NFL Draft

NFL: Grading NFL Rookies From The 2021 NFL Draft First Round

Grading the rookies from the 2021 NFL Draft. What players have outperformed expectations and who has disappointed? Click here to view the grades.

Brandon Coyle

NFL: Grading NFL Rookies From The 2021 NFL Draft First Round

Grading the rookies from the 2021 NFL Draft. What players have outperformed expectations and who has disappointed? Click here to view the grades

Nearing the end of the 2021 season, it feels like a good time to evaluate this 2021 first round, filled with future stars and worrying investments. Many of these players are still competing for playing time or a playoff spot as a huge contributor. There are a couple of weeks left for these players to improve or regress their play, but for the most part, there is enough information on these players to make future predictions. Now, football is only a fraction of the equation, and there are way too many outside factors to put the future of these young men in stone. When looking at these first-year players' impact, there needs to be attention to things outside of their film and stats, such as their coaching staff, the talent around them, and year one expectations. Rookie talk, especially rookie quarterback talk, is begging for controversy, so hopefully, this doesn't push too many buttons.

Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence: C+

It's been a bumpy start for the number one overall pick. The former five-star recruit and heralded college prospect showed weakness in his first year starting in the NFL. The outside noise for this Jacksonville team has been loud, as the Urban Meyer disaster experiment has ended. From tight end, Tim Tebow in training to kicking one of his own players Josh Lambo each week led to a new adventure for this Jaguars team. Trevor Lawrence has become a background story for this team when in a perfect world, he should be the front page of every Jacksonville news report. One thing that can be a positive takeaway for Trevor was his ability to block out this drama and play football. He carried himself as a professional and was able to keep himself away from this drama. When looking at his play on the field, there were promising bright spots at times, but a disappointing overall product compared to how highly rated Lawrence was coming out as a prospect. The weapons around him were not up to par, with Jamal Agnew and Laquon Treadwell becoming focal points of a drowning offense. Through week 15, he's accounted for 3,352 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Per PFF, Lawrence has put up a 69.7% adjusted completion percentage compared to his 57.8% completion percentage pointing to the lack of help from his pass-catchers, leaving him out to dry at times.

The Jaguars need to invest everything they have the next two-three seasons into this offense, protecting Lawrence and getting him competent weapons. Most importantly, they need to find an experienced coach that can fix this culture and get this franchise back on the right track. Finding an offense that best fits Lawrence and getting stability from a coaching staff is the top priority. For other teams, maybe pairing rookie head coaches and rookie quarterbacks may not be the best combination. Whether jumping from the college level like Urban or as an NFL coordinator, being a first-year NFL coach is hard, and they shouldn't be tasked with getting a rookie quarterback up to speed.

New York Jets, Zach Wilson: D+

Like Lawrence, this first year in the NFL hasn't been kind to Zach Wilson and first-time head coach Robert Saleh. Coming out of BYU, Zach's transition to an NFL offense was going to be hard, but there have been little bright spots to get this team excited for the future right now. For many people, Zach Wilson being the second overall pick in this quarterback class was a bit of a reach. Many people saw Justin Fields being a better option for this Mike LaFleur offense being a Shanahan disciple. No matter where Zach landed, being the starter from week one was not expected from what he was asked to do at the college level. At BYU, Wilson wasn't asked to do nearly as much as he did in his first year in the NFL, and the jump from a group of five school is not easy. The most worrying part of Zach's game is the turnovers that manifested this season that wasn't seen at BYU. Cutting down on turnover-worthy plays and taking what the defense is giving will be a huge talking point in Wilson's second season. Going into this offseason, the Jets will also need to protect Zach Wilson and have the top picks to do so, with two picks in the first round. This season hasn't been on the Josh Rosen-Esque disaster level, but next season needs to see significant growth.

