These ten NFL rookies haven’t met expectations this season.
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Each spring, hope springs eternal at the NFL Draft. But, these ten players are letting down their teams in their rookie seasons.
Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Tackle Maason Smith
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Smith, the 48th-overall pick out of LSU, was supposed to be a big upgrade in the middle of the Jacksonville defense. That hasn’t been the case. He has just nine tackles and one sack, and has an awful 49.0 grade from Pro Football Focus on the season.
Washington Commanders Defensive Tackle Jer'Zhan Newton
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Newton, the 36th-overall pick, dominated at times at Illinois. But, he’s been a pretty bad NFL player this season. He has just 12 tackles, 1 sack, and a 45.9 PFF gra
Baltimore Ravens Cornerback Nate Wiggins
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Wiggins, the 30th-overall pick, was drafted to help shore up a mediocre group of cornerbacks in Baltimore. Instead, he’s been a liability, frequently committing penalties and regressing as a cover corner as the season has gone on. He has yet to intercept a pass, and has committed nine penalties, among the leaders at cornerback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Center Graham Barton
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Barton, a Duke alum picked 26th-overall, was supposed to be a plug-and-play NFL starter across multiple positions on the offensive line. But, he’s been a liability for much of the season for the Buccaneers. He’s been mediocre as both a run blocker and pass blocker, and leads all centers in penalties with ten.
New England Patriots Wide Receiver Ja'Lynn Polk
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Polk, the 37th-overall pick, was supposed to step into a weak New England receiving corps and make a huge impact right away. But, he’s been downright awful this year. Drops have really hurt him, and he doesn’t have Drake Maye’s trust. He has just 12 catches for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season.
Cincinnati Bengals OT Amarius Mims
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Mims, the 18th-overall pick out of Georgia, has struggled mightily this year while protecting Joe Burrow. He’s given up four sacks and a ton of pressures, and looks to have a long ways to go.
Tennessee Titans Offensive Tackle JC Latham
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Latham, the 7th-overall pick out of Alabama, has been very mediocre this year. Struggles were expected in pass protection, but he was supposed to hit the ground running as a run blocker. That hasn’t happened.
Arizona Cardinals Defensive End Darius Robinson
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Robinson, the 26th-overall pick out of Missouri, hasn’t been on the field enough this year, and availability is the best ability. When he’s been on the field, he’s been very ineffective, with a sub-50 PFF pass rushing grade.
Minnesota Vikings Edge Dallas Turner
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Turner, picked 17th, was considered to be the best defensive player in the draft by many pundits. But, he’s been stuck behind a productive group of edge players in Minnesota and has struggled to stand out. He has just nine pressures and one sack this season.
Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
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Let’s get one thing straight. The 4th-overall pick hasn’t been bad at all. But, the expectations were that he was a can’t-miss prospect that would make an impact as a rookie similar to the impact made by recent top receivers like JaMarr Chase and Justin Jefferson in their rookie seasons. That has not been the case. Harrison is on pace for roughly 850 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s a fine season, but it’s not the instant star that many thought we were getting. It’s not like he’s playing in a bad offense, either.