Nine second-year NFL players who need to step up after rough rookie seasons

USA Today

a day ago

Nine second-year NFL players who need to step up after rough rookie seasons
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Ashton Jeanty talks all things Las Vegas Raiders and his hopes in the NFL
Ashton Jeanty spoke with USA TODAY Sports about his upcoming rookie season with the Raiders and his partnership with Sharpie.
Sports Seriously
Editor's note: This story is a part of a series by USA TODAY Sports called Project: June. We will publish at least one NFL-themed story every day throughout the month because fans know the league truly never sleeps.
An NFL player's rookie season can set a course for his professional career, but Year 2 is hardly too late to blaze a new path.
Even with the likes of Jayden Daniels and Brock Bowers flourish almost immediately, instantaneous success can be difficult to come by in the NFL for first-year players. Many of the most accomplished draft picks spend their inaugural campaigns getting up to speed with their playbooks and adjusting to a higher level of competition, leaving them ill-equipped to showcase their full skill set. But a horde of the 2024 NFL Draft class is now learning how vital the first full offseason as part of a team can be, as there's ample time to adjust after slipping up or receiving limited opportunities.
Here are nine second-year players who need to step up this fall after rough rookie seasons:
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
What's left to say about one of the most tumultuous starts in some time for a historically hyped passer? With Ben Johnson coming aboard as head coach and play caller and the interior offensive line reconstructed with proven veterans, the No. 1 pick looked poised to leave last season fully behind him. But details released from the forthcoming book by ESPN's Seth Wickersham, who reported Williams and his father sought to find a way to avoid the Bears, served as a reminder just how hard it will be for both the quarterback and the organization to shake the past.
The controversy hasn't killed the good vibes of a Bears offseason that was nothing short of transformative. With Johnson calling the shots, Williams will have someone who not only can drill down on the finer points of quarterback play and schematic concerns but also a figure who wants to turn the attack loose. That mentality should jell well with that of the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, whose preternatural sense for igniting big plays was often canceled out by the wider ineptitude of the league's last-ranked offense.
Questions remain about how Williams will embrace playing on schedule and within structure given how rhythmic Johnson's prolific offenses for the Detroit Lions were. But after taking a league-worst 68 sacks last season, Williams should be eager to minimize punishment in the early going by taking advantage of quick hits and boosting his league-low checkdown rate of 7.1%, according to Pro Football Focus. And with massive improvements in protection as well as the expected strides that the rejuvenated receiving corps should make, support shouldn't be a pressing question anymore.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
By any measure, a rookie season that entailed 885 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches can hardly be considered a failure. But Harrison has been dealing with outsized expectations his entire life, and in a year that was shaped by the breakout performances of fellow first-year receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., the son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison didn't clear the sky-high bar that accompanied him into the NFL as the No. 4 pick.
After Harrison had a stunningly quiet introduction into the NFL with one catch on three targets, Kyler Murray frequently seemed to force the issue with his new standout pass catcher. The result: Harrison hauled in just 62 of his 116 targets, with the off-kilter chemistry between Murray and the Ohio State product requiring further work.
Noticeably bulked up this offseason, Harrison might already be better positioned to handle the contested catch scenarios that became all too routine in 2024. But fostering a better connection with Murray would go a long way toward unlocking all the possibilities that Harrison's superlative route-running can open up for the offense. Static usage also weighed down Harrison's impact, and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing should be under pressure to be more creative in his deployment of the receiver so as to spark more opportunities in space.
Darius Robinson, DE, Cardinals
When Robinson was selected with the No. 27 overall pick, it was widely understood that the 6-5, 285-pounder would take time to translate his considerable physical tools into consistent production. But after a strong start in training camp, he suffered a calf injury in August that would sideline him for all but the last six games of the season. With his mother dying in October, Robinson later called it "the hardest year of my life."
