5 Budding NFL Stars Who Can Level Up in 2026 Thanks to Veteran Mentorship

Batman and Robin. Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso. The Mandalorian and Grogu. These dynamic duos serve as iconic, fictional templates of mentors teaching the next generation. Sports, particularly the NFL, can benefit greatly from similar relationships.

Case in point, Jaxson Smith-Njigba's ascension as the game's best wide receiver coincided with Cooper Kupp's first season in Seattle with the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks.

"I give credit to Cooper Kupp for that," Smith-Njigba said when asked about a process over results approach. "It kind of changed my life, honestly—not being a slave to the result. I'm about the process. I'm about every day. I love the process of this thing. I love getting better at all angles of my life.

"The hours that he puts in and the dedication and the focus on the process—I haven't met anyone like that. And I know being aligned with him in life and on this team, I knew that I was going to get better. That's what great players do. They get players around them better.

"And I can take a lot from Cooper Kupp—the man that he is and the football player and everything else in between. I mean, when a Hall of Fame receiver comes to your position group, your eyes light up, and it's like you're in football heaven."

A handful of promising young talents find themselves in similar setups, where they can eventually reach elite status while working alongside excellent mentors.

Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/John Locher

Even though a rookie shouldn't be included in this conversation (since the incoming class has yet to see an NFL field), an exception will be made in Fernando Mendoza's case. That is because A) the Las Vegas Raiders have a clear plan for the incoming quarterback and B) he's the No. 1 overall pick.

The Raiders ensured Mendoza will not be rushed into the lineup by signing veteran Kirk Cousins. The organization has a plan to bring the top pick along slowly to maximize his long-term viability.

The Raiders have loved everything they have seen out of first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza in the early stages of their spring practices," Sport Boom's Jason La Canfora reported, "and his mentality and work ethic continue to make a strong impression, by all accounts."

"But that's also quite unlikely to alter their prescribed method of bringing the rookie along," team and league sources said, as rookie head coach Klint Kubiak also receives on-the-job training. 

"There will be far less chatter about how good veteran Kirk Cousins looks with the team, with that to be expected, but he has been exactly the kind of winning stopgap Las Vegas envisioned when it landed him, and we continue to hear that Week 1 is very likely to be the domain of Cousins."

Cousins may not be a future Hall of Fame inductee, but he understands the game at a very high level. His performance is predicated on his ability to operate the offensive system efficiently. The primary issue found within the 37-year-old's game is that he adds little beyond what's schemed. However, Cousins knows how to run an NFL offense, which will only help aid Mendoza's maturation.

As an added bonus, the Raiders do have a (soon-to-be) Hall of Fame quarterback in their organization: Tom Brady.

When Mendoza is ready, he'll play. Until then, he should benefit from learning from those who can teach him the right way to be successful in the NFL.

Matthew Stafford and Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo

The Los Angeles Rams were excited to land Terrance Ferguson as the team's top pick in the 2025 NFL draft class. However, the tight end's rookie campaign never really got going, as he posted only 11 catches for 231 yards.

Obviously, the Rams are a talented squad with veteran tight ends Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson already on the roster. But the Rams wanted a difference-maker at the position, an athlete capable of creating mismatches, which Ferguson can still bring. "

"I think he's a total stud," head coach Sean McVay told reporters in February. "I think the future is incredibly bright. I think what he did relative to all the moving parts… Everybody just sees us in 13 or 12 [personnel], or he is playing in some different situational things in 11, but he's got the ability to basically play every skill position on our offense. That's every receiver spot. That's every tight end spot. That's a real credit to his overall maturity, his intelligence, his football instincts and makeup. I think he played with great toughness. I think the best is yet to come."

"He's got an incredibly high ceiling, particularly as a receiver where he can be able to make plays short, intermediate and down the field."

McVay's comments should portend expanded usage for the second-year tight end this fall, even with Higbee and Parkinson deserving of reps. Matthew Stafford's vision for Ferguson is what can truly elevate his status.

Stafford is coming off his first MVP season. The Rams lack a true field-stretcher, particularly at this point in Davante Adams' career. Ferguson can be a significant weapon as a vertical threat down the seam. Stafford's continued elite play can evolve the tight end into something truly special.

"He's a guy that has a natural skillset," Stafford said in November. "He's a really talented player. ... I think he has three other guys in that room and a coach that he can really lean on to show him how it's done. He's absorbed that information and feedback and done a great job of translating that onto the grass."

Quenton Nelson and Matt Goncalves, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Quenton Nelson is the standard at guard. Matt Goncalves gets the chance to be in the same meeting room and play the same position, albeit on the right side, every day. The last part of the previous statement is key, because Goncalves didn't make a full-time switch to guard until last season—which was the first time he had done so at any level. Thus, what Goncalves learns playing alongside Nelson will be invaluable in the 25-year-old's development.

