Grading Every 2021 1st-Round Rookie in the NFL

A hyped 2021 first-round draft class has left its early mark on the NFL, in some cases helping to change the landscape as fans know it. 

Three games in, it's time to step back and dish some early grades for each first-round pick. Some of these will be incomplete, while the rest are based on the player's journey since the draft and through their first pro games.

Keep in mind, a poor grade might be more the fault of circumstances, not the rookie himself. Either way, grades are subject to change for better or worse as the first-year players work through their 17-game debuts. 

It has been tougher-than-expected sledding for Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

While the Jaguars started 0-3, the rookie quarterback completed just 54.2 percent of his passes and had five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Over his first two games, he threw uncatchable passes on 36 percent of his attempts, the highest mark in the league, according to Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson. 

On one hand, Lawrence is probably trying to do too much while working with the NFL's worst roster. But he's turning the ball over way too much, including a sloppy, weak-armed pick-six after a flea flicker in a 31-19 loss to Arizona last week. 

Fans have been spoiled with great rookie-passer performances lately, which doesn't help the perception of Lawrence's debut. But his turnovers bring the grade down quite a bit.

Grade: C

Zach Wilson started fine in his Week 1 debut with the New York Jets, throwing two touchdowns and one interception in a 19-14 loss to Carolina. 

Since, the signal-caller has thrown no touchdowns and six interceptions in two blowout losses.

It's been shades of Sam Darnold (five INTs in his first three games as a rookie), though much of the blame goes to the Jets. The offensive line is a disaster (15 sacks allowed), the running game can't average even four yards per carry and the coaching inexplicably isn't often using Wilson on designed rollouts, an area where he excelled in college. 

Wilson's got the natural skill set to succeed, but brutal growing pains have been made worse by a poor situation. 

Grade: C

The San Francisco 49ers have remained true to their word, rolling with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback despite using droves of capital to trade up to No. 3 and take Trey Lance. 

In two appearances, Lance has one passing attempt, which went for a touchdown, as did one of his four rushing attempts. 

While Lance has been efficient as a scorer, it's hard to grade a guy who has played seven snaps over two games. He had a solid preseason, but for now, he'll stay relegated to situational, creative sub-packages. 

Grade: Incomplete

Fair or not, gargantuan expectations will chase Kyle Pitts at every turn after the Atlanta Falcons made him the highest-drafted tight end ever. 

That's been a loose positional classification, though, as he's played the majority of his snaps in the slot or out on the boundary. In Week 1, he was in the former 23 times and the latter 14 times, per Establish the Run's Adam Levitan, catching four of his eight targets for 31 yards. 

Part of the problem is the 1-2 Falcons aren't good. Another part is inconsistent usage. Pitts had six targets in Week 2, catching five for 73 yards, and then just three targets in Week 3, mostly going forgotten in the attack until late. 

Some huge games will come since Pitts runs routes on most of Matt Ryan's dropbacks, but he's lost on a struggling team and has been unable to rise above it. 

Grade: C

After some noteworthy drop issues over the Cincinnati Bengals' final two preseason games, Ja'Marr Chase has just a single drop over his team's 2-1 start. 

And he's scored four times. 

The wideout had a touchdown of 40-plus yards in each of his first two games and then torched Pittsburgh for two scores in Week 3. He's the youngest player in NFL history to have at least four receiving touchdowns over his team's first three games, breaking a record held by Randy Moss. 

The rookie is a major part of why the Bengals are 2-1 after they went 6-25-1 over the prior two seasons, and he looks like the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. 

Grade: A+

Jaylen Waddle impressed from the jump, catching four of his five targets in Week 1 and scoring his first touchdown. Since, though, a poor Miami Dolphins passing attack mostly missing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who's on IR with broken ribs, has grounded the receiver's production. 

In Week 2, he caught six of eight targets but managed just 48 yards. And Week 3 was even stranger, as a huge 13 targets turned into 12 catches for just 58 yards, putting him in checkdown running back territory with 4.8 yards per catch. 

