The NFL cannot be escaped.
Even during its offseason, the league still garners much of the attention in the sports world. Especially in the spring and during draft season.
Unlike the 2023 Draft, this year’s edition should feature a Group of Five player in the first round. Hopefully, there will be more players selected in the early rounds than last year, as well.
In 2023 there were just five G5 players drafted in the Top 100. In 2022, there were 19. Those five players still had solid rookie seasons, and interestingly enough all came from the AAC.
Here’s a look at how their seasons played out.
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Rashee Rice, Kansas City
Not much beats winning the Super Bowl in your rookie season.
What’s even better is that Rice became a key contributor for the Chiefs’ offense and one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets. Rice was the only G5 player drafted in the second round and immediately proved he was deserving, catching a touchdown in his first NFL game.
He finished the season with 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven TDs, including an eight-reception, 130-yard outing in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. He also caught a touchdown there in one of the coldest games in NFL history.
Tank Dell, Houston
Unfortunately, Dell’s excellent rookie season ended prematurely when he suffered a fractured leg in early December. He played in just 10 full games after being selected with the 69th overall pick in 2023.
Up to that point, the Texans’ No. 2 wideout was showing out in an offense that was pleasantly surprising. Dell was on his way to a 1,000-yard season and finished with 709 yards and seven TDs on just 47 receptions.
Dell had three 100-yard games and averaged 15.1 yards per reception. He will reportedly make a full recovery and should continue to thrive in the Texans’ high-powered offense, even with their addition of Stefon Diggs.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee
Spears was an excellent complement to Derrick Henry in the Titans’ backfield.
Because of Henry’s presence, though, Spears didn’t get the ball as much as he probably could or should have. The 81st overall pick had plenty of great plays throughout the season where he showed a ton of potential, especially in the passing game:
Spears finished with 453 yards on 100 carries to go with 385 yards on 52 receptions and three total touchdowns.
When Henry moved on to Baltimore, it looked like Spears might assume the No. 1 role in Tennessee, but the Titans have since signed Tony Pollard, meaning Spears will likely still serve as the No. 2. He should still have a prominent role.
Dorian Williams, Buffalo
After being selected by the Bills with the 91st overall pick, it was likely that Williams would do a lot of learning in his rookie season from one of the best backers in the NFL, Matt Milano.
That changed in Week 5, however, when Milano fractured his leg and tore his ACL. Williams was thrust into the starting lineup for two games but was then replaced after some of his inexperience started to show. He proved he could fly to the ball really well, but struggled in coverage.
Williams was back coming off the bench for the remainder of the season, but he still showed growth. He finished with 40 total tackles and two TFLs, including an eight-tackle game against Pittsburgh in the AFC Wild Card game.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas
The QB play wasn’t ideal for the Raiders last season and if there was a pass being made, it was likely going in Davante Adams’ direction.
That should change this year, however, with better QB play, other WRs moving on, and a better offense on deck for the Raiders. This means good things for Tre Tucker. Still, the 100th overall selection in the ’23 Draft showed what he’s capable of with his speed.
Tucker had 19 receptions for 331 yards and two TDs last season.
