NFL fifth-year options: Who's trending up and down entering 2024 season

(3) Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., Texans:  Last year, Stingley had five interceptions and only allowed 23 completions on 48 targets (47.9%), per Pro Football Reference data. Injuries are the one thing holding him back; Stingley has only been available in 55.6% of Houston's games (including postseason) during his first two years in the league.

(8) Wide receiver Drake London, Falcons:  London's gotten off to a slower start than Wilson and Olave, wideouts selected after him, but he could be due for a breakout after the Falcons added quarterback Kirk Cousins.

(22) Linebacker Quay Walker, Packers:  Walker entered 2023 under scrutiny after a pair of ugly altercations on opposing sidelines as a rookie. Walker was ejected twice for making physical contact with opponent staff members, but he matured in Year 2, only hitting opponents in league-sanctioned areas. He led Green Bay in tackles (118) in 2023 and also had a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown.

(27) Linebacker Devin Lloyd, Jaguars:  Lloyd emerged as one of the league's best run-defending linebackers in 2023. Per Pro Football Focus, he posted the fourth-highest run-defense grade among linebackers last season and was credited with 28 stops, which PFF defines as "tackles that constitute a 'failure' for the offense." 

TRENDING DOWN

(12) Wide receiver Jameson Williams, Lions: The former Alabama speedster effectively red-shirted as a rookie, only making one reception on nine targets in six games after tearing his ACL in the January 2022 College Football Playoff national championship game. 

Last season should have been his breakout, but Williams was suspended four games for violating the league's gambling policy and only had 24 receptions, 354 yards and two touchdowns in 12 regular season appearances (10 starts). Williams was also quiet in the postseason, finishing Detroit's three-game run with six receptions, 79 yards and one touchdown.

(16) Wide receiver Jahan Dotson, Commanders:  The second-year wideout regressed in Year 2, averaging fewer yards per reception and yards per game than he did as a rookie despite making 14 more receptions and playing a higher percentage of Washington's offensive snaps.

(19) Offensive tackle Trevor Penning, Saints:  Perhaps a change of scenery will do Penning some good. No, we're not talking about New Orleans already parting with its second 2022 first-round pick. Instead, the team's decision to shift Penning to right tackle after beginning his career on the left side could be what he needs to get on track. If not, Penning, who was benched after five games in 2023, probably will have another NFL home in 2026, or maybe sooner.

(20) Quarterback Kenny Pickett, Eagles:  It feels like a foregone conclusion that Pickett will be a 2026 free agent. The Eagles signed quarterback Jalen Hurts to a five-year, $255M extension in April 2023, effectively excluding them from picking up Pickett's option. Already discarded by the Steelers, Pickett likely isn't done playing franchise music chairs.

(23) Cornerback Kaiir Elam, Bills:  An ankle injury made Elam a non-factor in 2023, limiting him to three games (two starts) after appearing in 13 games and recording two interceptions as a rookie. He's listed as a backup on ESPN's unofficial Bills depth chart, and if he doesn't emerge as a starter in 2024, it will be hard for Buffalo to justify his fifth-year option.