Ranking the Top Offensive Rookie of the Year Candidates for 2015 – Bleacher Report As training camps open throughout the NFL this week, there is no shortage of candidates with a shot to win the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award for 2015. Two quarterbacks, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, were selected with the top two picks of the 2015 NFL draft. Two running backs, Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, were selected in the top 15 after a two-year drought of first-rounders at the position. Four wide receivers—Amari Cooper, Kevin White, DeVante Parker and Nelson Agholor—were top-20 draft selections. Those eight prospects lead a deep field of first-year offensive players who have the skills to be productive right off the bat and are in situations where they should get at least some opportunities to do so. In determining these rankings, we considered how each player’s skill set projects to playing as an NFL rookie, as well as how much playing time each player is likely to get. Given that neither a tight end nor offensive lineman has ever won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award, the following rankings primarily include the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers who are most likely to be recognized for their great debut campaigns. 20. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Tennessee Titans Justin Hunter’s recent arrest for assault could open the door to a starting wide receiver spot for Dorial Green-Beckham, but regardless of how the Hunter situation plays out, Green-Beckham will still have to compete for snaps with Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas and Hakeem Nicks. A big wideout with great physical ability, Green-Beckham has star potential but might need some time to shake off the rust after not playing a snap of college football last year. 19. Jaelen Strong, WR, Houston Texans If Jaelen Strong beats out Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III for a spot in the Houston Texans’ starting lineup, he has the skills to immediately emerge as a big playmaker. Even so, he will be stuck playing second fiddle to DeAndre Hopkins as a receiver while his overall production could be beset by the Texans’ uncertainty at the quarterback position. 18. Brandon Scherff, OT, Washington Redskins An offensive lineman winning Offensive Rookie of the Year would be unprecedented, but if anyone has the ability to prove he deserves it in 2015, it’s Brandon Scherff. The reigning winner of the Outland Trophy as college football’s best offensive lineman for Iowa last year, Scherff is a powerful, technically sound blocker who should be an immediate upgrade for Washington at right tackle. 17. Maxx Williams, TE, Baltimore Ravens The first tight end selected in this year’s draft, Williams is a skilled receiver who will immediately be counted on in the passing game for a team with limited pass-catching options. That said, he will probably start out his career with the Baltimore Ravens as a backup to Crockett Gillmore, as he needs to work on his blocking. He told Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun that he is “learning a brand-new playbook” from the offense he was in at Minnesota. 16. Clive Walford, TE, Oakland Raiders Rookie tight ends rarely put up big numbers, but Clive Walford is reportedly off to a hot start. According to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson, Walford “showed terrific hands and speed, especially for a big man” in training camp. On an offense that lacks established receiving options, Walford could emerge as a top target if he beats out Mychal Rivera for the Oakland Raiders’ starting tight end job. 15. Breshad Perriman, WR, Baltimore Ravens As we mentioned earlier, the Baltimore Ravens need some new talent to step up among pass-catchers this year. Breshad Perriman, one of the fastest receivers in the rookie class, projects to replace Torrey Smith in his role as the main deep threat and should make some big plays. That said, he is a raw talent who reportedly struggled with drops in spring workouts, per Aaron Wilson, and will probably have an up-and-down rookie year. 14. Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina Panthers A big target at 6’4” and 225 pounds, Devin Funchess is expected to play a big role as a rookie after he “lined up at three different receiver positions” in OTAs, according to Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. He has poor speed for an NFL wideout and will need to become a more polished route-runner in order to separate consistently. But he has the potential to create mismatches and rack up touchdowns in the red zone, which could bolster his production and chances of winning the award. 13. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks It’s unclear whether Tyler Lockett will see regular playing time within the Seattle Seahawks offense this year, but if he does, his polish as a route-runner should enable him to flourish quickly. He is also expected to be the kickoff and punt returner this year, which should lead to some big plays, considering that Lockett had six return touchdowns in his collegiate career. 12. Duke Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns Duke Johnson will have to compete with second-year running backs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West for snaps, but he should still have a significant role in the Cleveland Browns offense this year. He’ll need to get a regular rotation of carries to have a shot at winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, but his ability to catch passes out of the backfield—he’s the best of the Browns’ trio of backs in that area—will increase his production in year one. 11. Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons A well-rounded runner who ran for 1,195 yards in his final seven games at Indiana despite playing on a broken foot, third-round pick Tevin Coleman could be a serious contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year if he can beat out Devonta Freeman to be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting running back. Like Duke Johnson and Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah is going to have to beat out competition for the starting running back job if he is going to be a top contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Thanks to a reportedly impressive start in spring workouts, he gets the nod for a top-10 spot ahead of his counterparts in these pre-training-camp rankings. Praised by a multitude of Detroit Lions beat writers during OTAs and minicamp, Abdullah was reportedly “as impressive as a back can be without pads,” according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. “He’s proved to be a better receiver than the Lions initially thought, and his quick twitch and speed were highlighted in offseason practices,” Twentyman wrote. “He’ll be a big part of the Lions offense in 2015 and will also try to win the punt and kickoff return duties.” As the pads come on in training camp and the preseason, he’ll have to back up the early hype to prove he deserves a regular role in the Lions offense this season. If he can, it’s possible Abdullah could move ahead of Joique Bell and Theo Riddick on the running back depth chart. Even if he does not earn the starting job outright, Abdullah is likely to be utilized in third-down situations because of his pass-catching ability and his shiftiness in space. His change-of-direction quickness should enable him to come up with big plays, both on offense and potentially on special teams if he ends up taking over return duties. Because the Lions are a pass-heavy offense and also because he is likely to split carries with Bell and/or Riddick for 2015, Abdullah probably won’t be the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nonetheless, the second-round pick could end up making a big impact this season. Running back T.J. Yeldon could see as many offensive touches as any non-quarterback among rookies this season. According to ESPN Insider Adam Caplan, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ second-round pick is not only “expected to start, he could wind up being a three-down player.” Furthermore, Jaguars running backs coach Kelly Skipper said Yeldon “picked up the offense quickly” during offseason workouts, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. The Jaguars wouldn’t have selected Yeldon with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft if they did not have high expectations for him. He’s not the most talented running back in the rookie class, but behind a rapidly improving offensive line, he could be in line for a highly productive 2015 season. Possessing great lateral quickness for a big back at 6’1” and 226 pounds, Yeldon is a smooth runner who hits the hole hard and can cut away from defenders in space. He’s not particularly overpowering or fast, but he is both a skilled runner and a solid pass-catcher out of the backfield. An every-down role would be a new challenge for Yeldon, as he played in a platoon of talented running backs during his three-year collegiate career at Alabama. He also carries a reputation for fumbling the ball that he will need to overcome in the NFL. Assuming he can do so and earns the starting role as expected, Yeldon will have a real shot to follow in the footsteps of former Alabama teammate Eddie Lacy, who won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award two seasons ago after being a second-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft. A gifted pass-catcher with an ability to make spectacular grabs, Miami Dolphins first-round pick DeVante Parker would have a higher spot in these rankings had he not been forced to undergo foot surgery in early June. According to ESPN.com’s James Walker, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin has said that he expects Parker “will be full go by September.” Philbin added, however, that Parker’s return to action will be a “gradual process.” In Walker’s words, it “remains up in the air” whether Parker will be able to play in any preseason games. Because of that, it is likely he will begin the season as a backup, considering the Dolphins have a solid trio of wideouts in Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings who will be running with the first-team offense in training camp. Even so, Parker is too talented to fall too far down these rankings. The Dolphins would not have selected him in Round 1 if they did not envision him as an upgrade for their offensive lineup, and it should only be a matter of time before he establishes himself as the team’s No. 1 wideout. It wouldn’t be unprecedented for Parker to return from injury to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Last year, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury and started out as a backup upon his return before emerging as one of the best wideouts in the NFL during the second half of last season. Like Beckham, Parker has the hands, body control and athleticism to emerge as a highlight-reel staple. If he is able to return to full health quickly and carve out a consistent role in the Dolphins offense, he has enough talent to make a run at the award. Selected with the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, Kevin White can be viewed as Brandon Marshall’s replacement for the Chicago Bears at wide receiver. He’ll need to produce like Marshall if he is going to make a serious run at Offensive Rookie of the Year. A 6’3”, 215-pound wideout who ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, White has through-the-roof potential. His elite combination of size and speed will make him a tough matchup for any cornerback, and he has a demonstrated history of winning at the catch point with strength and body control. Even so, there is some question as to how big his role will be, despite his high draft standing. He is likely to start out playing second fiddle to Alshon Jeffery, the Bears’ leading receiver last season, and could face legitimate competition from Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson to be the No. 2 starting wideout. For what it’s worth, Bleacher Report’s Matt Bowen told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that he expects Royal to play a bigger role than White for the Bears in 2015. “White is a rookie and you expect him to produce some, but Royal is a proven guy,” Bowen said. “Yeah, you want Kevin White to catch seven, eight, nine or 10 touchdowns. He is a top-10 pick. But