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New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. leads 2014 All-Rookie teams - NFL - ESPN
Offense
While the remarkable performance of the rookie class of wide receivers has drawn much of the attention in recent weeks, there's been significant impact all over. In fact, there are a few cases where a rookie wasn't just the best among first-year players, but also could hold an argument as the best player at his position across the NFL. And as we see every year, big-time performances came from up and down the draft board.
After you look at my picks for Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year, feel free to go back and look at my preseason picks for the All-Rookie team. I will say, just as I noted then, that opportunity often supersedes overall talent early on in an NFL career. If Carlos Hyde is in, say, Jacksonville to start the season, is he really waiting for carries behind Toby Gerhart in the way he did behind Frank Gore? Of course not.
With that in mind, let's hand out the hardware and also look at some close calls.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants
It's not just that Beckham had the best numbers among rookie wide receivers in a year where there were no less than a dozen solid rookie wide receivers, with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Remember that he did that in 12 games. So the good thing is I don't even need to prorate the numbers (if I did: 121 catches, 1,720 yards and 16 TDs in 16 games) to justify the award because he can win without it. And he wasn't just force-fed; he was reasonably efficient, catching 91 of 132 targets, including 10 passes that traveled 20-plus yards.
Others considered: Zack Martin, Joel Bitonio, Mike Evans
Offense
Quarterback: Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings
Before the season started I gave Derek Carr a close edge for this, but mostly based on expectations on snaps. I wrote: "Teddy Bridgewater is my pick if all things are equal and every rookie gets to start. But I have to give the edge to Carr because he'll have more reps." Well, Bridgewater eventually got enough reps and gets the nod in a close call over Carr. What really stands out is the anticipation and the accuracy, which is what we saw a lot of at Louisville. Bridgewater completed 70-plus percent of his throws in four of his last five games, was at 64.4 percent for the season, and looks like the answer for Minnesota. Carr is a close second, having shown both the improvement and the attitude to be a long-term starter in Oakland.
Running back: Jeremy Hill, Bengals
Another one that worked out. In August I said, "The 220 carries that BenJarvus Green-Ellis got last year should go to Hill" -- and that's what happened. The Law Firm was gone, and Hill almost exactly matched the carry total. He finished with 222 carries, and at 5.1 yards per carry was a major force as he topped the 1,000-yard mark in his first year. Tre Mason and Andre Williams were also in the picture here. I do think a healthy Carlos Hyde can go off next year. And if Isaiah Crowell and Terrence West were one person, they'd win this. That's a solid tandem for the Browns.
Fullback: Ryan Hewitt, Bengals
Now, Hewitt is really more of an H-back, but he did well as blocker and also caught 10 passes. The Stanford product didn't get drafted, but he's going to stick. For a pure old-school fullback I'd put Jay Prosch of Houston in here as well. He was my preseason pick but didn't get enough reps to top Hewitt.
Receivers: Odell Beckham Jr., Giants; Mike Evans, Buccaneers; Jarvis Landry, Dolphins
It's not hard to explain the guys who are here. Read the Offensive Player of the Year note for Beckham. Consider that Evans matched him in TD catches (12) and also had 1,051 yards, doing so with really uneven QB play in Tampa. Landry was second among all rookie WRs in catches (84) and became a top target on a team with Mike Wallace. But the misses are amazing too: Sammy Watkins had a fantastic year with 65 catches and 982 yards, and Jordan Matthews looks like the first-round pick he should have been with 67 catches and 872 yards. Brandin Cooks maybe beats out Evans or Landry if he stayed healthy, and Allen Robinson was close in that neighborhood if he's healthy. Kelvin Benjamin had great numbers but only falls on drops -- he makes the spectacular play but needs to make the routine one and run better routes. He's still a star in the making, of course. Davante Adams, John Brown, Paul Richardson ... there's just so much talent in this class.
