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Every season there are rookies drafted that make an immediate impact for their teams. Teams expect this from their first-round picks, but it's the best talent evaluators who find the diamonds in the rough in the later rounds of the draft. (The Seattle Seahawks have done an excellent job of this the past couple of years.) Of course, it's easiest for rookies to impact the game at quarterback, and we saw that last year with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson all leading their respective teams to the playoffs.
But without a rookie quarterback definitively starting Week 1, the most impactful rookies this season will come at the skill positions and on defense. It's a big adjustment from college, so look for several of these guys to really come into their own in the second half of the season after they've settled in to how the game is played at the highest level.
Here are five rookies I'm excited to see this season:
Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S, Arizona Cardinals
It will be very interesting to see how Bruce Arians decides to use this youngster. I love his playmaking ability, and he has terrific hands and eyes -- two crucial aspects to playing cornerback. From what I've heard it sounds like the Cardinals may try him at safety to let him roam a little more and maximize his ability as a playmaker, but I worry about his ability to hold up -- and to make tackles consistently. At 5-foot-9, 186 pounds, he isn't even built like a Bob Sanders, and if they try to get him to put weight on, it could slow him down. If the Cardinals do play him at safety, they'll probably either keep him high or bring him down into the box to blitz. I see him more as a guy who should play 25-plus plays a game at the nickel spot and help on special teams this season. I think he has a chance to be a good player in this league.
Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos
For a team that has lacked a true No. 1 running back the past couple of seasons, Ball has the potential to be a bell-cow back. I know he had a ton of touches at Wisconsin, but I really think he needs to be a 250-carry back for this team to be successful. He should be able to help the Broncos tremendously, especially in the red zone and on third down. Teams started playing eight men in coverage because they didn't respect the Broncos' running game, and Denver's RBs couldn't take advantage. The Broncos also couldn't run to close out games; look at the end of the AFC Championship Game. Ball can run inside the tackles, keeps good pad level and can take the physical punishment. He's not a home run hitter but is athletic enough to get to the outside. The key for him will be if he can pick up in pass protection and learn this Peyton Manning-led offense quickly.
Tavon Austin, WR, St. Louis Rams
Boy, he looks like a special talent. We know he's dynamic with the ball in the hands, and the Rams will move him all over the formation. He gives Sam Bradford that quick hitter he's been missing, and he'll be able to work up the seam along with speedy TE Jared Cook. He'll need to adjust his game a little, though, because he's not going to be able to outrun everyone like he did in college. But I can't wait to see him in action, especially on punt returns. One issue to look out for is how quickly he picks up coverages, particularly where to sit down in zones. Can he get open against multiple coverages and process information at the speed required? Even if it takes him a little while to get up to speed, watch out when he does.
Manti Te'o, LB, San Diego Chargers
There's been a lot of noise surrounding this guy, but I thought he really handled the situation well once he got to San Diego. He went right to work and earned the respect of the players in that locker room. He's a great fit as a 3-4 inside linebacker in that system. He's not the fastest linebacker and needs to improve his ability to disengage from blocks, but he makes up for it with unique instincts. You can't teach his ability to diagnose before others, and he thus always ends up around the ball. He understands pattern awareness and will be able to hold up in pass coverage, especially in zone. The Chargers' defense will need him to play an even bigger role with Melvin Ingram out for the season.
Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Detroit Lions
A guy with tremendous upside, he has all the traits of an outstanding pass-rusher -- and the Lions need him to excel immediately after losing Cliff Avril in free agency. His potential reminds me a lot of Tamba Hali, whom we drafted when I was coaching the Kansas City Chiefs, although Tamba had played more football at this point in his career. Teams will try to run at Ansah to slow him down. The biggest thing for him will be to develop a counter move. All of a sudden, he won't be the strongest player on the field, nor the fastest. He'll need to outmaneuver offensive tackles rather than just being able to run by them. But he was drafted at No. 5 overall for a reason: You can't teach his speed and athletic ability. It will be fun to see how he progresses as the season goes along; I expect some highlight-reel plays from him.
