Former 1st-Round NFL Draft Picks with the Most Untapped Potential

The NFL draft is far from a sure thing. Even players taken in the first round can flame out or fail to develop into reliable starters—and that's if they even get a reasonable opportunity to flourish.

Whether due to poor schematic fit, under-utilization or a poor supporting cast, some players simply haven gotten the chance to reach their full potential. These are the players we'll be examining here.

We'll take a look at some recent first-round picks—with three or fewer years of NFL experience—who have flashed talent either as a pro or coming into the NFL but have yet to be unleashed. What's been holding them back and what can be done to realize their on-field potential? Let's take a look.

On the latest episode of The Lefkoe Show, Packers legends Greg Jennings stops by the podcast to finally put to bed the argument that has concerned football fans for years: Is his Madden Youtube clip the most legendary video on the internet? Well, watch his impression of the clip, and you'll agree that the answer is a resounding yes. Also, he opens up about his very public criticism (but massive admiration) for Aaron Rodgers, his quarterback for so many successful seasons. Keep tuning in all year long for more fun roundtable guests and exciting football chat!

Solomon Thomas, DL, San Francisco 49ers

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When the San Francisco 49ers drafted Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas with the third overall pick in 2017, they expected to be adding a premier pass-rusher. This isn't what San Francisco has gotten, however, as Thomas has often been an afterthought in the team's pass-rushing plans.

Thomas has only 6.0 sacks in 40 career games. That's one sack fewer than rookie Nick Bosa has in 10 outings.

The presence of players like Bosa has limited Thomas' on-field opportunities. Even before the Niners drafted Bosa in April, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner were the focus of their pass rush. That often prevented Thomas from playing on the interior defensive line, which seems to be a more natural fit for him than end.

With Bosa and offseason acquisition Dee Ford in the fold, Thomas is even more of a role player.

The 49ers defensive line is deep, which is going to make it difficult for Thomas to fully flourish. His best chance at stardom may involve a change of scenery.

Josh Rosen, QB, Miami Dolphins

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Former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen was one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2018 draft, and in the eyes of some, he was its most polished prospect.

"Josh Rosen's footwork and mechanics make him as pretty a quarterback as you will find in this year's draft," NFL Media's Lance Zierlein wrote before the draft.

Since he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, virtually everything has been stacked against Rosen. He suffered from terrible offensive line play as a rookie—he was sacked 45 times in 14 games—along with a lack of weapons. He was then traded to the Miami Dolphins, who have traded away several key players for future draft picks. 

The Miami offense is devoid of playmakers, and that's made it difficult for Rosen to succeed. He's also been in and out of the starting lineup due to the presence of journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Though the arm talent and football IQ appear to be present, there's still no telling how good of a pro Rosen can be. That's likely to remain a mystery until Rosen finds himself on a roster with a solid supporting cast and coaching staff willing to give him a full-season run. 

Hayden Hurst, TE, Baltimore Ravens

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The Baltimore Ravens have the league's hottest young quarterback in Lamar Jackson. Since they drafted tight end Hayden Hurst seven spots ahead of Jackson in the 2018 draft, one might assume he is also an ascending player.

However, Hurst wasn't the only tight end that the Ravens drafted in 2018.

Third-round pick Mark Andrews, who has 598 yards and six touchdowns this season, is the budding star at the position for Baltimore. With Nick Boyle also on the roster, Hurst hasn't had a ton of opportunities.

"Our three tight ends are playing well," offensive coordinator Greg Roman explained, via the team's official website. "They’re all young guys, relatively speaking, and we look forward to them continuing to improve and make an impact."

Through 22 career games, Hurst has only 33 receptions, 355 yards and two touchdowns. It might take an injury or a change of scenery for Hurst to become a No. 1 receiving tight end.

John Ross III, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

John Froschauer/Associated Press

The Cincinnati Bengals took wideout John Ross III with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft, and the former Washington standout's potential has never been in question. Ross set a combine record with a 4.22-second 40-yard dash. He scored a whopping 17 touchdown in 2016 alone.