San Francisco 49ers, Trey Lance: Incomplete

There isn't nearly enough film or playing time to work with for Lance to give a true grade on his play. As a notable pre-draft fan of his, a year sitting was needed for him. The 49ers have gone about this well, keeping Lance in the shadows and letting him get up to speed. There is a great offense in place for when Lance is handed the keys next season.

Atlanta Falcons, Kyle Pitts: A-

After being one of the most dominant players in the country as a Florida Gator, Pitts has stepped in and has been exactly what the Falcons have expected. On pace to break the rookie tight end receiving record and being a 1,000+ yard receiver, Pitts has been a threat at all three levels of the field for this Falcons offense. Top six among tight ends in yards per route run with 1.90 and first in yards per reception at 14.8. Pitts has yet to be a consistent red-zone threat for this team with only one touchdown, but the scores will come. One concerning part of this pick is how early Pitts had to become the number one guy in this offense, with Calvin Ridley being away from the team for the foreseeable future. Getting consistent weapons to compliment Pitts will be important to draw coverage away from his direction. Many parts of this offense have question marks for 2022, this one guy the Falcons can trust for their future.

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Cincinnati Bengals, Ja'Marr Chase: A

One of the more controversial picks in the top ten this year, as it seemed to be split upon whether the Bengals should draft Chase or Sewell. It seems as though the Bengals would've hit a homerun with either choice at this point, but Chase has taken the league by storm since becoming a Bengal. Through the first seven weeks of the season, Chase had recorded 767 receiving yards, six touchdowns, and 19 explosive plays (plays over 15 yards). Chase has shown an exceptional ability to win one-on-one downfield and make big plays. Since then, he has cooled off with only 371 yards, four touchdowns, and seven explosive plays in the last seven games. Still having an exceptional rookie campaign, but Chase has shown signs of being human, especially due to his nine drops. This Bengals team couldn't fix the offensive line troubles through its other picks and is staring down the barrel of that problem now. If Chase can keep growing as a mid-field separator and clean up the drops, the Bengals will have their number one wide receiver for years to come.

Miami Dolphins, Jaylen Waddle: A

This speedster has become the most important component in this Miami Dolphins offense early on into this season. It has taken time, but this Dolphins coaching staff has this offense on the right track for Tua and Waddle. He's been targeted over 120 times in 13 games, for 90 plus catches and almost 900 yards. The volume has been excellent for Waddle, giving this offense a consistent option to gain separation underneath. The explosive, downfield shots have been lacking but will come as these two grow together. DeVante Parker and Will Fuller V have been anything but consistent, and getting them on the field has been troublesome. Waddle gives this offense an identity and a future star.

Detroit Lions, Penei Sewell: A

The Detroit Lions may only be a two-win team currently, but it's shown to play much better than their record indicates on almost a weekly basis. It's no secret that this roster doesn't have the star power at the important positions such as quarterback, receiver, edge, etc. However, Dan Campbell has been able to step in and completely flip this culture around to a tough team that can win in the trenches as they just beat the 10-3 Cardinals. The Penei Sewell selection has been a main cog in the running game and good offensive line play this team has leaned on all season long. Recently just turned 21 years old, Sewell has proven that he has the potential to be a franchise tackle. Struggling out the gate, Sewell has settled in and given up only one sack and only 13 pressures since week six. Playing both left tackle and right tackle, he has been able to deliver for whatever is needed for this team. The Lions may not be on their way for competing for a playoff spot, but staying in games week in and week out with their style of play creates a precedent. A precedent should have this team on its way out of picking at the top of the first round each year.

Carolina Panthers, Jaycee Horn: Incomplete (Trending Down)

It's not fair to completely tear apart this pick and its thought process, with Horn missing most of this season with an injury. However, with the way this team is trending, this pick looks more worrisome each week. The Panthers are falling apart all across the offense: not being able to find average quarterback play, one of the worst offensive lines in the league, the highest-paid running back in the league injured, and a thin receiving core with expiring deals this offseason. This team couldn't put its future in the hands of Sam Darnold or any other veteran quarterback. Passing on the talents of Justin Fields or a starting left tackle in Rashawn Slater may hurt this franchise for years to come. Not to mention passing up on the next pick, who has become a legit number one corner for the Denver Broncos.

