NFL careers are painfully short, especially at certain positions. Teams need high-end production from their top draft picks, and they need it now.
Patience is at a premium. So while a steady progression is nice, the preferred result in a high pick's second season is playing at a Pro Bowl level.
The second-year leap is critical for the player and the employment of coaches and front-office personnel who brought him aboard.
Young players are both the future and the present, and they're leaned on heavily. Sometimes a torch is being passed, as is the case with the Los Angeles Chargers between tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry.