6 NFL rookies who will be letdowns in year one

These NFL rookies won’t live up to their 2020 draft billing in their first seasons.

No NFL team selects a player in the NFL Draft with the intention of that player not being a long-term contributor for the franchise. That’s especially true when it comes to first-round picks. One of the adages around the league from teams and analysts alike is that Round 1 players are expected to be immediate contributors. Of course, that isn’t always the way things play out.

By nature, the NFL Draft is a crapshoot. The best scouts in the world can miss on prospects from time to time. Some first-round picks bust out to the point that they don’t even see a second NFL contract. Others hang around the league but never realize the star potential that the team that drafted them believed they had. But there are also those that look like busts early on and then turn things around.

Subsequently, as we look at rookies from the 2020 NFL Draft class who could be letdowns in their first seasons in the pros, this isn’t labeling these players busts. Rather, it’s a look at players who are expected to be huge contributors in year one but won’t live up to that, even if they still have bright futures in the league.

Note: All college stats via Sports Reference. All NFL stats via Pro Football Reference.

6. Mekhi Becton, OT, New York Jets

There simply aren’t many human beings who can measure in at 6-7, 367 pounds with the ability to run the 40-yard dash in 5.10 seconds. That’s exactly who New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton is, however, and it’s why Gang Green selected him with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

For a team like the Jets that was so devoid of quality offensive line play last season, Becton arrives and might be the best player on the entire unit already. Yes, the Jets rebuilt the line in free agency but did so with journeying veterans rather than landing any real player of consequence. Thus, the rookie is the best of the bunch.

What New York has around Becton, though, inherently puts the Louisville product in a tough spot. He’s going to have little protection around him in the trenches, meaning he’s often going to be left out on an island. And while he can have success there, that’s somewhat problematic.

Coming into the draft, all four analysts at The Draft Network who had a scouting report for Becton praised his ceiling and ability in the run game but also noted his need for technical refinement, especially in the passing game. That’s not the type of player you want left on an island with no NFL experience.

More than that, nothing we’ve seen from Adam Gase as a head coach leads me to believe that he’s a truly capable offensive mind in the league, which won’t help a young lineman either. Subsequently, this feels like Becton could have more growing pains than expected in the 2020 season.