Denver Broncos, Patrick Surtain II: A

Patrick Surtain has picked up where he left off at Alabama, being a star outside corner. He's given this Broncos defense stretches of locked-down coverage and big-play ability to create turnovers into points. By giving up only three touchdowns this season, Surtain has eliminated big plays while grabbing four interceptions. His presence on the outside has completely turned a page for this defense, and after moving on from Von Miller, this team has an identity through its secondary going forward.

Philadelphia Eagles, DeVonta Smith: B+

The Eagles may have found an identity through running the ball the last few weeks, but Smith has been impressive through his rookie campaign. His ability to separate on the outside has followed him to the NFL and will give this offense its top receiver for the foreseeable future. Smith's size, or lack of it, was a controversial topic heading into his rookie season, and it hasn't seemed to have affected his ability to get open in the NFL. Smith has the movement skills and acceleration to run any route you give him. However, he hasn't been the most dynamic with the ball in his hands, averaging just 3.4 yards after the catch. The good thing is that's not what the Eagles need from Smith. Being a reliable option that can get open on third downs is much more important for this team as they have guys like Reagor, Goedert, and even Gainwell to be dangerous after the catch. The Eagles have put themselves in a promising position going into the next offseason and the NFL draft with three first-round picks. Jalen Hurts may never be a player that can take over a game with his arm, but keeping this offensive line intact and winning in the trenches could keep this team in the win column.

Chicago Bears, Justin Fields: C+

It's been quite the season for Bears fans having to watch this offense week in and week out. Matt Nagy has presumably been a dead man walking since about halfway through this season when this offense completely fell apart. For Justin Fields, he's gone through it as much as Trevor has in Jacksonville with a lack of weapons, protection, and competent coaching. It's hard to grade this season for Fields as this offense will certainly be going through a coaching change. When looking at his play on the field, the athleticism has shined, being able to take off to move the chains. However, Fields has struggled mightily with getting the ball out on time and knowing when to escape the pocket, leading to too many sacks taken. Fields has been sacked 37 times on just 378 dropbacks, the offensive line hasn't been great, but Fields needs to improve as a processor getting the ball out faster. Accuracy for Fields has never been in question, and his ability to make big throws. Per PFF, his big-time throw percentage ranks in the top six in the NFL at 6.1%. There's a lot here to get excited about for the future in Chicago, but they need to nail this head coaching search and hire.

Dallas Cowboys, Micah Parsons: A+

Not many draft picks have come into the NFL and be absolute home run picks since their first snap - Micah Parsons has. His presence on this defense has completely flipped the page for this team, becoming one of the best edge rushers in the league while only rushing the passer on about one-third of his total snaps. Parsons has a 21% pressure percentage which ranks first among pass rushers in the league. Even more impressive is his ability to make splash plays in coverage. Parsons has grown each week as an off-ball player against the pass. He's shown the ability to man up tight ends and running backs which was a bit of a question mark coming out of Penn State. The sky's the limit for how good Parsons can become, and he could be a legit defensive player of the year candidate on top of being by far the best defensive rookie. This Cowboys defense has gone through a quick turnaround from being one of the worst in the league last year. Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and Demarcus Lawrence are cornerstones this team can rely on in the future. This could be a perennial playoff team with Dak at quarterback and a reliable defense.

Los Angeles Chargers, Rashawn Slater: A

There's been a lot of A's given out so far in this, but there are a ton of good picks performing well to start the season. Continuing here with Rashawn Slater, who has stepped in and been a consistent blindside protector for Justin Herbert. This offensive line was in shambles before the 2021 season, and the Chargers attacked it in a big way with Corey Linsley and Rashawn Slater. On the season, Slater has given up just five sacks and 24 pressures in 14 games. Slater's 3.7% pressure allowed percentage is top 12 in the league among offensive tackles. Despite concerns about Slater's length and build, the Chargers have found themselves a consistent piece on this offensive line.

