The Next Sauce Gardner? 7 NFL Rookies Who Could Be All-Pros or Pro Bowlers in 2023
In his first season, Sauce Gardner emerged as one of the premier players in the NFL, becoming the first rookie All-Pro cornerback in 41 years. He won 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year and has already earned the title of a shutdown cover man in the New York Jets secondary.
To put Gardner's accomplishments in perspective relative to his peers, he's the only player from his class to make first-team All-Pro on offense or defense. New England Patriots defensive back Marcus Jones made the All-Pro roster as a special teamer. Gardner is one of two Pro Bowlers from the 2022 class; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen is the other standout rookie.
Will anyone follow in Gardner's footsteps and get an All-Pro nod? How about a Pro Bowl year?
In an attempt to find the next rookie star, we have highlighted seven players who could get off to an impressive career start and projected their chances (in percentages) to make an All-Pro or Pro Bowl roster. The percentages are based on a player's perceived role, supporting cast and fit with his team.
Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Houston Texans
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The Houston Texans made a move that sent shockwaves across the league on the first day of the 2023 draft, moving up for edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. They sent pick Nos. 12 and 33 along with first- and third-rounders in 2024 to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 3 overall selection.
Houston gave up premium draft capital to take the first defensive prospect off the board. So, we should expect Anderson to play a majority of the snaps. The Texans need his presence on the edge after they finished 20th and 18th in pressure rate and sacks, respectively, last year. The club's 2022 sack leader, Jerry Hughes, will turn 35 years old in August.
Anderson had a more dominant year in 2021 when he led the FBS in sacks (17.5) and tackles for loss (33.5), though he still registered 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss last season. Ultimately, the Alabama standout played at a level above most of his peers.
Anderson will carry over his production to the pro level under head coach DeMeco Ryans, who's fielded top-10 defensive units in scoring and yards allowed in each of the past two years with the San Francisco 49ers. With Anderson on the edge, Ryans will have his new version of Nick Bosa, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and earned his first All-Pro nod in 2022.
All-Pro Chances: 40 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 75 percent
Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions took the first and only linebacker on Day 1 of the draft. They absolutely needed a playmaker to patch up a defense that gave up the most yards and ranked 28th in scoring last season.
Jack Campbell brings an old-school feel to the position. At 6'5", 249 pounds, he's a well-built physical linebacker who's an adequate zone defender on passing downs.
As the centerpiece of Iowa's defense, Campbell racked up 128-plus tackles in each of his last two collegiate years. In that time span, he also recorded four interceptions and seven pass breakups. In a similar role with the Lions, Campbell could record comparable numbers if he's able to handle the speed of the pro game.
Though Campbell doesn't get into the backfield a lot because of his reluctance to shoot gaps in run support, he's a sure tackler with the ability to play on all three downs, which gives him a chance to tally gaudy numbers for a Pro Bowl bid.
All-Pro Chances: 10 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 40 percent
Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
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Before Jalen Carter turned himself in and pleaded no contest to reckless driving and racing charges, he generated buzz as the potential top pick in the 2023 draft. Carter was given 12 months of probation, in addition to a $1,000 fine, 50 hours of community service and is required to complete a state-approved driving course.
Though some teams may have passed on him because of off-field concerns and a subpar showing at Georgia's pro day, Carter is still an elite talent.
On the pro level, Carter projects as a 3-technique defensive tackle who will cause disruption at or behind the line of scrimmage in run and passing situations. In 2022, he looked dominant on the interior despite dealing with ankle and knee injuries, which is more evident on his tape than his box-score numbers (32 tackles, seven for loss, and three sacks).
You can make the argument that the Philadelphia Eagles managed to get a steal by moving up one slot from No. 10 to nine for a top-five prospect.
Carter landed in an ideal spot for his development. He'll play alongside several of his former Georgia teammates—Nolan Smith, Kelee Ringo, Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis—for a defense that ranked top 10 in points and yards allowed last season.
The Eagles lost defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who took the Arizona Cardinals' head-coaching job, but Carter's supporting cast on and off the field should help him reach his full potential.
All-Pro Chances: 30 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 65 percent
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Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Washington Commanders
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The Washington Commanders added a true ball hawk to their defense, selecting Emmanuel Forbes with the 16th overall pick.
