Ranking All 32 2014 1st-Round Picks Based on Their Rookie Seasons

History will remember the 2012 season as the Year of the Rookie Quarterback, as Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson turned in memorable debut seasons. Each led his respective team into the postseason, winning at least double-digit games while accumulating more than 25 total touchdowns. 

If the first two-thirds of the 2014 season is any indication, the 2014 season will go down as the Year of the Rookie Wide Receiver. All five first-round receivers have demonstrated big-time playmaking ability, from Buffalo's Sammy Watkins to Carolina's Kelvin Benjamin. But the rest of the draft class has only been mediocre, from the first pick (Jadeveon Clowney) down to the last pick (Teddy Bridgewater). 

There's still a handful of games left in each player's rookie season, and, of course, they have their entire careers to show that they are worthy of their status as first-round picks. I chose to grade each player right now, however, based on how they've played in the first 10 or 11 games of their careers. 

Players are ranked from 1 to 32, and they are not graded based on where they were picked. So Clowney and Bridgewater were each graded on the same scale, as is every other player picked between them. 

1. Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams

The best player from the draft's first round, Aaron Donald has been a monster against the run this year, collecting 24 tackles. He's also recorded four sacks, tied for the most among all rookies. Donald should be a Pro Bowler and one of the best defensive players in the game by the end of the 2015 season. 

2. Khalil Mack, OLB, Oakland Raiders

A rare first-round hit for the Oakland Raiders, Khalil Mack enters the home stretch of the season in contention for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's been a beast against the run, recording 52 tackles, but he's also collected 25 quarterback hurries. Pro Football Focus rates him as the second-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. 

3. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mike Evans has been playing organized football for exactly four seasons, and he's already a legitimate No. 1 receiver in the NFL. Evans has played nine games, and his worst stat line is a five-catch, 37-yard performance. He's been perhaps the best receiver in the entire league over the last three games, averaging seven catches, 153 yards and 1.67 touchdowns. Oh, and he's been catching passes from the likes of Mike Glennon and Josh McCown. Wait until he gets a real quarterback to throw him passes. 

4. Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

Kelvin Benjamin has been a much-needed No. 1 receiver for Cam Newton this year, and through 10 games, he's caught 52 balls for 768 yards and eight scores. His 6'5'' size makes him an ideal threat in the red zone, as he's scored at least one touchdown in seven of 10 games this season. 

5. Zack Martin, OG, Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have the best running game in the NFL this season, and it's their offensive line, not running back DeMarco Murray, that is the biggest reason why. Martin hasn't allowed a sack yet this year, surrendering just five hurries, per Pro Football Focus. 

6. Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills

The Bills gave up a king's ransom to move up five spots in the first round, where they selected dangerous receiver Sammy Watkins. Watkins has been an absolute playmaker so far, posting a 45-649-5 stat line while catching passes from E.J. Manuel and Kyle Orton. 

7. Anthony Barr, OLB, Minnesota Vikings

A legitimate candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Anthony Barr has the only walk-off overtime touchdown this season. He's also collected four sacks and 50 tackles. 

8. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

A hamstring injury cost Odell Beckham Jr. the first four games of the season, but since his debut against the Atlanta Falcons, Beckham has been absolutely dominant. He's averaged more than six catches and 75 yards per game, and he might be the most explosive player in the draft class. 

9. C.J. Mosley, ILB, Baltimore Ravens

The prototypical hard-nosed inside linebacker, C.J. Mosley is a perfect fit for the Baltimore Ravens. He's got a long way to go to become the next Ray Lewis, or even Terrell Suggs, but it's been a pretty dominant start, as the former Alabama star leads all rookies with 56 tackles. 

10. Jason Verrett, CB, San Diego Chargers

The most impressive rookie defensive back this season, Jason Verrett's season ended this week when he was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. In limited action, Verrett played well enough to rate as Pro Football Focus's 10th-best cornerback. On a per-snap basis, he'd rank as the best, easily. 

11. Kyle Fuller, CB, Chicago Bears

Kyle Fuller's first three games were as good as any defensive player in the entire NFL. He collected 14 tackles and intercepted three passes, but he's trailed off over the last two months. He's since been passed by Jason Verrett as the most impressive rookie defensive back. 

12. Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans

No offensive tackle in the National Football League has allowed fewer quarterback hurries this season than Taylor Lewan (three), per Pro Football Focus. Run-blocking, pass-blocking, it doesn't matter. Lewan can do it all, and he looks like one of the few bright spots on a brutal Tennessee Titans team. 

13. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Green Bay Packers

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has helped fill a major void in Green Bay's secondary, as the former Alabama star has collected 44 tackles and provided shutdown coverage in the passing game. His 44.9 passer rating against is the ninth-best among all safeties this season, per Pro Football Focus. 

14. Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints

Although a broken thumb will cost Brandin Cooks the rest of his rookie season, it's apparent that the first-round rookie will be Drew Brees' go-to offensive weapon for several seasons. Cooks has caught 53 passes for 550 yards and three scores, and incredibly those are the worst numbers by any of the five first-round receivers. 

15. Greg Robinson, OT/OG, St. Louis Rams

It took the No. 2 overall pick until the sixth week of the season to earn a starting job. After three solid games at left guard, Robinson switched over to left tackle, where he's predictably struggled. He's allowed three sacks in six starts, per Pro Football Focus. 

