In the NFL, the term “take a leap” is thrown around often enough that it probably qualifies as an official football cliché by now. Players are expected to be constantly progressing, and if there’s one time in a player’s career where they’re expected to take the biggest leap, it’s from year one to year two.

In Green Bay recently, that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, the dreaded sophomore slump has doomed the seasons of a few key players over the past couple years. In 2015, Davante Adams was plagued by injuries and drops after breaking out late in the previous season. Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter all took steps back in 2016, one year after performing admirably as rookies.

While these are just the most recent examples, they all serve as proof that attaining success in the NFL and sustaining success in the NFL are two very different things.

As the offseason moves along and the 2017 season draws closer, it’s worth wondering whether any of the Packers’ 2016 rookie class could fall victim to the sophomore slump. Who are the most notable candidates?

Kenny Clark – After performing more than adequately in his rookie season, Clark is a popular pick to take on a much bigger role in 2017. Of all the second-year players, the former first-round pick will shoulder a lot of pressure in terms of how coaches and fans expect his game to progress. Assuming the Packers don’t part ways with Letroy Guion altogether, Clark at the very least will have a lot of immediate opportunity to prove he’s improved upon what he did a year ago.

Blake Martinez – Martinez teamed up with Jake Ryan to form a very serviceable middle linebacking duo in 2016. While his rookie numbers didn’t jump off the page, Martinez proved to be a quick study in the Dom Capers defense – a task much easier said than done. It will be interesting to see how both Ryan’s and Martinez’s roles evolve as the Packers scheme to move Clay Matthews around more often, but Martinez will certainly be a mainstay in the Green Bay defense.

Geronimo Allison – The lanky receiver is similar to Davante Adams in that he also proved more and more useful as the home stretch of the season wore on. By the time all was said and done, Allison became a trusted target for Aaron Rodgers. But the Packers’ wide receiver room is crowded, and despite the potential he showed, Allison is in no position to rest on his laurels. Luckily for him, Allison likely won’t be weighed down by the same expectations Adams faced going into his second season. Hopefully that helps him avoid a letdown.

The three players I’ve chosen to list here are most prominent because they all saw significant action and showed great potential for rookies in 2016. It should be noted the Packers will have plenty of less game experienced second year players who will need to get their game to speed quickly. Guys like Jason Spriggs, Kyler Fackrell, Dean Lowry and Kentrell Brice have generated buzz this offseason due to the perceived need at their positions and the expectation that they will all need to step up and contribute in 2017. Others – I’m looking at you, Trevor Davis – need to find a way to stand out to have a chance to break the 53-man roster come September.

In any case, the Packers will be counting on a number of players to “take a leap” this offseason, but only time will tell which direction that leap takes them.