Derek Carr, Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald headline All-Rookie Team w/3 Rams

by Doug Farrar

Posted: Tue Dec. 23, 2014

For every rookie in the NFL, life is a series of discoveries. Some come from college convinced that they’re going to make it big, only to have reality slap them hard upside the head. Other players rise up through the ranks, with only their faith in themselves keeping them going, and they wind up beating the odds. The 2014 rookie class has seen its own share of ups and downs. With one week left in the regular season, here are the first-year players who have impressed the most.

Running Backs: Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals/Tre Mason, St. Louis Rams

Hill now stands at 1,024 rushing yards for the season after his 22-carry, 147-yard performance against the Broncos on Monday night — a win that put the Bengals in the playoffs for the fourth straight season. And it was Hill’s 85-yard touchdown scamper with 10:09 left in the first quarter that put the team back on track after Andy Dalton’s pick-six to Aqib Talib. In the Bengals’ last two games, Hill has taken the ball 47 times for 295 yards. At 6-foot-1 and 238 pounds, the team’s second-round pick has all the power, speed and agility you could want in a running back.

As for Mason, the third-rounder who broke Bo Jackson’s rushing records at Auburn has been impressive in the Rams’ power running game, amassing 737 yards on 168 carries.

Offensive Tackles: Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans/Greg Robinson, St. Louis Rams

Not a great season for rookie tackles. Lewan (the 11th overall pick) has been out since late November with a high-ankle sprain and has been up-and-down in overall performance, but he’s allowed just 11 total pressures in 359 passing snaps, per Pro Football Focus. Robinson started his rookie campaign at left guard and worked his way outside to tackle halfway through the season. The second overall pick has allowed five sacks overall, but just one in the last four games.

Defensive Tackles: Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams/Justin Ellis, Oakland Raiders

Donald hasn’t just been the most impressive rookie at his position — it could be argued that he’s been the most impressive player at his position over the last month or so. Donald has eight sacks on the season, and five total in his last six games. Taken 13th overall by the Rams, he’s an absolute wrecking ball as a three-tech tackle, requiring multiple blockers on a high percentage of plays, and his 39 total pressures is by far the highest number for any rookie tackle. In fact, it’s the most total pressures for any rookie tackle since Ndamukong Suh put up 41 for the Lions in 2010.

Ellis, a fourth-rounder, has been a good surprise in a Raiders draft class that has been pretty outstanding — his 14 run stops is second behind Donald’s 22 among rookie tackles.

http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/12/23/best-nfl-rookies-2014-teddy-bridgewater-aaron-donald