field.

The entire Buccaneers defense feels in flux right now, especially in the front seven. There should be as many as four new starters up front, and Trotter should be one of them. Putting him next to Alex Anzalone gives Tampa versatility there, and Trotter will learn plenty from playing with the veteran. Tampa has a great shot to win the division if Trotter works out.

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