3 toughest positions for rookies to start

[adbutcher]

yup.

where you guys are getting WR from i have no idea.

I don't know about CB, there are a lot of rookies that have done quite well.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

QB, WR, CB

Bingo.

 

[JackMagist]

I have to go with QB (naturally), Tackle (either side but particularly Left), and CB.

WR is not far behind CB but I think CB is a little harder because as a WR you know where you are going (to some extent) and as a CB you have to follow someone else and do it running backward. It is the subtleties of both positions that are the real hard part though.

 

[Doomsday]

In my opinion its LT, QB and DE

 

[THUMPER]

yup.

where you guys are getting WR from i have no idea.

You can count the number of rookie WRs that have come in and done well on your fingers. Very few rookie WRs shine their first season and usually take at least 3 years before they come on.

Here are a few cases in point:

Jerry Rice, playing in a pass-happy offense caught all of 49 balls his rookie season.

Tim Brown was in his 6th season before he broke 1000 yards receiving and had 43 catches as a rookie.

Chris Carter, playing in pass-friendly Philly & Minnesota took until his 7th season to break 1000 yards.

Marvin Harrison was in his 4th season when he topped 1000 yards.

Michael Irvin didn't break 100 yards until his 4th year. Granted he missed some time due to injuries but he didn't have more than 32 receptions in any of his first 3 seasons.

Herman Moore took until his 4th season before breaking 1000 yards.

Torry Holt had 52 catches as a rookie.

Hines Ward had 15 receptions as a rookie and didn't break 100 yards til his 4th season.

Terrell Owens caught 35 balls as a rookie in San Francisco's WCO.

I could go on and on.

There are rare exceptions like Randy Moss but they are very rare.

Rookie WRs rarely do well their first season.

 

[THUMPER]

In my opinion its LT, QB and DE

I have to disagree...

DE is one of, if not THE easiest positions for a rookie to come in and start. We had two of them last season (well one and a half I guess since Canty split time with Ellis).

Lots of rookie DEs come in, start, and do very well. Julius Peppers, Jevon Kearse, Simeon Rice, Michael Strahan, etc. You could pretty much name any 1st round DE of the last 10 years (unless it was someone we drafted) and he probably did pretty well.

The learning curve for DE is very small since most of what they need to pick up is how to read the play and not get fooled. Most of their job though is to pin their ears back and go after the QB.

 

[Canadian BoyzFan]

QB, CB and OT I feel are the hardest position for a rookie to step into.

Bingo!!

 

[Hostile]

In my opinion...

1. QB
2. C
3. MLB or ILB

The reason is simple. QB calls the offensive plays, C calls the line shifts, MLB or ILB calls the defensive sets. As a rookie this isn't easy at all.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

You can count the number of rookie WRs that have come in and done well on your fingers. Very few rookie WRs shine their first season and usually take at least 3 years before they come on.

Here are a few cases in point:

Jerry Rice, playing in a pass-happy offense caught all of 49 balls his rookie season.

Tim Brown was in his 6th season before he broke 1000 yards receiving and had 43 catches as a rookie.

Chris Carter, playing in pass-friendly Philly & Minnesota took until his 7th season to break 1000 yards.

Marvin Harrison was in his 4th season when he topped 1000 yards.

Michael Irvin didn't break 100 yards until his 4th year. Granted he missed some time due to injuries but he didn't have more than 32 receptions in any of his first 3 seasons.

Herman Moore took until his 4th season before breaking 1000 yards.

Torry Holt had 52 catches as a rookie.

Hines Ward had 15 receptions as a rookie and didn't break 100 yards til his 4th season.

Terrell Owens caught 35 balls as a rookie in San Francisco's WCO.

I could go on and on.

There are rare exceptions like Randy Moss but they are very rare.

Rookie WRs rarely do well their first season.

I agree that WR is tough, but there are a few exceptions like Moss, Boldin, Clayton,Glenn and even Galloway went over 1000 yards as a rookie. TE has basically one exception, Shockey. The next highest receiving totals I can find for active players in their rookie season is Heath Miller's 459 yards just last season.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I agree that WR is tough, but there are a few exceptions like Moss, Boldin, Clayton,Glenn and even Galloway went over 1000 yards as a rookie. TE has basically one exception, Shockey. The next highest receiving totals I can find for active players in their rookie season is Heath Miller's 459 yards just last season.

To me, any starter at any position is a great deal to ask. I do believe that after the first year, the second years is telling. I do believe that WR is a tough position to learn in the NFL but I think it's getting easier as more and more NCAA programs go to pro style offenses.

In the last few years, your getting more and more guys who are having good years earlie. Besides the guys you mentioned, you've had Clayton who went for over a thousand in his rookie year. Chad Johnson who had 329 his rookie year and went for over a thousand in all of his next four seasons. Chris Chambers has consistently been anywhere from 800 to over a 1000 since he came into the league. That's good production regardless. Coles went for over 800 his 2nd season and just continued on from there. Larry Fitzgerald put up like 1400 in his second year. Darrell Jackson went for over 1000 in his second year. Keyshawn Johnson put up 844, 963 and then just started on his thousand yard seasons. Not bad production early there either. I guess I just don't really buy into it being as tough as it used to be. The more sophisticated the offenses become at the college level, the better the WRs early in there careers IMO.

As far as TEs go, historically, there never going to produce the numbers WRs do as a whole. However, if you look at some of these TEs, Chris Cooley had over 700 in his second season. Gates has had 900 and 1000 in his second and third seasons. Heap had 800 in his second season. Shockey was huge for like 800 in his rookie year, Witten had 980 in his second year. I just think there all getting better earlier.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

QB: have to learn the playbook, then you have to think about reads, adjustments, calling audibles, feeling the blitz, knowing when to throw it away, when not to force a throw, varying the velocity on your throws, and many more

OT: just dealing with the strength of the NFL game, where defenders are much bigger and stronger than what you faced in college

WR: also about dealing with the strength of the NFL game, how to beat the press, also have to learn the playbook, routes, a difficult chore for sure


but I'm not expert on what rookies at these positions face, JMO

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I have to go with QB (naturally), Tackle (either side but particularly Left), and CB.

WR is not far behind CB but I think CB is a little harder because as a WR you know where you are going (to some extent) and as a CB you have to follow someone else and do it running backward. It is the subtleties of both positions that are the real hard part though.

and that's where most rookie CBs struggle at, you're not supposed to react to the receiver and where he's going, you have to dictate his route and/or look at his feet to determine where he's going in his route