New York Jets, Alijah Vera-Tucker: C+

After taking Zach Wilson, the Jets got aggressive by trading up to 14th overall to grab their new left guard in Alijah Vera-Tucker. In his first season, Vera-Tucker has been solid. There is nothing to write home about from his play, especially in pass protection, but he gives this line stability on the inside. He's given up 43 pressures on 626 pass-blocking snaps, and his pressure allowed percentage at 6.9% ranks toward the bottom 20 in the league among interior offensive linemen. This Jets offensive line has been riddled with injuries, especially to the second-year tackle Mekhi Becton. Despite spending necessary assets into this offensive line, it's still an area for concern on this team and is among high priority in this upcoming offseason.

New England Patriots, Mac Jones: A

Despite much criticism and controversy among evaluators regarding Mac Jones as a prospect. Jones has come into one of the most storied franchises and took everything head-on. His play up to this point has been exceptional, running this offense extremely efficiently and keeping everything on schedule. To many people's expectations, Jones has excelled at getting the ball out quick, reading coverages, and throwing with anticipation. However, there is still cautious optimism about his play as there's still concern about his lack of arm talent and athleticism to extend plays which have hurt this team at times. As long as Jones is getting the ball out quick and the Patriots can get playmakers on the field, those factors won't matter. This was a perfect pairing on draft day as Jones was placed into an offense with stability with its offensive coordinator and an established scheme that Jones can run. If the Patriots can get more top-end talent at receiver, he will be a competent starter in this league.

Arizona Cardinals, Zaven Collins: C

Collins has yet to carve out a starting role in this defense as he's behind Jordan Hicks still. It wasn't expected for Collins to step in and be a contributor right away as a rookie, but it would've been nice to see more than what's been given. As a prospect, Collins was a star for Tulsa on defense, being moved all over as a pass rusher and off-ball linebacker. He hasn't seen the same versatility in this Cardinals defense as he has struggled in coverage early on in his career. The Cardinals will need to get him up to speed in coverage to keep him on the field consistently going forward. This defense could get very exciting with a swiss army knife player like Collins reaching his full potential.

Las Vegas Raiders, Alex Leatherwood: D

At the time of this pick, many saw this as a far overdraft, and they might be right up to this point. Leatherwood has been one of the most penalized linemen in the NFL and has lost the right tackle job for Raiders, now playing right guard. In 628 pass snaps, he's given up eight sacks and 63 pressures, which ranks as the most in the NFL. It's safe to say Leatherwood has been a liability throughout this season. He's still young and was a consensus top 50 prospect even if he was picked in the top 20. Next season should already be on the mind for Leatherwood as he will get a chance again, but it may not be for long if this continues.

Miami Dolphins, Jaelan Phillips: B

As a rookie, Phillips has been a complete starter for the Dolphins. There was concern around Phillips and his injury history going into the draft. When he's healthy, he's a special player that can attack quarterbacks in multiple ways. This season, Phillips has been productive as a pass rusher with 40 pressures on 359 pass-rush snaps. There are many bright spots to be excited for his growth in year two to see if he has legit edge one upside.

Washington Football Team, Jamin Davis: C-

A rocky start to his first season, Jamin Davis has been disappointing to date. Not a completely lost season as Davis has played almost 540 snaps and needs the experience to grow, but has hurt his team at times this year. Getting off blocks was a bit of a concern coming out of Kentucky, and it's been magnified this season. He has the size and strength to make plays in the run game against bigger blockers. He just hasn't shown it to date. As a prospect, Davis was a bit raw overall, but there was intrigue with his tools, and it shouldn't have been expected for him to step in right away. There's still a lot to love with Davis' game with his uber athleticism and ability to cover in space.

