Bleacher Report's Regular-Season NFL All-Rookie Team Predictions

It hasn't stopped being remarkable that the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., didn't play a single snap until Week 5. Yet he still finished with 1,305 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

We won't have another Beckham in 2015, because someone like that only comes around once every generation or maybe once ever. But there's still plenty of young blood to get excited about.

Do you like intricate footwork from a rookie wide receiver who can thoroughly embarrass a veteran Pro Bowler? Then Amari Cooper just might be your kind of guy.

What about jukes from a running back who's seemingly euchred in the backfield and then is suddenly 45 yards away? Ameer Abdullah has that covered.

There's a whole lot of talent entering the league that will bring a wide football smile to your face. So what would it look like if we assembled the best rookies and placed them all on one team?

We answered that question here with the first edition of our Bleacher Report official picks. Eight NFL analysts and national lead writers predicted the top rookies at each position for 2015 (excluding kicker and punter). Writers voted for the best and second-best player, which are discussed in the slides that follow. The only exceptions are quarterback, center and returner, where only one player was voted on.

Let's dive in then and roll out some predictions that absolutely won't be wrong.

Quarterback

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Winner: Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (five votes)

Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota's first NFL training camp began with a meaningless string of days when he didn't throw an interception. For a time, that August accomplishment in shorts seemed to rival Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak.

Then suddenly the second overall pick became a rookie during his preseason debut against the Atlanta Falcons. On only 10 dropbacks he threw his first interception, was sacked and lost a fumble. So certain doom followed throughout the rest of Mariota's NFL introduction then, right?

Not so much, as he didn't throw another interception over the next three games while completing 70.0 percent of his throws at an average of 10.9 yards per attempt. Overall, he also finished the preseason with a passer rating of 102.9.

Mariota will be compared to Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston throughout the 2015 season, and well beyond. Their separate career paths will become measuring sticks, which always happens when two gifted and uniquely talented quarterbacks are top picks in the same draft (Winston came off the board first overall).

For many, including ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, Mariota's mobility that led to 2,237 rushing yards over three seasons with the Oregon Ducks puts him on another level.

"He's impressed a lot of people with the way he's thrown the ball, and a lot of people are shocked that he hasn't taken off running yet," Gruden told the Tennessean's John Glennon, referring to Mariota's preseason when he ran for only 17 yards.

"I think that's when you're going to see the greatness of Marcus Mariota. He is a double‑edged sword. He's a great competitor. I like the way they're bringing him along. If I was a Tennessee Titans fan, I'd be really, really happy."

As a fan, it's pretty easy to be filled with joy when you've had to endure Vince Young and Jake Locker as first-round picks in the recent past. The bar is low for Mariota in Tennessee, but his ceiling is high.

Others receiving votes: Jameis Winston (3)

Running Back

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Winners: Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions (three RB1 votes); Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers (three RB1 votes); Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons (three RB2 votes)

There was some indecision here, and that's appropriate after a trend suddenly reversed during the 2015 draft.

For two straight years, a running back wasn't selected until the second round. It was the first time in league history the position was completely forgotten during the opening round in back-to-back drafts. That changed in 2015, with two running backs hearing their names called during the top half of the first round and four in the first two rounds.

Now, the rookie talent at the position runs deep, with plenty of fast and/or physical first-year running backs to choose from. That explains why the Chargers' Melvin Gordon—who was one of those two first-round picks, along with the Rams' Toddy Gurley—finished tied with the Lions' Ameer Abdullah with three votes as the top running back.

A handful of rookie running backs are positioned to receive ample opportunities, and Gordon will likely get the early-down work for a Chargers offense that desperately needs a backfield jolt. San Diego ranked 30th in 2014 while averaging 85.4 rushing yards per game.

However, Gordon struggled during the preseason, posting only 45 yards on 20 carries. If he's sluggish early and the Rams are cautious during the final stages of Gurley's ACL tear recovery as expected, then Abdullah could emerge as the best rookie running back.

He finished the preseason with 82 yards on 12 touches, which included a 45-yard run in which he juked several New York Jets defenders out of their undergarments and then exploded into the open field.

Abdullah's burst to reach the second level is enough to make NFL analyst and Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk believe he'll be more than just the best rookie running back. Faulk thinks Abdullah will be the best rookie. Period.