A busy Cardinals offseason brought a robust investment in the defense, with Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson, Calais Campbell and first-rounder Walter Nolen III all coming aboard to boost Jonathan Gannon's pass rush. But Robinson's forcefulness should remain a vital asset for the front given that the defense ranked 28th in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric and was middling against the run.
The arrival of Campbell could prove to be a particular boon to Robinson's development. The six-time Pro Bowler learned how to get the most out of his massive frame (6-8, 307 pounds), and his tutelage should help Robinson develop a better pass rush plan and more comfort using counters.
Tyler Guyton, OT, Dallas Cowboys
A rough transition to the professional level seemed inevitable for Guyton, a 6-8, 322-pound former H-back who offered an enticing package of athleticism but lacked the refinement to engender much trust as a rookie as he flipped from right tackle to the left side. The No. 29 overall pick started 11 games for the Cowboys and proved to be a weak link for the line, committing 18 penalties while struggling mightily against in both pass protection and run blocking.
"I'm not going to make any excuses," Guyton said last week. "I just didn't play as good as I needed to last year. I'm coming with a different attitude this year to become last week a better player."
His commitment has drawn the attention of Dallas' new coaching staff, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer saying Guyton has had a "terrific" offseason so far. Offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who helped the Cardinals build a punishing identity up front despite underwhelming overall talent, should be a major asset for a player behind the curve on positional knowhow. Crafty edge rushers still could pose a problem – and there are plenty waiting on the Cowboys' schedule – but the arrow is decidedly pointed in the right direction for Guyton's trajectory heading into training camp.
Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers
In the lead-up to his year's draft, Dave Canales repeatedly backed Legette despite the No. 32 overall pick having his rookie season largely defined by his seven drops, including one that doomed the Panthers' push for a December upset of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Then, Carolina took wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 8 overall pick in April. Within a year, a player who once looked central to Bryce Young's development now appeared to be shunted to the side.
Canales, however, isn't taking that view point even with McMillan aboard.
"I think, you know, with T-Mac coming into the room, again, it's just options," Canales said in May, according to the Panthers' site. "It opens things up, and it creates a little bit of balance where the field doesn't tilt one way or the other. So you have two guys who can make it happen outside, and that's a good thing."
The connection between Young – who was benched in Week 2 but resumed his starting spot after filling in for an injured Andy Dalton later in the season – and Legette was clearly off throughout the 2024 campaign, with the receiver hauling in just 49 of his team-leading 84 targets. Legette didn't play a leading role in the blossoming of the downfield passing attack later in the year, as the pass catcher never had more than 60 yards in a game after Week 3. Meanwhile, undrafted free agent Jalen Coker cleared that bar four times for the Panthers last fall.
Between the arrival of McMillan and the emergence of Coker, Legette looks unlikely to operate as the true No. 1 receiver some might have hoped he would become, with a downtick in his targe share likely in order his season. But the 6-3, 227-pounder remains an imposing matchup as a vertical threat, and a more robust receiving corps should allow Young to attack defenses in a more complete manner after plenty of challenges to start his career. Ultimately, the Year 2 outcome might hinge on whether his back-to-basics offseason work on catching with his hands rather than his body helps Legette secure the big plays that fell through his fingertips last season.
Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, New England Patriots
The arrival of a new coaching staff after can often spell trouble for young players coming off a disappointing season, with the new regime typically not placing much weight on previous investments of draft capital. While the hiring of Mike Vrabel could produce a necessary reset, Polk should be on alert as he tries to prove himself after a woeful professional debut.
The No. 37 pick in last year's draft posted just 12 receptions for 87 yards on 33 targets in 2024. Adding to the sting: The Patriots could have grabbed Ladd McConkey, who led the Los Angeles Chargers with 1,149 last season, but instead traded back three spots and nabbed Polk. With New England adding Stefon Diggs and third-rounder Kyle Williams to the receiving corps, it hardly seems as though the team is content to bide its time for a player who still has so far to go to provide a meaningful boost to Drake Maye.
