Ranking entire 2022 NFL rookie class after Year 1 Jets obvious top choice Packers Patriots 49ers in top 10
With the 2022 NFL season in the books, it's only right that we now rank the rookie cla ses for all 32 teams. It was imperative to wait until after the Super Bowl, because the draft cla s was one of the best in the busine s this past season. And now, all those first-year pros will be getting fit for some rings.The "hits" are ranked in order of how well they performed as rookies, and that ranking is based relative to when they were drafted. Higher expectations for earlier picks etc.Year 1 hits: LB MIN LB #33 The Vikings had a large draft cla s, and injuries derailed the profe sional debuts for safety and cornerback . While got significant action in his first season, he was a liability at guard for Minnesota's offense. Asamoah came on strong late in the year, making plays in coverage and against the run but didn't even log 125 snaps.Year 1 hits: OL LV OG #66 Parham wasn't magnificent at guard as a rookie, but he did hold his own coming out of Memphis. Like most young blockers, Parham was further ahead as a run blocker than he was in pa s protection. The rest of the Raiders cla s was hardly heard from in Year 1. Year 1 hits: DT PHI DT #90 Davis toughed his way through some injuries in Year 1, and wasn't much of pa s rusher. He did generate a few splash plays in the middle against the run. On a team loaded with veterans, there wasn't room for the rest of the rookie cla s to see the field.Year 1 hits: CB LAR CB #14 The Rams were ravaged by injuries in 2022, and their rookie cla s was part Tyler Clippard Jersey of the wreckage. Durant saved the cla s with three interceptions, including a pick-six. The former South Carolina State star was around the football frequently with five pa s breakups in limited action.Year 1 hits: CB CLE CB #23 Emerson quietly had a strong debut in Cleveland with 15 pa s breakups and 63 total tackles as one of the primary outside cornerback starters for the Browns. Other rookies played in 2022, yet were all clearly not ready to be big-time positive impacts on the Browns. Year 1 hits: CB , TE DEN TE #80 TAR55REC33REC YDs411REC TD2FL0 The Broncos had a sizable rookie cla s in 2022 but not much to show for it, outside of some splash plays from Dulcich and overall stingy coverage from Mathis. It would've been nice to see more from GM George Paton's second draft in Denver after an awesome debut draft from him.Year 1 hits: EDGE/DL , EDGE ARI LB #97 Neither Thomas nor Sanders were stars as rookies on a bad Cardinals defense, yet they flashed as pa s rushers, which of course is vital. was a disappointment from Round 2, and the Day 3 picks barely saw the field.Year 1 hits: LB JAC LB #48 I'm cla sifying Muma as the only pure hit and he didn't play much, although and weren't terrible. Did they meet normal No. 1 overall pick and late first-round standards? No. Year 1 hits: QB MIA QB #19 CMP%57.1YDs534TD1INT3YD/Att5.09 The Dolphins only made four picks in 2022, and the last one, Thompson, was the only to make a serious Carlos Lee Jersey contribution. For a seventh-round pick who was widely viewed as a developmental type, the former Kansas State quarterback fared relatively well thrust into multiple relief appearances in Year 1.Year 1 hits: OL CAR OT #79 Ekwonu is the only hit from the Panthers 2022 cla s, which besides him, was rather ghastly. However, Ekwonu played about as well as advertised, and nailing a left tackle pick in Round 1 is very beneficial in the team-building proce s.Year 1 hits: RB , TE , TE TB RB #1 Att129Yds481TD1FL3 When given a more substantial role later in the season, White was a dynamic pa s catcher like he was at Arizona State. The tight end duo stayed true to their strengths in Year 1. Kieft blocked well and Otton made some plays as a receiver. Year 1 hits: RB , WR WAS RB #8 Att205Yds797TD2FL0 Robinson made an afterthought in 2022. He got more than what was blocked for him en route to more than 700 yards on the ground. Dotson caught seven touchdowns as a rookie