Some of this is on the quarterback situation and play-calling, including his own-end zone reception that resulted in a safety in Week 3. But the Dolphins are also counting on Waddle to make things happen after the catch, which hasn't happened often. 

Grade: C

One of the NFL's youngest players, the 20-year-old Penei Sewell got called into action at left tackle for the Detroit Lions to start the season and has looked great. 

Sewell, after an up-and-down summer while learning to play on the edge, seamlessly moved to left tackle after initially starting to learn on the right side and hasn't skipped a beat. According to Pro Football Focus, he has yet to allow a sack. That would mean he hasn't allowed one from the left tackle position since 2018. 

It's not like Sewell had an easy schedule to start, either. Week 1 was a matchup with Nick Bosa and San Francisco, while Green Bay and Baltimore have talented defenses too. 

As the predraft hype suggested, Sewell has a chance to emerge as the best player from his class. 

Grade: A

The Carolina Panthers hoped they found a shutdown corner in Jaycee Horn in the top 10, but it's a little too early to throw out a major verdict on that front. 

He got the starting nod in each of his team's first three games but left the third with a non-contact foot injury and went to injured reserve, where he's expected to miss at least two months, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

During those games, though, Horn let up just two catches on six targets and an interception, according to PFF. He played on 87 percent of the defense's snaps, so the arrow will point firmly up once he's healthy.  

Grade: B

Cornerback Pat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos announced his pro arrival by tallying a pick-six in his preseason debut. He's carried that momentum to the regular season, as he's registered seven tackles, picked off a pass and earned a solid 72.6 PFF grade despite allowing eight catches on 13 targets in three games. 

None of this is surprising, as Surtain had a stellar 90.8 coverage grade at PFF during the preseason.

The transition to the pros has been a breeze, though he'll soon have to deal with much better competition than Jacksonville and both New York teams. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are up next for the Broncos.

Grade: A

DeVonta Smith rounds out an impressive trio of top-10 wideouts. 

The Philadelphia Eagles put Smith to work in Week 1, feeding him eight targets against a bad Atlanta defense. He took full advantage, catching six for 71 yards and his first touchdown. 

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner regressed from there, though, catching just two of his seven looks from Jalen Hurts in Week 2, and then just three of six in Week 3. On one hand, that seven in Week 2 still led the team, as he's got a clear rapport with Hurts, his former Alabama teammate. 

On the other, in Week 3 he slipped on a route, which resulted in a pick-six. But rookie hiccups are expected, and based on early returns, Smith should stay right there with Chase and Waddle. 

Grade: B

The Chicago Bears made waves by trading up to No. 11 to draft quarterback Justin Fields, but then they started veteran Andy Dalton to begin the season. 

Dalton hurt his knee in Week 2, though, so Fields came in and posted a 6-of-13 line with 60 yards and an interception.  

Chicago's coaching staff then catastrophically failed Fields in a 26-6 loss to Cleveland last week. He attempted 20 passes, completing just six for 67 yards while suffering nine sacks. As ESPN's Paul Hembekides pointed out, Chicago only used two designed rollouts and two quarterback runs over 30 dropbacks. 

So while Fields has very much looked the part of a rookie, Dalton's injury threw him unprepared onto the field. Matt Nagy and Co.'s horrific Week 3 game plan takes much of the blame here. 

Grade: C

Three games in, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons has had a trio of stellar performances.

It was easy to second-guess the Cowboys' high selection of a linebacker given some of the names on the roster at the position (Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch). But Parsons has blown the doors off every expectation, drumming up 13 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and two passes defended. 

He's earned an 87.6 PFF grade, which means he's already in the "Pro Bowler" category. Parsons hasn't just been that force in the middle Dallas desperately needed, he's also been an elite pass-rusher, hence the 90.8 pass-rushing grade and eight pressures he had in Week 2. 

The it's early disclaimer applies, but Parsons is on the fast track to being the best defender from his class. 

Grade: A+

Like Sewell, Rashawn Slater of the Los Angeles Chargers has given off early All-Pro hints. 

