Nine NFL Rookies Who Must Silence Their Doubters in Week 2 After Debut Duds

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season offered us our first real opportunity to assess the rookie class. Unsurprisingly, several rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft struggled in their debuts. The National Football League is a grown man's sport and it takes experience to reach your performance ceiling.

Week 2 will provide new opportunities after the first learning experience. Having revisited the tape and analytics, various rookies have significant room for improvement. Contenders are already separating themselves from pretenders, and future needs are being exposed.

We've identified nine notable rookies already under pressure after Week 1 duds. The following rookies are tasked with playing better in Week 2.

Nine NFL Rookies Who Need to Be Way Better in Week 2

Makai Lemon, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

It was a strange debut for Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Makai Lemon. He was limited to manufactured touches and an extremely low average depth of target. Lemon recorded three receptions for negative yardage (-5). The film indicated he created consistent separation versus both man and zone coverage, but the Eagles' passing attack couldn't get him the ball behind an offensive line that struggled. The offense must improve in Week 2.

Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. was not credited with recording a single pressure or hurry. Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Amarius Mims held him at bay. There was roughly a five-inch difference between Bain's arm length (30 ⅞”) and Mims' (36 ⅛”). For all the talk about length throughout the predraft process, that gave the Bengals' offensive tackle a pretty big advantage.

Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans

The entire Tennessee Titans offense was totally ineffective in Week 1. Rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate was limited to four catches for 38 yards in his debut. Quarterback Cam Ward was chaotic in the pocket and missed some opportunities to get his first-year wideout the ball. Tate created an average of 3.56 yards of separation on his six targets, according to Next Gen Stats. That's well above the league average of 2.99. The Titans have to get him the ball.

Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys defense was a total abomination in Week 1. It looked eerily similar to their disastrous 2025 effort. Rookie Malachi Lawrence was among the newcomers who greatly struggled. He was an athletic and raw product coming out of UCF, and that was pretty evident versus the New York Giants. Lawrence struggled to read the Giants' offense, with Pro Football Focus assigning him a defensive grade of 34.8. He had just one pressure. It was a very forgettable debut.

Jake Slaughter, IOL, Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers were arguably the most disappointing team in Week 1 relative to expectations, getting blown out 26-14 at home by the Arizona Cardinals. The offensive line didn't look as improved as they hoped, with Justin Herbert being sacked three times. Rookie center Jake Slaughter had some positive moments in pass protection, but the entire line struggled to generate rushing lanes for Omarion Hampton, who was held to 46 yards (3.6 per attempt). Slaughter could improve in Week 2.

Caleb Banks, DT, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings opted to use their first-round pick on defensive tackle Caleb Banks, a physical and athletic specimen who is extremely raw. That was evident throughout his preseason snaps, and it didn't get magically fixed now that the regular season started. This is going to be a real process. Banks continued to struggle with pad level and was generally ineffective versus the Green Bay Packers. The former Florida standout did not register a single pressure or run stop.

Chris Johnson, CB, Miami Dolphins

The rebuilding Miami Dolphins are letting young players take their bumps and bruises. It was trial by fire in Week 1 for cornerback Chris Johnson. The 27th overall selection started on the outside and was credited with allowing six receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns in coverage. The Las Vegas Raiders didn't exactly have big-time pass catchers in the lineup, so it was an especially disappointing first showing for Johnson.

A.J. Haulcy, S, Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts' defense was no match for Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the Baltimore Ravens offense in Week 1. It was a particularly difficult afternoon for rookie safety A.J. Haulcy. The versatile defender was a liability both in coverage and as a run defender. Henry rushed for three touchdowns and Haulcy was also assigned blame in coverage for the passing score to Zay Flowers.

Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Tennessee Titans

The Titans traded back into the first round to draft Keldric Faulk partially because he's Robert Saleh's prototype at defensive end. The youngest player in the entire 2026 NFL Draft, it shouldn't be a surprise that his Week 1 tape is raw. Faulk suffered an injury during training camp, sidelining him for Weeks 2 and 3 of the preseason. The former Auburn standout looked behind the eight ball in the Week 1 defeat to the Jets. The 31st selection played just 19 snaps, but didn't register any pressures.

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