The Cincinnati Bengals went out and made a statement during the 2017 NFL Draft. They picked the fastest player in combine history, John Ross. They drafted perhaps the best running back in terms of talent and ability in Joe Mixon. They grabbed the fastest defensive lineman in Jordan Willis. Do I need to go on?

The first-three rounds netted Cincinnati with some amazing talent, but the Day 3 prospects the team drafted are no slouches either. Carl Lawson, Josh Malone, Jake Elliott and even Brandon Wilson are all players who have a chance to make a name for themselves this coming season.

Look, we all know the Bengals like to sit their rookies early on, but I’m not going to address that here. Instead, I want to talk about which of these rookies will make the biggest impact for the team in 2017.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. If Elliott wins the kicking battle during training camp, I fully expect him to make the biggest impact. But, if we’re talking about offensive and defensive players, it gets a little more complicated.

For one, Ross will have an uphill climb to prove that the team can trust him enough to be the No. 2 receiver in 2017. They just re-signed Brandon LaFell. Tyler Boyd had himself a nice rookie season and Cody Core was starting to come on late in the season. With all of these factors working against him, Ross will have to prove that his previous injuries are no longer an issue and that he’s smart enough to pick up the playbook by the time the regular season rolls around.

Secondly, Mixon is coming into a crowded running back room as well. The Bengals now have three second-round running backs in their stable. With Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill and Mixon all bringing something to the table, we could actually see a three-back rotation this coming season. With so many running backs to feed, who can say if Mixon will make a large impact?

As for defensive players, I expect both Willis and Lawson to get their snaps. I can see Willis beating out Will Clarke during training camp and backing up either Dunlap or Johnson this season. We saw Cincinnati use Dunlap in a similar rotation his rookie season and he ended up with 9.5 sacks that year. Although I believe Dunlap was a little further along than Willis is now, I believe Willis has the potential to make an impact early on. The same goes for Lawson, I think he has the potential to carve out a niche in the defense this coming season.

In regards to the other rookies, Brandon Wilson has a chance to make his mark in the return game, but everyone else in my opinion will be relegated to back up positions.

As for my opinion, I believe that Mixon will have the largest impact out of the Bengals’ 2017 rookie class. I know I mentioned that the running back depth chart is a bit crowded, but Mixon is such a talented runner, I just don’t see him staying behind either Bernard or Hill all season. I can see him potentially reaching 1,000 yards rushing and at least 300-400 yards receiving if he’s given a chance to start.

Which rookie do you think will make the largest impact this coming season? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments section!