Nine second-year NFL players under pressure in 2026

second-year NFL – From New England’s OT Will Campbell to Tampa Bay’s CB Benjamin Morrison, nine second-year players face scrutiny heading into 2026 after shaky rookie seasons, injuries, or scheme fit concerns.

When the 2026 season arrives, the NFL won’t care what happened in the preseason. It will care what shows up on Sundays. And for nine second-year players, the margin for “not yet” feels thin after rookie campaigns that left more questions than answers.

The players in focus span multiple teams and roles—protecting quarterbacks, holding the line against the run, and creating separation in the passing game. Some were hurt. Some lacked structural support. Others simply didn’t get consistent opportunities.

What unites them is pressure to translate potential into repeatable production—before offseason tinkering becomes the new excuse.

OT Will Campbell. New England Patriots
Campbell’s rookie season looked better for stretches than any other player on the list. but his ending drew the most scrutiny. The No. 4 overall pick entered recovery mode after a late-season medial collateral ligament sprain. Once the postseason began, he shifted from “solid” to “suspect” as a pass protector.

He was routinely exploited by edge rushers. Next Gen Stats credited him with 29 pressures allowed, with 14 coming in a Super Bowl unraveling that involved the left tackle position and New England’s offense.

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf defended a potential move to guard. pointing to the possibility that Campbell’s strength was being sapped by injury rather than his oft-mentioned arm length. With fellow 2025 pick Jared Wilson moving from left guard to center and veteran Alijah Vera-Tucker stepping between the two. New England also looked poised to handle more exotic looks from opposing defenses.

Caleb Lomu—selected in the first round—introduced another question. The Utah product is described as a rangier pass protector more comfortable on the left side. with possible plans to factor in on the right early. During organized team activities, he filled in for 35-year-old starter Morgan Moses. But if Campbell falters in the fall, the fit debate could return quickly.

DT Kenneth Grant, Miami Dolphins
Grant’s size stood out immediately in the lead-up to the league: listed at 6-4 and 337 pounds. Yet the No. 13 overall pick didn’t make a comparable splash in 2025, posting two sacks, two tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits.

Miami’s new front office added another variable: Grant is “playing more freely” in new coach Jeff Hafley’s system. Hafley praised the Michigan product’s efforts to set a different tone in Year 2 and encouraged the progress of his slimming down. The goal is reaching 325 pounds by the start of the season.

If Grant follows through, the leaner frame is expected to better match his playing style and give him a clearer path to becoming closer to the disruptive force Miami hoped for when it selected him.

Stewart. Cincinnati Bengals (edge rush spot with limited room for error)
Developing a finishing touch was flagged as Stewart’s issue at Texas A&M. where he logged 4 1/2 sacks in three years despite a blend of size and speed (6-5. 267 pounds). In the NFL, however, the No. 17 overall pick’s start was weighed down by circumstances.

Stewart missed the entire offseason program and the first week of camp after resolving a contract standoff with Cincinnati. After he was hobbled early by an ankle injury, a midseason tear to his posterior cruciate ligament sidelined him for the bulk of the stretch run.

When Stewart finally produced, the totals still left a gap: his rookie output amounted to just 11 tackles and one sack.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s edge room didn’t stand still. The defense that saw Trey Hendrickson walk added Boye Mafe and second-round pick Cashius Howell to a group that includes 2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy. With that depth, Stewart’s opportunities could remain limited until he proves he can handle meaningful snaps.

Reps throughout the offseason could matter for his development, but delivery has to come fast—especially against the run after Pro Football Focus ranked him last among all edge rushers in that area in 2025.

LBs Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter. Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati’s second level took a hit last season as it turned linebacker responsibilities over to second- and fourth-round draft picks. Their inexperience and lack of comfort carried through the year. and the unit surrendered more yards per play—6.2—than any group.

The Bengals reshaped other parts of the defense with uncharacteristically splashy moves, but they stood by their young linebackers and avoided outside help.

Dexter Lawrence, a three-time Pro Bowler, could change the complexion of things by helping keep both Knight and Carter clean. Still, both linebackers have to mature and deliver on the opportunities they were given.

