NFL Rookie of the Year 2016 Finalists Announced: Full List of Players, Reaction

The NFL announced its finalists for the Rookie of the Year award Friday afternoon, and the NFC East has a strong contingent, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys headline the ballot alongside Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, San Diego Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa and Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones.

The winner will be announced during the sixth annual NFL Honors award ceremony on Feb. 4 from Houston, the site of Super Bowl LI.

Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott couldn't have had a better first season than the one he had in 2016 with the Cowboys.

Only two rookies in NFL history rushed for more yards: Eric Dickerson in 1983 with 1,808 yards and George Rogers in 1981 with 1,674.

Elliott led the NFL in his first season with 1,631 yards for an average of 108.7 yards per game, via the NFL on ESPN:

No other player who appeared in more than 12 games this year averaged more than 87.5 yards.

Alongside Prescott and running behind the best offensive line in football, Elliott is poised to have plenty more seasons like this.

Dak Prescott

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Not many young football players could have succeeded in such tricky situations as Prescott found himself in.

A fourth-round pick, he was called into action when Tony Romo suffered a back injury in the preseason, and Prescott ran away with the job and the team.

Starting all 16 games, Prescott posted a 13-3 record in his first year, throwing for 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Carson Wentz

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He might not have had the same kind of season as his divisional foes, but Wentz showed flashes of becoming one of the premier passers in the NFL.

The North Dakota State product led Philadelphia to a second straight 7-9 season while completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,782 yards and 16 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.

He managed to post those numbers while working with one of the weaker wide receiving groups in the NFL.

If he's surrounded by better pass-catchers as he matures, Wentz's ceiling will only rise.

Joey Bosa

A preseason contract dispute and injuries that held him out for the first four games of the season were quickly forgotten after Bosa took the field for the Chargers this year.

In just 12 games, the Ohio State alumnus and Elliott's former teammate racked up 10.5 sacks and 41 tackles.

He led all rookies in sacks, displaying an explosive brand of pass rushing off the edge that will benefit San Diego for a long time.

Deion Jones

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If football fans weren't paying attention to Jones in Atlanta, they missed out on one of the league's more impressive linebackers.

A second-round pick out of LSU, Jones showed he could excel in all facets needed to be a successful linebacker.

He racked up 106 tackles with three interceptions, a league-leading 165 interception return yards and two touchdowns. He also had 11 passes defended.

With speed and physicality that few can match, Jones helped the Falcons nab the No. 2 seed in the NFC.