6 Young NFL Players Who Need Big 2024 Season to Avoid Bust Label
Year three is often seen as the make-or-break season in any NFL player's career, especially when it comes to first-round picks since teams have to decide whether to pick up the fifth-year option on their contract.
More often than not, if a guy doesn't put it together and start producing after three years, he'll likely never become a difference-maker in the league.
For some members of the 2022 draft class, this is the harsh reality they're facing heading into the fall. So, let's look at a few first-rounders who have something to prove in year three, touching on what they've done so far, their need to show this season and how they've fared in training camp so far.
OT Ikem Ekwonu, Carolina Panthers
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While Ikem Ekownu has been a good run-blocker for the Carolina Panthers, he's struggled in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, he has surrendered 17 sacks during his first two seasons in the league, which is far too many for someone who is supposed to be a franchise left tackle.
Granted, pass protection was always seen as a potential weakness for the NC State product, and the body of work he's put together in the ground game could give him a bright future as a guard. However, the Panthers didn't use a top-10 selection on him to play on the inside.
Moving forward, the team needs the 2022 No. 6 overall pick to do a better job of protecting the quarterback's blind side, especially with a young passer in Bryce Young.
Also, Ekwonu has racked up 25 penalties, per PFF, so cutting down on the flags should be a point of emphasis for him as well.
The good news is that new Panthers head coach Dave Canales believes his offense is a good fit for Ekwonu's playing style:
"It's a great system for tackles. We run the ball. We play-action which ...gives [offensive linemen] a little chance to get their hands on a guy and be physical. We runs boots. Our keeper game where the line is really just selling a run the opposite way."
"And then in our pass game, the basis of it is to get the ball out quickly. When we do have to hold it, we'll try to help our tackles as much as possible when we can. It's a really friendly offense for tackles."
"...I think Ickey has been doing a great job. What does he do best? He is a mauler and we're going to run the ball and I think when guys are able to just be aggressive and play to their nature, it gives them a lot of confidence in everything else they do. I'm excited where he's at."
OL Evan Neal, New York Giants
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There's no other way to put it: Evan Neal's career has been a disaster to this point.
The 23-year-old has struggled in both pass protection and as a run-blocker, with Pro Football Focus crediting him with 68 pressures (nine sacks) in 20 career regular-season games and graded him as a well-below-average run-blocker in both seasons.
To compound the issue, Neal finished last season on injured reserve and has missed almost all of training camp with an MCL injury. The latter could be very damaging as the New York Giants responded by signing guard Greg Van Roten and moving Jermaine Eluemunor to right tackle, making the Alabama product's role in the offense a little murky heading into the fall.
Neal will likely begin the year as a backup at tackle or guard seeing as he hasn't played well and is already behind the eight ball. So, an argument could be made that his "goose is already cooked," but he at least seems to have a good attitude about the upcoming campaign and is saying all the right things.
"Whatever role the team has for me, I'm going to embrace it," he told reporters. "So, whether that's starting or not starting, I'm here to contribute to the team, and I'm going to do everything in my power to do so."
While the 2022 No. 7 overall pick might begin the year on the bench, this is the NFL where injuries happen all the time in the trenches. In other words, Neal will likely get another opportunity to prove himself, but he has to make the most of it when it arises.
WR Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
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Jameson Williams was a blazing wide receiver at Alabama in 2021, finishing with the third most receiving yards (1,572) and receiving touchdowns (15) for a single season in school history.
However, his tenure in Tuscaloosa ended on a disappointing note with a torn ACL in the National Championship game, which resulted in his NFL career getting off to a slow start.
While recovering and rehabbing from the injury, the wideout only played in six games as a rookie and caught just one pass. Granted, the grab went for a 41-yard touchdown, but that wasn't the debut campaign he was looking for.
Then, the 23-year-old suffered another setback the following year after missing the first four weeks of the season for violating the league's gambling policy.
So, just staying on the field will be a step in the right direction, but he also needs to find a way to be more impactful after logging just 24 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
The Detroit Lions need a wide receiver outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown to step up this season and, ideally, it would be the guy the front office spent a top-15 pick on.
Luckily, it seems the former Crimson Tide player is making some strides this summer, per Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman:
"What is most impressive about Williams' camp is he's winning in different ways. It's not just vertical routes and it's not just speed. The releases are better and the routes are crisper."
