Every year, a handful of unlucky first-year players in the NFL have their inaugural campaigns cut short due to injuries. These players are considered rookies. Because of the bad coaching, some people are severely unable to advance.
In spite of the fact that a player’s post-draft momentum can be halted by less-than-ideal circumstances, such as an injury or a lack of opportunities, the player is still able to bounce back during his second season in the professional ranks.
These are the second-year players who are looking to bounce back in 2022.
Travis Etienne
As a draught prospect, I did not adore Etienne as much as many other people did; however, I did acknowledge that he was an explosive, high-energy runner who had above-average capabilities as a receiver. This was primarily attributable to how quickly he accelerated and how quickly he was when he was in top gear.
As a rookie, Etienne had an injury during the preseason, which was perhaps a blessing in disguise because it allowed him to avoid the hostile environment generated by Urban Meyer and his coaching staff. Now, he will be joining what is, at the very least, going to be a semi-competent coaching atmosphere on a squad that possesses significantly more skill than it did the previous year.
The acquisition of high-priced free agent Brandon Scherff should contribute significantly to an improvement in the blocking for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and there is no way that Trevor Lawrence will be a worse quarterback in Year 2 than he was as a rookie. Jacksonville Etienne will look a lot like Clemson Etienne in 2022.
Joseph Ossai
Ossai exudes explosiveness. He explodes into incredible speed right off the snap and traces the corner with the dexterity of a Ferrari around a turn. His vertical leap of 41.5 inches and his broad jump of 10-11 inches at the combine the year before quantified what was visible on film. The former Texas standout was outstanding in the one and only game he played during the preseason of 2021. Unblockable. On 23 pass-rushing snaps, he registered seven pressures to the quarterback.
Even in Cincinnati, the nearly 6-4, close to 255-pound rusher won’t be asked to take on the role of the team’s primary rusher. Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard, who play on the outside of the Bengals defensive line, will be a focus of the game plans of the Bengals’ opponents. At initially, his limited number of snaps will limit the influence that he has. As soon as the Bengals’ coaching staff sees how well Ossai is putting pressure on the quarterback, they will begin using more rotational strategies at the edge-rusher position. His acceleration is quite remarkable, and Ossai is also well-versed in the art of using his hands effectively as a rusher.
Asante Samuel Jr.
Samuel Jr., like his father before him, should have been selected in the first round of the 2003 draught. The only reason he was chosen in Round 2 was because of his height and weight. Samuel is only 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but his inherent feistiness shows against larger receivers, and he has the suddenness of a nickel corner, which gets him to the ball in a hurry if it’s thrown in his vicinity. Despite his size, Samuel’s natural feistiness shines against larger receivers.
Samuel Jr. still managed to break up 11 passes and make two interceptions despite suffering two concussions during his debut season for the legacy. Samuel Jr. played in all 12 games of the season. When he was on the field—which was approximately sixty percent of the time for defensive snaps—his covering skills shone through brilliantly.
If Samuel is able to stay healthy throughout the 2018 season, he will make the transition from promising rookie to burgeoning superstar on a Los Angeles defence that is expected to be stocked with playmakers.
Kadarius Toney
Toney is a spectacular yards-after-catch play just waiting to take place in the game. Even though he wasn’t quite 100 percent healthy as a rookie, he still managed to pull in a robust 6.0 yards after catch on average, which was tied for the eighth-highest figure among all qualified receivers in football. Although the play was played at a significantly louder level, the 6.0 YAC per reception figure was the same as Chris Godwin’s and Cooper Kupp’s.
Toney has always demonstrated an impressive level of energy whenever he has possession of the ball. This was something he became known for at Florida. In addition to that, he is a remarkable athletic specimen. And there is no way that the Giants will be struck by the injury bug to the same extent that they were in 2021, which means that rival defences will have more than just Toney to focus their attention and strategy on stopping.
After completing his second year in the league, the formerly first-round choice will be considered one of the most dynamic gadget-type weapons in the NFL.
Andre Cisco
Because Cisco didn’t suffer any injuries during the last campaign, I’m going to include him in this piece. During the first three quarters of his rookie season, he saw virtually no game action at all. But we’re going to overlook all of the Jaguars’ performance from the previous year, right? I am. Meyer has disappeared. Doug Pedersen is in. Cisco will be a beneficiary of the new attitude in northeastern Florida, which will create an environment that is substantially more conducive to success in Jacksonville.
When Cisco was a rookie, Meyer didn’t even give him any playing time. Then, shortly after Meyer was stripped of his duties as a coach, Cisco established new career highs in defensive snaps, logged a total of 16 tackles, and had his first two pass breakups as a professional. Cisco, who stands approximately 6-1 and weighs 216 pounds, has the body of a hybrid strong safety/linebacker but has the range to the football in coverage of a ball-hawking specialist. This is demonstrated by the fact that he has 13 interceptions in his career at Syracuse across 25 games. Cisco will develop into one of the game’s most complete young safeties since he is constantly around the football and excels in coverage. This will allow him to become one of the game’s top safeties.