NFL Rookie of the Year 2015: Candidates, Predictions and More for Award

For most players, it takes a long time to even make an impact in the NFL. However, some guys just step in and dominate right out of the gate. 

While many of the top picks in the 2014 NFL draft failed to have noteworthy seasons either due to injuries (Jadeveon Clowney) or just poor play (Blake Bortles), but in many cases this class exceeded expectations.

With the amount of depth at just about every position on the field with players making immediate impacts, you could argue this being one of the best rookie classes ever.

This will certainly cause a debate when trying to name the best players on each side of the ball, but here is a look at the top candidates and predictions for each.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Player	Pos.	Team
Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	New York Giants
Mike Evans	WR	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Zack Martin	OG	Dallas Cowboys
Jeremy Hill	RB	Cincinnati Bengals
Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater might have come into the year with more scrutiny than any first-round pick in recent memory after sliding from a projected top-five spot to being taken No. 32 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.

Fortunately, he responded by having the best year of any rookie quarterback and finally giving fans in Minnesota a belief that they have a franchise player at the position. Bridgewater has apparently been voted as the Pepsi Rookie of the Year with the fan vote, which he was proud of, via Marc Craig of the Star-Tribune:

The problem is there are plenty of non-quarterbacks who are more deserving of the official Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Jeremy Hill certainly has an argument after his 1,124 rushing yards while taking over for Giovani Bernard in the Cincinnati Bengals backfield.

Interestingly, Bleacher Report's Chris Simms would give the award to offensive guard Zack Martin:

Considering how good the Dallas Cowboys were on the offensive line this season, it's difficult to argue against this type of performance.

Still, the cream of the crop of this class was at receiver with Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin and Sammy Watkins each having great seasons. Even with all of this talent, Odell Beckham Jr. separated himself from this group to finish in the top 10 in the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.

The most impressive part is the fact the New York Giants receiver played only 12 games. Chris Sprow of ESPN figured out how good his numbers would be over the course of a full season:

Meanwhile, his highlight reel continues to be impressive, even in practice:

Beckham is quickly becoming one of the top players in the league at his position, regardless of age. This makes him the best offensive rookie in 2014.

Predicted Winner: Odell Beckham Jr.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Player	Pos.	Team
Aaron Donald	DT	St. Louis Rams
Khalil Mack	LB	Oakland Raiders
C.J. Mosley	LB	Baltimore Ravens
Chris Borland	LB	San Francisco 49ers

For many people, the debate for this award is down to just Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack. According to Pro Football Focus, these two players were the best at their position this season, via Bleacher Report's Bryn Swartz:

This doesn't even rate them as rookies, as they were as good as anyone in the league at their positions.

Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie discussed what he saw in Mack this season:

The linebacker is certainly a building block for the future in Oakland, while Donald did a fantastic job on an already solid defensive line in St. Louis. However, this still overlooks one of the most impactful rookies in the NFL this season.

C.J. Mosley was all over the field for the Baltimore Ravens this season, anchoring a defense that finished sixth in the league in points allowed this year.

The former Alabama star was a leader right off the bat on a veteran unit, finishing with 133 tackles to rank seventh in the league. Terrell Suggs—who has seen his fair share of talented defensive players in Baltimore—had great things to say about the young linebacker:

"

Suggs on rookie @TreyDeuce32RTR: "The only rookie I’ve seen come in and click and catch on like that was Haloti Ngata." #Ravens

— Brian Bower (@sportguyRSR) December 28, 2014"

While Donald and Mack have great upside, Mosley was outstanding this season for one of the better teams in the league. This makes him deserving of the prestigious award.

Predicted Winner: C.J. Mosley

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.