Tasked with manning left tackle immediately for quarterback Justin Herbert, Slater has been a rock in all facets of the game as his team has stormed to a 2-1 record, including a road upset of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Slater has allowed zero sacks in 218 snaps, per PFF, and he's been flagged just once. 

Doing that against Chase Young and Washington, Parsons and Dallas and Chris Jones and Kansas City is no easy feat, yet Slater already looks like a seasoned veteran. 

Grade: A

Alijah Vera-Tucker, like No. 2 pick Zach Wilson—whom he's tasked with protecting—has been all over the place. 

The Jets guard has started all three games, playing every snap. While he's looked solid as a run-blocker, issues in pass protection are apparent on film and have brought down his PFF grade, which has him at a 62.5 (backup range) after one sack allowed and one penalty. 

Then again, things are so up-and-down for the Jets that Vera-Tucker is one of the team's five highest-graded offensive players. 

What to make of it? Vera-Tucker's a force in the running game but more growing pains elsewhere are fair expectations. 

Grade: C

Mac Jones is one of the more perplexing rookies out there. 

After getting the best of Cam Newton for the New England Patriots' starting QB gig, he's completed 67.5 percent of his attempts with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Head coach Bill Belichick has been comfortable asking him to throw it at least 30 times in each of his first three games, with a high of 51 in Week 3 (he completed 58.8 percent with one score and three picks). 

The Patriots continue to keep it risk-averse for Jones, though. He's hardly taking downfield shots, hence his 3.3 completed air yards per pass attempt, down from Newton's 3.8 last year. Despite this, he has still posted a bad-throw percentage of 12. That's not terrible, per se (Zach Wilson is at 19.6 percent), but he's not taking many risks in the first place. 

Given how safe the Patriots are playing it and the fact that he still threw one pick-six and nearly had another in Week 3, it's safe to expect a slow season as he adapts. 

Grade: C

Linebacker Zaven Collins isn't getting a ton of looks yet, but he's making an impact when he does. 

The Arizona Cardinals rookie has appeared on just 39 percent of his defense's snaps, yet he's got two passes defended and was a standout in Week 3 with his best game as a pro yet. It's easy to envision his playing time and importance to the unit jumping in a hurry. 

A preseason film standout against the run, Collins has continued that when the games have mattered. If he keeps showing well in the passing game (one of his two pass breakups came on third down), it will be hard for Cardinals coaches to justify keeping him on the sideline. 

Grade: B

Things are off to a brutal start for the Las Vegas Raiders' Alex Leatherwood. 

The 22-year-old got the start in Week 1 at right tackle in front of quarterback Derek Carr, left Week 2 early with an oblique injury and then returned for the third game. But the tally sheet isn't great, to put it nicely. 

At PFF, the Alabama product has a 34.6 grade over 200 snaps, which featured four penalties and three sacks allowed. On film, he made some rookie mistakes in his debut and ruined a few drives in Week 2 before exiting with the injury. 

To be fair to Leatherwood, his start hasn't hurt the 3-0 Raiders or a great-looking Carr too much. But on an individual level, the grade is one of the worst from the class. 

Grade: D

It's a "slowly but surely" vibe for defensive end Jaelan Phillips, who continues to see his positive plays climb by the week with the Miami Dolphins. 

Defensive coordinator Josh Boyer told reporters the rookie is getting more looks because of that improvement (though lining up against Leatherwood in Week 3 certainly helped). He's played 40 percent of the defense's snaps and earned a 65.2 PFF grade. He also saw his defensive snap count jump from 18 in Week 2 to 49 in Week 3.

While the grading process doesn't scream playmaker just yet, his uptick in looks says it all. He was always going to have an uphill climb to break through a strong front seven, and he's starting to do just that. 

Grade: B

Like Phillips, linebacker Jamin Davis continues to look more comfortable by the week as he tries to break into an uber-talented Washington Football Team front seven.  

