Which NFL Players Have the Most to Prove in 2017?

Now that we have a general idea of what most NFL rosters will look like in the fall, we can take a look at projected depth charts to get a feel for which players have something extra to prove in 2017. 

In fact, we made a list.  

Some of these players are youngsters looking to take the next step or redeem themselves after slow starts. Others are veterans feeling the heat. Some are trying to avoid the "bust" label, while others are trying to prove they were not overpaid. 

All of them have work to do. 

Everybody has something to prove in this league, from reigning MVP Matt Ryan down to undrafted rookie punter Matt Haack. But here are 25 players from 14 teams who might soon be really feeling that pressure.

Blake Bortles

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have rebuilt. The defense has young talent and experience at all three levels, the receiving corps is strong, the offensive line should be a lot better in 2017, and the running game has a shiny new weapon in rookie first-round pick Leonard Fournette. 

Now they just need to get something out of fourth-year quarterback Blake Bortles. 

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 draft has by most indications regressed. His rate-based stats sunk pretty much across the board in his third season, so Year 4 should give us a feel for whether he'll ever become a franchise quarterback in Jacksonville. 

If Bortles can't improve his completion percentage (58.8 in three years), his yards-per-attempt average (6.2 in 2016) and his record (the Jags are 11-34 in Bortles starts), Jacksonville will be forced to extend that rebuild by looking for a new quarterback in 2018.

Andrew Luck

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The Indianapolis Colts won't give up on franchise quarterback Andrew Luck no matter how he performs in 2017, but they need the former No. 1 overall pick to finally become a superstar in his sixth NFL season. 

That's right. Hard to believe, but it's already Year 6 for Luck, who made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons but hasn't been back since. Injuries and a lack of support have certainly factored in, but that doesn't change the fact Luck has to prove he can avoid big hits, stay healthy and lead the Colts back to the playoffs in 2017.

Tyrod Taylor

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After he put together a surprise Pro Bowl campaign in 2015, the Buffalo Bills rewarded quarterback Tyrod Taylor with a six-year, $92 million contract extension. But the 27-year-old responded by failing to lead the Bills to the playoffs while seeing his numbers decline in 2016. 

Since that aforementioned contract was essentially a year-to-year deal, a lot of folks figured that'd be it for Taylor in Buffalo, especially with a new coaching staff taking over. But he agreed to restructure his deal, saving the Bills from having to make a tough decision while also potentially costing himself money on the open market. 

Now he's looking at a make-or-break age-28 season, with the increasingly impatient Bills likely prepared to move on if Taylor can't deliver in 2017. 

Carson Wentz

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The 2017 season might not make or break Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, but it should give us a strong indication as to whether or not the 2016 No. 2 overall pick has what it takes to become a star. 

Which Wentz will show up in 2017: the cool leader who looked like a franchise quarterback while posting a 103.5 passer rating during Philadelphia's 3-1 start last season, or the raw North Dakota State product who threw only nine touchdown passes to 13 interceptions while looking like he was in over his head the rest of the way?

Kirk Cousins

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If indeed he plays under the franchise tag for the second consecutive year, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins will have by far the highest base salary in the NFL next season.

Either he makes that $23.9 million in his third season as a full-time starter or he signs a lucrative long-term deal. Either way, a ton of pressure will be on Cousins to take the Redskins deep into the playoffs. 

During his first two full seasons as a starter, Cousins posted the sixth-highest passer rating in the NFL. In that span, only three quarterbacks have passed for more yards than Cousins' 9,083, yet 12 have thrown more interceptions. And his 7.91 yards-per-attempt average ranks fifth. 

But if he can't up his game in 2017, none of that will matter.

Jared Goff

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Some of these are real simple. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 draft but is coming off a miserable rookie campaign. He'll likely get another shot in 2018 regardless of what happens in 2017, but he'll still face a lot of pressure trying to prove he won't become this decade's JaMarcus Russell. 

