Ranking 2023 NFL rookie classes after Year 1 Texans claim top spot Packers Rams and Lions crack top 10

With the 2023 season in the books, it's only right that we now rank the rookie cla ses for all 32 teams.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: NoneNot a good sign when the team that has the No. 1 overall pick has zero rookie hits. Which is why there's a new GM -- Dan Morgan -- in Carolina. Second-round pick did have 43 catches but that was more about opportunity than anything else. He averaged le s than 10 yards per grab.Year 1 hits: NoneFirst-round pick did play a little over 300 snaps as a rookie but registered a mere eight pre sures and wasn't much of a factor against the run. Injuries did play a part in this low ranking for Dallas. Year 1 hits: RB Chris Rodriguez WAS RB #23 Att51Yds247TD2FL1 It clearly wasn't a high-volume role for Rodriguez as a rookie, but he nearly averaged five yards per tote and forced an impre sive 12 mi sed tackles on his 51 carries. Other than Rodriguez, the Washington 2023 draft cla s was e sentially non-existent, and first-round pick was a liability in coverage.Year 1 hits: RB NO RB #25 Att41Yds156TD1FL0 While Miller averaged a rather pedestrian 3.8 yards per tote in his rookie season, there were 10 forced mi sed tackles on his 41 attempts. First-rounder did register 31 pre sures but it took him 386 pa s-rush snaps to get there, and he mi sed a boatload of tackles.Year 1 hits: WR DEN WR #83 TAR33REC22REC YDs377REC TD1FL2 Mims was clearly one of the most dangerous Broncos with the ball in his hands, he just rarely saw it. The former Oklahoma star never received more than five targets in a single game but averaged 17.1 yards per snag and was a dynamic returner. Year 1 hits: DB SF SAF #27 The highlight of Brown's rookie year is an interception of in the Super Bowl. And after he returned from injury, he was a steady performer on the back-end for San Francisco. This low ranking for the 49ers is more about the insane collection of veteran talent on the roster making it immensely difficult for rookies to break through in 2023.Year 1 hits: OL JAC OT #77 A strong start to Harrison's rookie campaign in northern Florida faded to average-at-best play. He did log over 1,000 snaps at right tackle protecting . didn't even crack 3.0 yards per tote. But the Jaguars did get some production from sixth-round wideout -- 16 snags for 132 yards and two scores. Overall, Blank Jersey this cla s had a dull Year 1 in the NFL.Year 1 hits: WR IND WR #1 TAR98REC68REC YDs771REC TD2FL0 Downs was a spark underneath for with 68 snags for 771 yards with two scores. JuJu Brents was average at his very best at corner, and fifth-round tight end turned in 18 receptions for 202 yards. Other than that, the Colts did not get much impact from the rest of their huge, 12-pick cla s. Of course waits to return from an early-season shoulder injury. Year 1 hits: OT CLE OT #79 Jones Reggie Jackson Jersey probably had the best season at tackle among all of his contemporaries, but like many other Browns in 2023, got injured before the end of the campaign.struggled after a stellar preseason but did lead a game-winning drive against the. Can't label him a "hit" though. Year 1 hits: EDGE LAC LB #45 Tuipulotu, at just 21 years old, was a brick wall against the run and registered 51 pre sures in his debut season with the Chargers. Darn good. labored through a difficult rookie campaign that did feature a rare splash play. The rest of the Los Angeles 2023 draft cla s was either injured -- -- or failed to make an impact. Year 1 hits: WR Jalin Hyatt, CB Deonte Banks NYG WR #13 TAR40REC23REC YDs373REC TD0FL0 Hyatt didn't exactly rekindle all of the magic he had at Tenne see winning down the field on a regular basis. But averaging over 16 yards per snag as a rookie demonstrated there's a bright future for him if the development as a route runner continues. Sixth-round pick Tre Hawkins was respectable as a rotational cornerback. Second-round pickreally struggled with power before his injury. Banks had some hiccups in coverage but mostly dealt with No. 1 receivers in man coverage and snagged two picks while knocking away 11 pa ses. Year 1 hits: RB Devon Achane MIA RB #28 Att103Yds800TD8FL1 Only four picks for the Dolphins for the second-straight year, and one of those picks was a grand-slam home run. Achane averaged nearly eight yards per tote and looked like he was born to run in Mike McDaniel's system in his debut season in the NFL. So electric.Year 1 hits: OL NYJ C #66 The Jets spent a Top 50 pick on Tippmann to be their center of the future, and besides a mid-season injury, he was respectable at the pivot as part of what was an otherwise porous blocking unit. First-rounder Will McDonald was