Recent 1st-Round NFL Draft Picks with the Most Untapped Potential Entering 2023

Being a first-round draft pick in the NFL often means increased opportunity, but it also comes with the weight of great expectations.

Stars are found in every round of the NFL draft and even in undrafted free agency, but the first round is the only place where stardom is often the expectation.

Unfortunately not everyone lives up to that billing right away. Some never reach that status and some take more time than you'd expect.

For the following list, we'll be examining some players who fall into that last category. We'll define "recent" as the 2020, 2021 and 2022 drafts. The 2023 class hasn't really shown what they can or will do in the league while the three previous drafts have had at least one season to show their potential.

Whether they've had some bad injury luck, are playing under a new coaching staff or have just been late bloomers, these recent first-round picks have the most untapped potential coming into the 2023 season.

No. 11 Overall in 2020 Draft

The New York Jets drafted Mekhi Becton in 2020 with the hopes that he could be a franchise left tackle for years to come. Injuries have largely taken that away, but 2023 could be the year that he lives up to that billing.

Becton showed a lot of promise in his rookie season. He started 13 games and earned a PFF grade of 74.4 despite giving up seven sacks. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to build on that rookie campaign because of injuries.

The 6'7", 364-pound tackle has only played in one game over the last two seasons due to knee injuries.

This offseason has brought some good news that would seem to indicate he's ready to live up to the hype in 2023. For one, he has reportedly been slimming down and is now down to 350 pounds with his eye toward losing more weight as the season approaches.

Then Rich Cimini of ESPN reported that Becton is expected to be healthy for camp while Duane Brown is noncommittal about when he'll return from rotator cuff surgery.

Becton's massive frame was a reason for excitement when he was drafted. His ability to move despite being much bigger than the average lineman gives him a high ceiling.

If he can get healthy and play at his optimal weight, he could unleash the potential that made him the 11th pick.

No. 16 Overall in 2021 Draft

The Arizona Cardinals took versatile off-ball linebackers in back-to-back years when they made Zaven Collins their first-round pick a year after taking Isaiah Simmons.

Neither player really thrived under Kliff Kingsbury's coaching staff. Now, they have a defensive head coach in Jonathan Gannon who is focusing on putting both players in different positions.

Simmons is headed to the secondary. However, Collins is expected to move to the outside and become a pass-rusher off the edge, per Darren Urban of the team's website.

It's important to note that the 6'4", 260-pound linebacker actually had a better relative athletic score as an edge rusher than an inside linebacker coming out of Tulsa. According to Sports Info Solutions, Collins had 118 pass-rushing snaps last season and generated pressure on 12.1 percent of them.

For context, that pressure rate led all Cardinals with at least 100 pass-rushing snaps.

The Cardinals group of pass-rushers is relatively light on experience right now. Myjai Sanders and Cam Thomas are in Year 2. Collins has a clear path to playing time on the outside and Gannon's experience of building a dominant pass rush in Philadelphia should help unlock Collins' potential.

No. 16 Overall in 2022 Draft

Jahan Dotson's rookie season was underwhelming when compared to the other receivers taken in the first round of the 2022 draft (Treylon Burks excluded). But he showed just enough in a bad offense to believe that he'll eventually make the Commanders look smart for taking him.

For one, Dotson was an incredibly efficient red zone target despite his 5'11", 182-pound frame. He was targeted just seven times inside the 20 but turned five of those targets into touchdowns.

He actually led the Commanders in receiving touchdowns (7) despite seeing much less volume than Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel.

No receiver can really be blamed for not looking good in the Commanders offense last season. Carson Wentz was ranked 30th in total QBR and Taylor Heinicke wasn't much better once he took over at quarterback.

The Commanders now have Eric Bieniemy coming in as the offensive coordinator and will turn the quarterback reins over to Sam Howell or veteran Jacoby Brissett.

Either way, the play-calling and quarterback play should be better in 2023. That will give Dotson the opportunity to show what kind of electric playmaker he really can be.

No. 26 Overall in 2020 Draft

It's finally Jordan Love's time.

The Packers stunned everyone when they traded back into the first round of the 2020 draft to take Jordan Love out of Utah State while Aaron Rodgers was on the roster. Three years later, he remains one of the biggest mysteries in the league.

Serving as the understudy for Rodgers, Love has played in just six games, made one start and thrown 83 passes.

There's a lot that is unknown about the former Aggie, but there's a lot of untapped potential as well. As a reminder, here's what Matt Miller wrote for his Bleacher Report scouting report back when he was going through the pre-draft process.

He must work on cleaning up his decision-making while also growing into a professional quarterback after coming from a conference where his arm strength and athleticism were good enough to win. Love is a major boom-bust prospect who could end up being the best quarterback from the class or a journeyman backup.

