Cam Newton and 15 NFL Rookies Who Played Like Seasoned Vets in 2011

The 2011 NFL Draft class wasn't the most coveted in recent years, but they have proven to be one of the most productive.

This class set records and provided rebuilding teams with hope for the future and immediate success for others. This class may not have been as hyped as, say, the 2005 class, but they've proven to be the most pro-ready as any in recent memory.

Here are the top 15 rookies who played like seasoned veterans this season.

Mike Pouncey

Just a season after his brother Maurkice came into the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Miami Dolphins selected center Mike Pouncey with the 15th overall pick. After his first season, I think it's safe to say that the Dolphins are just as happy with Mike as the Steelers are with Maurkice.

Pouncey did not miss a game for Miami, starting from Week 1 all the way through the end of the season. The team's offensive line played well this year and gave backup quarterback Matt Moore plenty of time to show off his talents.

Adrian Clayborn

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't have the 2011 season that they expected, but at the very least they got what they wanted from linebacker Adrian Clayborn.

The rookie had 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and 43 tackles this season. The Bucs will be heading into next year with a new head coach, and perhaps that coach will look to build defensively around the likes of Clayborn and Geno Hayes.

Torrey Smith

The Baltimore Ravens were unsure if their investment in wide receiver Torrey Smith would pay off from what they were seeing early in training camp, but Smith put those worries to rest when the regular season started.

The Ravens traded for veteran receiver Lee Evans from the Buffalo Bills, but turns out they didn't need his services, because Smith put up 841 yards on 50 receptions.

The Maryland product found the end zone seven times for his team this season, becoming one of the top deep threats for Baltimore's offense.

Marcell Dareus

The Buffalo Bills weren't able to keep up their early-season hot streak, but that didn't stop defensive tackle Marcell Dareus from continuing to produce.

Dareus had 43 tackles, 32 of which he did solo, while posting 5.5 sacks and one fumble recovery.

The former Alabama man has done everything a team could ask for from their first-round investment, and hopefully this Bill keeps rolling into next season.

J.J. Watt

If you look through Bleacher Report's Getty Images gallery of Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, you'll see he knows how to get his hands up and wrap up the opposition.

Watt was the 11th overall pick in the draft, and he's been spending the entire NFL season proving he should have gone higher.

The Wisconsin-born defender posted 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, and 48 of his 56 tackles were done all on his own.

Tyron Smith

J.J. Watt isn't the only big man lighting up Texas, with Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith becoming one of the few bright spots on the offensive line for his team this season.

Smith was one of the youngest players in all the NFL this season, just recently turning 21 last month, but he's arguably been the best guy up front for the Cowboys.

The 'Boys had issues on the O-Line from center Phil Costa's poor snaps to offensive tackle Doug Free's constant missed blocks, but Smith consistently did what was asked of him.

Dallas will certainly look to shore up that line over the offseason, but they've got to be happy with their 2011 first-round pick.

Patrick Peterson

Depending on where you are in the country, you might not have been able to see too much of Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson. Boy, did you miss out.

Peterson did his best Devin Hester impression on special teams, posting four returns for touchdowns, the longest being for 99 yards. Not much else you can ask for there.

On defense, Peterson proved to be one of the surest tacklers on the team, with 59 solo tackles and 64 overall with two interceptions.

Von Miller

Tim Tebow might be getting all the glory for the Denver Broncos success and playoff berth, but you can't forget about how well rookie linebacker Von Miller has played.

The Texas A&M product posted an impressive 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and 64 total tackles in the regular season.

Miller now has a chance to improve that stat line in the playoffs, and the Pittsburgh Steelers will look to do everything possible to keep him away from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger this Sunday.

Roy Helu

Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan spent much of 2011 revolving the starting running back door between Tim Hightower, Ryan Torain and Roy Helu. However, Helu proved to be the most productive of all the backs and just might get the nod Week 1 next season.

Helu was able to post 640 yards despite not receiving a significant workload until Week 13 against a stout Seattle Seahawks rush defense.

He recorded just three total touchdowns in 2011, but if the Redskins can improve the quarterback position and sign some receivers, Helu will be able to shine through in 2012 after posting a solid rookie season.

Aldon Smith

The San Francisco 49ers came out with authority in 2011, largely due to a stingy defense being anchored by rookie linebacker Aldon Smith and veteran Patrick Willis.

Smith was quite the Pro Bowl snub this season, considering he posted 14 sacks, 31 solo tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Smith was the seventh overall pick this year, and he's done everything to prove he was worth a top-10 selection in the regular season. Now he'll look to continue his 2011 dominance into the postseason.

DeMarco Murray

We all know about DeMarco Murray's team record-breaking 253-yard performance against the St. Louis Rams this year, but did you know the guy probably would have finished with 1,000 plus yards on the ground despite not starting until November?

Murray gave the Dallas Cowboys exactly what they needed at the right time, posting just one game with less that 70 yards on the ground, excluding the Week 14 contest where he was injured in the first half.

The former Oklahoma Sooner finished with 897 yards rushing, 183 yards receiving and two touchdowns on a Dallas team that tends to lean towards the passing game.

Julio Jones

The Atlanta Falcons traded essentially an arm and a leg in the draft to get former Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones, and boy did it work out.

Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco claimed to be the NFL's Batman and Robin last season, but I think it's safe to say Julio Jones and Roddy White have claimed that mantle.

Jones became one of the premier deep threats in all the NFC South with eight touchdowns and 959 yards receiving in just his first year in the league.

The newest Falcons receiver will look to light up the postseason and help his team pull off the road victory against the New York football Giants.

A.J. Green

Cincinnati Bengals fans have been treated to quite the aerial show this season with rookies A.J. Green and Andy Dalton becoming one of the premier connections in the AFC North division.

Green posted 1,057 receiving yards in his rookie season, besting veterans DeSean Jackson, Reggie Wayne, Greg Jennings and Stevie Johnson in that category.

He also found the end zone seven times and will hope to add to that stat this Sunday in their wild-card matchup.

Andy Dalton

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton wasn't as coveted as guys like Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton, but he's done something that none of those players were able to do this season: make the playoffs.

Bengals fans may not like the comparison to their hated rival, but Dalton has put together a sort of Ben Roethlisberger-esque rookie year, finding ways to win games despite an average stat line.

Dalton had 20 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in the regular season and just one game with over 300 passing yards, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been impressive. Managing games is something that a team is fine with from a rookie quarterback, especially if he takes you to the postseason.

Cam Newton

There's little that Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton hasn't done in 2011, with 19 NFL records set and three team records broken in just his first 16 games.

Newton resurrected the career of wide receiver Steve Smith, hooking up for a score with him on seven occasions as well as proving to be quite the dual threat through the air and on the ground.

Newton became the first rookie in NFL history to throw and run for 10 touchdowns in a single season, along with breaking Peyton Manning's record for most passing yards by a rookie quarterback in a season.

The Panthers weren't able to make it to the postseason in 2011, but with Newton at the helm, nobody in the NFC should be overlooking what's going on in Carolina.