buried on the depth chart but hardly moved the needle when on the field, and fourth-rounder was a liability in pa s protection and for the ground game when he saw the field. Year 1 hits: QB , WR LV QB #4 CMP%62.1YDs2218TD12INT7YD/Att6.47 O'Connell's lengthy audition wasn't so stirring that the Raiders will avoid addre sing the quarterback spot in the 2024 offseason, but they know now they have a quality backup who's capable of making difficult throws at times. He doesn't need to be totally shielded by a gimmicky, conservative offense. Tucker wasn't ultra-productive but did average 17.4 yards per snag with two touchdowns on 19 catches in a super-limited role. was a sizable first-rounder after being selected inside the Top 10. Year 1 hits: RB ATL RB #7 Att214Yds976TD4FL3 Robinson met sky-high expectations by averaging 4.5 yards per tote inside a pa sing-deficient offense and was plenty efficient individually with 52 mi sed tackles forced along with nearly 500 receiving yards. Third-round pick from Ohio State turned in 13 pre sures on just over 160 pa s-rushing snaps -- respectable -- and Clark Phillips wasn't a total disaster in the slot in a limited capacity. This group is mostly buoyed by Robinson.Year 1 hits: WR BAL WR #4 TAR108REC77REC YDs858REC TD5FL0 Flowers made noticeable contributions to the Ravens boosted pa sing attack. His 21 mi sed tackles forced was fourth among all receivers in football in 2023. After his selection in the first round, Baltimore, with an uncharacteristically small cla s, didn't get much impact, and fifth-round pick, cornerback , didn't even make the team out of camp. Year 1 hits: WR , S KC WR #4 TAR102REC79REC YDs938REC TD7FL1 Rice finished third in YAC among all receivers and slowly emerged as the No. 1 receiver target in Kansas City after in the Chiefs run to back-to-back Super Bowl titles. Conner saw the field late during the regular season and proved to be an explosive occasional playmaker at safety. Offensive tackle spelled an injured for a stretch but was a turnstile, and first-round pick struggled. Year 1 hits: S , RB , WR CIN SAF #27 Battle moved into a full-time role later in the season and played steady, a signment-sound football, just like he was back at Alabama. had his hiccups in coverage, and first-rounder hardly produced. Brown went over four yards per carry and had a long score in a limited role out of the backfield. Oh and Four of Iosivas' 15 catches as a rookie went for touchdowns!Year 1 hits: DT PHI DT #98 Carter anchors this mostly uninspiring group from what is normally one of the better draft franchises in football. The former Georgia superstar had 50 pre sures on a little over 420 pa s-rush snaps but fizzled down the stretch. was forced onto the field but was mostly a liability in coverage and against the run despite a few splash plays, and injuries hampered most of the rest of Howie Roseman's 2023 cla s.Year 1 hits: OL , EDGE , CB , WR NE OG #62 Altogether an unspectacular group, the Patriots did get respectable return on Sow, a mid-round selection, who played tackle and guard hailing from the MAC. Before his injury, Gonzalez was having a borderline Defensive Rookie of the Year season, and early on White looked like a ferocious, power-based pa s rusher. Douglas didn't ama s major numbers -- mostly due to the quarterback play -- but was a steady facet of an otherwise anemic pa s game. Year 1 hits: DL , EDGE , WR TB DT #94 Kancey was injured early on in his NFL career but eventually finished the season with 45 pre sures on 443 pa s-rush snaps, quality efficiency for a rookie interior rusher. Diaby demonstrated the functionality of his springy athleticism on the edge with 30 Gleyber Torres Jersey pre sures of his own, and Palmer a sixth-rounder from Nebraska via LSU, had 42 catches for 473 yards including four scores. 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: WR , EDGE B.J. Ojulari, LB ARI WR #14 TAR58REC38REC YDs565REC TD3FL0 The oft-injured Stanford product had a fine rookie campaign in Arizona, often showcasing his Bernie Williams Jersey above-average blend of size and athleticism on the perimeter. Ojulari didn't play like a rookie of the year candidate, but the Cardinals should be encouraged by his Year 1 as someone who can eventually be a useful rotational piece up front. The explosive Pappoe only played a little over 100 snaps but flashed in his time on the field, and was serviceable in the slot.Year 1 hits: OL , QB , RB TEN OG #77 Skoronski lived up to the expectations as a reliable interior blocker making the switch from tackle to guard in the NFL. Levis' flashes were outstanding just few and far between and Spears proved to be the running back of the future as a versatile, elusive weapon out of the backfield. Year 