It’s possible for a rookie to make an immediate impact in the NFL, even from the very first game. Anyone who watched Kareem Hunt in the Kansas City Chiefs season opening victory over the New England Patriots knows that much, as the heralded rookie out of Toledo set an NFL record with 246 total yards from scrimmage in the Chiefs win. Yet those sorts of performances and seasons are rare. After all, every rookie must make significant adjustments as they enter the professional level.
It’s in a player’s second year in the league that they can really make a huge leap forward.