Tight end: Jace Amaro, Jets
Richard Rodgers (Packers) and Eric Ebron (Lions) also could be mentioned here, but Amaro gets the slight edge just because he was the clear leader in catches with 38, and the QB play for the Jets wasn't a huge help at all times. It should be noted that none of these guys is truly a classic tight end, or paid to block.
Offensive tackles: Taylor Lewan, Titans; Justin Britt, Seahawks
The 2014 draft class makes it clear just how hard it is to transition to the NFL and hold down tackle against NFL-level pass-rushers. Lewan was pretty good, not great, but he actually played the position. And Britt really struggled to hold up as a pass-blocker, but was pretty good when Seattle ran the ball. I think Lewan can become a very good tackle at this level, while Britt at least has a chance if he can become effective against pass-rushers. I did pick Britt for this team preseason, and at least in the run game he delivered.
Guards: Joel Bitonio, Browns; Zack Martin, Cowboys
This is really the class of the offensive first team, aside from the class of receivers. Both Bitonio and Martin weren't just good, they were arguably as good as any guard in the league. From a draft perspective, in each case you really see the value of versatility, as both of these guys played tackle last year and moved inside for good reason and didn't just succeed; in many cases they were dominant. Martin was the player Dallas took instead of Johnny Manziel, and Bitonio was the safe pick Cleveland took after Manziel. Both turned out fine.
Center: Corey Linsley, Packers
What's impressive about Linsley is he has been pretty steady all year after being drafted No. 161 overall. He didn't just slowly improve -- he played well from the start. He was thrust into a somewhat bright spotlight snapping the ball to Aaron Rodgers and has proved to be a likely longtime starter. Russell Bodine of Cincy also has played better of late and should stick as a starter.
Kicker: Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals
He went 29-of-33 for a team that played some low-scoring games and needed the kicks, and he was a combined 12-of-14 from 40- and 50-plus yards, which gives him a slight edge over equally accurate Cody Parkey, who had eight total makes beyond 40 yards. Cairo Santos (Chiefs) was also solid, banging through 25 of 30 attempts.
Offense
While the remarkable performance of the rookie class of wide receivers has drawn much of the attention in recent weeks, there's been significant impact all over. In fact, there are a few cases where a rookie wasn't just the best among first-year players, but also could hold an argument as the best player at his position across the NFL. And as we see every year, big-time performances came from up and down the draft board.
After you look at my picks for Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year, feel free to go back and look at my preseason picks for the All-Rookie team. I will say, just as I noted then, that opportunity often supersedes overall talent early on in an NFL career. If Carlos Hyde is in, say, Jacksonville to start the season, is he really waiting for carries behind Toby Gerhart in the way he did behind Frank Gore? Of course not.
With that in mind, let's hand out the hardware and also look at some close calls.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants
It's not just that Beckham had the best numbers among rookie wide receivers in a year where there were no less than a dozen solid rookie wide receivers, with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Remember that he did that in 12 games. So the good thing is I don't even need to prorate the numbers (if I did: 121 catches, 1,720 yards and 16 TDs in 16 games) to justify the award because he can win without it. And he wasn't just force-fed; he was reasonably efficient, catching 91 of 132 targets, including 10 passes that traveled 20-plus yards.
Others considered: Zack Martin, Joel Bitonio, Mike Evans
Offense
Quarterback: Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings
Before the season started I gave Derek Carr a close edge for this, but mostly based on expectations on snaps. I wrote: "Teddy Bridgewater is my pick if all things are equal and every rookie gets to start. But I have to give the edge to Carr because he'll have more reps." Well, Bridgewater eventually got enough reps and gets the nod in a close call over Carr. What really stands out is the anticipation and the accuracy, which is what we saw a lot of at Louisville. Bridgewater completed 70-plus percent of his throws in four of his last five games, was at 64.4 percent for the season, and looks like the answer for Minnesota. Carr is a close second, having shown both the improvement and the attitude to be a long-term starter in Oakland.
