The first week of the NFL season marked the debut of a great number of rookies.

While there was plenty of hype surrounding some of these first-year talents, many of the top picks in the 2022 draft had surprisingly quiet showings.

Although plenty of rookies failed to make much of an impact in their first game, several came strong out of the gate and set themselves up for a rapid rise to the league's upper echelon.

Let's look at some of these rookie standouts, highlighting their Week 1 performances and why they have a chance to be future stars.

Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders

Jahan Dotson may have only caught three passes for 40 yards in his NFL debut, but those receptions wound up being some of the most impactful plays of the Washington Commanders' season opener.

The first-round pick showed that his elite playmaking abilities could translate to the professional level when he took two of those catches to the house. Those scores made all the difference in what became a narrow 28-22 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Although he's undersized at 5'11", 182 pounds, Dotson has shown that he's near-impossible for defenders to keep out of the end zone. He racked up 21 touchdowns from scrimmage during his final 21 games at Penn State and picked up right where he left off in his professional debut.

There is plenty of room for Dotson to improve upon that production. He was on the field for 88 percent of Washington's offensive plays—68 snaps in total—but only saw five targets.

Curtis Samuel, Antonio Gibson and tight end Logan Thomas all saw more looks than Dotson. The 22-year-old could move up the pecking order as he builds rapport with quarterback Carson Wentz and gets more comfortable in the Commanders' offensive scheme.

Dotson has a juicy matchup with the Detroit Lions—a team that just allowed 38 points to the Philadelphia Eagles—on tap in Week 2. Then he takes on the NFC East rival Eagles, who allowed 35 points to Detroit, in Week 3.

There's a great chance the rookie will be seen celebrating at least one more touchdown in each contest as he continues his ascent to stardom.

Sauce Gardner, CB, New York Jets

Sauce Gardner may not have been the first cornerback taken during the 2022 draft, but it's possible he'll be remembered as the best one when all is said and done.

The rookie got off to a great start to his career, confidently manning the New York Jets' top outside cornerback role.

Although his side largely struggled in a 24-9 thrashing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus noted that Gardner gave up just a single catch for eight yards on the day. He added two solo tackles and a pass defense that saved a touchdown as well.

The Cincinnati product spent much of the game on the left side but did occasionally move around the field to keep tabs on superstar tight end Mark Andrews. Regardless of where he lines up, it's looking like Gardner will make a major impact.

According to Steve Serby of the New York Post, the 22-year-old desires to become one of the all-time greats at his position:

"I really want to be Defensive Player of the Year, but Defensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Bowler, All-Pro … I got a lot of goals. That’s just for this year. I want to be a Hall of Famer, I want to win Super Bowls. I just want to leave a legacy in this game of football. I don't know what I gotta do, but I want to do something that has never been done before."

Gardner still has a long road ahead if he's going achieve those goals. He may not have earned a reputation as a shutdown corner just yet, but with more performances like the one he put together this past Sunday, it won't be long before opposing quarterbacks are avoiding his side of the field.

CB Kader Kohou, CB, Miami Dolphins

Few would have expected an undrafted, diminutive slot cornerback to step in and make an immediate impact in his first professional game, but Kader Kohou defied expectations in Week 1.

The Miami Dolphins defensive back was once facing long odds to even get through final cuts, but Byron Jones' lengthy recovery from an Achilles injury opened the door for the Texas A&M-Commerce product to make the 53-man roster.

Kohou quickly rewarded the coaching staff's faith in his abilities. He saw the field for 18 defensive snaps against the New England Patriots, recording three tackles, forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass while not allowing a single completion on the day, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 23-year-old graded out as PFF’s top overall rookie of Week 1, earning a sterling 91.9 mark for his performance.

If Kohou can continue playing at this level, he'll rate as not only one of the league's best first-year players but also one of the top slot cornerbacks in the game.

With Jones out until at least Week 5 because of his placement on the physically unable to perform list, there should be ample opportunity over the next month for Kohou to establish himself as a critical part of Miami's defense.

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons made Drake London the first receiver off the board during a record-setting 2022 draft that saw six taken within the first 20 picks. While his potential is undeniable, no one could be sure how the USC product would fare in his first game after missing nearly the entire preseason with a knee injury.

Any concerns were alleviated after London shone in Week 1. He saw seven targets, tying star tight end Kyle Pitts for a team high, and snared five of them for 74 yards.

While the Falcons suffered a disappointing 27-26 defeat to the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints, London's performance should give fans hope for the future.

The big 6'4", 213-pound wideout looked comfortable serving as a focal point in this rebuilding offense and already seems to have strong chemistry with new quarterback Marcus Mariota. He displayed a willingness to run-block as well, an asset that helped Atlanta rack up an impressive 201 yards and two scores on the ground in the opener.

Although he didn't score in Week 1, London's rare combination of size, hands, leaping ability and speed make it near-certain he'll soon be a fixture in the end zone.

Look for him to notch that first touchdown next week against a Los Angeles Rams squad that just gave up three passing scores to the Buffalo Bills last Thursday.

Cade York, K, Cleveland Browns

In a week in which veteran kickers largely struggled, first-year talent Cade York stood as a cut above the rest. Six kickers missed potential game-winning field goals in Week 1 (one because of a block), but the Cleveland Browns rookie managed to knock one through the uprights on his first try to give his team a victory.

The Browns made York the highest-drafted player at his position since 2016 when they used the No. 124 overall pick on the LSU product. While the selection was somewhat controversial, it has already begun paying dividends for the club.

York nailed all four of his field-goal attempts against the Carolina Panthers, including the game-winning 58-yard try.

The pressure was certainly on York given that the Browns were down two points with eight seconds remaining on the clock.

The make put Cleveland ahead by a 26-24 margin and ultimately gave the club its first season-opening victory since 2004—and that was over an opponent led by former starting quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The 21-year-old credited the early success to his ability to simply focus on doing his job, per ESPN’s Jake Trotter:

"Confidence is just doing it. It's not that you're never nervous or you don't have doubt. It's just in that moment, being able to turn all that anxiety and nervousness into drive and confidence and being able to push all the outside noise out and be able to step up in those types of situations."

York may be following in the footsteps of fellow AFC North kicker Evan McPherson, who became one of the Cincinnati Bengals' heroes during their Super Bowl run last year as a rookie.

With a few more kicks like the one he made against the Panthers under his belt, York could soon be a household name as well.