• Trevor Lawrence outlasts every other passer: Of the five quarterbacks selected in the first round, Lawrence stands as the only signal-caller to be tagged with the fifth-year option — and the only passer still with the team that drafted him.
• Penei Sewell earns a massive payday: The former seventh-overall pick inked a new deal worth more than $112 million over four years, including his fifth-year option, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league by average annual value.
• Check out PFF's fantasy football rankings: PFF’s fantasy football rankings include ranks from our experts, projections and our strength of schedule metric.
Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview, front offices around the league turned their attention to another draft — well, the first round of it, at least — as they evaluated their first-round picks from the 2021 class to determine which players have lived up to their billing enough to warrant the activation of their fifth-year options, and which ones fell short.
Here, we look at how all fifth-year options for the 2021 draft class played out, with three-year grades noted in parentheses next to each's name.
Picked Up
Pick No. 1: QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (77.3)
The first-overall pick hunts for holes in defenses, having amassed the fifth-most big-time throws (88) in the league since 2021. That mark could have been even better with more sure hands in the receiving corps, as Lawrence also led all quarterbacks with 100 dropped passes over the past three seasons.
Pick No. 4: TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (78.4)
While Pitts’ production hasn’t quite matched his billing as a top-five pick, his level of talent screams untapped potential. Despite the Falcons' revolving door at quarterback, Pitts has averaged over 1.73 yards per route run since entering the league, a rate that places him among the top eight among tight ends (minimum 50 targets).
Pick No. 5: WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals: 90.5
Chase has undoubtedly earned his reputation as one of the league’s elite receivers, earning a phenomenal 90.9 receiving grade since entering the league — a top-10 mark at the position. Over that span, Chase has totaled the second-most yardage after the catch (1,889 yards) and missed tackles forced (57).
Pick No. 6: WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins (90.2)
Waddle has produced at an exceptional level, despite splitting the target share with one of the league’s most lethal weapons in Tyreek Hill. Waddle is one of just 12 qualifying receivers to record a 90.0-plus receiving grade since 2021 — a grade stemming from his incredible speed.
Pick No. 7: T Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions (91.5)
The Lions picked up Sewell’s fifth-year option on their way to making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league. Sewell is a road-grader on the right side, generating the league’s highest run-blocking grade (95.1) this past season, due largely to his tremendous 20.0% impact block rate.
Pick No. 8: CB Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers (79.1)
Despite dealing with various injuries in his young career, Horn made strides each season, culminating in a quality 83.0 coverage grade this past year. While he has played just 650 coverage snaps in his career, he has allowed just a 62.3 passer rating when targeted since 2021, the best mark at the position.
Pick No. 9: CB Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos (81.0)
To be named an All-Pro before signing a second contract is no small feat. Since entering the league, Surtain has played sound coverage, highlighted by seven interceptions and 31 forced incompletions, contributing to his 80.1 coverage grade, a top-20 mark among corners.
Pick No. 10: WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles (83.5)
Smith inked an extension that will keep him in Philadephia for the foreseeable future. The young receiver makes up half of one of the most explosive receiving duos in the game, having totaled 92 receptions of 15-plus yards since 2021, the 10th most at the position.
Pick No. 12: EDGE Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (93.5)
Despite coming into the league as an off-ball linebacker, Parsons has become one of the NFL's most dominant edge rushers. Since 2021, only three edge rushers have surpassed a 20% pass-rush win rate, one of which is the two-time All-Pro himself. He has also earned the league’s second-highest pass-rush grade (94.0).
Pick No. 13: T Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers (85.3)
Slater wasted no time in getting acclimated to the NFL, producing a 76.0-plus PFF grade in each season. While Slater’s game is incredibly well-rounded, he’s been a plus pass protector, earning the 10th-highest grade (86.1) among tackles while surrendering pressure on just 4.4% of his pass sets.
Pick No. 14: G Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets (71.4)
While Vera-Tucker has been limited to just 12 starts over the past two seasons due to injury, he has excelled as a run blocker. His production in outside-zone schemes is particularly noteworthy, having earned an impressive 84.7 run-blocking grade on such plays.
Pick No. 18: EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins (80.2)
Phillips saw a seismic shift in his level of play the past two seasons, engineering a more than 34-point increase on the grading scale from his rookie campaign. The Dolphins edge rusher has generated 141 pressures, including 25 sacks, amounting to a quality 79.0 grade over the past three seasons.
Pick No. 21: EDGE Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts (75.1)
Paye brings a run-game presence that any NFL defense would crave. Since entering the league, the Colts edge defender has racked up more than 50 run stops, 15 of which went for a loss or no gain. That production contributed to a quality 15.4% positively graded play rate on run snaps.
Pick No. 23: T Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota Vikings (89.7)
Despite being picked in the back half of the first round, Darrisaw has produced like a top-10 pick in the class. He owns a 91.2 PFF grade over the past two seasons, the third-highest mark among tackles, behind only Trent Williams and Penei Sewell.
Pick No. 25: RB Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (82.2)
Missing his entire rookie season due to a foot injury didn’t slow Etienne. Over the past two seasons, the Jaguars back has generated 154 missed tackles, just one behind Christian McCaffrey for the top mark. And he did so on 183 fewer touches than the 49ers star.