16. Bradley Roby, CB, Denver Broncos

The third cornerback behind arguably the top cornerback duo in the National Football League, Bradley Roby is experiencing the typical struggles that come with being a first-year corner in a passing league. He's allowing a triple-digit passer rating, which includes one touchdown pass allowed in each of the last five games. 

17. Ryan Shazier, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers

An MCL sprain cost Ryan Shazier five games in the middle of the season, and an ankle injury cost him the Steelers' most recent game on Monday Night Football. Injuries have limited Shazier to just five games, where he's collected 16 tackles. 

18. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater's rookie struggles are fairly predictable, as he's been thrown into the fire on a weak offensive team without All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson. A cause for concern, however, is Bridgewater's lack of touchdown passes, as he's thrown just four in 225 passes. Projected over a typical 600-pass season, Bridgewater would accumulate just 11 touchdown passes. 

19. Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Expected to sit his entire rookie season to watch and learn under veteran Chad Henne, Blake Bortles was given the starting job just two games into the year. But he's struggled, throwing just eight touchdowns compared to a league-leading 14 interceptions. His future is still bright, though, and it's no surprise to see a rookie quarterback on a terrible team play poorly. 

20. Deone Bucannon, S, Arizona Cardinals

Opposing quarterbacks haven't been kind to Deone Bucannon this season, as the rookie is allowing an 81.1 completion percentage and a 114.0 passer rating. He's earned a reputation as a hard hitter though, and he, Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu should form the nucleus of the Cardinals secondary moving forward. 

21. Calvin Pryor, S, New York Jets

You know things aren't going well for Rex Ryan when he can't even develop a first-round defensive player. Safety Calvin Pryor has allowed a 102.8 passer rating in coverage, and he's missed at least one tackle in nine of his 10 games played, per Pro Football Focus. 

22. Ja'Wuan James, OT, Miami Dolphins

Offensive tackles typically struggle in their first year, and Ja'Wuan James is no exception. He's allowed two sacks and 20 quarterback hurries in 10 games, rating 61st out of 76 tackles, per Pro Football Focus. 

23. Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns

It's not a good sign for Justin Gilbert that the top-10 overall draft pick was benched for undrafted rookie K'Wuan Williams halfway through his rookie year. After playing in 60 snaps in Week 1, Gilbert has played in just 31 over the last two games. 

24. Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit Lions

A surprising first-round pick by a team that already had two solid tight ends, Eric Ebron predictably hasn't seen the field much as a rookie. He's the future at tight end, but in year one, he's caught just 14 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. 

25. Jimmie Ward, CB, San Francisco 49ers

Drafted as a safety, the 49ers have used Jimmie Ward as their slot cornerback. It hasn't worked out well, though, as he's allowed four touchdowns and a 134.3 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus. However, his numbers are skewed heavily by a disastrous three-touchdown game against the Chicago Bears in Week 2. 

26. Dominique Easley, DT, New England Patriots

It's almost unfathomable that Dominique Easley has played in 250 snaps this season, yet he's recorded just two tackles. (He also has four missed tackles.) Let's compare Easley to other defensive linemen on the Patriots. Vince Wilfork has played in 521 snaps with 25 tackles. Chris Jones has 319 snaps and 11 tackles. Casey Walker has 159 snaps and eight tackles. Sealver Siliga has 92 snaps and eight tackles. 

27. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Houston Texans

Talk about a massively disappointing rookie season. The No. 1 overall draft pick, Clowney has been a virtual non-factor this season. He's struggled with a chronic knee injury, and he's collected just four tackles in three games. You have to think Bill O'Brien regrets not taking the safe pick in Khalil Mack. 

28. Darqueze Dennard, CB, Cincinnati Bengals

When you have a good defense like the Bengals, you can afford to slowly ease your first-round picks into action. That's what they've been doing with Darqueze Dennard, who has played in just 108 snaps (about 10 per game). He has 10 tackles and a sack. 

29. Dee Ford, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs

A dominant defense has limited Dee Ford's snaps this year, as he's averaging just five plays per game. He has two tackles and half a sack, and this is probably what he is most known for so far. 

30. Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns

Who would have thought, 10 games into the season, that Johnny Manziel would barely have stepped onto the football field? It's Brian Hoyer who has this team on the brink of a postseason berth. It's Manziel who has attempted just a single pass all year. His non-factor status on the Browns this season is actually better than some other first-round picks, however. 

31. Marcus Smith, OLB, Philadelphia Eagles

Here's all you need to know about Marcus Smith's performance this season: The Eagles lost to the Green Bay Packers by 33 points on Sunday afternoon, and first-round pick Marcus Smith played zero snaps. He's barely seen the field this season, despite the Eagles losing linebackers DeMeco Ryans, Najee Goode and Travis Long to injuries, plus Jake Knott to a suspension. Smith hasn't recorded a tackle this season. By comparison, nine offensive players in the first round have collected a tackle. 

32. Jake Matthews, OT, Atlanta Falcons

Jake Matthews has been the worst player from the first round of the 2014 draft, and it's really not even close. Moved to left tackle during the preseason when Sam Baker suffered a season-ending injury, Matthews has been a complete disaster during the first 10 games of the season. He's allowed five sacks and 26 hurries, and he's contributed 10 penalties.

Pro Football Focus rates him as the single worst player in the NFL this season. However, it's likely that Matthews is severely hampered by a high ankle sprain he suffered in the first game of the season, although he won't use the injury as an excuse.