Impact of NFL Rookies

I wrote an essay for a final about the impact of rookies on the NFL season. I had lot of fun writing this and I'm really proud of the finished product. Even though it's very long, I decided to post it here and share with the readers of my blog. If you take the time read this, I really appreciate and I hope you enjoy it.

Every April, The NFL Draft is held in New York City. Over 200 young men from each draft class enter the league as rookies ready to make an impact on the professional level. Clearly some succeed and some don't. Some draft classes are going to be average and not really change the balance of power, while others are ripe with talent that change pretenders into instant contenders. The rookie class of 2012 is already proving just how talented they are early in their careers and the impact and talent levels the top rookies are possessing is nothing short of staggering.

When it comes to the game of football, no one makes a bigger impact on the game than the quarterback. The top two draft picks this year, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III have already made a huge splash in their first season in the league. Both men have turned around their teams much faster than anyone anticipated. Luck has lead the Colts back from their abysmal 2-14 record last season and proven to be a more than worthy replacement for future Hall of Famer and fellow former number one overall draft pick Peyton Manning, who was released by the Colts prior to the 2012 season after 14 seasons with the team after a serious neck injury held him out for the entire 2011 season (Manning is now the quarterback for the Denver Broncos). Luck has already made more of an immediate impact than Manning. Just this past Sunday, Luck became the first quarterback to be drafted number one overall to win eight games in his rookie season. Luck's stats this year have cemented him as an instant star. Going into Week 14 of the Regular season, He's fourth in the league in passing yards, ahead of superstars such as Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Despite throwing 16 interceptions (including eight in the past five games), Luck has thrown 17 touchdowns and added an additional five rushing touchdowns. Luck has wowed the NFL with his stellar play and has put the extremely young Colts team in the playoff hunt far sooner than anyone expected. Robert Griffin III (also known as RG3) has also exhibited elite skills and had great success in his debut year in the NFL. Unlike Luck who was lauded to be the best quarterback prospect to enter the NFL in years, there was some skepticism amongst scouts about Griffin's game translating to the NFL. No one doubted his athleticism, but some scouts were worried he wouldn't be able to adapt to the bigger, stronger, faster defenses in the NFL because of the short pass heavy offense he ran in college at Baylor. Griffin has already completely silenced his critics with his incredible arm, poise, intelligence, and rushing ability. Going into Week 14, Griffin is tied for fifth in the league for completion percentage (67%), ahead of established greats including Drew Brees, Eli Manning, and Tom Brady. Griffin has thrown 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions and proven to be incredibly dangerous in the running game as well with 714 yards and six touchdowns. The Redskins are currently 6-6 and are currently on a three-game win streak catapulted by the return of Griffin's favorite wide receiver, Pierre Garcon, who missed six games with a lingering foot injury. Garcon's presence has been a vital key to Griffin's success this year. The Redskins are 5-1 when Garcon has played and just 1-5 when he has been out. Griffin has finally brought a long-suffering Redskins the franchise quarterback they have lacked for much of the past two decades.

Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III haven't been the only rookie quarterbacks to set the league ablaze this season, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has also made a major impression with his stellar play this season. Unlike Luck and Griffin, Wilson was a third-round draft pick who was not the starter going into training camp. Wilson was able to win the job over veteran quarterback Matt Flynn during the preseason. Flynn was brought in as a free agent and was supposed to be the Seahawks starter for the foreseeable future, but Wilson's strong play made quite the impression and head coach Pete Carroll gave him the starting job. Wilson has made the most of his opportunity as the starting quarterback. Through Week 14, he is leading all rookies with 19 touchdowns and has yet to lose a game on his home field of Qwest Field in Seattle. His play has taken a bit of the offensive pressure off their elite running back Marshawn Lynch and given their offense a more balanced attack. Their more balanced offense that runs through Wilson is a major reason the Seahawks are 7-5 (it could be debated they should be 6-6 because of their controversial win over the Packers in Week 3 at the hand of a blown call by the replacement referees.) and contending for a playoff spot. Though he hasn't been getting the attention that Luck and Griffin have received, Russell Wilson has been just as vital to his team's success.

