Every year, teams in the NFL build and replenish their rosters via the draft. Whether picks are being used as trade bait or are being used to select new talent, the NFL Draft is always a big deal.
There were a plethora of players taken in the first round this past April that should have immediate impacts on their new teams.
It’s a little early to decipher which ones will have the best careers and who the steals of the draft were, but it sure hasn’t stopped the so-called NFL experts from making their predictions.
I might not be an expert on the National Football League, but I am a pretty avid fan who has a wealth of experience studying and following all 32 teams.
I understand that the rookies who will have the largest impact in year 1 aren’t necessarily the best and most skilled players.
In many cases, it is those who have found homes in the ideal situations that seem to excel the most. Not all rookies endure the same learning curve. Depending on the players and coaches around them, some rookies can pick things up right away, while others take 2-3 years in the system to feel comfortable.
With all that being said, I looked around the league at all the newcomers and came up with my list for the 5 rookies who I believe will have the biggest impacts during their first season.
Here they are in no specific order.
If you read about the 5 reasons that the Los Angeles Chargers will win the AFC West, then I don’t need to reiterate how dominant this defense can be in 2018.
The Chargers defensive line wreaks havoc, and there are ball hawkers all over the place. Adding a free safety like Derwin James will make this unit even more imposing, and that’s a scary thought for the opposition.
Derwin was the number-one safety coming out of high school when he decided to attend Florida State University in 2015, and he’s just gotten better over the past few years.
The Chargers front office was delighted when James fell into their lap at #17, as his unique skill set will slide favorably into DC Gus Bradley’s defensive scheme. Derwin was an absolute monster for the Seminoles, and I see no reason why he won’t continue to shine at the next level.
James will enter the league with a chip on his shoulder and intends on being a force in the defensive backfield, starting right away in Week 1. He was quoted in ESPN.com’s analysis for the Chargers’ draft picks saying the following.
To me, that sounds like a dude who is hungry and excited to get underway in his first season in the National Football League. If he’s flying around LA making plays the way I anticipate, I think a handful of those teams who passed on Derwin are going to be filled with regret.
What’s funny is that some folks around the league were actually scratching their heads when GM John Schneider took Rashaad Penny off the board at #27 overall in the 2018 Draft.
Everyone had assumed that LSU RB Derrius Guice would be the second running back taken after Saquon Barkley, but the Seattle front office didn’t agree.
From owner Paul Allen down to head coach Pete Carroll, the Seahawks’ top executives had their eye on the San Diego State running back from early on. The last thing they were going to do was run the risk of Penny not winding up in Seattle.
It seems as if the general public is finally coming around to what those in Seattle had thought all along. The casual fans are now buying into the idea that the 5’11” 220-pound block of muscle might end up being of huge assistance to Russ Wilson and this offense.
If you are in the camp that think that’s a ridiculous statement and that Saquon Barkley is head-and-shoulders above, you might want to consider the following.
| Rashaad Penny | 2,248 (led the nation) | 23 | 7.8 |
| Saquon Barkley | 1,271 | 18 | 5.9 |
Yeah, I get that Barkley lit the combine up with his uber-impressive numbers. But the former Aztec was the most productive back in the entire country a season ago, and it wasn’t really even all that close.
I don’t think that the Seahawks reached with this pick. I actually think it could end up being one of the steals of this whole draft. Penny has the size and speed to be a complete, 3-down back at this level, and I expect offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to give him plenty of chances.
If this premonition rings true, and Penny takes the league by storm, just remember that you heard it here first!
If the Colts are going to roll out Andrew Luck this season, it’s a good thing they finally used a top-10 draft pick on acquiring some help up front.
Not only did general manager Chris Ballard get some much-needed support for Luck, but he also nabbed the number-one offensive lineman prospect in the entire 2018 NFL Draft.
Quenton Nelson, the 22-year-old beast from Holmdel, New Jersey, was an absolute standout at Notre Dame. The Colts organization should feel extremely fortunate to have landed the 6’5”, 325-pound mammoth-sized left guard. I expect Quenton will have a long and successful career in Indianapolis that includes multiple Pro Bowl selections.
Listen, I totally get that choosing an offensive lineman as one of my “5 most impactful rookies” this season won’t source headlines, and it isn’t the most glamorous choice. Quenton won’t help your season-long fantasy team, and he won’t be in your DraftKings lineups, but don’t mistake the immense value Nelson will bring to the table.
There might not be a single player in this rookie class who is more “NFL ready” and prepared to contribute from the outset than Quenton Nelson. His innate abilities combined with his brute strength will make it awfully difficult for defensive tackles to intrude.
I think we’ll see huge improvements in the offensive line play in Indy, and it’ll be mostly thanks to the toughness and grit of Quenton Nelson.