In all three of his years as a starter at Mississippi State, Forbes made a high volume of plays in coverage, logging 21 pass breakups and 14 interceptions, returning six for touchdowns. He's not just content with a takeaway, as the opportunistic cover man looks to score with the ball in his possession.
In Washington, Forbes will play behind a strong defensive front that features Chase Young, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat, three of whom have a Pro Bowl season on their resume. Opposing quarterbacks won't have much time to scan the field, which may lead to hurried or errant throws, which creates an opportunity for Forbes to pounce on off-target passes.
At 6'1", 180 pounds, Forbes must overcome disadvantages in size and play strength, but he's a natural ball-tracker who could lead the league in interceptions to punch his ticket to the Pro Bowl.
All-Pro Chances: 20 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 55 percent
Michael Mayer, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
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The Las Vegas Raiders may have snagged the steal of the draft when they moved up three spots to select Michael Mayer with the 35th overall pick.
Our scout Derrik Klassen ranked Mayer as the top tight end in the class. The Notre Dame standout fell behind Dalton Kincaid (25th overall pick) and Sam LaPorta (34th overall pick).
Regardless, the Raiders picked up a Week 1 starting-caliber tight end who can immediately contribute to the passing game.
As the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels has a history of maximizing talent at the tight end position. Rob Gronkowski caught passes from arguably the best quarterback of all time in Tom Brady, but he had a featured role in the passing game, too.
Remember, in McDaniels' last year with the Patriots, he had two tight ends in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry who both had sizeable roles. The latter caught 50 passes for 603 yards and nine touchdowns with then-rookie quarterback Mac Jones under center.
On top of that, Jimmy Garoppolo accurately peppers the middle of the field and the seams with targets, which helped San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle add three Pro Bowls and an All-Pro campaign to his resume between 2019 and 2022. In three of those years, Garoppolo started in at least 10 contests.
With star wide receiver Davante Adams taking on double coverage, Mayer could make an immediate impact as a secondary pass-catching option in a tight-end-friendly aerial attack.
All-Pro Chances: 5 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 35 percent
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
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Apparently, the Atlanta Falcons didn't get the memo about the poor value of first-round running backs, which seems fitting because they run a tailback-friendly system that can elevate ball-carriers. Bijan Robinson could feast in head coach Arthur Smith's offense.
As the Tennessee Titans play-caller, Smith built his offense around Derrick Henry, who led the league with 303-plus rush attempts for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. Robinson isn't going to match that number of carries because he'll likely share touches with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson, but he's a far better pass-catcher than Henry.
Robinson could rack up 2,000-plus scrimmage yards with a few receptions in addition to his rushing workload every week. At Texas, he caught 60 passes for 805 yards and eight touchdowns, showing off his dynamic skill set.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder has quality perimeter targets in tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London, but Smith may want his second-year quarterback to establish a rhythm early in games with short completions to Robinson.
Assuming Robinson can handle his blocking assignments, he'll see the field on all three downs and become a focal point of the offense.
All-Pro Chances: 45 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 80 percent
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
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Bryce Young made the list of top rookie performers over C.J. Stroud because he's more of a natural mover in the pocket—that's a crucial part of a quarterback's skill set in the modern-day league with an increasing number of playmakers at the quarterback position.
If Young's offensive line breaks down or simply struggles to protect him in any given week, he can at least evade oncoming pass-rushers to buy himself time in the pocket. The Alabama product can also throw while on the move and hits his targets in stride, which compensates for his smaller stature (5'10", 204 lbs).
Fortunately for Young, the Carolina Panthers have added quality playmakers on offense. In free agency, they signed tight end Hayden Hurst along with wideouts Adam Thielen and DJ Chark to bolster the aerial attack. Running back Miles Sanders, who hauled in 50 passes for 509 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles, can contribute to the short passing game.
In the second round of the draft, the Panthers selected Jonathan Mingo, who averaged 15.7 yards per reception at Ole Miss. Young can find the 6'2", 220-pound target on quick slants and allow the wideout to use his 4.46-second 40-yard speed to outrun defenders in space.
Young has the perimeter playmakers to rack up a ton of yards through the air with two foundational roster pieces at tackle in Taylor Moton and Ikem Ekwonu to give him enough time to deliver darts to his targets.
All-Pro Chances: 15 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 30 percent
College statistics are provided by cfbstats.com.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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