1 hits: TE , OG BUF TE #86 TAR91REC73REC YDs673REC TD2FL1 Kincaid was the second-most productive rookie tight end, and his 63 grabs set a Bills franchise mark for the position. Torrence never dominated but was rarely heard from in the penalty department and wasn't a major liability in pa s protection. While I won't label him a Year 1 hit, third-round pick filled in nicely for what was a decimated Bills linebacker group with 12 stops on fewer than 250 total snaps.Year 1 hits: WR , CB MIN WR #3 TAR108REC70REC YDs911REC TD10FL0 A small cla s did yield two quality future key contributors for the Vikings in Addison and Blackmon. Even with out for a considerable stretch and tearing his Achilles, Addison still led the team with 10 touchdowns and got open often. Blackmon wasn't incredibly stingy in coverage yet registered eight pa s breakups and a pick in Year 1 and wasn't often picked on by opposing quarterbacks.Year 1 hits: CB , WR , RB SEA CB #21 This ranking is carried by the first two selections. Witherspoon had a dynamic pick six against the Giants in prime time and after that played just like he did at Illinois. Aggre sive and sticky in coverage. Smith-Njigba wasn't quite as productive as many of us expected but still managed 628 yards and four scores on 63 receptions in Year 1. Charbonnet averaged 4.3 yards per tote as a rookie behind . Year 1 hits: OT , DL Gervon Dexter, CB , RB CHI OL #58 No one from Chicago's defensive-heavy 2023 cla s was outstanding but there were multiple steady contributes who appear to have their best football in front of them. In took a few contests for Wright to find his proverbial footing, and down the Giancarlo Stanton Jersey stretch he was much more comfortable and under control. Dexter quietly had 29 pre sures on just under 300 pa s-rush snaps and Stevenson had 16 pa s breakups and four picks in his debut season in the Windy City. When healthy, Johnson was a runaway train toting the rock. He averaged 4.4 yards per rush.Year 1 hits: CB , DT , OT , EDGE PIT CB #24 No one was downright sensational from the Steelers 2023 rookie group, yet Porter Jr. settled into somewhat of a lockdown role as he was provided a full-time role on the boundary. Jones was up and down but flashed as a run blocker. Actually, there's a case to be made that Benton, the third-round pick from Wisconsin, was the most consistent contributor from start to finish. And Herbig flashed around the corner in a limited role.Year 1 hits: RB , LB , TE , S My word, what a cla s GM Brad Holmes compiled in Detroit. Gibbs was a lightning bolt out of the backfield and as a traditional runner -- he averaged 5.4 yards per touch and scored 11 touchdowns during the regular season. Campbell became a stud run defender the more he played, LaPorta broke the NFL rookie tight end receptions record by a mile, and Branch got Defensive Rookie of the Year votes for his versatile play at slot corner/safety.Year 1 hits: WR , DT , EDGE , IOL LAR WR #17 This is exactly why the Rams weren't clinging to first-round picks for all those years. They trust their drafting system. Nacua was the gem of the draft uncovered in the fifth-round. Turner, a third-round pick, was one hell of a find too. He was a rocket of a pa s-rusher down the stretch and finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Quietly, Avila was a steady stud on the interior of the Rams offensive line, and even Young chipped in with 51 pre sures. Hats off to you, Les Snead.Year 1 hits: WR , TE , TE , DL , WR , EDGE/DL GB WR #11 TAR94REC64REC YDs793REC TD8FL0 The Packers went full "YOUTH MOVEMENT" and it paid immediate dividends, particularly on offense. By the way, Green Bay doubled-up on receiver in 2022 -- and -- then tripled up at the position in 2023. Reed was a slot star with eight touchdown in the regular season, Wicks demonstrated his athletic gifts translate to big plays, and the tight end duo combined for 65 catches, 707 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, the uniquely shaped Brooks was a wrecking ball late in the season and into the playoffs, and they even got respectable productive from fellow versatile defensive lineman Colby Wooden.Year 1 hits: QB , EDGE Will Anderson, WR HOU QB #7 CMP%63.9YDs4108TD23INT5YD/Att8.23 Selecting the eventual Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year will get you atop of this ranking every time. Stroud had one of the most efficient rookie quarterback seasons in football history, Anderson took home the hardware thanks to a steady Year 1 that featured a torrid stretch late in the season, and before breaking his leg, Dell was uncoverable at the intermediate level and down the field.
Posted in on March 13 2024 at 01:00 AM

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