Each NFL team's most impressive rookie

Much like Josh Allen, Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Josh Rosen was supposed to sit behind a veteran — Sam Bradford in this instance — for the majority of the year. That didn't happen, and Rosen has struggled playing for an offense that isn't prime-time ready. Arizona apparently did locate a gem in second-round pick Christian Kirk, who led the team in receiving yards during the first half of the year. Kirk's rapport with Rosen should give Cardinals fans hope for beyond this lost campaign. 

Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Calvin Ridley wasn't going to continue averaging over one touchdown per game as he did in September. Still, he's been worth the first-round pick and then some since the opening week of the campaign. Who could imagine that putting Ridley in an offense that also features Julio Jones would have done wonders for his personal stat lines? Oh, right. Literally everybody.  

Quarterback Lamar Jackson never flirted with taking the starting job from Joe Flacco, but a different rookie excelled in Baltimore's passing attack during the first half of the season. Third-round pick Mark Andrews became the Ravens' leader in receptions among tight ends, as first-round selection Hayden Hurst missed the first half of the campaign due to a stress fracture in his foot. Andrews and Hurst could battle for targets and attention from Flacco during November and December games. 

The jury is still out regarding quarterback Josh Allen, who probably shouldn't have played at all during the regular season of his rookie year. There are no such questions or concerns regarding linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Selected 16th overall, the 20-year-old is well on his way to leading the Buffalo Bills in total tackles as a rookie. Edmunds is a solid fantasy football play for leagues that include individual defensive starters. 

Second-round pick Donte Jackson has provided some much-needed assistance to the secondary of the Carolina Panthers. The safety started in seven of Carolina's first eight games, and he shared the team lead in interceptions (three) midway through the campaign. Jackson could be a sleeper Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate with a stellar second half of his debut season. 

When the Chicago Bears drafted Roquan Smith with the eighth-overall pick, neither player nor club knew he'd feature with Defensive Player of the Year candidate Khalil Mack. The first-year pro who started in five of his first seven games has been one-half of a menacing duo of linebackers, and the 21-year-old was second on the team in tackles ahead of Week 9. In short, Smith has been everything and more the Bears could have wanted when selecting him. 

Cleveland's 2018 NFL Draft class will be forever judged by whether or not Baker Mayfield emerges as the franchise QB the Browns have needed since returning to the NFL in 1999. That doesn't change the fact that cornerback Denzel Ward has been even better than advertised. The fourth-overall pick, who tied with Derwin James for Defensive Rookie of the Year in NFL.com midseason voting, led the Browns in interceptions (three) in the first eight weeks, and he also had a crucial field-goal block in Cleveland's victory over the Baltimore Ravens. 

Bad luck struck the Cincinnati Bengals when first-round pick Billy Price suffered a foot injury in Week 2 that caused him to miss six straight contests ahead of the bye. Fortunately, safety Jessie Bates has been a revelation for the Cincy defense. The second-round pick entered the bye as the team's leader in tackles and is tied for the club lead in interceptions (three). If he matches his 60 tackles and three picks during the second half of the season, he'll deserve a trip to January's Pro Bowl. 

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch didn't possess the flashiest of stats as of the start of November, but the first-round pick is a quiet Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. Vander Esch entered Dallas' bye as the top rookie linebacker in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, as explained by K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire/USA Today, but the return of Sean Lee should see the first-year pro relegated down the depth chart. It's still a benefit to know Vander Esch is there if Lee, who has a lengthy injury history, were to go down again. 

Third-round pick Royce Freeman was supposed to be Denver's breakout running back, but it's Phillip Lindsay who has stolen touches during his debut year. The diminutive undrafted 24-year-old out of the University of Colorado averaged 5.7 yards per carry his first eight games. He'll be a 1,000-yard rookie rusher if he maintains that pace through the end of December. 

Back in May, NFL Network personality Kay Adams named Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson as her dark horse to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Johnson may not get there since he's part of a backfield committee that includes LeGarrette Blount, but the 21-year-old averaged 6.1 yards per carry in his first seven contests. Detroit needs to feed the second-round pick more, at least until he hits a figurative rookie wall. 

A groin injury cost Green Bay Packers rookie cornerback Jaire Alexander a pair of games during the first half of the season. But the first-round pick reminded all how vital he is to the team's pass defense when he accumulated seven tackles and five passes defended against the high-powered offense of the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 28. That breakout performance earned the 21-year-old much admiration from Twitter users, per Joe Kipp of Packers Wire/USA Today. 

A team that doesn't possess any first- or second-round draft picks must make good use of its available selections. The Houston Texans did so by landing safety Justin Reid with the 68th-overall pick. Reid appeared in every game during the opening half of the season, and he notched two interceptions over that period of time. The 21-year-old is already covered in case Tyrann Mathieu leaves via free agency next March.  

It's about time the Indianapolis Colts went out of the way to get quarterback Andrew Luck some protection. Quenton Nelson, the sixth pick of the draft, made history by becoming the first guard to win Offensive Rookie of the Month (for October), per Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. The 22-year-old should be a Rookie of the Year candidate if the Colts go on a run and earn a postseason berth. 

A punter getting the nod here says plenty about the play of the Jacksonville Jaguars over the first two months of the season. Logan Cooke, the seventh-round pick, has done his part to bolster Jacksonville's special teams units, and he was tied for fourth in punts inside the 20-yard line after Week 8. 

The Kansas City Chiefs didn't require a first-round pick to finish atop the AFC standings at the midway point of the season. Second-round selection Breeland Speaks became a starter when he filled in for the injured Justin Houston in October, and the 22-year-old didn't look out of place while accumulating 1.5 sacks that month. He earned himself additional snaps regardless of the statuses of those above him on the depth chart. 

