Garrett Wilson Wins 2022-23 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson capped off a fantastic rookie season by winning the 2022-23 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Wilson, 22, was the perceived front-runner for this award after leading all rookie wideouts in receptions (83) and receiving yards (1,103) while adding four touchdowns.

The pairing of Wilson and fellow first-round pick Sauce Gardner at defensive back helped transform the Jets on both sides of the ball.

"If you told me in 15 years that Garrett was the greatest Jets receiver of all time and Sauce was in the conversation for being better than [Darrelle] Revis for the best Jets DB of all time, I'd say, 'Yeah, you're probably right,'" Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins told reporters in December. "You see the talent. You see the mentality."

Gardner was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Seattle Seahawks running back Ken Walker III finished second in the voting, while San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was third.

Walker, 22, rushed for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games (11 starts), adding 27 catches for another 165 yards. Alongside Geno Smith, he led the Seahawks offense to heights that certainly weren't expected of it after Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos.

Walker didn't start the year as the starter, but he more than thrived in the role once Rashaad Penny was lost for the season due to a fractured fibula in October. Of course, he shared the love with his offensive line after his excellent debut campaign.

"Like I always say, credit to the O-line," he told reporters in January. "We had a stretch where we were struggling throughout the season, but we got it together. To be able to finish like that, I have to give all of the credit to the O-line."

Purdy, 23, has been nothing short of a revelation this season for the Niners after starting the year as the third-string quarterback. But injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo forced him into the starting lineup, and he responded by throwing for 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 67.1 percent of his passes.

The Niners, in turn, went 5-0 in his starts and won the NFC West, part of a longer 10-game winning streak to end the season.

His head coach, Kyle Shanahan, was effusive in his praise of Purdy while speaking with reporters on Jan. 1:

"What Brock's doing is real. He's a talented guy who is very tough, and when he does make mistakes he understands why and then he tries to learn from them. He doesn't have a ton of experience in this league. So, every time he goes out there, whether it is good or bad, I feel like when you've got the skill set and play the game the right way, he's only going to get better from it. So, there was a number of situations that happened today that he didn't get in his other four games, and yes, I do think that helps."

It remains to be seen what Purdy's future is, given his UCL injury and the return of Lance next season, but there's no doubt that he has a chance to start in 2023.