The problems for Ross have been twofold. He was injured and struggled to adapt to the pro game as a rookie and finished his first season without a catch. In 2018, he was stuck behind A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd on the depth chart and again missed time with injuries.

At the start of this season, however, Green was on injured reserve, and the Bengals finally got a look at what Ross can be. In his first four games, he caught 16 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns—the sort of production Cincinnati likely envisioned when it took Ross.

Ross was on pace for a 1,312-yard, 12-touchdown campaign.

Unfortunately, he landed on injured reserve with a clavicle injury, so those big numbers never materialized. However, Ross has the potential to amass them if he can stay healthy for a full 16 games and build chemistry with Cincinnati's starting quarterback—whoever that is—next season.

Taco Charlton, DE, Miami Dolphins

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Pass-rusher Taco Charlton was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 28th pick in the 2017 draft. While he showed some promise as a situational pass-rusher, Charlton was mostly a backup in his first two seasons with Dallas. Then he was a healthy scratch for two weeks in 2019 before being released.

Charlton was claimed by the Dolphins and has started to realize some of his potential, amassing 4.0 sacks in seven games. That's the same number of sacks Charlton had in his two seasons with the Cowboys.

Perhaps Charlton wasn't a good fit for coordinator Rod Marinelli's defense. Perhaps Miami head coach Brian Flores has recognized how to get more out of the former Michigan star. 

Miami is not loaded with defensive talent, so Charlton could continue being a key cog for Flores moving forward. If so, the Dolphins might be able to unleash the potential that Dallas couldn't, and a double-digit-sack season could be on the horizon.

Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks

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Now nearing the end of his second pro season, 2018 27th overall pick Rashaad Penny has largely been an afterthought in the Seattle Seahawks offense. He's only seen 36 carries this season and has a mere 121 carries since being drafted.

However, Penny's lack of opportunities isn't because of a lack of ability. The former San Diego State star has averaged a solid 4.8 yards per carry and 9.1 yards per reception as a pro. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Lions were even willing to part with a third-round pick before the trade deadline—a high price for the position—to acquire him.

Penny's potential has not gone unnoticed.

The issue is that Penny sits behind starting back Chris Carson, one of the best up-and-coming runners in the league. Carson has rushed for 853 yards and 4.3 yards per carry and has given Seattle little reason to take him off the field.

An agile back at 220 pounds, Penny has the skill set to be a quality NFL starter. What he needs is an opportunity, and that might not happen in Seattle as long as Carson remains healthy.

David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns

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Though he has flashed potential during his two-plus NFL seasons, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku has had a career that's more about potential than results. He had a strong sophomore campaign in 2018—639 receiving yards and four touchdowns—but Njoku could be an All-Pro-type player.

At 6'4" and 246 pounds and with 4.64 speed, Njoku is the sort of athletic mismatch at tight end modern offensive coordinators drool over. However, he's been held back by a variety of factors.

Most recently it's been the injury bug. Njoku has been on injured reserve since Week 2 with a broken wrist. In his rookie season, it was poor play from quarterback DeShone Kizer. The fact that Cleveland has had three offensive play-callers in Njoku's three seasons hasn't helped matters.

If healthy and with a better offensive situation, Njoku could be a star. He isn't a bust like fellow Browns draft disappointment Corey Coleman, but he hasn't broken out just yet either.

O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Like Njoku, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard has the physical profile of an elite tight end. The 19th overall pick in 2017, Howard has the size (6'6", 251 lbs) and receiving skills to be a premier receiving weapon, but Howard has yet to fully emerge.

Howard's best season so far was 2018, during which he caught 34 passes for 565 yards and five touchdowns. His 16.6 yards-per-reception average that year (the same as 2017) shows what kind of downfield threat Howard can be. However, his opportunities have been limited by the presence of fellow tight end Cameron Brate.

The hiring of head coach Bruce Arians this past offseason also seems to be affecting Howard's opportunities. Arians just doesn't appear as high on Howard as the previous regime was.

"He's a talented, talented guy, but it's not showing up on Sundays," Arians said of Howard, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.

It may take a change of scenery for Howard to reach his full potential.