Coming into the 2016 season a lot of hype is on the established stars like A.J. Green, Andy Dalton, and Giovani Bernard. The rest of the hype seems to be pointed to this year’s new class of rookie talent. But what about last year’s draft picks? We saw some of the 2015 class in action more than others last year, but who has the most to prove this year in the class’ second year in the NFL? Here are few key second year players looking to make an impact in their second year.

Cedric Ogbuehi

First round draft pick Ogbuehi is surely looking forward to his first healthy season in Cincinnati. For the Texas A&M prospect, 2015 was mostly a season of rehab for a torn ACL that dropped an otherwise top 10 pick’s stock. He’ll have a chance in training camp to prove he’s ready to take over the right tackle spot for the departed Andre Smith, but he’s going to have stiff competition. Bengals fans got a much better look at second round pick Jake Fisher at the tackle spot last year, so he’s probably going to serve as the measuring stick Ogbuehi will be compared to.

It’s going to be up to big Ced to produce early and often in camp to prove that he’s not only recovered fully from his injury, but that he was also worthy of being a first round draft pick. With a year of team meetings, veteran advice, world-class training, and some limited on-field experience, odds are he’ll produce as expected. However, being a first round pick is always a stressful position to be in as the spotlight shines much brighter on first rounders than on other young players. It’ll be exciting to see how he’s developed his game since we last saw him.

P.J. Dawson

Third round draft pick P.J. Dawson might not be a household name with casual Bengals fans yet, but college football fans should remember just how dominant he was in his final two seasons at TCU. With 227 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2013 and 2014 combined, Dawson just finds a way to get to the football. He’s received plenty of praise from the coaching staff throughout his short time with the team, but hasn’t had much of an opportunity to prove it. Although he played in 11 games in 2015 it was mostly on special teams with few snaps actually coming from linebacker. As a result he only managed 12 tackles.

However, with Vontaze Burfict facing a suspension to start 2016 a door could open for Dawson early in the season. Provided he’s given the opportunity, Dawson could make an impact filling in at WILL for Burfict and with a good showing work his way into the rotation as relief upon his return. Dawson will need to prove his ability on Sundays this year to prove the Bengals were right to select him in last year’s draft.

Mario Alford

Mario Alford is in a different position than the other two picks on this list. While Ogbuehi and Dawson are essentially locks for the roster this year, the former West Virginia star is not. Seventh round picks don’t often have the luxuries and opportunities that higher drafted players do. As such, Mario could very well be playing for his livelihood in the upcoming weeks. With a weaker than normal receiving corps coming into camp Alford should find himself some chances in the passing game as well as the return game. His best chance to secure himself a roster spot would be to make an impact in the return game. Two kickoff returns for touchdowns in 2014 are evidence the speedster could do it at the college level, but whether it can be replicated on an NFL field remains to be seen.

With only one catch last season there’s really not a body of work that coaches can look back on when making roster decisions regarding Alford. Because of that he’ll have to be sure to maximize all his reps – even those that may come with AJ McCarron on the second team offense. He will be a player to watch through camp and the preseason. If he plays up to his potential, Alford could be a dynamic player for the team. If not, he could be cut in favor of another receiver on the squad or outside veteran talent.

Other players to watch:

Tyler Kroft

Kroft got more action than most of the 2015 rookies by being the immediate backup to Tyler Eifert. He played well when called upon last year and with Eifert potentially out to start the 2016 season, his role could increase. With Kroft, it’s not a question on if he’ll make an impact this year, but rather how large his impact will be.

Josh Shaw

Shaw received limited playing time last season in a reserve role, but did very well when called upon. Going against Shaw is the fact that new first round pick William Jackson III only adds to an already impressive position group. It may be tough for the USC product to get on the field this year unless the injury bug strikes, but Shaw is a fine defensive back and he shouldn’t have to worry about not having a place on the team this season. This is still a player with incredible upside who showed flashes of brilliance in limited opportunity.