2010 NFL Draft Results: Who Will Be the Offensive Rookie of the Year?

The 2010 NFL Draft is officially in the books. Leading up to it we were all researching and trying to predict the perfect mock draft. After the event flew by in three short days, we are now scrambling to analyze all the picks and see who the winners and losers were. It seems as if coverage of the draft never truly ends.

One interesting aspect to speculate over is which prospects will have the biggest immediate impact and who will bring home the prestigious Rookie of the Year honors.

Three of the past six of them have been quarterbacks, and for the upcoming season, I don’t expect that trend to change.

I boldly predict that Carolina Panthers QB Jimmy Clausen will be the 2010-2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

First of all, Clausen is the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft. He comes from a pro-style system at Notre Dame where he was very well coached by offensive guru Charlie Weis. In his junior campaign he managed to throw 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions despite playing on a lackluster unit.

Moreover, Clausen has been put in a wonderful situation which will make it easier for him to succeed. If you take a look at three of the most productive rookie quarterbacks in the last couple of years, you will realize they had great supporting casts.

Matt Ryan, the ’08 rookie of the year played with the second best rushing offense while being protected behind the fifth best offensive line in terms of sacks allowed.

Joe Flacco, who took the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game and became the first rookie quarterback ever to win two playoff games, was assisted by the fourth best rushing offense and had the privilege of relying on the second best overall defense to help him win games.

Yet another example, just last year, Mark Sanchez was accompanied by the best rushing offense and overall defense in the league.

The Panthers had the third best rushing offense last season, led by the dynamic one-two punch of Jonathon Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. In addition, they had the eighth best overall defense and one of the better offensive lines in the league. Not to mention, they have a four-time Pro Bowl receiver by the name of Steve Smith.

Being given a great supporting cast makes it much easier for a quarterback to successfully transition from college to the NFL—it drastically reduces the amount of burdened pressure on your shoulders and makes the adjustment curve much simpler. When surrounded by veteran leaders and proven playmakers, you are able to just go out there and manage the game.   

Finally, and probably most importantly, Clausen is on a team that has been on a winning trend as of recent. In the past seven seasons, the Panthers have accumulated a record of 64-48 (.571).

This is notable because of the previous fifteen winners; all but two have been on teams that posted a season record of 8-8 or better. 

Many are skeptical regarding whether or not Clausen will even be the starter heading into the season. I, on the other hand, don’t believe that will be an issue.

The team was clearly targeting Clausen throughout the draft as it has been reported that they were actively pursuing a trade up in order to secure him. That just shows how much confidence they have in former undrafted free agent Matt Moore.  

In my mind, the Panthers got themselves their franchise QB of the future in Clausen. To some, he was projected as a high first round pick, so they should feel extremely fortunate that he fell into their laps with the 48th selection.

I envision him having a very long and productive NFL career and I wish him the best of luck moving forward on his journey to do so.