Pick No. 26: CB Greg Newsome II, Cleveland Browns (71.1)
It takes a savvy player to play effectively both in the slot and on the outside, something Newsome has shown in spades. Since entering the league, he has produced a 69.0-plus coverage grade each season, due in large part to his 16.3% forced incompletion rate.
Pick No. 30: EDGE Greg Rousseau, Buffalo Bills (86.5)
Rousseau has shown marked improvements in his year-over-year PFF grades, culminating in his incredible 87.2 mark this past season. As an all-around edge defender, Rousseau has made his home in the backfield, generating 19 career sacks and 24 tackles for loss or no gain.
Pick No. 31: LB Odafe Oweh, Baltimore Ravens (70.9)
Oweh is coming off his best year as a pro, setting career-high marks in run-defense grade (71.7) and pass-rush grade (77.4). The 2023 campaign unlocked Oweh’s pass-rushing prowess, as he racked up 54 quarterback pressures and generated a 17.7% pass-rush win rate.
Declined
Pick No. 2: QB Zach Wilson, Denver Broncos (54.3)
The second-overall pick of the class didn’t pan out in New York and now finds himself looking for a new start in Denver, under Sean Payton. Wilson struggled to take care of the ball throughout his time with the Jets but made some improvements this past season, dropping his turnover-worthy play rate to 2.5%.
Pick No. 3: QB Trey Lance, Dallas Cowboys (57.2)
The former top-three selection has played just 263 snaps in his NFL career, last appearing in Week 2 of the 2022 season. Lance produced just five big-time throws and five turnover-worthy plays on that small sample.
Pick No. 11: QB Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (73.8)
Fields’ time in Chicago was difficult, and he was never able to gain the footing he needed to evolve as a passer. Despite those challenges, he was excellent as a runner, having earned the fourth-highest rushing grade (91.9) among quarterbacks since 2021.
Pick No. 15: QB Mac Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars (72.5)
The former Crimson Tide standout came into the league poised, earning an 81.4 PFF grade his rookie campaign, but has since struggled to recapture that stability. This past season, Jones totaled just 11 big-time throws to 22 turnover-worthy plays.
Pick No. 16: LB Zaven Collins, Arizona Cardinals (66.7)
Collins largely struggled at off-ball linebacker but has since found a home on the edge in Jonathan Gannon’s system. He produced a 12.3-point increase on the grading scale in 2023, powered by his ability to fit the run, where he earned a positive grade on 16.2% of his snaps.
Pick No. 17: T Alex Leatherwood, Las Vegas Raiders (49.4)
Leatherwood is ineligible for a fifth-year option because the Raiders waived him before the 2022 season and he remains a free agent. The Alabama product never found his footing in the NFL. His career-best grade is just 60.1, which came in 2022 when he played only 32 snaps for the Chicago Bears.
Pick No. 19: LB Jamin Davis, Washington Commanders (60.1)
Last season, Davis was finally able to translate his natural athleticism into on-field production. His 76.1 run-defense grade marked a career-high, and he racked up 25 run stops, including eight tackles for loss or no gain.
Pick No. 20: WR Kadarius Toney, Kansas City Chiefs (73.9)
After being acquired by Kansas City in 2022, Toney found some footing in the NFL but spent most of the 2023 campaign fighting for snaps before being relegated to a reserve role. In his time on the field, Toney did manage to average a respectable 1.79 yards per route run.
Pick No. 22: CB Caleb Farley, Tennessee Titans (39.9)
Injuries have derailed Farley’s career, as he has appeared in only 12 games. The last time we saw Farley on an NFL field was Week 5 of the 2022 season. To this point, he has yet to earn a single-game coverage grade above 60.0.
Pick No. 24: RB Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers (79.5)
While Harris hasn't lived up to his draft pedigree, he has produced a respectable rushing baseline that should net him future rotational opportunities. The former Alabama star has earned 71.0-plus rushing grades in each season of his career and enters 2024 as the highest-graded player not to receive the fifth-year option.
Pick No. 27: WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (63.7)
Due to contract technicalities, Bateman wasn't eligible for the fifth-year option but instead signed an extension to remain in Baltimore. While he hasn’t reached the potential he displayed coming into the league, he’s shown flashes of that explosion, producing a reception of 15 or more yards on 27.8% of his career catches.
Pick No. 28: EDGE Payton Turner, New Orleans Saints (71.3)
Turner struggled to find his way onto the field in New Orleans due to a combination of injury and inefficiency. The Saints edge has played only 340 snaps across three seasons, including just 25 this past season.
Pick No. 29: CB Eric Stokes, Green Bay Packers (60.1)
Stokes shares a similar story to many players whose options have been declined — injuries have derailed his potential. In his only entire season, his rookie campaign in 2021, Stokes produced his highest-graded season, earning a 67.1 coverage grade. However, that fell to just 45.9 this past year, albeit on limited snaps.
Pick No. 32: EDGE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (61.6)
The Bucs took a flier on Tryon-Shoyinka, hoping to maximize his impressive build, but he never managed to make a significant impact. However, he wasn’t devoid of production, as he has generated 109 pressures over the past three seasons.
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