Maybe the hire of Josh McDaniels and a more streamlined offense will point Polk toward greater contributions this fall. With Maye gaining more confidence and the unit better equipped to attack downfield, the 6-1, 205-pound receiver might have more opportunities to leverage his skills operating in contested-catch scenarios. But given his first impression – and how the team responded – a turnaround is far from a guarantee.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Freeing himself from coverage has never been a problem for Mitchell. The 6-2, 205-pound target routinely snapped off quick changes of direction to shake cornerbacks or merely raced past them, with his 91 open score in ESPN's receiver metrics tying him for ninth in the league with Tyreek Hill and Zay Flowers.
Capitalizing on those opportunities was another matter entirely.
The second-round pick from Texas brought in just 23 of his 55 targets for 312 yards. Much of that could be traced back to Anthony Richardson, who completed just 47.7% of his passes last year and repeatedly overthrow Mitchell when the receiver was in prime position deep downfield. But some of the on-field problems that prompted his surprising tumble to Day 2 of the draft – including inconsistent precision and urgency – flared up once again.
"(He's) just young," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said after the season. "... Like any young player, there's going to be a maturation process with him. And he has some definitely really strong moments, but we need more consistent moments from him."
For Mitchell, however, any path toward reaching those moments isn't very clear at this point. While the Colts primarily used Mitchell as a deep threat, Alec Pierce averaged a league-best 22.3 yards per reception in 2024 in that capacity and could be a candidate for an extension. Indianapolis also returns two other receivers who eclipsed 800 receiving yards last season in Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, and the offense will also be breaking in first-round tight end Tyler Warren. Unless an injury opens up an avenue for more playing time, a successful season might simply constitute sharpening his skills and earning more trust.
Kingsley Suamataia, G, Kansas City Chiefs
There are few jobs within the NFL more difficult for a 21-year-old rookie to take on than serving as Patrick Mahomes' blindside protector. Nevertheless, Suamataia was pushed into the spot just months after being taken as a second-round draft pick out of BYU.
Things unraveled almost immediately, with the Chiefs pulling the rookie lineman late in a Week 2 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals in which he surrendered two sacks and was flagged twice for holding the league's eventual sack king in Trey Hendrickson. But his resurfacing with a start at offensive guard in the regular-season finale might have been the shift necessary to get his pro career back on track.
'We moved him there for that second Denver game, so I mentioned that was one of the positives – the only positive that came out of that game – but I thought he did a nice job there, so we're moving him in there," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in late May. "Listen, (defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) runs a million different looks, so this is the best thing for him, to get in there and have a bunch of things thrown at him, and he's doing a nice job so far.'
With Kansas City having traded Joe Thuney to the Bears, Suamataia now has a chance to seize the starting left guard spot if he can beat out Mike Caliendo, who took over when Thuney kicked out to left tackle late in the season. Working on the interior might help accentuate Suamataia's strengths and leave him less vulnerable in obvious passing situations, as his tendency to overset to compensate for recovery shortcomings created abundant issues when dealing with edge rushers.
Jermaine Burton, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Third-rounders typically don't need to worry about their standing after just one year, even in the most trying circumstances. But while the Bengals didn't cut ties with Burton despite the receiver's disappointing rookie year culminating with him being left at home for the regular-season finale, it's clear massive changes are needed for a course correction.
'Nobody should be happy with it,' Burton said last week when asked about the benching. 'I was very disappointed, but it's something that I moved on from, and grew from, and can't wait, looking forward, really looking forward to this year.'
With Andrei Iosivas having solidified his standing as the No. 3 receiver behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins while Mike Gesicki returns at tight end, any substantial offensive contributions are likely out of reach for Burton in the near future. What matters now is not just getting in coaches' good graces but staying there. While a spot as a backup should be secure given the Bengals' inaction in bringing in any outside competition this offseason, Burton is one of the few players who might stand to benefit from establishing a pattern of overall reliability rather than the flash plays he's already shown himself capable of.
All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter.