Five NFL starters who could be in danger of losing their job to a rookie

Several team used the 2024 NFL Draft to fill needs and plug holes on their roster, and some found potential future starters in multiple rounds.

With the draft officially in the books, here’s a look at five players who could potentially lose their starting jobs to rookies this season.

Rasheed Walker, OT, Green Bay Packers

The rookie: Jordan Morgan

Walker played 966 snaps at left tackle last season, surrendering six sacks and allowing 36 pressures and 24 hurries, per Pro Football Focus. He allowed the most sacks and second-most pressures and hurries among Packers offensive linemen. 

The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Morgan played nearly 2,500 snaps at left tackle at Arizona, surrendering just 10 sacks in five seasons and allowing more than 20 pressures just once. If he has a good camp and preseason showing, Morgan could challenge for Green Bay’s starting LT spot.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S, Philadelphia Eagles

The rookie: Cooper DeJean

Gardner-Johnson was limited to just three games in 2023 with a torn pectoral muscle. Before his injury, Gardner-Johnson was one of the top safeties in the NFL in 2022, and he excelled at getting under the skin of opposing receivers because of his penchant for talking smack.

However, he is coming off a serious injury, and he’ll have to hold off a hungry rookie likely feeling snubbed after falling to Round 2 after starting last season as a projected top-20 pick. 

DeJean is an explosive athlete who has excellent ball-tracking skills and plays great in zone coverage. He’s stated he’s open to moving from cornerback to safety — a position he has experience playing — and with third-year safety Reed Blankenship locking down Philly’s other spot, Gardner-Johnson could see the new guard pass him by.

David Onyemata, DT, Atlanta Falcons 

The rookies: Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus

Getting to the quarterback has been an issue for the Falcons as of late, which is why the team spent three of its first four picks on front-seven players. Last year’s top defensive tackle Calais Campbell is gone, leaving Onyemata as the senior DT on Atlanta’s roster.

However, he may not want to get too comfortable because Orhorhoro and Dorlus were both highly rated prospects and both could have easily been late first-rounders. Dorlus led Oregon in pressures (46), hurries (35) and sacks (five), while Orhorhoro had five sacks of his own and was a solid run-defense contributor for Clemson.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts 

The rookie: Adonai Mitchell

It didn’t take Downs long to surpass Alec Pierce as the No. 2 receiver on the Colts depth chart. He had a solid rookie season, totaling 68 receptions on 98 targets, 771 yards and two touchdowns, but with Anthony Richardson fully healthy, there’s a good chance Mitchell does to Downs what he did to Pierce last year.

Mitchell, at 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, is a strong, speedy wideout who could serve as Indy’s go-to deep threat. He’s faster than Downs (he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash compared to Downs’ 4.48), and he has a big catch radius and thrives in bringing in passes near the boundary. 

If head coach Shane Steichen opens up the playbook for Richardson, watch for Mitchell to start making big catch after big catch and separate himself near the top of the depth chart.

James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals 

The rookie: Trey Benson

Yes, Conner did rush for over 1,000 yards last season, but it was the first time in his seven-year career he did so, and at 28, he’s likely nearing the backend of his career. 

Benson was the second running back off the board and for good reason. He rushed for 900 yards in back-to-back seasons at Florida State and scored 23 touchdowns the last two years. 

Benson averaged 6.1 yards per carry after transferring from Oregon in 2022, and he logged 37 runs of 15 or more yards over that span, including 54 runs of 10 yards or more. Benson is a big play waiting to happen, and if Conner gets off to a slow start, don’t be surprised if Benson starts seeing his workload increase and his red-zone touches rise.