New York Giants, Kadarius Toney: B-

The Giants traded back in the first on draft day to allow the Bears to take Justin Fields as the Giants were able to grab one of the more unique talents at the receiver position. Kadarius Toney has movement skills that you cannot find anywhere else, making him an extremely hard player to cover or tackle. On just 39 receptions, Toney has forced 12 missed tackles and ten plays over 15 yards. He's an explosive player with the ball in his hands but just needs to stay on the field. He's shown flashes of game-breaking level talent that this offense desperately needs. The biggest thing for Toney will be staying on the field and away from injuries. For the Giants, he is maximizing Toney's potential on Daniel Jones or whoever this new front office brings in for the future.

Indianapolis Colts, Kwity Paye: B

For a first-year pass rusher, Paye hasn't been anything out of the ordinary for this Colts team. In year one, he has been a solid contributor but has left more to be desired coming out of Michigan with his combination of size and speed. He's registered 36 total pressures on 349 pass-rushing snaps, with 16 coming from the Jets and Jaguars games combined. It's not to say those shouldn't count, but you would like to see more production when facing better competition. Next season, Paye is on pace to take on a significant role on this defensive line and could be a game-changing player with the right development.

Tennessee Titans, Caleb Farley: Incomplete

Missing his rookie season with an injury, Farley is still a mystery. During the draft process, Farley was flagged for back issues that could hinder him down the line. This pick was risky knowing that, and after tearing his ACL early this season, it's been a step back for this talented corner.

Minnesota Vikings, Christian Darrisaw: B+

On draft day, the Vikings were praised for their deal to move back and still get their guy in Darrisaw while picking up multiple day-two picks. Darrisaw was a top tackle prospect with his great athleticism and ability to be an instant zone run blocker. It took a couple of weeks for the Vikings to get Darrisaw into the starting role, but he has shown great promise since then. Seemingly growing each week, Darrisaw has been everything the Vikings could've asked for in a rookie left tackle. He was allowing just 18 pressures on 326 pass protection snaps. There's a lot to love from this first season from the former Hokie. The Vikings may have just found their future left tackle.

Pittsburgh Steelers, Najee Harris: C-

One of the most controversial picks of the first round, Najee Harris has had a subjectively fine season. From a play perspective, Najee has been good. A strong runner after contact that excels at breaking tackles and has become a legit receiving threat out of the backfield. The problem is that this team was never a running back away from contending. Ben Roethlisberger isn't the same quarterback he used to be and is handicapping this offense from growing. The offensive line is young and lacks starting-level talent. Without a legit passing game, it's been tough sledding for Harris this season, averaging just 0.9 yards before contact per attempt this season, fifth-worst in the NFL. What has saved his season is his receiving ability. He leads the league in forced missed tackles on receptions, showing he's been productive when he gets the ball in space. Overall, picking a running back this high in the draft is rich, especially for a team looking for a new quarterback and trying to fix this offensive line this offseason.

Jacksonville Jaguars, Travis Etienne: Incomplete (YIKES)

Easily the first red flag of the Urban/Baalke era was taking a running back in the first round for a team that just finished with the number one pick in the draft. Going into this draft, running back was one of the few positions this team had a future with James Robinson coming off a splendid rookie season. This staff saw this as an opportunity to reunite Trevor with a favorite target at Clemson and took Etienne here. Etienne's stock was trending down after an average final season at Clemson. This team desperately needed to use this capital along the offensive line or find a legit outside weapon since the new number one option for this team is Laquon Treadwell. After a season-ending foot injury, 2022 will come with some lofty expectations for this team's new starting running back, especially with James Robinson recently tearing his ACL to end the season.