The Butkus Award is the piece of hardware that is handed out to the nation’s top linebacker. In 2017, this trophy went to Georgia LB Roquan Smith. When the Chicago Bears saw that he was available when they were picking at the #8 slot in the 2018 Draft, there was little hesitation in Chicago’s war room as to who the selection would be.
The Bears needed help on defense, and Roquan Smith looks to be one of the providers. He’ll play alongside Danny Trevathan in hopes that the Bears can get back to a semblance of the defense they once had.
How Smith’s game translates at the NFL level remains to be seen, but it’s hard to imagine Roquan not being effective every time he’s out on the field. He’s accumulated no shortage of accolades, as last year’s Butkus Award winner was also named as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
When you consider the abundance of talent and speed on defense in that entire conference, the fact that he took home that award speaks volumes to Smith’s abilities when the pads are on. One of 14 unanimous selections as a Consensus All-American, Roquan did absolutely everything he needed to do at the collegiate level.
I’m looking at Smith having a bright future in the Windy City, and I don’t think it takes him long to figure it out.
In fact, he’s my pick to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year honors this season. Not because other defenders aren’t really good, but because I think Roquan Smith will be great.
I know I gave away the fact that I think that Rashaad Penny will be the better back. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think Saquon Barkley will have an enormous impact on his new team. The New York Giants went all-in with their number-2 pick, opting to take the Penn State runner rather than draft the quarterback of their future.
For this move to pay off, the Mara family will need Barkley to be the dominant runner that all the experts are touting he’ll be.
If Saquon Barkley’s jaw-dropping numbers at the combine are any indication of how he will perform when the gun goes off on Sundays, then the Giants have found themselves a total gem.
It’s crazy to believe that this guy weighs more than the likes of Ezekiel Elliott and Le’Veon Bell, yet his 41-inch vertical leap is more than 8 inches higher than either Elliott or Bell. Oh yeah, his blazing speed was evidenced by his lightning-quick 4.40 time in the 40-yard dash, so this cat really has it all.
With Wayne Gallman and veteran rusher Jonathan Stewart as the only serviceable backs behind Barkley on the depth chart, Saquon has the chance to carry the ball 20 times per game, as well as be a factor in the passing game.
I presume the fans are going to love this kid, and if anything, it’ll take some of the pressure off of the aging Eli Manning. Don’t be surprised if the Giants look to attack more on the ground on 1st and 2nd downs, and look for them to do that with a heavy dosage of Barkley.
Saquon is the heavy favorite at +140 to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, ahead of Penny and all the QBs. Taking everything into account, it wouldn’t be the worst bet you’ve ever made.
While you just concluded reading about the 5 players I expect to make the largest impacts during their rookie seasons, there are a few other players that were on the brink of cracking my list.
Take a quick peek at 3 more first-year players who I believe will be major factors right of the bat.
Bradley Chubb will anchor the strongside while Von Miller handles the weakside linebacking duties. The North Carolina State University rookie has limitless potential and will now get to learn under the wing of Miller.
Chubb should be able to get to the quarterback and will be a fierce tackler in the middle of this defense. John Elway is desperately trying to get this defense back to where it was when they won Super Bowl 50. Getting Bradley Chubb on board was a great start.
The Buccaneers found themselves an absolute stud of a defensive tackle with the 12th pick of the draft. Unfortunately, the former Washington Huskie defensive lineman won’t have much around him, and it appears that it will be a long season for Buccs fans.
I expect Vea to be one of the lone bright spots that shine in Tampa in 2018.
For a guy who was taken in the third round of the draft, Royce Freeman has a chance to be a difference-maker for first-year OC Bill Musgrave.
I expect the Broncos to use the rookie out of the University of Oregon early and often in 2018. Royce is already penciled in as a guy who will get 10-12 carries per game.
If Devontae Booker looks sluggish at all, don’t be shocked to see Freeman start to see upwards of 18+ carries a game, including some work at the goal line.
At a handsome price of +1800, Freeman could be a nice sleeper to take home Offensive ROY honors.
My goal for this blog was simple. I went through all the teams and cycled the players selected in the draft, trying to find the ones who are in the best positions to be successful.
For rookies, it’s not just about how talented you are or how good you measure out on paper. Who you are surrounded by and what plays are called has a lot to do with how productive a player is going to be on the football field.
Taking that into account, certain guys have better chances to succeed than others.
I think Rashaad Penny and Roquan Smith will end up standing out as the top two rookies, but seeing anyone listed on this page wind up as a Rookie of the Year wouldn’t surprise me.
I know one thing – I’ll be tuning in all season long to see how it all shakes out!
The post 5 Players New to the NFL Who Can Shine in the 2018 Season appeared first on GamblingSites.com.
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