How Are The Big-Name Rookies Performing Early In 2021 season?

The 2021/22 NFL season is well underway now so the leading rookies from the 2021 NFL Draft have had plenty of time to settle into the league. Here is a look at how they have performed and if the early signs point to them having a lot of success with their franchise

Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Pittsburgh Steelers desperately struggled to rush the ball in 2020, so they added Najee Harris in the first round of the draft.

The Alabama graduate was the first running back off the board and has notable accolades on his track record already: Harris won the National Championship twice with Alabama and rushed for a whopping 46 touchdowns in 51 games during his college career. Harris is also very capable as a receiver with a safe pair of hands, as he has shown in the early stages of the campaign.

.@Steelers rookie RB Najee Harris was once homeless. He knows the community lacks essential services like cancer screenings.

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— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2021

With Harris behind veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers offense is looking much stronger than 2020. Pittsburgh have NFL odds of +6600 this season. If they find some momentum in the middle stage of the season, they could be one of the surprise packages.

As you can see in the NFL news, Harris has scored two touchdowns from his opening five games. He looks like a real threat and has wasted no time adapting to professional football.

Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Trevor Lawrence was the number one pick in the 2021 NFL Draft so a lot was expected of him at Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately for the AFC South team, it has been a tough start to the season as they are 0-5 through their opening five games.

Lawrence has shown glimpses of his talent, particularly with his arm. He has recorded six touchdowns through those first five games. Unfortunately, there have also been eight interceptions.

Unlike the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Lamar Jackson, Lawrence has not had the chance to work under an experienced QB in his opening year in the NFL. He has been thrown straight into the team so he is having to learn very quickly.

The up-and-coming star scored 90 touchdowns in his three years of college football and also recorded over 10,000 passing yards in that period, so fans have every right to be excited about their new franchise quarterback. They will be patient in 2021 and hope he settles better in the second half of the campaign.

Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons)

Florida’s Kyle Pitts was the highest selected tight end in NFL history, which shows you how desperate the Atalanta Falcons were to land their man. The 2020 John Mackey Award winner had an brilliant campaign last year in the SEC and could very well be in the perfect place to develop as his head coach, Arthur Smith, is a former tight-end coach. He has also joined a team in the midst of rebuilding mode following Julio Jones’ trade to the Tennessee Titans.

At 6ft 6in and weighing 245lb, Pitts is already looking formidable presence on the field. The Falcons expect him to be difficult for defenses to handle, in the same way, that Rob Gronkowski was for the New England Patriots and remains for the Tampa Buccaneers. Pitts should also act as an excellent blocker.

The new Falcons tight end scored the opening touchdown of his career in London in his side’s comprehensive victory over the New York Jets. He had a huge breakthrough game in the UK.

Despite his size, Pitts has the same ability as a wide receiver. He obviously offers so much more than that to his team. The early signs suggest he is going to be one of the best in the league at his position.

All three players will be hoping to be in contention for the Rookie of the Season Award at the end of the campaign. With a lot of football still to be played, there is still time for them to make their case.