but only had one 100-yard game.Year 1 hits: WR , CB Alontae Taylor NO WR #12 TAR119REC72REC YDs1042REC TD4FL2 Olave was the main rookie of substance from the Saints 2022 cla s. Pushed into a top-target role, he had 72 receptions for over 1,000 yards and four scores. Now, he wasn't a YAC or big-play specialist, but he handled WR1 responsibilities well. Taylor held his own filling in for injured star Marshon Lattimore at outside cornerback, finishing with eight pa s breakups on the season.Year 1 hits: CB , OL CIN CB #29 Taylor-Britt and Volson played a lot as rookies on each side of the ball and were quality players. The Bengals could upgrade from Volson in 2023, yet they do know they have a quality swing blocker on the interior. The Bengals would've been higher if they got more from first-round pick . Year 1 hits: OL , OL LAC OT #68 Johnson underwhelmed as a first-round pick but wasn't entirely a turnstile. Salyer on the other hand was tremendous locking down the left tackle spot -- a position most analysts didn't believe he could play in the NFL -- after early season-ending injury. Other than that, the Chargers didn't get much return from the rookie cla s.Year 1 hits: , TE , CB NYG OLB #5 Thibodeaux hit the ground running after an injury delayed the start to his pro career. Bellinger, who many thought was a project, caught 30 pa ses in Year 1. Flott was a part-time cornerback and chipped in with two pa s breakups and a big one in the playoff win. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. Year 1 hits: CB , RB , CB BUF RB #4 Att89Yds507TD2FL1 Benford had five pa s breakups and a pick despite two long lapses sidelined due to injury. Cook didn't generate a major stir as Buffalo's backup runner, so you probably won't believe he averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Elam didn't start all year, so his action was limited. He did finish with four defended pa ses and a pair of interceptions. Year 1 hits: WR, TE, OL IND TE #80 TAR40REC25REC YDs312REC TD3FL0 No one from this trio was a standout in their first seasons with the Colts, yet Pierce was a reliable contributor, and Woods got three touchdowns on 25 receptions in a backup role. Raimann started as a major liability at tackle. His development was clear late in the season.Year 1 hits: RB , WR , EDGE ATL WR #5 TAR117REC72REC YDs866REC TD4FL3 Allgeier quietly went over 1,000 yards on the ground at well over 4.0 yards per carry. London was held back by quarterback play -- and of course Atlanta would be higher here if played better. Ebiketie's season-long efficiency as a pa s rusher wasn't there, but he did have three contests with five or more pre sures.Year 1 hits: Brian McCann Jersey TE , WR , CB TEN TE #85 TAR46REC32REC YDs450REC TD3FL0 Okonkwo flashed as a YAC specialist in a low-volume role, and once he was nursed to full health, Burks proved to everyone why he was a first-round pick. McCreary was able to get past his short-arm deficiency as an inside-out corner in Year 1. Year 1 hits: OT , S , CB CHI OT #70 Jones had a low-key awesome season at left tackle blocking for , Brisker logged almost 1,000 snaps and was reliable in all phases of playing the safety position. Gordon was victimized from the jump, but I respected his perseverance Evan Gattis Jersey and how his play got steadier as the season progre sed.Year 1 hits: WR , QB , TE/FB PIT QB #8 CMP%63.0YDs2404TD7INT9YD/Att6.18 Pickens looks like a future 70-plus catch, 1,300-yard No. 1 wideout, and Pickett slowly but surely improved as the season progre sed. Even Heyward made some plays down the field late in the year.Year 1 hits: CB/WR , CB , OL LV CB #18 The Jones duo was outstanding for Bill Belichick, and heck, Marcus won the Patriots a game against the . Strange, the most eye-opening first-round pick on draft night, looked the part at guard in Year 1. He does has plenty of room for improvement, though. Year 1 hits: QB , OG SF QB #13 CMP%67.1YDs1374TD13INT4YD/Att8.08 Of course, Purdy's presence buoys an otherwise disappointing cla s for the 49ers. And, yes, playing