5 first-round picks that disappointed in Week 2 of 2021 NFL Season
Week 2 of the NFL is now in the books and we've happily treated ourselves to fantastic games all over the weekend. From the dramatic finish in Arizona to Lamar Jackson's first win against Patrick Mahomes, it's easy to say that this has been one of the best starts to a season in a long time.
For teams that aren't in the running for a playoff spot, watching the development of their rookies is the best part of the season. First-round picks always face high expectations to deliver, and when they don't, it's a huge disappointment. Check out the first-round picks that didn't make an impact during the second week of the season.
5 first-round rookies that underperformed in NFL Week 2
#5 - Alex Leatherwood, offensive tackle, Las Vegas Raiders
Leatherwood has been playing right tackle with the Raiders and the change in the side has clearly been a problem for him. He's been struggling to adapt to the right side and his first two rookie performances were below-average.
The rookie was a left tackle in Alabama, where he starred for four years and won two national championships. He's having to adjust to a completely new life in the NFL and things haven't been going well so far.
This is the play Carr talked bout. If he had an extra second, Ruggs would have had a TD on the first drive down the seam. Watts taught Leatherwood some lessons on Sunday. https://t.co/AbRhyS4MJ3
#4 - DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
Smith couldn't repeat his great debut with the Eagles and had only two receptions on seven targets against the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners did a great job of taking away easy completions from the rookie and he couldn't provide much of a spark in the second half.
Smith already looks like the Eagles' best receiver and portrays himself as a veteran with his intelligence on the field. However, there will be ups and downs until he learns how to beat the different challenges that NFL defenses throw at him. Sunday was one of those days.
#3 - Kadarius Toney, wide receiver, New York Giants
Now that you're reading this article, here's a stat for you: you have more receiving yards in the NFL than Toney, the first-round rookie of the New York Giants, who had an uninspiring first offseason and is facing a lot of difficulties during the start of his NFL career.
Hey you, yes, you, the person reading this, have more career receiving yards than New York Giants first-round pick Kadarius Toney. https://t.co/wCEHFWfKAp
Wide receiver is always a tough position for any rookie to make an impact in, but Toney has been useless in Jason Garrett's offense in the first weeks. The coordinator should find ways to give him the ball and make the best of his speed, but Toney should also focus a little bit and live up to the expectations.
#2 - Trevor Lawrence, quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars
Five interceptions in only two NFL games is not what you'd expect from a first-overall pick, but considering how bad this Jacksonville Jaguars roster is, it's nothing abnormal to see Lawrence trying so hard to make things happen.
The rookie is taking a lot of chances in deep passes and in contested balls, and he will probably settle down during the season when he learns what he can and cannot do in the NFL. But completing only 14 of 33 passes is far from a good number, and he must fix this quickly.
#1 - Zach Wilson, quarterback, New York Jets
We always hear about how difficult Bill Belichick makes it for rookie quarterbacks to play against his team, but Wilson was at an all-time low on Sunday, throwing four interceptions in a game where he looked overwhelmed.
His NFL future could be brilliant and his ability to make plays out of script is what separates him from most quarterbacks, but there were so many bad plays on Sunday that he should look to move on quickly from this game. Wilson already has five interceptions in two NFL games.