you have to manage those expectations.” Logic would suggest it should only be a matter of time before White surpasses Royal on the depth chart and emerges as a star playmaker for the Bears offense. How quickly he does so could determine whether he ends up being a serious contender to win end-of-the-season hardware. Although Kevin White and DeVante Parker have higher upside than Nelson Agholor and were drafted ahead of him, the No. 20 overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles projects as the best bet among that trio to have a rookie season of award-winning quality. A smooth route-runner who has the athleticism to separate from coverage and be dynamic in the open field, Agholor well might have landed in a perfect situation for maximizing his production as a rookie. Known for running Chip Kelly’s trademark uptempo offense, the Eagles ran more offensive plays than any other team in the NFL last season. With a new quarterback at the helm in Sam Bradford, opportunities for Agholor to get the ball in his hands will be plentiful. Drafted following the departure of Jeremy Maclin in free agency, Agholor should have a good shot at taking Maclin’s place in the starting lineup right away. According to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, Agholor was “easily” the Eagles’ most impressive rookie in offseason workouts. A receiver who does his best work in the intermediate passing game and can play both outside and inside, Agholor projects as a natural fit for the Eagles system. While Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper and Josh Huff will all provide competition for Agholor to start, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if the rookie emerges as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver in 2015. Additionally, Agholor could see work as a kickoff and/or punt returner. The Eagles already have other options for those rules in Huff and Darren Sproles, but if the Eagles need to turn to him, Agholor—who returned four punts for touchdowns at USC—is more than capable of making big plays in that capacity as well. The St. Louis Rams took a risk when they drafted Todd Gurley, who was still recovering after tearing the ACL in his left knee last November, with the No. 10 overall pick in this year’s draft. Fortunately for the Rams, that risk could reap immediate rewards as Gurley appears to be well on his way to returning to action. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday that Gurley passed a pre-training-camp conditioning test “impressively.” As a result, Gurley has not been placed on an injury list and will be on the active roster when training camp begins this week. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Rams will throw him into fully padded play right away, and it remains likely that they will work him back gradually over the course of training camp and the preseason. But as long as Gurley is good to go for the start of the regular season and is able to return to his pre-injury form, he should be a top contender for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. At 6’1” and 222 pounds, Gurley has a rare blend of size, speed, power and agility that gives him the potential to emerge as one of the best running backs in the NFL. He has good burst for a back of his size, and once he gets moving, he can be tough to stop. As he works his way back to full strength, Gurley will likely start out splitting carries with Tre Mason, who showed promising potential as a rookie last year. Additionally, he will be running behind an inexperienced offensive line that has just one starter (left guard Rodger Saffold) with more than one year of starting experience. Both of those factors could hinder his chances to be the league’s best offensive rookie upon his return from injury, but if Gurley’s talent ultimately prevails, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with for defenses throughout the league. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense becomes markedly better with Jameis Winston at quarterback this season, the No. 1 overall pick will have a great shot at winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2015. Given that he was the draft’s top selection and that he plays the most prominent position on the field, it’s no surprise that Winston is the Vegas favorite to win the award at 5-1 odds, per Bovada (h/t Odds Shark’s Mike Pickett). The 2013 winner of the Heisman Trophy, Winston projects to be a huge upgrade for Tampa Bay over last year’s starters, Josh McCown and Mike Glennon. A big, strong-armed quarterback who moves well in the pocket and has experience playing in a pro-style offense, Winston has all the tools to emerge in time as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. That probably won’t happen right away, though. Coming off a disappointing 2014 season in which he threw 18 interceptions, Winston needs to work on his decision-making and will likely continue to battle issues with turnovers as he gets acclimated to playing against a higher level of competition. Nevertheless, his status as a quarterback who projects as a Week 1 starter automatically makes him one of the favorites to win the award, considering that a quarterback has won the award six of the past 11 seasons. Ultimately, whether or not he wins the award could come down to how many games the Buccaneers win, even though many analysts would argue that wins are not an accurate reflection of quarterback play. Each of the six quarterbacks to win the award since 2004 did so after their teams won at least four more games than they had in their previous seasons. While bettors favor Jameis Winston as an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota might be the more likely of the two quarterbacks to excel as a rookie. The popular narrative between the two quarterbacks has been that because Winston played in a traditional dropback passing offense in college—unlike Mariota, who played in a spread offense—he should have a shorter learning curve and therefore be ready to lead an NFL team prior to his counterpart. As Bleacher Report’s Cian Fahey recently broke down, the opposite might actually be the reality. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Mariota had a much better season last year at Oregon than Winston had at Florida State, and that was not simply a product of his system. While Mariota will need to adjust to playing in a pocket-based offense and learn a more complex playbook, he made significant strides as a pocket passer last season and demonstrated improved accuracy. Although Mariota’s progress cannot truly be evaluated until the actual games begin, the early reports from spring workouts were encouraging. At the end of minicamp, Tennessee Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said that Mariota was “probably further along at this point” than the team had expected, according to ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky. While opposing defenses will certainly make an effort to contain Mariota within the pocket and force him to win with his arm, the fact that he can also make plays with his legs should only bolster his chances of an award-winning season. Of the six quarterbacks to win Offensive Rookie of the Year since 2004, three of them—Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton and Vince Young—ran for more than 500 yards in their debut campaigns. Having thrown fewer interceptions in his entire collegiate career (14) than Winston threw last season, Mariota is less likely to have turnover issues as a rookie. Assuming he continues to be smart with the football, makes plays as a dual-threat passer and helps the Titans win more games in 2015, he’ll have a great shot at taking home a trophy at the end of the year. Fresh off a spectacular final season at Wisconsin in which he ran for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns, Melvin Gordon is a strong candidate to be the most productive offensive rookie of the 2015 season. The Offensive Rookie of the Year has historically been a running back’s award; 30 of its 44 recipients (though only three of its last 12) have been running backs. This year, no running back has a better chance to seize the hardware than Gordon. He has a great combination of size and ability to accelerate at 6’1” and 215 pounds, and he is truly dynamic with his quickness to make defenders miss in space. His mix of speed and agility makes him a threat to turn any play into a big one, so Gordon should show up on highlight reels throughout the 2015 season. The San Diego Chargers would not have traded up to the No. 15 overall pick to select Gordon if they did not expect him to be their feature back. While Danny Woodhead, Branden Oliver and Donald Brown all have positive qualities, none of them has the ability to break open the game that Gordon does. Unlike Todd Gurley, Gordon has a history of durability, having played every game of his final three seasons at Wisconsin. Additionally, he projects to be running behind a stronger offensive line, given the Chargers’ additions of Orlando Franklin and Joe Barksdale in free agency. Gordon’s abilities to catch passes and pass-block remain questionable, so it is likely he will lose some snaps to Woodhead this season in third-down situations. Even so, Gordon has a real shot at being one of the NFL’s most productive rushers in his rookie year. While the running back position has traditionally been a hotbed for rookie production, the balance has been shifting toward wide receivers in recent years as the NFL has become increasingly pass-happy. No rookie is better prepared or in a better position to continue that trend than Amari Cooper. The No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, Cooper has the polish to become an immediate star in the league. An excellent route runner with outstanding change-of-direction quickness, he can separate from coverage and get open at all levels of the field. He has above-average size (6’1″, 211 lbs) and speed, can make defenders miss to extend plays downfield and has natural hands to catch the ball away from his body. On an Oakland Raiders offense that did not have a single wide receiver reach 700 yards in 2014, Cooper projects to be the No. 1 go-to pass-catching option in 2015. Second-year quarterback Derek Carr remains a work in progress, but the addition of Cooper as a reliable intermediate weapon should help Carr take a step forward in his sophomore campaign. The Raiders had the fourth-highest total of passing attempts in the NFL in 2014, and those numbers should remain high under new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, who is expected to bring the uptempo offense to Oakland after spending last season with the Philadelphia Eagles as their quarterback coach. That, plus Carr’s expected development, should lead to plentiful opportunities for Cooper to catch the ball. After a 124-catch, 1,727-yard, 16-touchdown junior season at Alabama, Cooper appears ready to pick up where he left off. In a recent interview with 95.7 The Game’s Haberman and Middlekauff (h/t Raiders.com’s Eddie Paskal), Carr praised Cooper’s work ethic and said the rookie “is ridiculous in and out of his breaks.” “His style of play is perfect for this league,” Carr said. “He’s good at getting on toes and creating separation. He’s good at when the ball is in his hands making those fast-twitch movements to make a guy go one way so he can take it to the house. It’s just little things that honestly people don’t even notice.” As a first-year player in the NFL, Cooper truly projects to be the star of his team’s offense and a player who can elevate the Raiders offense, which has struggled in recent years, to new heights. He could even see some additional work as a kickoff and punt returner, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson. If Cooper meets expectations by surpassing the 1,000-yard mark as a receiver and emerging as a consistent playmaker in Oakland, Offensive Rookie of the Year honors will be his to lose. Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Last year’s Heisman Trophy finalists—Melvin Gordon (left), Amari Cooper and Marcus Mariota—rank as top candidates for the 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Brandon Scherff will need to amaze to become the first offensive lineman to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Devin Funchess’ playmaking potential makes him a sleeper candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
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