6 instant impact rookies I’m excited to watch this year
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, New York Jets
The Jets had the best draft they’ve had in quite a while at least on paper. One thing that isn’t going to be on paper are the matchups Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is going to be going against during the regular season. Jamar Chase, Tyreek Hill(twice!!), Stephon Diggs(twice!!), and Justin Jefferson just to name a few.
What I like about Sauce is his confidence, his length, his knowledge of the game and his commitment to his technique. He’s a corner that can hit like a safety, is physical at the point of attack and plays the ball like a receiver in the air.
He’ll get a lot of chances to show how good he can be, as he will be a day 1 starter going into training camp.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Another player from the University of Cincinnati, Alec Pierce was drafted in the second round of this years draft. I loved this pick from the moment it happened. Pierce is already built like a NFL ready receiver at 6’3, 215 lbs, who also just happens to run a 4.4 40 time. He’s a big, explosive receiver who will benefit from playing in a weak AFC South division. After Michael Pittman, the Colts were in need of receivers, and I believe the Colts will give Pierce every chance they can for him to start opposite Michael Pittman.
Trent McDuffie, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
A lockdown corner, McDuffie is another potential day 1 starter. The Chiefs knew this offseason they needed to revamp their secondary. They kept Juan Thornhill at free safety which was a great move as he’s headed into his fourth season, added Justin Reid, and recently resigned DeAndre Baker who I assume will win the other starting cornerback job.
McDuffie, will immediately get thrown into the fire being in the AFC West as the quarterbacks he will face include Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, Russell “Let’s Ride” Wilson of the Denver Broncos, and Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders. Hey… at least your quarterback is Patrick Mahomes.
Travis Jones, DT, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens always seem to pick the best player on the board, regardless of need. This was the case when they picked Travis Jones in the third round. Jones was one of the strongest prospects in the draft, and having the chance to be a rotational defensive lineman this year while also getting mentorship from Michael Pierce and Calais Campbell will do wonders for his progression. I don’t necessarily see a big impact from Jones on the field in 2022, but if he can just compete for snaps, I would look out for a breakout year from him come 2023.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE/OLB, and Evan Neal, OL, New York Giants
Last but certainly not least, my New York Giants had a good draft! I was very surprised to see both of these players end up on our team but regardless I am thankful. Now as far as their impact on the field goes, both will be Day 1 starters. Minicamp saw both players take reps with the 1s from jump and I don’t expect that to change. I will be curious to see if Thibodeaux can shake this hip injury that sidelined him this summer.
Cards on the table, I was very upset to see Micah Parsons drafted in front of the Giants last year by the Dallas Cowboys. What was even worse was that Parsons exploded onto the scene as I expected he would winning 2021 Defensive Rookie of the year and being named a first-team All-Pro. To say I would be expecting the same from Thibodeaux, would be absolutely correct. Now I know this is irrational thinking and that I, as a fan, am expecting too much. However, I do think his impact on the defense should be similar. An already solid defense, and with the additions of Thibodeaux and new defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, I expect a big jump from our defense with Thibodeaux being at the center of it all.
As it goes for Neal, I love his size. He is a man amongst boys out there. One thing the Giants offensive line has not been known for is physicality, and Neal has it. You can tell throughout OTAs(Organized Team Activities) and minicamp that Neal had been paying attention to his coaches and his playbook. It might be a reach to say he’ll be a captain year one, but I believe he can be a real piece in the culture the Giants are building.
Thoughts on running backs in the NFL today
In football, the goal is to get your best playmakers on the field. You want to get them the ball in space so that they can produce big plays. Running backs make plays often in the backfield but are being asked now more than ever to make plays in the passing game. You still have traditional running backs, players like Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings, Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, and Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys come to mind. These running backs certainly can catch the ball out of the backfield, however their strength lies in running the football.
You also have running backs that are strictly utilized in the passing game. Cordarrelle Patterson of the Atlanta Falcons, and Brandon Bolden of the Las Vegas Raiders are some players that I would like to highlight.
I remember Cordarrelle from the 2012 Chick-fil-A Kickoff game(Tennessee vs NC State), when he scored a 67 yard touchdown on a jet sweep. I guess Falcons head coach, Arthur Smith also remembers that play because after this past season Patterson, a former receiver, finished second in the NFL in receiving yards by a running back with 548. The Falcons got him the ball early and often as he finished with the most receiving yards of his career(548), as well as his third highest target rate(69), and equaling his highest catch number of his career(52) after playing in 16 games. Going into this season he is going to be more of the feature back in the Atlanta offense as last year he split time with current Baltimore Ravens running back Mike Davis. If he can improve on what was a good first year at running back, he will definitely be moving into my complete running back list.
Brandon Bolden played for the New England Patriots last year, totaling 41 catches on 49 targets for 405 yards. Almost a whooping 10 yards per reception. 10!!! I love his game so much as a safety net for quarterbacks. While he is not necessarily productive in the run game, he runs his routes well, has soft hands, is extremely aware, and is a WILLING blocker. Most running backs in the NFL don’t realize, if you block for your quarterback, I promise he is going to get you the football. Bolden, who followed Josh McDaniels, new Raiders head coach, to Las Vegas has a chance to have another productive year and if he can develop chemistry with Derek Carr, could possibly be this years highest receiving running back.
In todays NFL, which I consider to be a quarterback driven league, the importance of having a running back that can get you a first down whether they’re running the football or catching it is vital. Dual threat playmakers like Austin Ekeler of the Los Angeles Chargers, Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints, Johnathon Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts, Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers, and Christian McCafferey(when healthy) of the Carolina Panthers are all exceptional runners as well as pass catchers out of the backfield. Each of these running backs can align in the backfield or on the line of scrimmage, which gives the offense a chance to exploit a defensive mismatch or to show if the defense is in a certain coverage. While it is good to have a down hill runner, it is now proving to be more beneficial for the running backs on your team to be more diverse.
The up and coming running backs are proof! D’Andre Swift of the Detroit Lions is easily one of my favorite players to watch on the field and I think he’ll continue to impress going into his third season. Last season he ran for 617 and 5 touchdowns, and caught 62 passes for 452 which was fifth amongst running backs.
3 Second Year RBs to watch
2021 Stats
Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rushing: 307 carries, 1,200 yards, 7 TDs
Receiving: 74 receptions, 467 yards, 3 TDs
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
Rushing: 203 carries, 903 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving: 43 receptions, 316 yards, 3 TDs
Michael Carter, New York Jets
Rushing: 147 carries, 639 yards, 4 TDs
Receiving: 36 receptions, 325 yards, 0 TDs
Commentaires