Every season there are rookies drafted that make an immediate impact for their teams. Teams expect this from their first-round picks, but it's the best talent evaluators who find the diamonds in the rough in the later rounds of the draft. (The Seattle Seahawks have done an excellent job of this the past couple of years.) Of course, it's easiest for rookies to impact the game at quarterback, and we saw that last year with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson all leading their respective teams to the playoffs.
But without a rookie quarterback definitively starting Week 1, the most impactful rookies this season will come at the skill positions and on defense. It's a big adjustment from college, so look for several of these guys to really come into their own in the second half of the season after they've settled in to how the game is played at the highest level.
Here are five rookies I'm excited to see this season:
Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S, Arizona Cardinals
It will be very interesting to see how Bruce Arians decides to use this youngster. I love his playmaking ability, and he has terrific hands and eyes -- two crucial aspects to playing cornerback. From what I've heard it sounds like the Cardinals may try him at safety to let him roam a little more and maximize his ability as a playmaker, but I worry about his ability to hold up -- and to make tackles consistently. At 5-foot-9, 186 pounds, he isn't even built like a Bob Sanders, and if they try to get him to put weight on, it could slow him down. If the Cardinals do play him at safety, they'll probably either keep him high or bring him down into the box to blitz. I see him more as a guy who should play 25-plus plays a game at the nickel spot and help on special teams this season. I think he has a chance to be a good player in this league.
Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos
For a team that has lacked a true No. 1 running back the past couple of seasons, Ball has the potential to be a bell-cow back. I know he had a ton of touches at Wisconsin, but I really think he needs to be a 250-carry back for this team to be successful. He should be able to help the Broncos tremendously, especially in the red zone and on third down. Teams started playing eight men in coverage because they didn't respect the Broncos' running game, and Denver's RBs couldn't take advantage. The Broncos also couldn't run to close out games; look at the end of the AFC Championship Game. Ball can run inside the tackles, keeps good pad level and can take the physical punishment. He's not a home run hitter but is athletic enough to get to the outside. The key for him will be if he can pick up in pass protection and learn this Peyton Manning-led offense quickly.
Tavon Austin, WR, St. Louis Rams
Boy, he looks like a special talent. We know he's dynamic with the ball in the hands, and the Rams will move him all over the formation. He gives Sam Bradford that quick hitter he's been missing, and he'll be able to work up the seam along with speedy TE Jared Cook. He'll need to adjust his game a little, though, because he's not going to be able to outrun everyone like he did in college. But I can't wait to see him in action, especially on punt returns. One issue to look out for is how quickly he picks up coverages, particularly where to sit down in zones. Can he get open against multiple coverages and process information at the speed required? Even if it takes him a little while to get up to speed, watch out when he does.
Manti Te'o, LB, San Diego Chargers
There's been a lot of noise surrounding this guy, but I thought he really handled the situation well once he got to San Diego. He went right to work and earned the respect of the players in that locker room. He's a great fit as a 3-4 inside linebacker in that system. He's not the fastest linebacker and needs to improve his ability to disengage from blocks, but he makes up for it with unique instincts. You can't teach his ability to diagnose before others, and he thus always ends up around the ball. He understands pattern awareness and will be able to hold up in pass coverage, especially in zone. The Chargers' defense will need him to play an even bigger role with Melvin Ingram out for the season.
Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Detroit Lions
A guy with tremendous upside, he has all the traits of an outstanding pass-rusher -- and the Lions need him to excel immediately after losing Cliff Avril in free agency. His potential reminds me a lot of Tamba Hali, whom we drafted when I was coaching the Kansas City Chiefs, although Tamba had played more football at this point in his career. Teams will try to run at Ansah to slow him down. The biggest thing for him will be to develop a counter move. All of a sudden, he won't be the strongest player on the field, nor the fastest. He'll need to outmaneuver offensive tackles rather than just being able to run by them. But he was drafted at No. 5 overall for a reason: You can't teach his speed and athletic ability. It will be fun to see how he progresses as the season goes along; I expect some highlight-reel plays from him.