Last year you knew that Noteboom and Allen were going to be on the bench unless there was an injury. JFM who got in as a rotation player also seemed to be far away from playing when the season started. Kiser and Joseph weren't rated that high and Obo was hurt. So other than special teams and a few appearances by Noteboom and Allen we only really got to see JFM to any degree.
This years draft class seems much more prepared and ready to play. It would not be a surprise if Rapp and Long forced their way onto the field as rotation players on defense. There is a chance that Gaines might even start and he certainly has a good shot at being in the rotation on the defensive line. Henderson also seems to be in line for playing time as a change of pace and get the ball to in in space type of weapon for the offense. 4 rookies getting regular time on the field for a playoff team that did not use its first round pick is significant. With these 4 guys getting an opportunity it won't be a huge surprise if 1 or 2 break out and become significant contributors which would be great.
We had more ammo this year than the year before and it still looks like the 2018 draft will produce at least 4 good players which is very good. This year the opportunities and the maturity of the talent seem to be matched in such a way that it is more conducive for them to get on the field as part of the rotation.
