NFL Underachievers Who Need to Live Up to Expectations in 2016

Even if they've never read a word of Charles Dickens, promising prospects selected high in the NFL draft know their fair share about great expectations.

From castoff quarterbacks looking for a revival with a new team, to oft-injured and inconsistent talents on both sides of the ball, the NFL has a long list of would-be stars who have yet to force their ways out of their shells and into bright-light success.

Whether they're under center, in the trenches or manning the flashy skill positions, a handful of these players are running out of time to prove their values at the pro level.

Let's take a look at who needs to announce their presence with authority—but actually back it up—in 2016.

Rams OT Greg Robinson

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NFL teams routinely get enamored with a prospect's physical traits and believe they can teach him the technique and other finer points of playing his position and develop him into a star.

Such was the case in the 2014 NFL draft, when the Rams spent the second overall pick on Greg Robinson, an offensive tackle who was just as incredibly raw as he was athletic. Expected to eventually become the team's franchise left tackle, Robinson has struggled to develop his physical tools into consistent, effective performance.

Last November, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said lots of players needed to improve, but he mentioned Robinson in particular, per Mark Inabinett of AL.com:

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He's making progress from the standpoint of knowing exactly what to do, but how to do it has been a little inconsistent here as of late. So we have to keep working with him. The holdings, sometimes they're called, sometimes they're not. But if they're looking at him as a grabber right now, then he's got to keep his hands inside.

"

Penalties have been a big issue for Robinson thus far, as he continues to work toward polishing his technique. There's no doubt he has the combination of strength and quickness to be a dominant pass protector and run-blocker, but he's yet to put it all together.

If he wants to avoid being labeled one of the bigger draft busts in recent memory, he'll have to make significant strides in 2016, especially as he protects this year's No. 1 overall pick in quarterback Jared Goff.

Buccaneers TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent a top-10 pick in the 2014 draft on Mike Evans, but their second-round pick was another gigantic pass-catcher in tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. While Evans has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, injuries and inconsistency have held back his draft classmate over their first two NFL seasons.

Seferian-Jenkins has been banged up for most of his short NFL career so far—he's missed 16 of his first 32 games due to multiple injuries.

New head coach Dirk Koetter admitted it's hard for a player to "make the club in the tub," but he pointed out how talented his young tight end is and how productive he's been when healthy, per Roy Cummings of Today's Pigskin:

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He’s been in the league two years, and he just hasn’t been healthy. But his talent flashes every time he’s on the field. I mean, this guy has got huge ability.

But a coach once told me a long time ago that the best ability is availability. So until we can get a look at him consistently. I mean, all we’ve seen is those flashes.

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There have been flashes, as Seferian-Jenkins has turned six of his 42 career catches into touchdowns, and his yards-per-catch average jumped from 10.5 as a rookie to 16.1 last year. But Bucs fans are ready to finally see the promising prospect break out and become the dynamic weapon he's capable of being.

He's got a talented quarterback in Jameis Winston who can take advantage of his ability, but it all starts with staying on the field.

Jets CB Dee Milliner

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

After trading Darrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just prior to the 2013 NFL draft, the New York Jets hoped to fill some of that void by spending the ninth overall pick on Dee Milliner.

The early returns were encouraging, as the Alabama product made 12 starts as a rookie, picking off three passes and breaking up another 17 throws. But injuries have derailed Milliner since then, as he's appeared in just eight games over the last two seasons with just two starts, neither of which came last year.

Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan admitted Milliner has been tough to evaluate because of his injuries, as he told The Michael Kay Show on New York's ESPN Radio 98.7 FM:

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I think Dee is a bit of a wild card. When I first got here, he was coming off the Achilles. And then after he got back from that, he was doing some good things and hurt his wrist very early in training camp, and we had to shut him down again. By the time he got back, he was doing some good things in practice, but our defense was playing well, we stayed very healthy and it's kind of hard sometimes to get in there and earn playing time. Dee, to me, is a bit of a wild card, and not in a bad way. We'll see how he does.