Goff will have experienced a full offseason in Los Angeles this time, and if he can't deliver with new Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth protecting his blind side, people will start using the B word.

Paul Perkins

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Many were surprised that after ranking 29th in the NFL with a team yards-per-attempt average of just 3.5 last season, the New York Giants didn't sign a high-profile free-agent running back and didn't select one in the first two days of the NFL draft.

That puts a lot on 2016 fifth-round pick Paul Perkins, who, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, has already been named the starting running back by head coach Ben McAdoo.

The UCLA product emerged as New York's No. 1 back late in the regular season, averaging 4.5 yards per carry in December and January. If he can pick up where he left off, the Giants offense will benefit greatly from the get-go. But if that was a flash in the pan, that unit could be in big trouble.

Ty Montgomery

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It felt a bit like a lark when the injury-ravaged Green Bay Packers started using wide receiver Ty Montgomery as a semi-regular running back last season, but the 24-year-old averaged 5.9 yards per carry while emerging as the best option Green Bay had late in the year. 

Still, few expected the Packers to turn Montgomery into the permanent starting running back in 2017. But Green Bay didn't touch the free-agent running back market and didn't select a back until the third day of the draft. 

The Packers did draft three backs on the last day and added a couple of undrafted free agents, but with Don Jackson and Christine Michael gone, Montgomery is the only back on the roster with any NFL experience. 

No pressure.

Todd Gurley

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He's still only 22 years old, but it feels as though Rams running back Todd Gurley's career is going to be determined in 2017. 

The No. 10 overall pick of the 2015 draft was often unstoppable as a rookie. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and went over 125 yards a league-high five times. But a lack of support and balance in Los Angeles caught up to the home-run hitter in 2016, and Gurley failed to rush for more than 85 yards even once while averaging just 3.2 yards per carry. 

In terms of DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement), Football Outsiders ranked him 37th among 42 backs with a minimum of 100 rushing attempts. 

With Goff in his first full season as a starter and Whitworth on board, there'll be no excuses if Gurley has another season like that in 2017. 

Breshad Perriman

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Another 2015 first-round skill player who has failed to live up to expectations is No. 26 overall selection Breshad Perriman, who missed his entire rookie season due to injury and then caught just 33 passes for 499 yards and scored just three touchdowns in 16 games as a sophomore. 

Veteran Steve Smith retired, but the Ravens didn't draft a single wide receiver or make any high-profile signings, leaving Perriman to work with Mike Wallace.

If he can't become quarterback Joe Flacco's go-to target in 2017, Perriman's career could be in jeopardy. 

Sammy Watkins

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The Buffalo Bills forfeited two 2015 draft picks (a first-rounder and a fourth-rounder) in order to select wide receiver Sammy Watkins fourth overall in 2014, and it's beginning to look as though that was a bad decision by the previous regime.

Watkins has yet to make a Pro Bowl and has just one full season under his belt. He's missed 11 games in the last two years due to injury, and the Bills have declined to pick up his fifth-year option for 2018. In fact, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News has doubts the team is motivated to keep him around beyond the 2017 campaign. 

The Clemson product is still only 23, so there's a chance he straightens out and becomes the special receiver Buffalo hoped he'd be. But in order to do that, he'll have to stay on the field and finally put up elite numbers in his fourth pro season. 

Terrelle Pryor

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The Washington Redskins lost two veteran 1,000-yard receivers in free agency before signing athletic quarterback-turned-receiver Terrelle Pryor to move into a starting role. 

Despite the fact he has just one full season under his belt at the position, the 27-year-old Pryor essentially becomes the elder statesman in a receiving corps that will also rely heavily on youngsters Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder.

If he can't deliver on a one-year, $6 million prove-it contract, he'll likely be out. But if he comes through, he'll become a very rich man next spring. 