quarterback in Kyle Shanahan's scheme was extraordinarily helpful. But Mr. Irrelevant was impre sive making decisions and threw with outstanding accuracy and a veteran-level grasp of the playbook in Year 1. Burford had his moments at guard and is trending toward being a quality interior blocker once he adds more strength to his frame.Year 1 hits: S , OC , TE BAL SAF #14 Hamilton was an elite safety in Year 1 -- and not just for rookies. Linderbaum has to get stronger to deal with bull rushers in pa s protection. As a run-blocker, he looked nearly as comfortable as he did at Iowa. He routinely paved lanes for Baltimore ball-carriers.Year 1 hits: RB , S , CB , LB HOU RB #31 Att220Yds939TD4FL2 Before his injury, Pierce was in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, and the two defensive backs were playmakers, although Stingley didn't reach his full potential, likely because he played far more zone than he was accustomed to from his time at LSU. Harris mi sed tackles at an alarming rate but was a super-active three-down linebacker. Year 1 hits: WR , WR , LB , EDGE , OL GB WR #9 TAR66REC41REC YDs611REC TD7FL0 Watson and Doubs kind of took turns in the receiver spotlight, and both showed glimpses of major potential. Enagbare was a relatively consistent pre sure-creator, and Tom filled in nicely along the offensive line. Walker had a pushing-an-official problem but otherwise was a good three-down playmaker.Year 1 hits: OL , S , EDGE , TE DAL OT #73 Smith's Tulsa film was a wild ride, a multitude of All-Pro caliber wins and more holds than most seventh-round picks. But he stepped in like an established veteran in Year 1, even manning the left tackle spot after earning a guard gig through the summer. Bland, the inauspicious fifth-round pick from Fresno State, snagged five picks as a rookie. Williams was buried behind the likes of and but chipped in with 22 pre sures on fewer than 200 pa s-rush snaps. Even Ferguson showed a glimmer or two of receiving ability at tight end.Year 1 hits: RB , CB , CB , CB , S , LB KC RB #10 Att170Yds830TD5FL2 The Chiefs rookie cla s was integral to Kansas City's Super Bowl title, one that seemed somewhat out of reach after the trade of . Alex Bregman Jersey Pacheco eventually pa sed all the backs on the depth chart, and while it had some lapses, the rookie cornerback trio of Williams, Watson, and McDuffie shined down the stretch in the regular season and playoffs. Even Cook flashed in the AFC title game against the Bengals.Year 1 hits: EDGE , EDGE , S , LB DET DE #97 Hutchinson was a three-down monster in Year 1, Not quite on, say, a , , or Javon Kearse-esque level of rookie impact at the edge spot, but down the stretch he was borderline unblockable. Houston didn't see the field on a consistent basis until November, then, too, was unblockable. Joseph was always around the football in coverage, finishing with four picks and eight pa s breakups. Rodriguez played like he's been in the NFL for five years right from the jump. Awesome cla s for GM Brad Holmes.Year 1 hits: CB , RB , OT , OT , CB SEA RB #9 Att228Yds1050TD9FL0 The Seahawks wouldn't have sniffed the postseason without stellar play from their rookie cla s. Walker got the most first-place votes for Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Lucas and Cro s were nasty blockers from Week 1 on. Then there's Woolen, an impo sibly tall, fast cornerback who was supposed to be a long-term project. He wasn't super-sticky in coverage late in the season yet hauled in six interceptions early. Impre sive city.Year 1 hits: CB , WR , RB , EDGE NYJ CB #1 GM Joe Douglas hit a towering home run with this draft cla s. Heck, if Hall stayed healthy, he probably would've been Wilson's stiffest competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year. And Gardner wasn't just the Defensive Rookie of the Year but an obvious All-Pro selection in his debut NFL season. Even Clemons, a Day 3 edge rusher, shined against the run and when rushing the pa ser in 2022.
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