"But at the same time, it's not happening every down. For example, on a deep shot, Kindle Vildor's physical jam at the line proved to be too much for Williams, messing up the timing of the play and leading to an overthrow."
Obviously, there's still some room for improvement, but the fact that Williams is becoming more than just a deep threat is a good sign, as expanding his repertoire should be his primary goal this season.
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OL Kenyon Green, Houston Texans
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It's safe to say Kenyon Green's career hasn't gone the way he or the Houston Texans would have hoped.
The 2022 No. 15 overall pick surrendered 47 pressures in 14 games, per Pro Football Focus, and he finished his rookie season as PFF's lowest-graded guard (37.7). Then, a shoulder injury suffered in the Texans' final preseason game kept him off the field as a sophomore.
Green is at least healthy going into the 2024 campaign, but he needs to stay off the injury report and bounce back from a poor rookie year.
The Texans are one of the more promising teams in the league, but the interior offensive line is thin and they are counting on Green to turn things around.
The good news is the Texas A&M product has already made a strong impression on his teammates during training camp, according to right tackle Tytus Howard:
"Kenyon has matured a lot, he has put in a lot of work — his body is in the best position he has been in, his mind is in the best position he has been in."
"He is very confident in his ability and he has put it all together. He has been out here putting some good stuff on the field for these first couple of days of camp and I am excited to see him grow. Like I have told him, I have been in the same position he is in right now, you just have to keep working, keep grinding. Keep grinding and it is going to get better. I feel like it is going to be a good year for him."
While it's just the preseason, Green has looked sharp so far, with no pressures allowed on 23 snaps in pass protection and a PFF grade of 88.5.
WR Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
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Jahan Dotson has had a roller-coaster career over the last two years.
The 24-year-old got injured early in his rookie season and was sidelined for five games, but he had a strong return to finish with 35 catches, 523 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 contests.
Heading into year two, Dotson had high expectations and was healthy enough to play in all 17 of the Washington Commanders' games. But he was even less productive despite being on the field more often, hauling in 49 passes for 518 yards and four scores.
Part of that can be chalked up to unstable quarterback play, but the Penn State product finished as the Commanders' third-leading receiver and could get replaced in the pecking order out wide if he doesn't become the impactful receiver the organization was hoping for.
Last April, Washington used a third-round pick on wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, who could take Dotson's spot on the depth chart, while Dyami Brown has also been impressive during training camp, per Bryan Manning of Commanders Wire:
"'I would say we are right in the middle of it [the search for a No. 2 wide receiver],' head coach Dan Quinn said via Manning. "You can take these comments in multiple ways," Manning wrote. "Was Quinn trying to light a fire under Dotson? Or do the Commanders see others on the same level as Dotson?"
"[Terry] McLaurin is the clear No. 1. and Dyami Brown has had an outstanding training camp. Right now, he looks like he's ahead of Dotson as the No. 2 receiver. The Commanders are working Dotson more in the slot this summer than in his first two years."
Dotson also conceded he isn't where he wants to be right now in his development.
The honesty and self-awareness are commendable, but that's not what one would like to hear from a player who is entering a make-or-break year.
CB Kaiir Elam, Buffalo Bills
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As a long corner who showed good ball skills with six interceptions and 20 passes defended during his three years at Florida, Kaiir Elam was considered a good consolation prize for teams that couldn't draft Sauce Gardner in 2022.
That hasn't been the case so far, though.
The 23-year-old had a decent rookie year with a couple of picks and four passes defended in 13 games (six starts), but his time on the field has been limited.
Elam missed a few games as a rookie with an injury and then lost his starting spot to Christian Benford at the beginning of last year before spending a stint on injured reserve.
The No. 23 overall selection two years ago just hasn't been sticky enough in coverage, allowing completion percentages of 70.2 and 71.4, per Pro Football Reference, in his respective seasons.
So, he needs to add a shutdown element to his game in addition to improving his ball skills
Heading into the fall, Benford and Elam will be competing for a starting spot again, and the good news for the latter is he's been playing well during training camp, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.
"Elam has had his best training camp to date after a frustrating first two years, to push the incumbent starter Benford for a potential job," he wrote. "But Elam's push hasn't been tied to poor play by Benford."
Buscaglia did note that Elam still needs to become more consistent in coverage as that could be the difference between him winning the job and how he's perceived as a first-round pick moving forward.
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