The NFL draft is a time of great excitement for the youngsters about to enter the league. As the draft unfolds, the joy witnessed as players and their families celebrate being picked is one of the high points of the festivities.

However, for every player who is overjoyed on draft night, there are one or two who are apprehensive. Perhaps even dismayed. When a player drafted in the early rounds is expected to start from the get-go, that means a player on the team who took them is bumped from starter to reserve. And further down the roster, another player could go from reserve to looking for work.

Things aren't quite so dire for the veterans listed in this column—most (if not all) of these players will still be collecting a check from their current teams in 2024.

But NFL players don't just want to get paid. They want to play. The guys listed here expected to do quite a bit of that this season.

But post-draft, it appears they may be doing a lot more watching from the sidelines.

Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings

There's no question that No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams will be the Week 1 starter for the Chicago Bears. Or that No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels will serve in a similar role for the Washington Commanders. Drake Maye will likely sit a while behind Jacoby Brissett with the New England Patriots. Bo Nix likely won't in Denver.

The Minnesota Vikings were the fifth team in Round 1 to draft a quarterback, selecting Michigan's J.J. McCarthy at No. 10. But while addressing the media, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that the team isn't going to rush McCarthy out there before he's ready.

"A lot of times when we go back over history and say, 'These quarterbacks have missed,' there's a lot of hands that are dirty in that regard," he said. "And we're going to make sure that our hands are clean and give him the best opportunity he can to be the best player he can be in this offense."

It may be that Sam Darnold is one of those quarterbacks who missed because he was run out there before he was ready by the New York Jets. The third overall pick in the 2018 draft started the season opener that year, throwing two touchdown passes in a 48-17 rout of the Detroit Lions.

However, it didn't take things long to go south from there—21 wins in 56 starts, 56 career interceptions and a career passer rating of 78.3.

Unless McCarthy struggles in acclimating to the NFL, the slow-and-steady approach is probably going to give way to "he's ready to start."

Because the cold, hard truth is Darnold just isn't that good.

Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As a whole, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White had a stellar 2023 campaign. He eclipsed 1,500 yards from scrimmage for the Buccaneers and scored nine times in his second professional season.

However, on a per-touch basis, White was anything but stellar. The 6'0", 214-pounder averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and has averaged just 3.7 yards per tote for his career.

Enter Bucky Irving, who the Buccaneers drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Per Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report, Bucs assistant general manager John Spytek extolled the virtues of the undersized but hard-charging back.

"We had him in for a visit and he told us the first guy does not tackle him," he said. "And I think that's what you are looking for as running backs, especially when they're not the biggest running backs. It's no secret that Bucky is not Christian Okoye, so he's not going to run through people's face all the time. But if you look at his production, whether it was at Minnesota or Oregon—he's six yards a carry. So, he's hard to get on the ground for a man that is less than 200 pounds. And when you do hit him, which is hard to do, it's hard to knock him off his feet. He has a lot of qualities that we look for in a running back."

At just 5'9" and 192 pounds, Irving isn't built like a traditional NFL lead back. But his contact balance and hard-nosed running style make him hard to bring down with the first shot.

That ability to gain yards after contact could make a big difference for the Tampa ground game in 2024.

Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick has had his moments in the NFL. In both 2020 and 2021, Patrick caught 50 or more passes, topped 700 receiving yards and scored at least five touchdowns.

Despite missing the 2022 and 2023 seasons with an ACL tear and torn Achilles, the Broncos must have had a measure of confidence in Patrick, or they wouldn't have traded Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns.

However, now that Oregon's Troy Franklin dropped into the Broncos' lap in the fourth round, the pecking order at the position in the Mile High City may well have changed—because Kyle Dvorchak of NBC Sports believes Denver got one of the steals of the draft at the position.

"The Broncos got a screaming value to open the final day of the draft," he said. "Franklin was productive as a sophomore at Oregon and took his game to new heights in 2023, totaling 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns on 81 grabs. He earned a 31 percent dominator rating while playing alongside future NFL receivers and averaged an elite 3.3 yards per route run. He came in at 6'2/176 at the combine and ran a 4.41 40-yard dash. That's a strong time, but many expected him to be a bit heavier, slightly faster, or a combination of the two. He will be an outside Z receiver in the NFL. Franklin's connection with Denver's first-round pick, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, will help him hit the ground running as a rookie."

It's not just a matter of Patrick's injuries. Or Franklin's talent. The latter already has a rapport with Denver's new starting quarterback—and that's going to get him on the field as the team's No. 2 receiver.

Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Of all the players listed in this article, there isn't one more guaranteed to have lost his starting job than Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer.

An early second-round pick of the Raiders in 2023, Mayer is the all-time leader in receptions by a tight end at Notre Dame. His rookie numbers were modest—27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns. But he was still widely regarded as a rising young talent at the position.

However, Mayer's career trajectory changed in a big way when Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (far and away the top prospect at the position in this year's draft) fell to the Raiders with the 13th overall pick.

After the first round, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco talked up both of his young tight ends while speaking to the media.

"We're looking to add more playmakers to the offense, and they come in all shapes and sizes, in all different positions," he said. "And we love Michael Mayer, I love Michael Mayer, and he's a really good player. He's going to take another big jump this year. But you get a chance to add just another dimension to the offensive, whether it's a tight end, hybrid receiver, whatever it is, you need more playmakers on that side of the ball. So, I think he's really going to help us there and I feel like he's a high-level player in college; a true junior, he's 21 years old, so he's very young still, still developing. But he has some natural football skills, combined with some high-level athletic ability and speed, so yeah, I'm really happy to have him."

