NFL Rookies To Watch In 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 8:44PM Joe Simmons 
Which rookies in the NFL will make the biggest impact in 2010? There were a lot of talented rookies taken in this years NFL draft. It appears to have been the deepest first four rounds of football in the past four to five years in the NFL. From offensive and defensive linemen to running backs and defensive backs this draft brought plenty of talent and speed to the NFL game.
There are many offensive players who will make a big impact. I believe Russell Okong will be the biggest impact player on the offensive line that was drafted. His first few plays in the preseason were as impressive as any that I have ever seen in the NFL by a rookie offensive lineman. Jermaine Gresham will be the cream of the crop at the tight end position. He is a mean balance of speed and power and is almost as polished as a bunch of NFL veterans now.
The rookie quarterbacks will all struggle. Sam Bradford will probably get more snaps than everyone else, but don’t expect big things from him. Bradford will be good and possibly great in the future but he will probably struggle heavily as he will not have the luxury that most rookie quarterbacks who succeed usually have on their side. He will however benefit from having an explosive running back.
The wide receiver position is loaded with talent but two names jump off the board when talking about rookie receivers. It’s funny because one is a fourth rounder and the other is a first rounder. Mike Williams of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is probably going to be the most outstanding non first round player and possibly the rookie of the year. I suspect Dez Bryant will be the other receiving monster and should begin to excel after the first four games of the season.
The greatest depth of all the rookies is probably at running back. The two that top the charts on everyone’s list including mine are Ryan Mathews of the San Diego Chargers and Jahvid Best of the Detroit Lions. Mathews is a speed and power back combination who will make people open their eyes to his ability. Best is a more explosive speed back who does things that quickly bring Marshall Faulk into your mind when you watch him play.
The defensive rookies are lead by the defensive linemen. Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions is the best of the bunch but don’t expect him to get it right away. I suspect Gerald McCoy will be far ahead of the game since he will be playing in a system that is a replica of what he played in college.
The linebackers will be strong but none stand out like Sean Witherspoon of the Kansas City Chiefs, Witherspoon is already getting the Derrick Thomas tag which in itself is amazing since he has yet to play a down in a real game.
The secondary is headed by safeties Earl Thomas of Seattle and Eric Berry of the Chiefs. Both will be starters and I suspect Earl Thomas to possibly be defensive rookie of the year.
It has been a while since we have had players of this caliber who will make an immediate impact in the league. If you are like me, you find it refreshing that there is some new blood to watch as our favorite veterans lose a step. It gives us hope that the league is growing and moving in the right direction.
Reader Comments (3)
I like a few more guys as well. CJ Spiller should have a big impact this year.
I also like CJ Spiller but I do think he will have limited chances since they already have Jackson and Lynch. Maybe they should trade one of them to get better at quarterback or defense
I like Trent Williams. He has looked pretty good this pre season.