On Oct. 24, ESPN senior writer Jeff Legwold listed Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James atop his rookie power rankings following Week 7 of the season. The 17th-overall pick who tied for Defensive Rookie of the Year in NFL.com midseason voting makes plays all over the field. He could realistically lead the Chargers in tackles, sacks and interceptions as a rookie. 

The Los Angeles Rams are a win-now team that started the season 8-0, so the roster getting little from this year's draft class in September and October largely went unnoticed even by diehard fans. Fourth-round pick John Franklin-Myers still needs to work on getting to pro QBs, but he has earned himself a sack despite the fact that he hasn't started a game as of the typing of this sentence. We think the 2018 Rams will nevertheless be just fine moving forward. 

In October, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune wrote about a scout's high praise for Miami Dolphins first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick. But don't sleep on linebacker Jerome Baker. The third-round pick has proved he can get into the backfield and chase quarterbacks, and he may finish ahead of Fitzpatrick in tackles. 

The Vikings selected O'Neill near the end of the second round and it took the Pittsburgh alum all of half a season to become Minnesota's starting right tackle. O'Neill took advantage of injuries along the offensive line and has now entrenched himself as one of those most important players on the Vikes' offense for the foreseeable future. 

Bill Belichick's history of rotating running backs, a practice which routinely irritates fantasy football owners, made the New England Patriots selecting Sony Michel with a first-round pick a surprising move in the eyes of some. As is often the case, Belichick got it spot-on. The physical ball-carrier averaged 4.4 yards per carry in his first six contests, and he looks to be the team's feature back for the foreseeable future as long as a knee injury doesn't sideline him for too much of the season's second half. 

In early October, Roy Anderson of Who Dat Dish referred to draft picks made by the New Orleans Saints this year as a "throwaway" class. Sometimes the truth hurts. Defensive end Marcus Davenport, a first-round pick, did what he could to silence some critics by tallying four sacks over a five-game period. Unfortunately, a toe injury could sideline him for an entire month of the campaign, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

As explained by Pro-Football-Reference on Nov. 1, New York Giants rookie running back Saquon Barkley could become the third player in NFL history to tally 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Imagine what Barkley could accomplish if he were playing behind even a decent offensive line. Big Blue fans may argue for decades whether the Giants should have taken a QB instead of Barkley with the second pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Don't let those discussions distract from how special Barkley has already been in the league. 

Yes, New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold needs to alter his gunslinger mentality that could see him average an interception for every touchdown pass he throws in 2018. After all, the 21-year-old doesn't have Brett Favre's arm, or at least he doesn't this fall. With that said, Darnold is the Jets' most promising signal-caller since Mark Sanchez, who once outperformed Tom Brady in a playoff game. 

In October, both Ryan Lipton of Silver and Black Pride and Brad Weiss of Just Blog Baby named fifth-round pick Maurice Hurst the steal of the 2018 NFL Draft. The defensive tackle has been a bright spot for an Oakland team that unofficially punted on the season. He's an interior force capable of opening opportunities for outside rushers and also closing down opposing run games. Hurst won't receive Defensive Rookie of the Year votes largely because of the position he plays, but the 23-year-old should be a key part of the franchise's latest rebuild. 

If the Philadelphia Eagles are to do more than just survive their Super Bowl hangover, rookie tight end Dallas Goedert will likely be a major part of the equation. The second-round pick named the best rookie at the position through seven weeks by Pro Football Focus isn't as vital a target as is Zach Ertz, but Goedert is an excellent blocker and perfect for his current role on the offense. That aspect of his game has further opened Philadelphia's offensive playbook. 

Terrell Edmunds hasn't performed as well as brother Tremaine, but the safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers rarely looked overwhelmed during the first seven games of the season. Drafted 28th overall, the 21-year-old tallied an interception and fumble recovery in his first two months of action. Remember that Edmunds was originally a project for the future, but the groin injury suffered by Morgan Burnett forced the first-year pro into the lineup ahead of schedule.  

The San Francisco 49ers lost their starting running back for the year before the regular season, and the team's starting QB went down for the rest of the campaign before the end of Week 3. These are bad times for the Bay Area football club. At least offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, drafted ninth overall, is enjoying a stellar debut season. As Patrick Holloway of Niners Nation wrote, Pro Football Focus rated McGlinchey the best rookie offensive lineman through the season's first seven weeks. 

Shaquem Griffin generates the headlines and the clicks, and understandably so, but defensive back Tre Flowers has, thus far, been the more impressive rookie for Seattle. The fifth-round pick earned a starting role right out of the gates, something all the more noteworthy when you realize the 23-year-old who entered the NFL as a safety is learning a new position on the fly. Flowers was third on the team in tackles after Week 8.  

Thus far, the 2018 draft class has been one to forget as it pertains to the first two individuals selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cornerback Carlton Davis has probably been the best of the bunch. The second-round selection is already a full-time starter, when healthy, and he answered the call when matched up with A.J. Green during Tampa Bay's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in late October. 

This is an instance of a rookie earning a shoutout by default. Rashaan Evans, the 22nd pick of this year's draft, has often appeared out of position at inside linebacker, while Darius Leonard, taken by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round, is a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. Evans, meanwhile, averaged fewer than three tackles in his first six games. 

Running back Derrius Guice suffering a torn ACL in the preseason opener caused a black cloud to hover over the Washington Redskins' draft class. Alabama defensive tackle Daron Payne has proved to be a first-round pick spent wisely. In early November, Ethan Cadeaux of NBC Sports Washington asked if Payne could be a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate for his work as a run-stopper: 

"A year ago, Washington ranked dead last in the NFL against the run. Halfway through 2018, the team has the second-best run defense in the NFL, with opponents averaging just 80.1 rushing yards per game."