Cleveland Browns, Greg Newsome II: B+

This Cleveland back seven has been one of the most feared groups in the league this season, led by Denzel Ward, Grant Delpit, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, John Johnson III, and Greg Newsome II. He's taken over the starting role opposite Denzel Ward since week one and has been impressive. In eight of his ten games this season, Newsome allowed less than 40 yards in coverage and has only given up one touchdown. After suffering a concussion later in the season, this secondary has felt his absence the past few weeks. If the Browns were to make the playoffs, Newsome is an x-factor for this defense and will make this core of young players a special group for years to come.

Baltimore Ravens, Rashod Bateman: B-

On draft day, this selection was one of the steals of the first round. Bateman was a complete wide receiver prospect who could win in multiple ways, whether through his route running, at the catch point, or after the catch. It's not to say this isn't still a good pick, but it's been a disappointing first season from Bateman due to injuries. He wasn't able to make his debut until week six of this season and is still fighting for a consistent role in this offense. This offense would've taken a lot for anyone to step in and put up extraordinary numbers. However, it would've been nice to see him and Lamar create a strong relationship with each game leading towards the end of this season. Due to injuries and covid, Lamar has missed multiple games, and the connection hasn't grown between these two. The Ravens have been riddled with injuries on both sides of the ball, and it's seemingly taken away their season. Getting healthy and adding to this roster will be huge this offseason for Baltimore. This passing scheme still requires an overhaul if they want to see Lamar continue to grow as a passer, and they need to feature Bateman as a key piece.

New Orleans Saints, Payton Turner: Incomplete

This was a bit of a reach on draft night. However, when on the field, Turner was able to flash with his unique size and athleticism. Due to his many injuries, there isn't enough to see what Turner can become right now. There should be a starting job for Turner going into next season along this defensive line.

Green Bay Packers, Eric Stokes: B+

After last season's NFC Championship Game, the Packers were desperate to find a reliable outside corner opposite of Jaire Alexander, and they may have found one in Eric Stokes. Coming out of Georgia, Stokes was heralded for his ball skills and elite athleticism, which have both shined in the NFL. At times, the Packers have been reluctant to throw him into the fire but have shown enough to be counted on going forward. In coverage, Stokes has forced 12 incompletions which is first among rookies and in the top ten in the NFL. Stokes has allowed less than 35 passing yards in the past four games. His play will be huge for this team going into the playoffs and could be a key contributor for years to come.

Buffalo Bills, Gregory Rousseau: C+

In his first season as a Bill, Rousseau has been used as a rotational piece along this defensive line, only playing around 50% of the snaps each game. Rousseau's extraordinary length and get-off make him a unique edge rusher, as the Bills have used him on the inside at times. Throughout his first season as a rotational rusher, Rousseau has been inconsistent as a pass rusher. He only has 29 pressures on 237 pass-rushing snaps, with 12 coming from two games against the Dolphins. He's been able to take advantage of the Dolphins offensive line but needs to show he can perform week-to-week. Finding a legit starting role for Rousseau in this defense will be important for this team.

Baltimore Ravens, Odafe Oweh: B

Being one of the most explosive athletes in the entire draft, getting Odafe Oweh this late in the first round was a great move for this Ravens team. Oweh has become a consistent pass rusher for this defense, totaling 53 pressures with a 12.6% pressure rate. He's been able to make splash plays at times and come up big on third downs for this team. At six-foot-five 252-pounds, Oweh even plays on the punt team with his absurd speed and tackling ability. This is only scratching the surface of Oweh's true potential as an edge rusher.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka: B

Like Rousseau, Tryon-Shoyinka has yet to become a full-time starter for this defense. Behind Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett, his time has been limited, but he's flashed enough to get excited for his future in the NFL. In 271 pass-rushing snaps, he has 34 pressures with a 12.5% pressure rate. The Buccaneers went with more of a project with a higher upside prospect in Tryon-Shoyinka. Another athletic freak, Tryon-Shoyinka, has already shown he can win at the NFL level and will get a big opportunity next year to be this team's starting outside linebacker. 

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Brandon Coyle
BRANDON COYLE

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