For most NFL rookies, the first year in the league is all about learning and developing. For those taken on Day 1 (and some early in Day 2), there's a lot more to their rookie season.

Early draft picks are held to a higher standard. It doesn't take long after a quiet or disappointing first season for fans and analysts to start having questions about a rookie's future.

Patience can be rewarded when it comes to NFL player development, though. The reality is that rookie contracts are typically four years for a reason. It can take a while to see a player fully develop.

It's that unpredictable learning curve that makes first-year players fun to track throughout the season. Here's a look at six who have struggled in one way or another this season and what they can do to build momentum going into next year.

CB Terrion Arnold, Detroit Lions

No one has accounted for more penalty yardage this season than rookie Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold. He has been flagged for seven pass interferences, two defensive holdings and a face mask as part of his penalty ledger that accounts for 167 yards.

He's also ranked 108th out of the 118 cornerbacks PFF has graded this season.

Cornerback stats can be tricky, though. They don't always tell the full story. Many of those flags came early in the season and are likely a prime reason Arnold's coverage grade is so low.

The reality is that the 21-year-old has already shown a lot of growth this season and he doesn't have the easiest job in the world. According to PFF, he has also played more man coverage snaps than anyone else in the league this season.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn wasn't able to play as much man coverage as he would like last season because he didn't have the personnel to do it. Now he has a corner who is playing more man than anyone.

That being said, Arnold still has to prove he can shut down top tier receivers without all the penalties. He needs to play clean games to close out the season and show he's ready for playoff football.

There should be no doubt the Alabama product is a future shutdown corner if he can start to eliminate those penalties with no drop-off in production.

OT Tyler Guyton, Dallas Cowboys

Terrion Arnold has a penalty problem, but at least there's an argument to be made that he's still a net positive for the Lions' defense. The same can't be said for rookie Tyler Guyton with the Dallas Cowboys.

The 23-year-old was tabbed as the heir to Tyron Smith's left tackle slot in Dallas. He has become the starter at the position, but it has definitely been to the detriment of the Cowboys offense.

The No. 29 overall pick is third among all linemen in the league with 12 penalties, including eight holding. Even worse, he ranks that highly despite missing three games this year.

Guyton has put together some promising stretches of play. He had two games in Week 8 and 9 in which he was third in PFF pass-block grade. But he's going to have to provide a much bigger sample size of consistent play to evade the narrative created by his struggles this season.

The Oklahoma product can start by getting back into the lineup. He has been dealing with a high ankle sprain, but he was made active for last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The only problem is that he didn't actually log any offensive snaps.

Guyton needs to work himself back in the lineup and put together some clean film as long as he's healthy enough to play.

DT Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks

Expectations for 16th overall pick Byron Murphy II were relatively high when the Seattle Seahawks made him the second defensive player selected in the draft. That's an impressive feat for an interior defensive lineman.

Typically, a defensive tackle isn't taken in the first round unless they are a disruptor on the inside. Given Murphy's general lack of elite size (6'1", 297 pounds), there was even more expectation that he would be able to make an immediate impact with his athleticism.

That hasn't really happened, though. The 22-year-old has been on the field for 51 percent of the Seahawks' defensive snaps, but he hasn't been a real difference-maker. He's registered just half a sack and two tackles for a loss with one quarterback hit.

However, there's a little more than meets the eye with those numbers. Murphy is already having a positive impact on the Seattle defense. According to Seth Walder of ESPN, he was drawing double teams at a higher rate than any other defensive tackle in the league in the early part of the season.

That would make it hard for anyone to succeed immediately, especially an undersized defensive tackle.

That being said, Murphy's pass-rushing production should be higher as the season wears on. He has had almost a full season of NFL experience and coaching to figure out how to beat the blocks in front of him and cause havoc.

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

Ricky Pearsall was one of the most surprising names called in the first round of this year's draft. He was ranked 66th on B/R's final big board and was on just 6.8 percent of first-round mock drafts, per NFL Mock Draft Database.

So far, it's been difficult for the 24-year-old to prove he was underrated in the draft process. He missed most of training camp with various injuries and missed the first six games of the season after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery.

All things considered, it's amazing Pearsall returned to the field. But he's still waiting for a breakout game.

Thus far, things have not come easy. The Florida product has played in seven games but still only has 12 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. The discouraging thing is that most of that production came in his first three games he played.

Over the last four games, he has just one catch for five yards. He has flashed some ability, but he still needs to work on refining his route-running and strengthening his connection with quarterback Brock Purdy.

The signal-caller took the blame for a recent misconnection against the Bears, but it looks like Pearsall breaks a route back inside that he doesn't need to and stops running for a deep ball that likely should have been completed.

If Pearsall can get on the same page with Purdy and bring down a few catches over the next four weeks, it would go a long way toward making it more believable that he takes a leap with a full training camp next year.

WR Ja'Lynn Polk, New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are getting a ton of hope from watching Drake Maye perform every week.

Second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk? No so much.

The Patriots followed up their selection of Maye with the third overall pick by taking Polk with the 37th selection. The Pats used their first pick on a franchise quarterback, so it makes sense to pick a young, dynamic receiver who can grow with their new signal-caller.

In reality, Polk has shown he has a much steeper learning curve than his new quarterback. While Maye has come in, started and made a lot of impressive plays, the Washington product has failed to break through an underwhelming receiver room.

Despite his claim that he "has the best hands in the league," he has come down with just 12 of his 31 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns. DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte have easily taken on larger roles in the Patriots offense despite much less draft pedigree as a former undrafted free agent and sixth-round pick, respectively.

The more advanced metrics don't help Polk's cause. He's a negative outlier when looking at yards per route run against both man and zone coverage.

The Patriots have no reason to freeze a young guy out of their offense right now. Maye is playing better and progressing, but there's nothing holding them back from playing more rookies like Polk.

He just has to show signs that he can consistently beat NFL coverage and get a few receptions over the final four games.

Edge Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings

What's amazing about the Minnesota Vikings' turnaround this season is that they have gone 10-2 while getting next to nothing out of their two first-round draft picks.

J.J. McCarthy's season was over before it started after he suffered a torn meniscus that knocked him out for the year. However, Dallas Turner appeared to be the kind of fit who could have an immediate impact at an area of need.

Turner, who was lauded for his ability as a blitzer at Alabama, seemed to be a perfect fit for defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blitz-happy scheme in Minnesota.

Instead, he's proved to be a bit more of a work-in-progress. He has struggled to get on the field with players like Patrick Jones II playing well in Flores' system. Ultimately, he's only had 95 pass-rushing snaps and generated just seven total pressures with one sack, per Sports Info Solutions.

It's best to practice some patience with Turner, though. It's easy to forget he is still only 21 years old and picking up a system like Flores' isn't always simple.

The good news for the No. 17 overall pick is that he should have the chance to show some progress over the next few weeks. He has seen an uptick in his usage over the last two weeks with Jones out, and he's starting to feel more comfortable.

"I'm starting to get it. With the great group of leaders we have and the great group of coaches, I feel like the game is starting to slow down for me as a rookie at this point in the season," he told Andrew Krammer and Emily Leiker of the Minnesota Star Tribune.

By getting on the field more and making a few splash plays, Turner should settle any nerves about his selection.