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Vlatko CanCar Jersey Position rankings: Rookie of the Year candidates Published: Dec 21, 2016 at 07:49 AM Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host Not all rookie cla ses are created equal. Some years, wins by default as a league-average quarterback on a 7-9 outfit. Other years, 's spectacular NFL debut edges out equally deserving young quarterbacks such as and . This year's cla s is loaded, featuring a pair of MVP candidates in Dallas, a franchise-changing pa s rusher and a dynamic all-purpose threat accomplishing feats the league hasn't seen since Gale Sayers was tearing up Wrigley Field in 1965. Let's examine the top 10 rookies of 2016: 1) , running back: The beating heart of the most balanced offense in the league, Elliott is already challenging and as the . Name a trait, and Elliott has it mastered: vision, patience, burst, power, elusivene s, long speed, pa s protection, soft hands, run-after-catch ability. After gashing the ' swarming defense for a season-high 159 rushing yards , Elliott needs to average a manageable 129 over the final two weeks to break Eric Dickerson's 1983 rookie record of 1,808 yards. He needs just 98 more yards from scrimmage to join Dickerson and Edgerrin James (1999) as the only rookies to reach the 2,000-yard mark. Why does Elliott get the edge over Prescott? He has a chance to establish a new benchmark for rookie running backs in a league that goes back nearly 100 years. If he catches Dickerson, he will be at least two years younger than the Hall of Famer and the other 16 to reach the 1,800-yard rushing club. If he stays healthy -- -- he's going to be a top-10 mainstay on lists. 2) , quarterback: By any measure, Prescott is enjoying one of the finest seasons by a first-year quarterback in modern NFL history. Drafted behind 134 other players, Dallas' new offensive leader is on pace to break rookie records for completion percentage (67.7), TD-to-INT ratio (20:4) and Isaiah Hartenstein Jersey pa ser rating (103.2). While it's fair to point out that he's had the luxury of incubating in an experienced, talent-rich offense with the highest run-pa s ratio in the league, it must also be conceded that Prescott has guided his team to a 12-2 record with savvy decision-making, surprising accuracy and the uncanny ability to make plays with the game on the line. Prescott flirted with a staggering near 80.0 and a pa ser rating near 130.0 during the franchise-record 11-game winning streak. 3) , pa s rusher: " Podcast" host Dan Hanzus has compared Bosa to former game-wrecking defensive end Mark Gastineau. For those of you born after 1990, Gastineau terrorized opposing quarterbacks for 19 and 22 sacks (a long-standing record until Michael Strahan broke it in 2001) as the leader of the vaunted " " in 1983 and 1984. A franchise-altering talent along the lines of , Bosa has than any rookie in the past decade, per Pro Football Focus. There are already games in which the draft's No. 3 overall pick is quite clearly the best player on the field. Even factoring in his lost September, Bosa is the obvious pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Suggesting that any other player should win the award is like taking the position that hasn't been the NFL's premier defensive star of the past half-decade -- it's a dead giveaway that you're not watching the games. 4) , wide receiver: The electric all-purpose threat has a chance to score every time he touches the ball, outracing defenses for 10 touchdowns combined on catches, runs, kickoff and punt returns. More than just the league's , the has emerged as the antidote to Kansas City's playmaking problems on offense, stre sing opposing defenses as the game-breaking complement to No. 1 receiver and All-Pro candidate . This year's rookie field is one of the toughest in recent memory. There are plenty of seasons in which Hill would have run away with the award. 5) , cornerback: It's rare for even the most promising cornerback prospects to hold their own as rookies, but Ramsey is doing just that for a Jacksonville defense that ranks third in yards per game since Week 9. Billed as the "best player in the draft," the hyper-competitive Ramsey has flashed All Pro-level talent while covering No. 1 receivers. He was in Week 15, recording five pa s deflections, a forced fumble and an interception while robbing the wideout of a pair of touchdowns. He has all of the tools to develop into the NFL's next great lockdown cornerback. 6) , tackle: Credit new general manager Jon Robinson for executing an , stealing from the , trading up for Conklin and drafting power back . The were criticized for bypa sing the allegedly more talented , but the early returns suggest they knew exactly what they were doing. Conklin has been as dominant as any Dikembe Mutombo Jersey right tackle in football, teaming with blindside tackle to lead that rivals the dominant units in Dallas and Oakland. Tenne see's in Kansas City was a showcase for Robinson's debut draft cla s. Conklin stonewalled All-Pro pa s rusher , Henry scored a pair of touchdowns, nose tackle was key in short-yardage defense, safety was active at all three levels of the defense and fifth-round cornerback has proven to be an upgrade on . Just wait until next Keita Bates-Diop Jersey year, when Robinson has his own draft picks as well as the ' first-rounder -- likely to be a top-10 selection. 7) , wide receiver: Billed as the next Marques Colston in ' offense, Thomas is already better outside the numbers as a sideline acrobat. The former Ohio State star leads all rookie receivers in targets (99), receptions (76), receiving yards (883) and touchdowns (eight). With two games remaining, Thomas has a fighting chance to join John Jefferson, Randy Mo s, and as the only rookies of the era with at least 1,000 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. 8) , running back: The key to stopping the monstrous power back is to test his lateral agility by moving him east-to-west instead of north-to-south. As NFL defenses have learned, that's easier said than done. Since Week 8, only and have surpa sed Howard's 101 rushing yards per game. Over that span, the former Indiana star ranks sixth with 124 yards from scrimmage per game. No matter who the find at quarterback in 2017, he will be handing off to three-down workhorse Howard next season. 9) , pa s rusher: Floyd drew preseason comparisons to for his explosive first step and condor-like wingspan. He won't match Smith's 14 rookie-season sacks, but he does lead all rookies this year with seven QB takedowns for a Chicago defense that ranks in the category. It will be interesting to see if the keep head coach John Fox around for another season. Floyd's emergence as a nucleus player is a strong argument in favor of staying the course with Vic Fangio's 3-4 defense. 10) , linebacker, and , defensive end: general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn are building a speedy, physical defense one draft at a time. After hitting home runs with and in 2015, they identified a pair of impact defenders in Jones and strong safety this year. Much like Pittsburgh's , Jones is the exceptionally rangy centerpiece of Atlanta's defense, making plays in all facets of the game. Tampa Bay's defense was a trainwreck in October, with Spence and defensive tackle held back by major injuries. Since the two rounded into form in early November, though, the Bucs' defense ranks second in points per game (15.0), takeaways (15) and third-down percentage (31.3). While McCoy is the driving force on the interior, Spence and have been wreaking havoc off the edge. Spence captured NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in November after recording 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 11 tackles. Also considered: , DE, Kansas City Chiefs; , S, Atlanta Falcons; , DE, Jacksonville Jaguars; , T, Detroit Lions; , C, Chicago Bears; , G, New England Patriots; , RB, Washington Redskins; , CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; , S, Oakland Raiders; , TE, . 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发表于 2024-3-3 10:40:23