There was talent all over the board in this year’s NFL Draft. From the 1st pick of the draft, to the very last pick, teams were getting more and more talented by the selection. This was a defensive studded draft, but hopefully that didn’t mask all the great offensive players selected as well. Here is a quick look at who I believe will be the talk of the NFL throughout their rookie campaigns.
Honorable Mention – D.K. Metcalf
The Seahawks have had a very busy off season, and so has Doug Baldwin, who is expecting to have his 3rd surgery of the off-season before training camp. If Doug Baldwin cannot continue his NFL career, Metcalf should become a prime candidate for OROY. Tyler Lockett will most likely step in as the #1 receiver, but D.K. will get plenty of red zone looks early on. Metcalf was my 2nd best receiver before the draft, but took a heavy fall all the way till the 3rd round where the Seahawks might have gotten the steal of the draft. I will expect big things for Metcalf either way in his rookie year, but without Doug Baldwin their taking his catches, who really is stopping him from a monster rookie season in Seattle?
5. David Montgomery
David Montgomery was my #1 running back in this class, and landing with the Chicago Bears couldn’t have been any better for the rookie. Jordan Howard is gone, and the Bears are hoping Montgomery will be able to replace his production early. Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears passing attack will be the main focus point for most NFL defenses, hopefully making his life easier in the box. The biggest issue for him, at least in terms of the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, will be Tarik Cohen. Cohen is going to be on the field just as much, if not more than Montgomery will be in 2019 and that should make it tough to stand out in a very talented rookie class. Currently it looks like a long shot for him, but it looked like a long shot for Jordan Howard too and he did fairly well for himself his rookie year.
4. Dwayne Haskins
Personally, Haskins has a better situation than Murray to perform early on in his career. Washington went out and added to an already good defense, making it a possible great defense, which should allow Haskins to play with less stress knowing his defense will be able to make up for his rookie mistakes that are bound to happen. After becoming the 3rd QB off the board, I think Haskins will have a big chip on his shoulder throughout the season, especially when he plays their inner division rivals the New York Giants, which could lead to a few explosive games for the rookie. This was a team that was surprising everyone last year before their whole season was hit with the injury bug and still nearly made the playoffs with an AAF quarterback. If the Redskins can stay healthy, this is a team that could surprise a lot of people again with their rookie QB.
3. Josh Jacobs
Unlike Montgomery, Josh Jacobs should have complete control of the Raiders backfield for most of the season. Now that Crowell will have to sit out the year with a torn achilles, the Raiders have Jalen Richard, DeAndre Washington, and Chris Warren, all who should be beaten out by Jacobs within a few weeks. They brought in Doug Martin as well, but Gruden even said he will be a great mentor for Jacobs, meaning I don’t think he will be taking too many snaps away from Jacobs either. Ironically enough, Jacobs first year in the NFL will probably be one of his highest volume season’s he has put out since high school, and should be ready to burn some rubber on his tires.
2. Kyler Murray
Of course Kyler has to be on this list, if you’re the first overall pick you better find your name in the list of top rookies of that year. I think with all the new pieces, and a new head coach, I do think Murray’s start could be a little rough though. Similar to his Heisman campaign last year, he could find himself chasing another great rookie if he comes off rather slow or “boring”. The expectations for Kyler are sky high year 1, and thats mainly why I have him as my 2nd favorite to win the award. If he fails to wow the media in this new and pretty air raid offense, Murray might be dragged around early. That being said, if he can carry his electric play over into the NFL, it will be hard to deny him OROY.
1. N’Keal Harry
Over my near 22 years of life, one thing I have learned for sure about football is NEVER, doubt Tom Brady. N’Keal Harry is probably in the best place and fit to win OROY, with no other major targets besides Julian Edelman, N’Keal steps in as the immediate #2 target for Tom Brady. The top wide receiver in the class, with one of the best quarterbacks of all time, can only spell out great things for Harry’s rookie campaign. With Gronkowski now enjoying his post NFL career, the Patriots are going to need a lot of help in the red zone, which could have Harry looking to lead all rookies in touchdown catches.