Mel Kiper Jr., Football analyst 8y

First-round rookies who will play immediately

NFL, NFL Draft

Historically, you're a lot more likely to get a future star from Round 1 than any other. But don't assume you're getting that guy right away. As you look through my final all-rookie team for 2015, you'll see a bunch of first-rounders, but you're not seeing Pro Bowl types, for the most part. Teams do draft to fill needs, but rookies -- even first-rounders -- aren't likely to fill them above a league-average level for the most part.

"Early impact" is more about having a clear role, not coming in and dominating.

With that in mind, here are 10 rookies from Round 1 (five on offense, five on defense) who I think will have a clear role, or at least an opportunity, early on. As you'll see, the list is pretty short on quarterbacks. I'll hit Rounds 2-3 on Wednesday, and then I'll go through Rounds 4-7 on Thursday.

Offense

Ezekiel Elliott: No-brainer here. I obviously dislike the value proposition of a running back at No. 4 overall -- the one you get at No. 104 overall could rival the production if the offensive line is this good -- but Zeke is a special player in a perfect situation to produce. Darren McFadden got 239 carries last year, and even with a now deeper stable of backs, Elliott figures to get at least 200. He'll also catch 30-45 passes you'd think.

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