Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, Joe Alt and Malik Nabers are just several of the highly-touted 2024 NFL rookies who should produce immediately.
These guys have the superstar traits to be impactful starters right off the bat, and fans will not be disappointed by their first impressions. But on the flip side, several other notable 2024 draftees have been placed in tough situations — to the point where it already feels like their rookie years will be forgettable.
With that said, let’s dive into 10 NFL rookies who are in horrific situations entering the 2024 season.
Which NFL rookies are going to have a hard time in the upcoming 2024 season?
Michael Penix Jr.
Without a doubt, the biggest shocker of the 2024 NFL Draft was when the Atlanta Falcons took Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick.
While he was expected to be a top-15 selection, nobody had Penix Jr. going to an Atlanta team that just handed $100 million guaranteed to former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins. Not to mention that very few ranked Penix ahead of JJ McCarthy, who went to the Vikings two spots later.
For Penix, the ideal scenario would have been for him to land on a team like the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, or even the local Seattle Seahawks. That is, a team without a long-term option at QB that could have offered him the chance to be the full-time starter within a year or two.
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But even though Cousins is entering his age-36 season, he showed zero signs of decline before he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear last year. Cousins could very well perform well through the duration of the 4-year deal — and Penix will be 28 years of age by the time Captain Kirk’s contract expires.
For Penix, this was a horrible situation to land in. Who cares what the naysayers are saying about him as a prospect. The concern is that even if he does pan out in the NFL, Penix will have had several years gobbled by simply sitting behind Cousins.
He won’t admit it, but you just know deep down he would have rather landed on a QB-needy team that would have made him the starter by 2025. You kinda have to feel for BOTH Cousins AND Penix.
Brian Thomas Jr.
When it came to the star LSU wideout, we just kept thinking of the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Kansas City Chiefs as the ideal landing spots.
Thomas should be one of the NFL rookies who will be an impact player right away, and it would have been nice to see him join a playoff-contending team that sorely needed another stud receiver. Instead, Thomas fell to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 23 overall.
That pick was also a mild surprise since the Jaguars have enough weaponry for Trevor Lawrence as is. Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Travis Etienne Jr., and newcomer Gabe Davis are all guys who can put up over 1,000 yards of offense in any given year.
That’s why Jacksonville feels like an odd landing spot for Thomas. Kirk is T-Law’s go-to guy in the passing game. Etienne has accumulated over 1,400 yards in each of the last two years.
Engram is Lawence’s third-down and red zone security blanket, and Davis was signed to be the deep threat in Jacksonville. So, where does Thomas fit in here? There are too many players for Lawrence to distribute the ball to.
With a team like Buffalo or KC, Thomas would have been the undisputed WR1. Instead, he’ll likely be the No. 3 or 4 target AT BEST for Lawrence in his rookie year.
Ricky Pearsall
In another draft day stunner, the San Francisco 49ers used the No. 31 pick on Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
This move was surprising for two reasons. One, the 49ers already have four superstar offensive weapons in Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel. What’s the point of adding another receiver when cornerback and the o-line were greater needs?
Secondly, Pearsall felt like a big-time reach there. Better receivers like Ladd McConkey, Keon Coleman, Xavier Legette and Adonai Mitchell were there for the taking.
So anyway, how’s Pearsall going to produce as a rookie when the 49ers have the league’s best running back, a top-three tight end, and two of the league’s most explosive pass-catchers? Like Jacksonville’s “big four” offensive weapons, each of these four guys on the 49ers can easily exceed 1,000 yards of offense.
The Pearsall selection just might work out in the long run, especially if San Fran ends up trading Aiyuk or Samuel. Only time will tell if the pick pans out. But one thing’s for sure: Pearsall landed in a situation where he can’t realistically expect to make a great first-year impression.
Michael Hall Jr.
The Cleveland Browns got great value when they landed Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. with the No. 54 pick. The problem for Hall is that he’s probably one of the NFL-ready rookies in 2024, yet he landed on the team that has arguably the best front seven in all of football.
The Browns’ front seven is led by superstar Myles Garrett and veteran standouts Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris and Za’Darius Smith. Rotational pieces like Maurice Hurst II and Alex Wright will get their fair share of snaps, too.
Hall is a decorated pass-rusher who could have been a day-one starter on a team that, well, doesn’t have the Browns’ scary-good defensive line depth. So don’t expect many names for the rookie in Jim Schwartz’s star-studded defense.
Marshawn Kneeland
The Dallas Cowboys got a potential steal in Western Michigan defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who fell into their laps in round two at No. 56 overall.
Kneeland was a hidden gem entering this draft, and he certainly could have been penciled in as a starter on several teams. But Kneeland just had to land with a Dallas team that, well, isn’t going to give him a whole lot of playing time as a rookie.
Dallas already has one of the NFL’s best defensive lines led by superstar Micah Parsons and veteran DeMarcus Lawrence. 2023 first-round pick Mazi Smith may end up in a starting role, too, and 2022 second-round pick Sam Williams can expect increased playing time.
With the Cowboys in win-now mode — at least that’s what Jerry Jones wants you to think — they’re not going to rush NFL rookies like Kneeland. He’s going to have to accept a second-stringer job for the bulk of his rookie year before potentially taking over a starting role in 2025.