At 30 years old, Nelson has been named to six All-Pro teams, including three first-team nods, with eight straight Pro Bowl appearances to start his career. He's well on his way to donning a gold jacket once his career is complete.

Goncalves can't physically emulate everything Nelson does well. However, his understanding of the position and what it takes to succeed should continue to grow with each passing day.

"(I'm) coming into this year just more prepared, understanding the game plan, understanding my responsibilities, the technique," Goncalves told reporters. "I feel very comfortable coming into this year, compared to last year. Last year was kind of like a feeling-out process. It's a very difficult thing to do, transition to another position—one that you never played. So I feel a lot more comfortable and I feel great right now."

The third-year blocker reportedly "added about 10 pounds of lean body mass" after working with former NFL offensive lineman Olin Kreutz in the offseason. He plans to play at 330 pounds.

Goncalves is set to take a significant step forward in his development. In order to understand what he needs to succeed, Goncalves can just look to his left.

"You want to make the most of every opportunity that you have, and he's someone who does that," Colts offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr, said of Nelson. "He comes in every day and makes the most of every opportunity he has in here to work and be the best he can be."

Myles Garrett and Mason Graham, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Myles Garrett is the terror that walks the Earth for anyone who plays on the offensive side of the ball. Garrett makes everyone around him better, with someone on the Cleveland Browns' roster capable of making the NFL Defensive Player of the Year's life easier.

A year ago, the Browns traded out of the second overall draft slot, thus passing on the opportunity to select the class's top overall talent, Travis Hunter. They moved down three slots and chose defensive tackle, Mason Graham.

Graham played relatively well during his rookie campaign despite dealing with a broken rib. While the defensive lineman's numbers weren't noteworthy, he became a top-five pick based on how disruptive he can be. Graham is already an excellent run defender capable of reestablishing the line of scrimmage. The defensive tackle also has enough upfield burst to be a legitimate interior pass-rusher.

Garrett isn't just a team leader and the spearhead of the Browns' defense. Graham fully understands what Garrett's presence brings to his development, while also getting to pick the sack master's brain about approach.

"I feel like everyone sees that there's a lot of attention on Myles all the time," Graham said as a rookie during his first training camp. "So, if he's not getting the chip, he's getting double-teamed or triple-teamed at some point. So there's a lot of opportunity there, and maybe if one of us starts making some stuff happen, then that'll take a little bit of pressure off him, and it'll give him some free space."

A symbiotic relationship can form between the two. Garrett comes screaming off the edge and drawing attention, while Graham collapses the pocket.

"I don't think people realize just how hard that guy works and how detailed he is in his rush plan and how smart he is," Browns defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said of Graham. "You watch him before the games, he's calling out where all the runs are going every single play. ... He does a great job at the point of attack, away from the point of attack."

T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Nick Herbig well may be the Pittsburgh Steelers' top pass-rusher this fall. Of those included, he's the closest to a true breakout season—which happens to coincide with the final year of his rookie contract.

"I fully believe if Nick was starting full-time in this league, he'd be one of the top-five best edge-rushers in football," Herbig's agent Joe DiBenedetto said during an interview on The Fehoko Show. "Opportunity is everything, right? He's learning from Alex (Highsmith) and T.J. (Watt) from Day 1. Without getting into too much of the nuances that are ongoing, Nick wants to be a Pittsburgh Steeler for life, and I hope that we can make that happen."

The Steelers are tied to Watt's and Highsmith's contracts for the next two years. But that's not the primary concern right now. What comes next is what really matters.

Herbig has a chance to take a significant step forward in 2026 after setting a career high last season with 7.5 sacks. In fact, Herbig generated the highest pressure rate among the trio.

Watt has a Hall of Fame resume, but he turns 32 later this year, and he doesn't appear to be as explosive as he once was. Even so, his presence and experience can significantly help in Herbig's continued rise. The four-time first-team All-Pro has previously worked out with his fellow Wisconsin alumni during the offseason. Much like Watt at his peak, Herbig's game is predicated on explosive edge traits and a relentlessness to make plays.

In some ways, Watt could be setting the table for his eventual replacement. Those around the league are aware of the possibility.

"If Herbig makes it to free agency, he'll be a player who's not a household name but could be paid as one," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported. "... Watt, for all his greatness, turns 32 in October and has guaranteed salaries of $32 million in both 2026 and 2027.

"Watt is a legacy player, something Pittsburgh values more than most. But some teams could see Pittsburgh at least considering moving on from him."