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The Jets elected not to pick up Milliner's fifth-year option for the 2017 season, which makes this year a true prove-it campaign for the former top-10 pick. He proved early in his career he can be effective, but he'll have to prove he's durable enough to live up to his lofty potential.

Browns QB Robert Griffin III

David Dermer/Associated Press

Washington traded a truckload of draft picks in 2012 to move up just four spots, but they were convinced Robert Griffin III was the dynamic playmaker at quarterback who could take them back to the promised land.

But while the Heisman Trophy winner looked impressive as a rookie—leading Washington to the playoffs while throwing 20 touchdowns and rushing for seven more—the effects of a knee injury suffered late that year would linger. Kirk Cousins would eventually supplant Griffin as the starter, and this led to the Baylor product's release this offseason.

After the Browns signed Griffin to a two-year deal worth $15 million, head coach Hue Jackson told Peter King of MMQB that Griffin knows these second chances don't come around too often in the NFL:

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When I looked in his eyes. I see a young man who’s been kicked around a little bit. When we talked, there was a humility to him. He took ownership of what happened to him, of what he needs to work on to be good. He knows he played a big part in what happened. There are still questions to address and work to be done. He knows. In this league, you don’t always get another chance like this. Here’s one.

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The only other thing the Browns did to address the quarterback situation was spend a third-round pick on USC's Cody Kessler—a pick that surprised many who had projected Kessler to go in the later rounds.

That gives Griffin a clear path to return to a starting role in the NFL and a chance to prove he can still be the difference-maker he was early in his career in Washington. It looks like all of Cleveland's hopes for at least the 2016 season will rest on his shoulders.

Cowboys CB Morris Claiborne

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The Cowboys jumped up into the top 10 of the 2012 draft to grab cornerback Morris Claiborne, in hopes he would quickly become a top-shelf cover man to build their secondary around.

Instead, Claiborne has been inconsistent at best and nonexistent at worst. In 36 starts over four seasons, Claiborne has managed just three interceptions—none of which came in 2015 despite starting 11 games.

Claiborne re-signed with Dallas on a one-year deal this offseason, which is a sign the team isn't quite ready to give up on the former LSU star. As ESPN.com's Todd Archer pointed out, Claiborne has the talent to succeed, but injuries haven't helped:

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Claiborne has the tools. He has the size the Cowboys want. He can run. He has long arms. But the package has not come together mostly because of injuries. He missed five games last year because of ankle and hamstring injuries. He missed 12 games in 2014 because of a torn patellar tendon but made a tremendous comeback from a serious injury.

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The Cowboys still don't have a true difference-maker at corner, and it looks like they're still holding out hope Claiborne can finally become that player in 2016. If he can't stay healthy and prove he can make impact plays, he could end up joining the long list of top-10 draft busts who never lived up to the hype.

Honorable Mentions

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ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 1: Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass against the St. Louis Rams in the first quarter at the Edward Jones Dome on November 1, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)

49ers QB Colin Kaepernick

There was plenty of offseason talk about Kaepernick being traded, but there wasn't enough fire behind the smoke. Once a dynamic playmaker who piloted the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, the former second-round pick has a skill set that should be a perfect fit for new head coach Chip Kelly's offense. Can he stay healthy and return to his early-career form?

Packers WR Davante Adams

After a promising rookie campaign in 2014, Adams was expected to make a big jump in 2015, especially when forced to step up due to injuries suffered by others in his position group. Instead, Adams caught just one touchdown over 12 starts and averaged less than 10 yards per reception while struggling mightily with drops. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will need him to turn in a huge bounce-back year for the Packers offense to run on all cylinders this season.

Bears CB Kyle Fuller

A top-15 pick in 2014, Fuller looked solid enough as a rookie, but he struggled early in his sophomore season while acclimating to a new scheme and coaching staff. He showed improvement as the 2015 season wore on, but he still hasn't looked like the kind of shutdown cover man teams expect when they spend such a high pick at the position. The Bears need Fuller to pick up where he left off last year and continue his upward swing.