2012 Rookie of the Year: Ranking the Top 15 Rookies from 2011-12 NFL Season

The 2012 NFL rookie of the year will be announced tomorrow night at the inaugural NFL Honors Show from Indianapolis.

We listed the top 15 rookies from the 2011-12 season: 

1. Cam Newton, Panthers

All the worries about taking Newton No. 1 overall were calmed early after he threw for 400-plus yards in each of his first two NFL starts. From there, Newton rushed for a rookie-record 14 touchdowns and combined for almost 5,000 yards in the air and on the ground.

You wouldn't be a prisoner of the moment if you said Newton's 2011 season was near the top of the list of the best rookie seasons ever. 

2. Aldon Smith, 49ers

Smith didn't play as many snaps as the next guy on this list, but he continued to increase his contributions to arguably the NFL's top defense as the season wore on and finished with a rookie-high 14.5 sacks. 

3. Von Miller, Broncos

Miller looked like the runaway winner for defensive rookie of the year early on, but a couple of injuries and the breakout of Smith late might push the scales. Still, Miller had a Broncos rookie record for sacks and had a bigger overall impact.

4. Andy Dalton, Bengals

Dalton didn't put up gaudy numbers (almost 3,400 yards, 20 touchdowns, 13 interceptions), but he did take a 4-12 team in 2010 to the playoffs in his first season under center.

5. A.J. Green, Bengals

Green gave Dalton a legitimate No. 1 receiver in Cincinnati, and there's no doubting now that projections of Green being the top receiver in the 2011 class were right on. 

6. Patrick Peterson, Cardinals

Peterson still has some polishing to do on the defensive end, but there was no returner not named Devin Hester who was scarier to kick to last season. 

7. J.J. Watt, Texans

Watt was a hugely underrated factor in the Texans' defensive revival in 2011. In the mold of San Francisco's Justin Smith, Watt should be a force for years.

8. Julio Jones, Falcons

The Falcons still paid far too much to go up and get him last April, but Jones showed the big-play ability that tempted Atlanta to make the move up to No. 6.  

9. Jabaal Sheard, Browns

Sheard's 8.5 sacks were mostly white noise as the Browns finished at 4-12, but it's clear that Cleveland has found a starting defensive end.

10. Ryan Kerrigan, Redskins

The Redskins needed a player opposite Brian Orakpo to bring pressure, and that's exactly what Kerrigan did in his first year in the NFL. With a full offseason, he could really blossom in 2012.

11. Tyron Smith, Cowboys

Smith was plugged in at right tackle for the Cowboys and looks like a guy that could hold down that position at an elite level for the next 10 years.

12. Stephen Wisniewski, Raiders

Mike Pouncey, a Top-20 pick for the Dolphins, wasn't the best center in the class. That title belonged to Wisniewski—at least in 2011—who consistently carved out holes for the Raiders running game.

13. Richard Sherman, Seahawks

Sherman wasn't asked to do a lot early on, but you could make a pretty convincing argument that he was the best rookie cornerback defensively during the 2011 season.

14. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys

Only an injury late in the season kept Murray from breaking 1,000 yards during his rookie season. His 253 yards against the Rams marked a Cowboys franchise record.

15. Marcell Dareus, Bills

He didn't have the impact that his draft position suggests he should have, but Dareus still had a handful of sacks. However, now that the Bills are switching to a 4-3, Dareus could emerge as one of the dominant defensive tackles in football.