Mayer is a superior blocker, and he'll still see the field when the Raiders are in "12" personnel. But he became the No. 2 tight end in Vegas the moment Bowers was drafted.

Trent Brown, OT, Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have seemingly been trying to bolster the offensive line for Joe Burrow's entire career. The 2024 offseason has been no different—the Bengals signed veteran tackle Trent Brown to fortify the right end of the line.

Brown spent part of the offseason working with Bengals great Willie Anderson on refining his craft. But the 31-year-old told reporters he believes he was already well-equipped to help his new team in 2024.

"I'm a really natural pass protector. Naturally gifted and from playing basketball and other positions. Going back to when I was a rookie up to now, I've never been a guy that just gets beat. You can get that from my peers or the tape," Brown said. "I was just fine-tuning. Making small tweaks here and there."

However, Brown has also had durability issues throughout much of his career—he's missed at least five games in four of the last five years dating back to his Pro Bowl season with the Raiders in 2019. The Bengals looked to add insurance against another Brown injury with the 18th overall pick, selecting a similarly massive offensive lineman in Georgia's Amarius Mims.

Per Geoff Hobson of the team's website, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. said he's impressed by the physical gifts Mims brings to the table.

"Just physically. I've seen him run," Brown said. "He has natural flexibility. The ankles. The hips. It's hard to do that as a big guy. Those are things for me I had to work on. He's naturally gifted. I have muscles, but I don't have muscles on muscles."

Even if Trent Brown stays healthy, Mims is essentially a younger, more athletic version of the same player. If he has a strong camp, he'll be Cincinnati's Week 1 starter at right tackle.

Andrew Van Ginkel, EDGE, Minnesota Vikings

Andrew Van Ginkel was one of the NFL's surprise success stories in 2023. After opening the season as an off-ball linebacker with the Miami Dolphins, injuries forced Van Ginkel into a role on the edge.

It was a role he took to well.

By season's end, Van Ginkel had racked up 69 total tackles, 19 quarterback hits and a career-high six sacks. He seemed to have found his true calling at the NFL level, although he told reporters toward the end of last season that he remained a work in progress.

"I'm still working," Van Ginkel said. "You know it'll never change. It's kind of who I am, just a grinder guy that has always been under the radar. I wasn't recruited out of high school, didn't have a lot of big accolades in college. Every year in the league, it's just a battle to be in the position I am in to get reps."

When Van Ginkel signed with the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, it appeared that the 28-year-old was going to get an opportunity to be a full-time starter. The Vikes had added Jonathan Greenard, but the loss of Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum left edge-rusher as a major question mark in Minnesota.

The Vikings apparently believed that question had not been answered sufficiently—after using their first of two Round 1 picks on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota drafted Alabama edge-rusher Dallas Turner, a wildly athletic youngster who some believe is the top prospect at the position in this class.

Van Ginkel is a hard-nosed grinder, but he doesn't have Turner's raw talent—and by Week 1 he'll likely be relegated to a complementary role.

Cole Holcomb, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Life comes at you fast in the NFL. Just ask Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb.

A year ago at this time, Holcomb headed into OTAs as the No. 1 off-ball linebacker in the Steel City. He had been signed to shore up a position that had been a weakness for some time.

Things did not go as planned. The injuries that have dogged the 27-year-old for some time reared their ugly head again—Holcomb's 2023 campaign ended about halfway through due to a knee injury.

The Steelers took steps to upgrade at linebacker in free agency again this year, snatching Patrick Queen away from the rival Ravens. About a month ago, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that Holcomb's rehab was progressing well.

"He just had a checkup a few weeks back and it was a favorable one, but I don't have any details about calendar from a calendar perspective or levels of availability and when I still think we are decent ways out and I'd be speculating," Tomlin said.

Apparently, either the Steelers aren't completely confident in Holcomb's recovery, or the team just couldn't pass up the value that North Carolina State's Payton Wilson offered at the back of Round 3.

Whatever the reason, Holcomb now finds himself about to battle for a starting spot with arguably the most NFL-ready off-ball linebacker in the class. And a linebacker who has better range than Holcomb.

Wilson has injury issues of his own, but if the rookie stays healthy, he's going to beat out Holcomb for the right to start opposite Queen this season.

Jeff Okudah, CB, Houston Texans

The NFL career of Houston Texans cornerback Jeff Okudah has been quite the odyssey.

Back in 2020, the former Ohio State star was the third overall pick in the draft by the Detroit Lions. But Okudah never came especially close to living up to that draft slot—his second season was ended essentially before it started by a torn Achilles, and after an up-and-down third season, Okudah was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a bag of Combos.

They were Nacho Cheese flavor, in case you were wondering.

After a similarly uneven 2023 campaign with the Atlanta Falcons, Okudah signed a one-year "prove it" deal with the Houston Texans. It was an opportunity to start over—a chance to show he can be a viable NFL starter opposite Derek Stingley Jr.

Now, that opportunity may be over before it began. With the 10th pick of the second round, the Texans drafted Georgia's Kamari Lassiter, a versatile defensive back Bleacher Report's Cory Giddings expects to play early on.

"Lassiter is one of the top cornerbacks in this year's draft," Giddings wrote. "A well-rounded player, he has the versatility to play in multiple schemes and does a very good job of defending the run. He will have to continue to work on play strength, along with his play against the pass downfield, but Lassiter will have the chance to play early in his career."

The Texans are no longer the rebuilding team we have become accustomed to in recent years. This team has its eyes set on a deep playoff run.

And that means getting the best players on the field—be they rookie or veteran.