Don Pierson

After last year’s sensational draft class did everything from turn around the New Orleans Saints to help the Indianapolis Colts win their first Super Bowl, it’s no wonder all 32 teams are hoping for lightning to strike again.

Although it’s unlikely JaMarcus Russell will get the Oakland Raiders into the playoffs, the Detroit Lions don’t think it’s unrealistic for wide receiver Calvin Johnson to turn around a 3-13 team in ways that first-rounder Reggie Bush and seventh-rounder Marques Colston did for the Saints.

“Calvin Johnson is going to team with the rest of this offense and turn it into one of the most dynamic offenses in this league,” Lions president Matt Millen said. “You can scoff at it if you like. I really don’t care because I think it’s going to happen.”

Nobody scoffs anymore in the NFL, where the Tampa Bay Buccanneers have bounced from last to first to last in the NFC South and fully expect pass rusher Gaines Adams to get them back to first. Now.

Here are the top 10 players most likely to make the biggest impacts on their teams:

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions. Roy Williams led the NFC in receiving yardage. Mike Furrey led in number of receptions. Johnson was the best player in the draft. How offensive coordinator Mike Martz is going to get the ball to all of them is a mystery, but he convinced coach Rod Marinelli he could. Marinelli is a defensive coach and Martz probably asked him a simple question: How do you cover them all?

2. Gaines Adams, Bucs. With Simeon Rice providing the edge rush, the Bucs won a Super Bowl. The rebuilding of a faltering defense begins with the best edge rusher in the draft. They still need to replace tackle Warren Sapp. Maybe next draft.

3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings. Recalling what Randy Moss did as a rookie in 1998, the Vikings are envisioning what their first home-run threat since Moss can do. The Vikings want Tarvaris Jackson to be their quarterback and there’s no quicker way to success than letting him hand off to a back who is instantly the best in the NFC North.

4. Adam Carriker, Rams. With by far the best offense in the NFC West, the Rams are dragged down by a defense that finished 31st against the run. Carriker was the best run-stopper in the draft and will move from end to tackle. If he can make the switch, he can be a hero.

5. Jarvis Moss, Broncos. This team can do just about everything except rush the passer. That’s why coach Mike Shanahan jumped up to take a pass rusher before somebody could beat the Broncos to him. His two sacks and forced fumble against Ohio State in the BCS game still stick in the minds of scouts.

6. Reggie Nelson, Jaguars. They had the second-ranked defense in the league and lost safety Deon Grant to Seattle. In Nelson, they have a playmaker who could do what Dawan Landry did for Baltimore last year in helping the Ravens go 13-3 with the No. 1 defense. Landry is the older brother of LaRon Landry, drafted by the Redskins with similar hopes. But the Jaguars have better people in front of Nelson than the Redskins will have in front of Landry.

7. Anthony Spencer, Cowboys. What new coach Wade Phillips needed more than anything else was a playmate for disruptive pass rusher DeMarcus Ware. In San Diego, Phillips designed the defense that allowed Shawne Merriman to lead the league in sacks with 17, thanks in no small way to the Chargers’ other outside linebacker, Shaun Phillips, who had 11.5 sacks.

8. Brandon Meriweather, Patriots. Remembering how veteran Rodney Harrison turned around the Patriots when he arrived from San Diego, coach Bill Belichick aimed for a successor and scored with the athletic, savvy safety who could become another vital cog in what is looking like a machine.

9. Greg Olsen, Bears. The vulnerability of the popular Tampa-2 defenses that Bears coach Lovie Smith and Colts coach Tony Dungy rode to the Super Bowl is in the deep middle. Olsen has the speed to split the zones and get deep. Rex Grossman needs a big-play threat and just got one.

10. Anthony Gonzalez, Colts. It’s fascinating to see the rich get richer. The best teams know how to manipulate the draft even when picking at the bottom. On paper, Gonzalez already fits the Colts’ slot receiver position maybe better than anybody Peyton Manning has ever had. After losing effective Brandon Stokley, Gonzalez was a no-brainer.

Special report Round-by-round recap, analysis, more

Gone are the days when rookies slowly worked their way into lineups. So many colleges have adopted pro style offenses and defenses that they are more than ever like NFL minor leagues.

Players are ready to step into starting lineups from the first days of minicamps, which is why teams are trying to convince players that contract holdouts are counterproductive. The more quickly a player signs, the more quickly he plays and the more quickly he gets a head start on earning that all-important second contract four and five years down the road.

Players such as Bears running back Cedric Benson, the last player to sign in the 2004 draft, are finding out they are still behind after three years in the league. Benson missed his first training camp and nagging injuries have beset him ever since. Coincidence? Why take the chance?

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Last year, only three first-round draft choices waited as long as August to sign. The last was Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart on Aug. 14. Two years ago, 16 players signed in August.

If a top player doesn’t report on time, a seventh-round pick like the Saints’ Colston is going to get more time to compete for the job.