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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2645760-early-predictions-for-the-2016-nfl-all-rookie-team
Early Predictions for the 2016 NFL All-Rookie Team
By Kristopher Knox , Featured Columnist June 13, 2016
The 2016 NFL season is rapidly approaching and the hype surrounding this year's class of incoming rookies is only gaining momentum.
We love to speculate on the future of incoming NFL players. It's part of the reason why mock drafts are insanely popular in the early offseason every single year. The 2016 draft is a thing of the past, though, and we still have about a month before training camps officially open. So what are we to do in the meantime?
Well, we could always speculate on which rookies are going to find success in the coming season.
Today, we're going to take a stab at predicting this year's all-rookie team. (Hey, it makes as much sense as predicting draft picks!) Our choices will be based on factors including player potential, team fit, coaching and projected role. Early offseason feedback will be considered when applicable.
To help reflect modern NFL trends, our projected all-rookie team will be based on a three-receiver offense and a 3-4 base defense. We won't be filling out our team with specific roles—for example, inside or outside linebacker, left or right tackle—in mind.
Quarterback: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
Since quarterbacks were taken with the first two picks in the 2016 draft, we have two top candidates for the spot on our team—Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles.
We're going with Goff here for a couple of reasons. For one, he appears the more likely of the two to be a starter from Day 1. According to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, veteran Sam Bradford seems to be in control of Philadelphia's quarterback competition.
"I think he’s really done a nice job of taking that next step to be the leader of this football team and be the starter," Pederson said of Bradford, per Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com. "He’s done a good job.”
Goff is also entering a good situation with the Rams, who went 7-9 last season. He has a stout defense and a franchise running back in Todd Gurley. He won't be asked to put the team on his shoulders often, though Goff did show the type of talent needed to carry a team during his time in college.
Just last season, Goff passed for 4,719 yards with 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Perhaps the biggest reason why Goff can succeed this year, though, is the fact he seems to be growing increasingly comfortable with his role as a pro quarterback.
“This week was a good week for me to kind of start to really get in a little bit of a rhythm of things and start to feel more natural, more second nature,” Goff recently said, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. “Stuff is starting to click a little more.”
If things continue clicking for Goff, expect him to start the season opener and ride momentum to a strong rookie season.
Tight End: Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Western Kentucky product Tyler Higbee isn't the type of all-around player that NFL teams traditionally want at the tight end position. Instead, the 6'6", 249-pound Higbee is more like an oversized receiver with limited blocking skills.
Of course, we know that pass-catching tight ends have a ton of value in today's NFL, and Higbee has the tools to be a difference-maker for the Rams as a pass-catcher this season.
"Tyler missed some games due to injury over the last couple years, but we watched him play and he just has that sense of urgency and that competitive drive," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said of Higbee shortly after the draft, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. "He’s a very physical player, dominant at times, at that level. We felt like he was going to create some matchup problems down the line."
Despite missing five games due to injury, Higbee still managed to rack up 563 yards and eight touchdowns on 38 receptions. He can create mismatches for the Rams from the tight end position and can be a security blanket for rookie quarterback Jared Goff.
Though blocking is certainly an important aspect of the game, today's tight ends typically separate themselves with receiving numbers. Higbee has the potential to produce plenty in the Los Angeles offense this year.
Early Predictions for the 2016 NFL All-Rookie Team
By Kristopher Knox , Featured Columnist June 13, 2016
The 2016 NFL season is rapidly approaching and the hype surrounding this year's class of incoming rookies is only gaining momentum.
We love to speculate on the future of incoming NFL players. It's part of the reason why mock drafts are insanely popular in the early offseason every single year. The 2016 draft is a thing of the past, though, and we still have about a month before training camps officially open. So what are we to do in the meantime?
Well, we could always speculate on which rookies are going to find success in the coming season.
Today, we're going to take a stab at predicting this year's all-rookie team. (Hey, it makes as much sense as predicting draft picks!) Our choices will be based on factors including player potential, team fit, coaching and projected role. Early offseason feedback will be considered when applicable.
To help reflect modern NFL trends, our projected all-rookie team will be based on a three-receiver offense and a 3-4 base defense. We won't be filling out our team with specific roles—for example, inside or outside linebacker, left or right tackle—in mind.
Quarterback: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams
Since quarterbacks were taken with the first two picks in the 2016 draft, we have two top candidates for the spot on our team—Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams and Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles.
We're going with Goff here for a couple of reasons. For one, he appears the more likely of the two to be a starter from Day 1. According to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, veteran Sam Bradford seems to be in control of Philadelphia's quarterback competition.
"I think he’s really done a nice job of taking that next step to be the leader of this football team and be the starter," Pederson said of Bradford, per Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com. "He’s done a good job.”
Goff is also entering a good situation with the Rams, who went 7-9 last season. He has a stout defense and a franchise running back in Todd Gurley. He won't be asked to put the team on his shoulders often, though Goff did show the type of talent needed to carry a team during his time in college.
Just last season, Goff passed for 4,719 yards with 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Perhaps the biggest reason why Goff can succeed this year, though, is the fact he seems to be growing increasingly comfortable with his role as a pro quarterback.
“This week was a good week for me to kind of start to really get in a little bit of a rhythm of things and start to feel more natural, more second nature,” Goff recently said, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. “Stuff is starting to click a little more.”
If things continue clicking for Goff, expect him to start the season opener and ride momentum to a strong rookie season.
Tight End: Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
Western Kentucky product Tyler Higbee isn't the type of all-around player that NFL teams traditionally want at the tight end position. Instead, the 6'6", 249-pound Higbee is more like an oversized receiver with limited blocking skills.
Of course, we know that pass-catching tight ends have a ton of value in today's NFL, and Higbee has the tools to be a difference-maker for the Rams as a pass-catcher this season.
"Tyler missed some games due to injury over the last couple years, but we watched him play and he just has that sense of urgency and that competitive drive," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said of Higbee shortly after the draft, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. "He’s a very physical player, dominant at times, at that level. We felt like he was going to create some matchup problems down the line."
Despite missing five games due to injury, Higbee still managed to rack up 563 yards and eight touchdowns on 38 receptions. He can create mismatches for the Rams from the tight end position and can be a security blanket for rookie quarterback Jared Goff.
Though blocking is certainly an important aspect of the game, today's tight ends typically separate themselves with receiving numbers. Higbee has the potential to produce plenty in the Los Angeles offense this year.