Jared Cook

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Veteran tight end Jared Cook is coming off the hottest stretch of his eight-year NFL career, which is why expectations are so high for the 30-year-old in his first year with the Oakland Raiders.

Cook will be counted on to play a major role as a security blanket for franchise quarterback Derek Carr and provide an extra weapon in an offense that relied heavily last year on receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.

But was his hot finish to 2016—he caught 13 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay's final two playoff games—an anomaly? And how much did he benefit from being part of the hottest offense in the NFL?

Cook has plenty to prove in a new setting in 2017.

Matt Kalil

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The Carolina Panthers gave offensive tackle Matt Kalil $31 million guaranteed on a five-year, $55.5 million contract this offseason, making him the fifth-highest-paid offensive tackle in football in terms of guaranteed money. That despite the fact the soon-to-be 28-year-old surrendered 18 sacks and took 22 penalties as one of the lowest-graded offensive tackles in the league in 2014 and 2015, per Pro Football Focus, before missing most of the 2016 campaign due to a hip injury.

Few would disagree with the notion that the 2012 No. 4 overall pick was a bust with the Minnesota Vikings. Now he has a chance to salvage his career while protecting superstar quarterback Cam Newton's blind side.

Maybe playing alongside his brother Ryan will help. But the center can't help him block edge-rushers. If Kalil can't do that a heck of a lot better in Carolina than he did in Minnesota, the team might quickly regret investing heavily in him. 

Ereck Flowers

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Second-year No. 9 overall pick Ereck Flowers surrendered more quarterback pressures than any other left tackle in the NFL in 2016, according to PFF, and he was graded by the same source as the worst offensive tackle in football as a rookie.

And yet the Giants didn't get involved in sweepstakes for hyped offensive tackles in free agency or invest in a tackle early in the draft (they didn't add one until taking Pittsburgh's Adam Bisnowaty in Round 6). 

General manager Jerry Reese has expressed confidence in Flowers on the blind side, and it looks as though he'll get another full season to prove himself in 2017. But if he can't come through, his fifth-year option won't likely be picked up next offseason. 

Joel Bitonio

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Only five NFL interior offensive linemen possess contracts with more guaranteed money than Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio, who signed a six-year, $51 million extension this offseason despite the fact he has just 31 starts and three NFL seasons under his belt. 

The Browns felt strongly enough about Bitonio that they didn't want to risk exposing him to free agency next offseason, which is an interesting gamble considering that the 25-year-old has missed 17 games the last two years. 

The 2014 second-round pick was phenomenal as a rookie and was lit it up again in 2016 before a foot injury cost him the remainder of his third season in October. 

A third consecutive season derailed by injuries could cause the Browns to feel buyer's remorse. A healthy season could allow Bitonio to reach the next level on the path to stardom. 

J.J. Watt

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Three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt hasn't been healthy since 2014. The Houston Texans defensive end played hurt in 2015, but still dominated. Then he underwent three surgical procedures in a nine-month span in 2016, the last of which forced him to shut things down just three weeks into the 2016 campaign. 

His back, which was operated on twice last year, is better now, and he's able to practice without limitations. That's wonderful news for a Texans team that had the league's top-rated defense even without Watt last season. 

Now the question is whether the 28-year-old can get back to where he was before his body began to let him down in 2015. 

Watt is already one of the best players of his generation. But in order to cement his Hall of Fame legacy, he'll have to stay healthy and return to form as soon as possible. 

Dante Fowler Jr.

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Blake Bortles isn't the only talented young top-three pick the Jaguars are relying on to put it all together in 2017. Pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. was chosen third overall one year after Bortles, and yet two years later, he has just four sacks, 32 tackles and one career start under his belt. 

Fowler tore his left ACL just days after the Jags drafted him, causing him to miss his entire rookie season. He played in all 16 games in 2016 but had just two sacks during the final 14 weeks while dealing with a shoulder injury. 