The Kentucky product had a so-so Week 1 but was one of the highest-graded defensive rookies at PFF in his second game before standing out in Week 3, even making a big stop on a 4th-and-2 attempt.

An explosive set of skills that helped Davis tally 102 tackles and three picks over 10 games in college last year continues to set him apart. Now that he's recognizing what offenses are doing faster and more often, he'll soon be out there for more than 49 percent of the reps. 

Grade: B

Kadarius Toney had a tough start with the New York Giants because of a leg injury that cost him time in training camp. 

Fast-forward to the start of Week 4, and the wide receiver has just four catches on five targets for 14 yards. 

Some of this is just bad luck on the injury front. And a good amount of the blame is on an offense that isn't targeting its first-round selection more. It also doesn't help that Toney seemed to speak out about the issue after a Week 2 loss. 

Toney did see his highest snap count in Week 3 (46), but quarterback Daniel Jones targeted him just three times while giving four others five or more targets. The rapport just isn't there, though that could change—and he's absolutely flashed potential—but results haven't been good.

Grade: D

It seemed like it would take quite a bit for Kwity Paye to have a major impact on the Indianapolis Colts early. 

The defensive end, while effective at Michigan and boasting big upside, faced a brutal slate of matchups to start his career against offensive lines led by Duane Brown (Seattle) and Andrew Whitworth (Los Angeles Rams). He was then forced from his third game with a hamstring injury. 

While playing 49 percent of his defense's snaps, though, Paye tallied a solid 74.2 PFF grade because he's good against the run. But the big pass-rush numbers just haven't been there (0 sacks, 0 QB hits). 

That should change in Week 4 as he gets to take on a bad Miami line, health provided. 

Grade: B

The verdict on Tennessee Titans first-round cornerback Caleb Farley will remain in a holding pattern. 

The 22-year-old told The Tennessean's Gentry Estes he struggled in the preseason, but it was nothing unexpected for a corner who opted out of the 2020 season and who's trying to match up against wideouts with pro size and speed. 

But the 6'2", 197-pounder has missed two consecutive games with a shoulder injury, and in his limited playing time, he got on the field for just 4 percent of the defense's snaps and 12 percent of the chances on special teams. 

The Titans hope the Virginia Tech product is a long-term answer at a premium position, with the emphasis on long. 

Grade: Incomplete

Like Farley in Tennessee, injuries have spoiled the expected plans for Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw. 

The 22-year-old had to undergo surgery on his core in mid-August and was only expected to miss a few weeks. But he's been out since, most recently labeled with a groin injury. 

While it continues to sound like Darrisaw is getting closer to being a full-go in practice, the Vikings are off to a 1-2 start and left tackle has been a major weak point, with Rashod Hill earning a miserable 42.7 PFF grade, having allowed one sack and taken four penalties. 

Grade: Incomplete

The Pittsburgh Steelers went under the microscope for the Najee Harris pick due to the devalued nature of running backs. 

So far, skeptics have mostly been proved right. In three games, Harris has averaged just 3.1 yards per carry while gaining 123 yards with no rushing scores. He's caught 20 of his 27 targets and scored a touchdown, including a 19-target game in Week 3, which featured 14 catches for 102 yards. 

To be fair to Harris, most of his ho-hum start has come because of poor surroundings. The offensive line is a major weakness, and QB Ben Roethlisberger's inability to extend plays or make downfield throws has left Harris exposed as defenses dial in to stop him. 

Still, Harris' inability to rise above his surroundings hurts the grade. 

Grade: C

How different the winless Jacksonville Jaguars would look with running back Travis Etienne on the field is hard to say. 

The 22-year-old did average 7.2 yards per carry with 70 rushing scores over four seasons at Clemson, and he scored eight more times as a receiver. He then looked amazing during training camp. 

But Etienne suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot in a preseason game, which required season-ending surgery.

Those wanting to see a Lawrence-Etienne reunion will have to wait until 2022. 

Grade: Incomplete

Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II has seen a heavy workload, and he's responded like a top-10 pick, not one who nearly fell out of the first round. 

