Rookies made waves during the 2017 NFL regular season, but many were overlooked. Which players’ strong seasons may have been overlooked?
The 2017 NFL Draft produced a rookie class that isn’t receiving the credit it deserves. Between the highly productive offensive players and the sensational defensive standouts, there was no shortage of immediate success during the 2017 campaign.
While some players became overnight sensations as far as popularity is concerned, others continued to fly under the radar despite their success.
The New Orleans Saints swept the 2017 NFL Rookie of the Year awards. Dynamic running back Alvin Kamara won the Offensive honors, and cornerback Marshon Lattimore took home the Defensive award with his shutdown status.
Other rookies, including Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt and Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, managed to steal headlines, as well.
Beyond the obvious names, however, were players who haven’t quite received the respect they deserve. They may not have established themselves as stars, but they set the tone for what should be prosperous careers in the NFL.
The question is: Which rookies were overlooked by the masses during what were unequivocally promising first seasons in the NFL?
Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers
Drafted: Undrafted
Position: Running Back
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 105 attempts, 465 yards, 2 touchdowns, 22 first downs; 21 receptions, 180 yards, 1 touchdown, 9 first downs
Pro Football Focus Grade: 73.1
There’s a legitimate possibility that the San Francisco 49ers will lose running Carlos Hyde to free agency. San Francisco has an abundance of cap space, but it also has a franchise quarterback to re-sign and multiple holes to fill on both sides of the ball.
One of the players who seems to be making the decision to let Hyde walk possible is undrafted rookie turned intriguing success story Matt Breida.
Breida finished the 2017 regular season with 465 yards on the ground and another 180 as a receiver. He averaged a more than respectable 4.4 yards per carry, thus translating a productive Georgia Southern career into a strong start to his NFL tenure.
While the overall numbers may not necessarily compel you, it’s the final two weeks of the season that created the strongest reason for optimism.
Breida ran the ball 11 times for 74 yards and a touchdown during the 49ers’ riveting 44-33 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. He followed up by running the ball 12 times for 72 yards in Week 17, and added 32 yards as a receiver—giving him more than 100 yards from scrimmage.
Beyond the numbers, Breida seemed to be developing a great rapport with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo—a potential sign of things to come.
Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars
Drafted: Undrafted
Position: Wide Receiver
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 42 receptions, 748 yards, 3 touchdowns, 32 first downs
Pro Football Focus Grade: 78.4
The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2017 NFL regular season. The primary reason for interest and intrigue was the emergence of the Jaguars’ defense as legitimately dominant on multiple levels.
One of the quiet driving forces behind the run to the postseason, however, was the emergence of Keelan Cole as an explosive threat in the receiving game.
Cole ranked No. 10 amongst rookies in both receptions (42) and receiving yards (748) during the 2017 regular season. He was also No. 8 in receiving touchdowns (3), No. 3 in receptions of both 20-plus (11) and 40-plus (4) yards, and No. 6 in first downs (32).
Amongst players—not just rookies—who recorded at least 40 receptions in 2017, only Marvin Jones (18.0) averaged more yards per reception than Cole (17.8).
Cole closed out 2017 in borderline superstar form, recording at least 99 yards in three of the final four weeks of the season. That was preceded by the 49 receiving yards and one touchdown that he picked up during Week 13.
For what it’s worth: The former Kentucky Wesleyan star also proved to be solid in run protection, thus proving that he’s an undrafted gem.
Desmond King, Los Angeles Chargers
Drafted: Round 5, Pick 151
Position: Cornerback
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 76 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 1 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 1 defensive touchdown
Pro Football Focus Grade: 86.5
Marshon Lattimore and Tre’Davious White deserve the mountains of praise that they received in 2017. The football world seems to be overlooking another exceptional young cornerback, however, in Los Angeles Chargers standout Desmond King.
King may not have stolen headlines like Lattimore or White, but he was one of the best cornerback in the NFL at defending the run—rookie or otherwise.
King played in a star-studded secondary with fellow cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Trevor Williams. He received 717 snaps, however, and excelled in both pass coverage and run defense during a criminally underrated rookie season.
Only four cornerbacks recorded more tackles in run defense than King, and no other player even came close to King’s stop percentage of 5.9.
Pro Football Focus rated King as the No. 14 cornerback in the NFL, which is testament enough to how well he played. He was one of 12 cornerbacks who received ratings of 80.0 or better in pass coverage and run defense, and the numbers were an accurate reflection of his contributions.
Throw in the fact that King was one of the best slot defenders in the NFL, and he’s estabilshed that he’s well on his way to a long and rewarding career.
Carl Lawson, Cincinnati Bengals
Drafted: Round 4, Pick 116
Position: Defensive End
Season Statistics: 16 games played, 16 tackles, 8.5 sacks
Pro Football Focus Grade: 80.6
The Cincinnati Bengals have undergone significant changes during Marvin Lewis’ polarizing tenure as head coach. Cincinnati’s inability to win a single playoff game during Lewis’ 14 years at the helm has ultimately resulted in key players leaving in free agency or having their windows wasted.
In 2017, the Bengals hit the ball out of the park with a fourth-round selection that provided first-round value to an organization in need of it.
Against all odds, Lawson led all rookies in sacks with 8.5—1.5 more than any other first-year player. While Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt stole headlines, it was Lawson who proved to be the most efficient pass rusher amongst the rookies in 2017.
Expected by many to simply compete for a spot in the Bengals’ rotation of edge defenders, he instead became their ace from the right side of the line.
Lawson recorded a quarterback pressure on 16.3 percent of his pass rushing snaps. For perspective, that’s a higher mark than those posted by Pro Bowl edge defenders such as Calais Campbell (15.8), Kahlil Mack (15.3), and Joey Bosa (15.3).
Only time will tell if Lawson can become a more well-rounded player, but he’s headed in the right direction as a potentially elite pass-rushing specialist.
Marcus Williams, New Orleans Saints
Drafted: Round 2, Pick 42
Position: Safety
Season Statistics: 15 games played, 73 tackles, 4 interceptions, 7 passes defended
Pro Football Focus Grade: 86.8
The New Orleans Saints fielded the Offensive Rookie of the Year and the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Between Alvin Kamara’s elite playmaking ability and Marshon Lattimore’s dominance in coverage, it became difficult to mention any other rookies on the team.
That’s an unfortunate reality for Marcus Williams, who turned in one of the better rookie seasons by a safety in quite some time.
Williams emerged as one of the few safeties in the NFL who excelled against both the run and in pass coverage. He missed just two tackles in run defense, and was one of the best safeties in the NFL as far as pass coverage is concerned.
Williams may not have been the most heralded rookie in the NFL, but he deserved far more attention than he received during the 2017 season.
Williams played 44 cover snaps per target, which ranked third in the NFL amongst safeties. He ranked second at his position at an insane 114.4 cover snaps per reception allowed, drawing just 13 targets and allowing just five receptions on 572 snaps.
New Orleans secured one of the greatest draft classes in NFL history, and Williams deserves credit for playing at a star-caliber level from day one.
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In an NFL season that was flush with stellar performances by first-year players, these rookies somehow managed to fly under the radar.