Three years later, we still don't know whether he'll be a journeyman backup, but if he's going to become the best quarterback in the class he has some work to do.

Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert have each established themselves as stars. Tua Tagovailoa is well on his way if he can stay healthy. Love came into the league as a toolsy project quarterback. He's had the time to develop, he has to show what he can do in 2023.

No. 8 Overall in 2022 Draft

Drake London accomplished more than most on this list in his rookie season. He led the Falcons in receiving, turning 117 targets into 72 receptions for 866 yards and four touchdowns.

But when you consider the two receivers drafted after him (Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave) both went over 1,000 yards in similar roles, it's fair to say there's a lot of meat left on the bone.

The good news is that London started tapping into his potential toward the end of the season. His numbers were boosted in the final five games of the season where he averaged 6.2 receptions and 85.6 yards.

If he can consistently play at that level, that would be 105 catches and 1,455 yards across 17 games.

That's especially encouraging considering that Desmond Ridder started the final four games of the season. The young duo showed immediate chemistry and will be expected to both take significant strides in 2023.

The Falcons offense as a whole is still young and evolving under Arthur Smith. London should break out in his sophomore season and show why he was the first receiver taken.

No. 31 Overall in 2021 Draft

Back when Odafe Oweh was getting ready for the draft in 2021, Justis Mosqueda compared him to a ball of clay that needed to be molded in his scouting report for B/R.

Mosqueda pointed to Oweh's relative lack of experience as a football player, noting that he didn't start playing until his junior year of high school and only played in 20 collegiate games. However, his athletic testing, which included a 4.37 40-yard dash at 6'4", 257 pounds, was off the charts.

So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that Oweh's production has been uneven through two years with the Baltimore Ravens. Oweh made six starts in his second season but only had three sacks and 11 quarterback hits.

Despite the lack of production, defensive coordinator Mike McDonald has noted he likes what he's seen from Oweh and believes that stats will come.

"Does that show up on the stats sheet? It may not," McDonald said of some of the things he did last season, per Clifton Brown of the team site. "But the guy rushed outside; he rushed inside. I thought he really caught his stride at the end of the year. And the sacks, I just really believe they'll come."

Oweh is a great example of why it's important to understand a prospect's background when establishing expectations. McDonald took over as defensive coordinator in 2022 so Oweh has already had two different coordinators and is still growing as a player.

The tantalizing talent is still there to be molded.

No. 20 Overall in 2021 Draft

Kadarius Toney went from Daniel Jones to Patrick Mahomes in the middle of the 2022 season. That's roughly the equivalent of going from a Toyota Camry to a Lamborghini.

The former first-round pick never really panned out for the Giants. There was the 10-catch, 189-yard outing against the Dallas Cowboys in primetime but that ended up being a one-time flash of his abilities.

The Chiefs traded picks No. 100 and 209 for Toney ahead of last year's trade deadline. He hasn't immediately paid off. He had just 14 catches for 171 yards in the regular season but he did snag a touchdown reception in the Super Bowl.

That could be a harbinger of things to come for him. He'll have every opportunity to finally blow up in 2023. JuJu Smith-Schuster's departure in free agency leaves 101 targets up for grabs and Mecole Hardman's absence will vacate another 34.

Any offense run by Andy Reid with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback is going to generate a lot of yardage and explosive plays. Toney's athleticism and electric ability with the ball in his hands is why he was a first-round pick in the first place.

Outside of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Chiefs don't have many receivers who are proven producers. There's a lot of potential for Toney to have a breakout season.

No. 1 Overall in 2022 Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars' decision to take Travon Walker with the first overall selection was never a one-year decision. It might take the length of Walker's rookie contract before we see what his ceiling is.

The Jags shocked the NFL draft community when they took Walker over the more productive Hutchinson and more heavily-hyped Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Walker's athletic testing gave him the second-highest relative athletic score of any defensive end prospect since 1987. At 6'5", 272 pounds, he has a rare blend of size and speed that stands out even among his athletically gifted peers.

That athleticism and explosive first step made him the first-round pick, but it hasn't translated to otherworldly production—yet. Walker notched just 3.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in his first year.

Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell is pleased with his progress and expects more in Year 2, though.

"You can see the growth," said Caldwell, per Ben Arthur of Fox Sports. "Last year was a learning year for him, learning how to pass rush. Now he's to the point to where he knows what he likes to do. I call it his superpower. I tell him all the time, 'Use your superpower.' He has it, and he's working on doing that."

If the Jags can help Walker develop into a nuanced pass-rusher with good technique he still has all the tools to be an unstoppable force.