Jake Locker and 7 NFL Rookies Still Completely Invisible

Jake Locker leads a class of rookies in the NFL who are still completely invisible when the games go down on Sundays.

There is no guarantee for any rookie that they will be an integral part of their team's success, but some players and their teams wish they at least had a little more to show for their investment.

Some players have been invisible through no fault of their own due to injuries, some have simply underwhelmed their respective coaching staffs and are in the doghouse, and some, like Jake Locker, haven't seen action due to the outstanding performances of others.

Regardless of the reasons, I'm sure these players would like to play on Sundays.

Jimmy Smith: Baltimore Ravens

Coming out of Colorado, Jimmy Smith was one of the players many draft experts were high on.

His combination of speed, size and press coverage skills were highly coveted. Many people thought Smith was the best defensive back prospect outside of Patrick Peterson.

He has yet to crack the lineup on Sundays however. Ladarius Webb and Cary Williams have the starting jobs on lock-down, while Chris Carr is used in three-corner sets. We'll see how Smith responds from his ankle injury this week.

So far this season, Jimmy Smith has recorded one tackle.

Bruce Carter: Dallas Cowboys

Bruce Carter was one of the handful of stellar prospects to come out of North Carolina in the 2011 NFL Draft.

NFL.com's Mike Mayock said before the draft that Carter was healthy and was a top 15 talent, and the Dallas Cowboys were happy to call his name with the 40th overall pick on draft day.

So far, the former college-standout has failed to live up to expectations; he has only contributed three tackles.

In his defense, Carter does play behind a couple of decent linebackers.

Nick Fairley: Detroit Lions

Coming out of Auburn University, Nick Fairley was considered to be one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the 2011 NFL Draft.

When the Detroit Lions drafted him with the 13th overall pick to pair him with Ndamukong Suh, people expected the two of them to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

Fairley needed surgery to repair damage to his foot and has never really got going due to health issues however.

He has managed only two tackles thus far.

Prince Amukamara: New York Giants

Prince Amukamara was all over mock draft boards last March and April. Nobody could figure out where he would land, and many had him going to San Francisco at No. 7.

But, as it happens every year, Amukamara was one of the guys who waited in the green room longer than desired.

Finally, with the 19th pick, the New York Giants were all too happy to swoop in and snag his services.

After holding out for a better contract and missing part of training camp, Amukamara broke his foot three days after signing said contract.

Amukamara is listed as questionable this week, but is optimistic that he will make his debut tomorrow night against Philadelphia.

Colin Kaepernick: San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers made a bold draft day decision when they moved up to the top of the second round to call Colin Kaepernick's name.

He fits the mold for what head coach Jim Harbaugh likes to do on offense. So far this season, Kaepernick has not been asked to do much more than hold a clipboard.

He did manage some garbage time in the 49ers' blowout win over the Tampa Bay Bucs, looking good and going 3-of-3 in limited action. 

Forty-niner fans aren't too disappointed in Kaepernick's invisibility, however, as Alex Smith has finally begun to play like the No. 1 overall pick he was drafted to be.

Da'Quan Bowers: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Da'Quon Bowers was considered by most to be one of the best prospects in the 2011 draft—until the questions about his knees arose, that is.

After a poorly designed and badly executed workout for NFL teams, Bowers' draft stock took a dive. They weren't convinced he could stay healthy for the long term, as he just did not look very explosive.

He has mostly been an invisible non-factor for the Buccaneers so far this season. He has only recorded eight tackles and hasn't gotten a single sack.

Jake Locker: Tennessee Titans

Jake Locker is a phenomenal athlete and has the tools you look for in an elite quarterback.

Still, the Tennessee Titans surprised many people when they decided to roll with the young gun-slinger out of Washington with the eighth overall pick. 

Another move the Titans made was in luring crome-domed Matt Hasselbeck to come in and tutor the young kid. Hasselbeck was considered to be an acceptable stop-gap to help Locker transition and develop into a franchise quarterback.

Nobody is really wondering about when Locker might play, because the old man is lighting things up this season for the Titans. 

With the Houston Texans' Matt Schaub out for the season, the Tennessee Titans have a chance to steal the division. Locker will have to wait until next year.