Newsome has played 94 percent of the defense's snaps over his first three games, allowing just five completions on nine targets for a 55.6 completion percentage. 

Granted, the 21-year-old didn't have the toughest competition in his most recent two games against poor Houston and Chicago passing attacks. But it was a trial by fire in his pro debut against Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes. 

If Newsome can maintain his solid play while offenses go at him instead of Denzel Ward, a strong pressure-creating front seven will only keep feasting. 

Grade: B

Wide receiver Rashod Bateman has yet to make his impact on a Lamar Jackson-led offense for the Baltimore Ravens.

The 21-year-old, after scoring 19 times and averaging 16.3 yards per catch over three seasons at Minnesota, suffered a groin injury in training camp and went to injured reserve. 

Baltimore activated Bateman ahead of Week 4, though, which puts him in a 21-day window before he has to be part of the 53-man roster. His debut will presumably happen in Week 5 at the earliest once he gets some practices in. 

Grade: Incomplete 

The New Orleans Saints have used Payton Turner as a situational pass-rusher, so he's only been in on 31 percent of the defense's snaps over two appearances. 

Over those 63 snaps, Turner has produced five pressures, four hurries and a sack.

Like other rookie edge defenders, he's seemed more comfortable putting his athleticism to work via containing rushing attempts as opposed to immediately working past pro tackles for consistent pressure. 

But with Turner already looking good in that facet of the game during limited snaps, he'll likely see a progressive bump in playing time as the season continues. 

Grade: C

Eric Stokes is making a strong case for the second spot on the cornerback depth chart with the Green Bay Packers, which says it all. 

The Georgia product has played 122 snaps (65 percent) over three games, but only one of those was a start in which he played 70 snaps. He's allowed just three catches on nine targets, one touchdown and four passes defended. 

The expected struggles for a rookie corner have been there. While he hardly let up anything on the stat sheet as a starter in Week 3, that would've changed dramatically if a San Francisco wideout didn't drop a would-be touchdown after getting past him.

But three weeks in? Stokes looks like he belongs at a premium spot on a contender. 

Grade: B

Defensive end Gregory Rousseau erupted on the stat sheet for the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, recording his first two career sacks. 

Call it the perfect environment to do it, though, as the Buffalo Bills trounced the so-so Miami Dolphins 43-21, letting the rookie pin his ears back and go against an offense that had no hope but to air it out. 

Overall, Rousseau has played just 109 snaps (59 percent), recording five hurries and six pressures. PFF has him at a 60.7 grade (in the "backup" range), in part because he hasn't played consistently against the run. 

Still, the flashes have been encouraging, and if Rousseau evens out his game, he'll be a full-time starter soon enough. 

Grade: C

Defensive end Odafe Oweh is the latest example of the Baltimore Ravens' wizardry with plugging in almost anyone after offseason losses and keeping a strong defensive front. 

Thrown into the fray right away via 68 percent of Baltimore's defensive snaps, Oweh has put up nine total tackles, eight pressures, one sack and one forced fumble.

That forced fumble came with less than two minutes left in Week 2 as his Ravens held a one-point lead over the Chiefs, securing the win. 

Oweh has been so good across the board, and especially because of his stout run defense, that he's sitting on a 79.1 PFF grade, well into the starter threshold and on the way to Pro Bowler soon enough. 

Grade: A

In another rich-get-richer example at the end of the draft order, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a strong rotational pressure-creator in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka at No. 32. 

He got the start in Week 3 because of injuries in front of him on the depth chart, and during 51 snaps, he only recorded three pressures. But it came against a strong Los Angeles Rams offensive line that boasts Andrew Whitworth, a guy the rookie beat handily for at least one of those pressures. 

It's a small sample size for Tryon-Shoyinka (91 snaps, 41 percent), and it's clear he won't see the field a ton when the entire line is healthy. But effective, prolonged stretches of snaps could catch opposing offenses off guard and make the Buccaneers defense deadly all season. 

Grade: B

Stats via Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.