Reliability is the recurring issue. The article points to missed tackle rates of approximately 15% for each player, and it also notes they did not look comfortable in coverage, allowing tight ends and backs to keep drives alive even when cornerbacks DJ Turner II and Dax Hill did their part.

Any alarm may be premature because the position often carries a steep learning curve and because recent early draft picks have bounced back after early struggles. including All-Pros Jack Campbell and Devin Lloyd. Even so. the urgency with which Cincinnati approached this offseason suggests patience for Knight and Carter picking things up is finite.

CB Benjamin Morrison, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In Tampa Bay, Morrison’s second-year pressure is tied to the state of the secondary. With Jamel Dean off to Pittsburgh, the Buccaneers face a precarious back end.

Cornerback Zyon McCollum arrives as the veteran leader of an otherwise inexperienced group, coming off a down year. Jacob Parrish. a third-round rookie. excelled in the slot. and head coach Todd Bowles has given him extensive work on the outside during this summer. That could trigger another nickel rotation, with fourth-round pick Keionte Scott potentially stepping in as another dangerous blitzer for Bowles.

For Morrison, the challenge is both opportunity and health. Selected one round earlier than Parrish, Morrison’s recovery from a hip injury suffered in his final season at Notre Dame lingered into his first pro offseason. Hamstring and quadriceps issues hampered him as a rookie.

Now he’s again “nicked up,” Bowles said earlier this offseason. Morrison missed time at organized team activities and minicamp with a leg issue. And last season didn’t do him favors: he was burned twice for long touchdowns in consecutive weeks—first by Patriots rookie receiver Kyle Williams and then by the Buffalo Bills’ Tyrell Shavers.

Draft capital may get a player a seat at the table. It won’t guarantee a place in the lineup if reliability doesn’t arrive.

WRs Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr., Las Vegas Raiders
Bech and Thornton aren’t being blamed for the Raiders’ broader offensive collapse in 2025. But a coaching reset changes the expectations for second-year receivers.

With Klint Kubiak wiping the slate clean, the article frames the moment as one where Bech and Thornton have to find ways to make their mark on what is described as the league’s most lackluster receiving corps.

Jalen Nailor’s arrival could put Bech on the spot. Nailor is most comfortable operating out of the slot, while Bech’s path may depend on what Kubiak values most. The TCU product could endear himself with run blocking. potentially earning him a role comparable to the one Cooper Kupp fulfilled for the Seahawks last season.

Thornton Jr.’s second-year work carries a different kind of challenge. He has “a long way to go” to extend beyond being a designated deep threat. Still. Kubiak’s system leans on generating explosive plays through the vertical passing game. and Thornton’s profile—6-5. 205 pounds—is described as the kind of downfield mismatch that could open things up for the rest of the offense.

For both receivers, a critical step in training camp will be building a trustworthy connection with Kirk Cousins—and eventually Fernando Mendoza—because Nailor, Tre Tucker, and go-to tight end Brock Bowers have a leg up in establishing more consistent separation.

G Anthony Belton, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay’s spotlight may seem like it belongs on Matthew Golden, given the limited contributions of the Packers’ first-round receiver. But Golden’s problems are described as rooted in opportunity rather than performance.

For Belton, the issues are more direct. He played as a left tackle at North Carolina State and took over the starting right guard spot down the stretch after initially stepping in at right tackle in Week 2. He finished with seven starts and accounted for 57% of the offensive snaps. yet he was not stability for a front that was constantly reshuffling.

General manager Brian Gutekunst said in February that he believed Belton—listed at 6-6 and 336 pounds—could become a stout and stable presence on the interior if allowed to grow there.

But the roster picture complicates the plan. With almost the entire line looking uncertain as Jordan Morgan takes over at left tackle, Belton will have to better learn to harness his aggressiveness to pave holes for Josh Jacobs and safeguard Jordan Love.

For all nine players. the theme is the same: the league moves quickly. and second-year chances can evaporate just as fast as injuries and depth-chart changes. Whether it comes down to health. scheme fit. opportunity. or reliability. each name on this list has to turn offseason work into visible results—before the next turnover of narratives begins.

NFL second-year players 2026 Will Campbell Kenneth Grant Stewart Demetrius Knight Jr. Barrett Carter Benjamin Morrison Jack Bech Dont’e Thornton Jr. Anthony Belton Joe Burrow AFC North