Quarterback is far from the only offensive position where rookies have been an impact. Rookie running backs have made a huge impact as well. The running back class has been lead by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Doug Martin and the Washington Redskins' Alfred Morris. These men are ironically tied for third in the league in rushing yards with 1,106. Their success is about the only thing these two dynamic rookie backs have in common. Martin was a late first-round pick (31st overall) who was the expected starter going into the season. He is a relatively small, but strong back with a knack for making big plays. His small stature and powerful running style has earned him the nickname of “The Muscle Hamster.” Martin even came close to setting an NFL single-game rushing record with his 250 yard, four touchdown performance against the Oakland Raiders in Week 9. Morris, on the other hand, was a late sixth-round draft pick out of small college Florida Atlantic who really emerged out of nowhere. He was expected to be the third or fourth-string back this season, but after the release of veteran Tim Hightower, an injury to last year's starter Roy Helu, and the poor performance of second-year back Evan Royster in the preseason, Morris was given a chance to start and he thrived immediately. Morris has emerged as a powerful running back who burns defenses in small chunks. He won't break out for huge runs most of the time, but he has hurt defenses with relatively consistent five-to seven yard gains on every carry. His play along with fellow standout rookie Robert Griffin III has made the Redskins instant playoff contenders after years at the bottom of the league. Martin and Morris might have different running styles, but they have shared similar success and already cemented themselves as two of the top running backs in the league while bringing back their previously hurting teams back to relevance .

Despite not being as successful as Martin or Morris and having a slightly disappointing season, Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson has also showed a good amount of success thus far in the NFL. The expectations were unreal for him coming out of college and being touted by scouts as the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson (who is arguably the best active NFL running back) ensured he was not going live up to those massive expectations out of the gate. That being said, Richardson has performed well rushing for 827 yards through Week 14, and has been one of the few bright spots on a lowly 4-8 Browns team. He is currently on pace to become the first Cleveland running to back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Jamal Lewis in 2008. Richardson has shown quite a bit of the potential that earned him so much hype coming into this season and as he continues to grow, he could very well end up being the top back he was made out to be when he was drafted.

Though offensive players have made the biggest impact amongst rookies this season, rookie defensive players haven't exactly been slouches. The defensive standouts this year had the daunting task of following the 2011 draft class which produced such defensive heavyweights as Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller, Houston Texans defensive end J.J Watt, San Fransisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, and Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson. While not quite as talented as last year's insanely gifted class, this year has seen solid production for rookie defenders. Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has been the standout for this year. He is currently fourth in the league with 114 tackles and has played a key role in improving Carolina's defense from last in the league in 2011 to 14th in 2012. Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin, New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones, and Houston Texans linebacker Whitney Marcelius have all made ample contributions as well. All three of them are great pass rushers that are amongst the top 50 in the league in sacks. Irvin was seen by many as the most questionable pick in the first round of the draft, but has silenced his critics by getting seven sacks so far this season and giving the already great Seahawks defense another weapon to terrorize opposing quarterbacks with. Jones has bolstered the previously awful Patriots defensive line giving them their first legitimate pass rusher since Richard Seymour was traded after the 2008 season. Jones has six sacks so far this year (he has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, but is set to return for this week's game against the Houston Texans) and looks primed to be a force for the Patriots for years to come. Marcelius has been overshadowed in Houston by the absolutely incredible season defensive end J.J Watt has had, but Marcelius has contributed his fair share to the Texans as well. He has five sacks this season and has helped the Texans defense continue to be one of the best in the league even after the season-ending injury to star linebacker Brian Cushing and the departure of two-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro defensive end Mario Williams to the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.

This season has proved to be one of the best for rookies in my lifetime. I can't remember the last time there were this many rookies that shook up the league and made an instant impact. The talent of guys like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Doug Martin, Alfred Morris, and Russell Wilson is just astonishing. These guys are already looking like future hall of-famers and they have just started playing. Saying these guys have bright careers ahead of them would be a gross understatement. These are the type of guys you build a franchise around and win championships with. The 2012 draft class has exposed some of the most exciting and exceptional players the NFL has seen in a long time and I can't wait to see what type of legacy these guys build up over the next decade or so.