It's also concerning that his playing time decreased down the stretch. He'll get a lot of opportunities to prove himself in 2017, but the Jags can't keep putting him out there based solely on the fact he was a high draft pick. 

Fowler has to start living up to expectations right now, or there's no chance Jacksonville will pick up his fifth-year option next offseason. 

Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland

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The Bills need Sammy Watkins to prove his worth on offense in 2016, but they also have a prove-it two-for-one on the other side of the ball with their top two picks from the 2016 draft, Shaq Lawson and Reggie Ragland. 

Lawson had his rookie season derailed by an offseason shoulder injury and recorded just two sacks and 13 tackles in 10 appearances (one start). But now the No. 19 overall pick will be tasked with replacing the departed Mario Williams as a starting edge-rusher opposite Jerry Hughes. 

Meanwhile, a knee injury cost Ragland his entire rookie season, but the second-round pick is expected to enter camp as a starting middle linebacker. He'll be tasked with replacing departed Pro Bowler Zach Brown. 

There were high expectations for both front-seven defenders last year, and then injuries got in the way. Both will have big opportunities to make up for lost time in 2017. 

Nick Perry

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Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Nick Perry experienced a breakout season with a team-leading 11 sacks and was a superb run-defender in 2016.

Now, the 2012 first-round pick has to prove that wasn't an aberration. The Packers lost Julius Peppers and Datone Jones in free agency and didn't select any edge defenders on the first two nights of the draft. Instead, they put a bunch of eggs into Perry's basket, re-signing the 27-year-old to a five-year, $59 million contract. 

His snap count should skyrocket in 2017, and he'll have to put together another double-digit sack campaign in order to live up to the new deal and the larger role. 

A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey

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OK so a lot of Jacksonville Jaguars have to prove themselves in 2017, which makes sense considering that the Jags could fairly be described as "a talented 3-13 team." 

Not only do Bortles and Fowler have a lot to prove as recent high draft picks on both sides of the ball, but Jacksonville's top two cornerbacks face plenty of pressure entering what could be a make-or-break season for the entire roster. 

One—A.J. Bouye—is a high-priced free agent who signed the most lucrative contract on the market in March, despite the fact he's never been to a Pro Bowl and has just 19 starts under his belt. The other—Jalen Ramsey—put up stellar advanced numbers while intercepting two passes and starting all 16 games as a rookie No. 5 overall pick last season. 

Those two could become one of the best corner duos in the NFL, but Bouye has to show us he can continue to shut down opposing receivers the way he did down the stretch in 2016 and Ramsey has to show us he can continue to evolve toward stardom. 

Damarious Randall

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The good news is that 2015 Packers first-round pick Damarious Randall has six interceptions just 25 games into his NFL career, and the cornerback is just a year removed from a stellar rookie campaign. The bad news is he appeared to regress in coverage while battling injuries in 2016. 

Enough so that the Pack brought back veteran Davon House in free agency and used the No. 33 overall pick on big Washington cornerback Kevin King. 

Randall's fifth-year option will either be earned or lost this season, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him become a star or a bust. He certainly has the skill and the playmaking ability to be a No. 1 corner, but if he can't stay healthy or consistently productive, the Packers might lose patience. 

Tony Jefferson

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Tony Jefferson is coming off a strong season in which PFF graded him as the second-best safety in football when defending the run, but the 25-year-old had just 17 starts under his belt prior to that. Undrafted in 2013, he was a role player before breaking out in a solid Arizona Cardinals defense, and that opportunity might have only come because the superior Tyrann Mathieu got hurt.

That didn't stop the Ravens from making Jefferson the ninth-highest-paid safety in the NFL with a four-year, $34 million contract in March. 

Baltimore already had a star safety with Eric Weddle on board, and the Ravens let key offensive cogs Mathieu and Rick Wagner walk in free agency. So if Jefferson doesn't become a star in 2017, the Ravens will rightly take heat for a luxury signing. 

That said, don't be surprised if he does indeed flourish there.