This was a luxury pick for Dallas. Yes, you need defensive line depth in the pros. It’s a great pick for the Cowboys, but it’s not the best destination for a rookie of Kneeland’s caliber. The reality is that he too wil need to sit patiently and wait for his time to shine — whenever that will be.
Amarius Mims
Depending on who you asked, some scouts viewed Mims as a plug-and-play guy who could start right away. Now that we see which team he landed with, that’s not going to be the case in 2024.
The Cincinnati Bengals used the No. 18 pick on the Georgia offensive tackle. This move was also a bit of a head-scratcher because the Bengals already have two veteran mainstays at offensive tackle in Orlando Brown Jr. and free agent signing Trent Brown.
And if Cincy needs a backup to step in, they’d likely turn to 2021 second-round pick Jackson Carman before putting Mims in.
For Mims, the ideal scenario would have been to land on a team that needed a day-one starter, like the Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, or Washington Commanders.
While one can argue that Mims will benefit from sitting and learning for a year, the other side of the coin is that he needs the learning experience right away to hone his craft. And Mims isn’t going to get enough of that as a rookie.
Darius Robinson
After using the No. 4 pick on can’t-miss Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the Arizona Cardinals addressed their other pressing need by snagging Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson with the 27th selection.
The problem for Robinson is that he doesn’t have much of a supporting cast here. Arizona had the league’s worst rushing defense in 2023 and the No. 31 scoring D last season. Dennis Gardeck led the Redbirds with just six sacks. No other Cardinal topped four.
GM Monti Ossenfort didn’t do much to bolster the front seven, either. That means Robinson is going to have such limited help as a rookie, and he’ll be facing an unfair amount of pressure to perform on Jonathan Gannon’s defense right away.
Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker is the only legitimate game-changer on that Arizona defense. Opposing teams will pick apart the secondary and run the ball down the Cardinals’ throats with relative ease, and Robinson will oftentimes be left in no-man’s land.
Now imagine if he was on a team with an elite supporting cast like the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, or Houston Texans? Then we’d be talking.
Ja’Lynn Polk
The New England Patriots knew they had to get a wide receiver in round two after using the No. 3 pick on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. But it was awfully surprising to see them reach for Polk here when the much more decorated Adonai Mitchell was on the board.
Like all NFL rookies, only time will tell us if this pick works out. Unlike most other guys on this list, Polk should be a Week 1 starter. The only issue? He just had to land with all of New England’s teams.
To be perfectly blunt, the Patriots have the NFL’s worst set of offensive skill position guys. They haven’t had a 1K receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. Rookie Demario Douglas led the team in receiving a year ago with ONLY 561 yards.
Polk will either be getting the ball from journeyman QB Jacoby Brissett or the aforementioned Maye, an unproven rookie who will need time to refine his skills in the pros. Either option does not put Polk in a good spot to produce right away.
And even though Bill Belichick is gone, you just figure that this will be a rush-first offense under new head coach Jerod Mayo. So couple that with the Patriots’ giant question mark at QB, and it’s safe to say that Polk won’t be in a position to produce much as a rookie.
JC Latham
It felt like 90-something percent of NFL mock drafts had the Tennessee Titans taking Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt at No. 7. Well, that proposed pairing was foiled when the Los Angeles Chargers took Alt at No. 5.
The Titans addressed the o-line anyway, taking Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham with their first-round selection.
Latham fits the mold of what the Titans want to do. They want to play bully ball and win with physicality and a prolific rushing game. But Latham’s first-year outlook does not look promising.
Pro Football Focus ranked the Titans’ o-line as the WORST unit for all of 2023. They allowed 64 sacks and finished dead-last in PFF’s rankings for pass-blocking efficiency. Insert the “Not Great Bob” meme here.
Latham will presumably be a day-one starter. And uh, we can only ask how he’s supposed to flourish as a rookie when he literally has the league’s worst group of offensive linemen around him?
2023 first-round pick Peter Skoronski had an uneven rookie year. Again, not that he had much help around him. The same fate awaits Latham, who’s unlikely to stand out in year one UNLESS the Titans’ entire o-line somehow improves drastically. And who’s to think that will happen?
MarShawn Lloyd
We’re not going to critique this pick for the Green Bay Packers whatsoever. We didn’t like the AJ Dillon pick at first back in 2020 with Aaron Jones already in the fold, but hindsight informed everyone that the Pack knew what they were doing there.
Yes, the Packers signed 2022 rushing champion Josh Jacobs in free agency. But it’s essentially a one-year pact. So if he doesn’t work out in Titletown, Green Bay has a potential solution in Lloyd.
But obviously, it’s hard to see how Llloyd will manage to produce as one of the top NFL rookies in 2024. The Packers have Jacobs and Dillon to lead the two-headed monster in the backfield, so where exactly does Lloyd fit in here?
The good news for Lloyd is that both Jacobs and Dillon are playing on one-year deals. There’s a long-term path there to step in as the Packers’ RB1, but the USC product is going to have to be patient for playing time. He’s hardly gonna see the field in year one.
