The NFL Draft is anything but an exact science. Even sure things sometimes end up being busts, and that includes first-round picks. However, the truth with rookies is that, while there is risk at any point in the draft, general managers can lose their jobs and organizations can be set back years if they whiff on a first-round pick. It's the type of premium mistake that isn't easily recovered from.
Obviously, most teams aren't going to write a rookie off after their first game in Week 1. That would be asinine, and I'm not going to do that here either. At the same time, when there have been some first-round picks who have immediately looked like studs at the professional level, it's hard to look at others who were just simply not up to snuff in their NFL debuts.
Specifically, these four teams are looking at their first-round picks after Week 1 on Sunday and wondering if they might've made a mistake with their selections.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter (No. 2 overall)
New Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone immediately made a monster splash in the draft by traded the No. 5 pick along with their 2026 first-round pick, among others, to the Browns to move up to No. 2 overall and take Heisman Trophy winner and two-way phenom Travis Hunter. And throughout the offseason and then the preseason, the excitement to see a true two-way player was building — and the Jaguars delivered on that in Week 1.
While Hunter was primarily used on offense, playing 42 snaps at wide receiver according to PFF, and six snaps on defense. That, in itself, remains an impressive feat. However, it would've been more impressive had he simply been more effective in either of those roles.
Offensively, where he spent the bulk of his day, Hunter managed six catches on eight targets, but it'd be hard to argue that his impact was all that great as the team-leader in receptions was just third in receiving yards for the day with 33, the longest of which went for 10 yards. On the other side of the ball, he recorded just one tackle and was actually targeted by Bryce Young and the Panthers offense immediately in coverage, which he gave up a first-down catch.
If the two-way experiment with Hunter ultimately works for the Jaguars, then the pick and everything given up could be worth it. However, the only thing that made him the No. 2 overall selection was that two-way ability — and if that ability simply isn't feasible or possible in the NFL, than that pick is going to look more questionable with each passing week, especially as Jacksonville gives next year's first-rounder to Cleveland.
4. Miami Dolphins DT Kenneth Grant (No. 13 overall)
It had been clear that the Miami Dolphins were interested in replacing Christian Wilkins, who they were forced to let walk in free agency in recent years. So when Kenneth Grant out of Michigan was the name read with the 13th overall pick, it made perfect sense. The only problem is that, to replace Wilkins on the interior of the defensive line, they needed Grant to look a lot better than he did against the Colts as the Dolphins got their heads kicked in.
Grant registered just one tackle on the day and, while he did flash some moments in eating blocks and offensive linemen in the trenches, he was overall ineffective in his rookie debut. What rubbed salt in the wound for that was that Tyler Warren, who the Colts selected immediately after Grant, was a stud for the Indianapolis offense in the first game of his NFL career. The contrast was jarring, particularly during an abysmal performance from the Dolphins.
Let me be clear that I'm not giving up hope that Grant can be a good player for the Dolphins. At the same time, it feels like we've reached an inflection point quickly in Miami under this current regime, and passing on difference-makers like Warren, Shemar Stewart, Grey Zabel, and some others makes it look like the Dolphins might've made the wrong pick at the precisely wrong time.
3. Atlanta Falcons EDGE James Pearce Jr. (No. 26 overall)
One of the draft's worst-kept secrets was that the Atlanta Falcons needed to amplify their pass rush to be a serious NFC contender with Michael Penix Jr. taking the reins of the offense. So it was no surprise when they took Georgia's do-it-all maven Jalon Walker with the 15th overall pick. However, the shock out of Atlanta came when they traded back into the first round with the Rams in order to double up on pass rushers by taking James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee.
Make no mistake, I was a big fan of Pearce's college tape and thought he was worthy of a first-round pick. However, the Falcons immediately put themselves in a precarious position by not just trading back into the first round, but by doubling up on the same position. That's risky no matter how great the need is, and it didn't look like the gamble paid off in Week 1 with Pearce.
While the rookie pass rusher did register a QB hit in the eventual loss to the Buccaneers, that was all he managed on the day, not recording a single tackle, sack or anything else positive for the Falcons defense. Considering that he was projected as a pin-your-ears-back type of guy, that was a tough blow in itself — and it looks even worse given Tampa's offensive line injuries.
Once again, there's no reason to write off Pearce. However, if the Falcons were going to spend the capital they did to draft two edge rushers in the first round, they both needed to be immediate forces for this defense. In his debut, Pearce was decisively not that.
2. Las Vegas Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty (No. 6 overall)
Some people are going to look at Ashton Jeanty on this list and think I'm crazy. Frankly, I might be — but I stand by the fact that the Las Vegas Raiders might've gotten a bit over their skis in taking Jeanty, especially with what we saw the Boise State product do in his first NFL action in the regular season on Sunday against the Patriots.
Yes, Jeanty did score a touchdown in his debut, a score that helped propel the Raiders to a 1-0 start on the season. That, however, doesn't mean he was remotely effective in this game. The rookie did lead Vegas in rushing, but did so with only 38 yards on 19 carries, "good" for only 2.0 yards per carry on the day. And if you're thinking he salvaged his day by doing other things well for the Raiders, you'd be wrong.
Not only was Jeanty ineffective running the rock, but he wasn't a factor in the passing attack with two catches for two yards and, on top of that, he struggled as a pass-blocker for Geno Smith. It wasn't the best day at the office for someone who came into the league with the pedigree of Jeanty, and with the expectations of the fifth overall pick as well.
The Raiders always felt like they were trying to rush a rebuild to some degree with Pete Carroll's arrival, and taking a running back for this roster with the No. 5 pick is part of that. For it to not be deemed a mistake, Jeanty needs to be a star — and that didn't look to be the case on Sunday.
1. New England Patriots OT Will Campbell (No. 4 overall)
Speaking of needing to be a star, that's what most New England Patriots fans were saying about former LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell when the organization drafted him with the fourth overall pick. Especially with Armand Membou, taken after Campbell, looking the part for the rival Jets, it was almost required that Campbell immediately become a stalwart protector for Drake Maye to help the offense take a major step forward.
Unfortunately, Campbell showed some real warts in his first regular-season action. While he did overall hold up well, the mistakes were still too plentiful. Campbell had a back-breaking false start penalty, one of two flags that he drew on the day, and also gave up two pressures. One of those pressures included allowing the defender to get into Maye's face and strip-sack the Patriots quarterback.
Again, Campbell overall didn't play that poorly. When you got back and watch the tape, there will be plenty of good things to hang your hat on. Yet, he was a divisive selection at the time the pick was made, so the expectations for him were to essentially be perfect or else there would be backlash from the fan base. And sure enough, with the mistakes he made, there was indeed a vocal group saying that the Patriots drafted a bust.
Let's not go that far after one game. However, the Patriots do have to be looking at the performance of Membou, which was nearly pristine against competition like the Steelers, and wonder if they picked the wrong tackle to protect Maye for the future.