Running back: Jeremy Hill, Bengals
Another one that worked out. In August I said, "The 220 carries that BenJarvus Green-Ellis got last year should go to Hill" -- and that's what happened. The Law Firm was gone, and Hill almost exactly matched the carry total. He finished with 222 carries, and at 5.1 yards per carry was a major force as he topped the 1,000-yard mark in his first year. Tre Mason and Andre Williams were also in the picture here. I do think a healthy Carlos Hyde can go off next year. And if Isaiah Crowell and Terrence West were one person, they'd win this. That's a solid tandem for the Browns.
Fullback: Ryan Hewitt, Bengals
Now, Hewitt is really more of an H-back, but he did well as blocker and also caught 10 passes. The Stanford product didn't get drafted, but he's going to stick. For a pure old-school fullback I'd put Jay Prosch of Houston in here as well. He was my preseason pick but didn't get enough reps to top Hewitt.
Receivers: Odell Beckham Jr., Giants; Mike Evans, Buccaneers; Jarvis Landry, Dolphins
It's not hard to explain the guys who are here. Read the Offensive Player of the Year note for Beckham. Consider that Evans matched him in TD catches (12) and also had 1,051 yards, doing so with really uneven QB play in Tampa. Landry was second among all rookie WRs in catches (84) and became a top target on a team with Mike Wallace. But the misses are amazing too: Sammy Watkins had a fantastic year with 65 catches and 982 yards, and Jordan Matthews looks like the first-round pick he should have been with 67 catches and 872 yards. Brandin Cooks maybe beats out Evans or Landry if he stayed healthy, and Allen Robinson was close in that neighborhood if he's healthy. Kelvin Benjamin had great numbers but only falls on drops -- he makes the spectacular play but needs to make the routine one and run better routes. He's still a star in the making, of course. Davante Adams, John Brown, Paul Richardson ... there's just so much talent in this class.
Tight end: Jace Amaro, Jets
Richard Rodgers (Packers) and Eric Ebron (Lions) also could be mentioned here, but Amaro gets the slight edge just because he was the clear leader in catches with 38, and the QB play for the Jets wasn't a huge help at all times. It should be noted that none of these guys is truly a classic tight end, or paid to block.
Offensive tackles: Taylor Lewan, Titans; Justin Britt, Seahawks
The 2014 draft class makes it clear just how hard it is to transition to the NFL and hold down tackle against NFL-level pass-rushers. Lewan was pretty good, not great, but he actually played the position. And Britt really struggled to hold up as a pass-blocker, but was pretty good when Seattle ran the ball. I think Lewan can become a very good tackle at this level, while Britt at least has a chance if he can become effective against pass-rushers. I did pick Britt for this team preseason, and at least in the run game he delivered.
Guards: Joel Bitonio, Browns; Zack Martin, Cowboys
This is really the class of the offensive first team, aside from the class of receivers. Both Bitonio and Martin weren't just good, they were arguably as good as any guard in the league. From a draft perspective, in each case you really see the value of versatility, as both of these guys played tackle last year and moved inside for good reason and didn't just succeed; in many cases they were dominant. Martin was the player Dallas took instead of Johnny Manziel, and Bitonio was the safe pick Cleveland took after Manziel. Both turned out fine.
Center: Corey Linsley, Packers
What's impressive about Linsley is he has been pretty steady all year after being drafted No. 161 overall. He didn't just slowly improve -- he played well from the start. He was thrust into a somewhat bright spotlight snapping the ball to Aaron Rodgers and has proved to be a likely longtime starter. Russell Bodine of Cincy also has played better of late and should stick as a starter.
Kicker: Chandler Catanzaro, Cardinals
He went 29-of-33 for a team that played some low-scoring games and needed the kicks, and he was a combined 12-of-14 from 40- and 50-plus yards, which gives him a slight edge over equally accurate Cody Parkey, who had eight total makes beyond 40 yards. Cairo Santos (Chiefs) was also solid, banging through 25 of 30 attempts.