"I believe that with what they have in Detroit, how they play and coupling him with Joique Bell (when he's healthy), he becomes a guy that can come in and really help this offense," Faulk said to Sporting News' Connor Casey, predicting Abdullah as his Offensive Rookie of the Year.

That's high praise, and the Falcons' Tevin Coleman could hear similarly glowing words soon. He leads the team's running back depth chart, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, which felt inevitable after Coleman finished second in the nation with 2,036 rushing yards in 2014, his final year at Indiana.

The marks he left on games came in the box scores and also in black-and-blue form. Coleman was the only running back in his draft class to average over four yards after contact per carry, according to College Football Focus.

Others receiving votes: Todd Gurley (1)

Tight End/H-Back

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Winners: Maxx Williams, Baltimore Ravens (six votes); Clive Walford, Oakland Raiders (four votes)

Maxx Williams was the logical pick here simply because of how quickly the Baltimore Ravens will push him into a prominent role out of necessity. The tight end cupboard was suddenly bare in Baltimore after Owen Daniels departed as a free agent, and Dennis Pitta will begin his 2015 season on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from multiple hip injuries.

That suddenly barren depth chart forced Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome to be aggressive during the draft, trading up in the second round to secure Williams at No. 55 overall.

But as ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley reminds us, history doesn't look kindly on rookie tight ends—even those such as Williams and Clive Walford of the Oakland Raiders, who were the first two drafted at their position in 2015.

Unlike their wide receiver peers who can focus solely on running routes and stretching secondaries, tight ends have to develop while also learning to block effectively at the next level. As part of that process, they often need to function cohesively as a unit with the offensive line. That is why rookie tight ends seldom go kaboom immediately.

"In this last 10 seasons there were just three rookie tight ends who caught more than 50 passes in their first year: John Carlson (2008), Jermaine Gresham (2010) and Tim Wright (2013)," wrote Hensley. "There were seven with over 500 yards receiving and eight with over four touchdown catches."

In 2014, Jace Amaro of the New York Jets led all rookie tight ends with 345 receiving yards. That's all it took, and Eric Ebron, the Lions' first-round pick, stumbled his way to only 248 yards, but still came in second among rookies at his position.  

Others receiving votes: Malcolm Johnson, Cleveland Browns (four votes); MyCole Pruitt, Minnesota Vikings (one vote)

Wide Receiver

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Winners: Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders (seven votes); Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles (seven votes)

The two nearly unanimous selections here at both the WR1 and WR2 slots could quickly rise to become more than just the best rookie wide receivers or the best receivers on their respective teams. Both the Raiders' Amari Cooper and the Eagles' Nelson Agholor are in situations that could allow them to be among the league's leading producers.

Maybe that seems aggressive right now, but three rookie receivers finished with 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2014. Cooper and Agholor will be prime targets in an age when receiving numbers are ballooning.

During the preseason, they combined for 28 targets even while playing a modest 175 snaps, all per Pro Football Focus. They've both already accumulated lots of chunk yardage, as Cooper finished the preseason with two 30-plus yard receptions and Agholor compiled 58 yards after the catch, again per PFF. And they both sit atop thin wide receiver depth charts, though Agholor will have to compete with Jordan Matthews for targets.

Cooper's nod as Bleacher Report's pick for top rookie wideout comes along with his selection as NFL.com's leading Rookie of the Year candidate.

"Cooper is the most polished receiver in this draft class and he's about to become Derek Carr's favorite target," wrote NFL Media analyst Jeffri Chadiha, via Raiders.com.

Everything there seems pretty accurate after a preseason when he averaged 15.5 yards per reception.

Others receiving votes: None

Offensive Tackle

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Winners: Ereck Flowers, New York Giants (five votes); Donovan Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (four votes)

In a world where everything works out exactly as planned, New York Giants rookie tackle Ereck Flowers wouldn't be responsible for protecting his quarterback's blind side immediately. Especially when that quarterback is Eli Manning, who's only a year removed from getting sacked 39 times. (He was sacked 28 times in 2014.) He's not exactly a spry young man anymore at 34 years old.

But an NFL universe where everything falls into place beautifully doesn't really exist. The Giants likely would have preferred to bring Flowers along slowly, even after taking him with the ninth overall pick. Now he'll be doing some serious on-the-job learning while anchoring the line at left tackle after veteran Will Beatty tore his pectoral muscle while lifting weights during the offseason.

It's not that Flowers doesn't have the skill set to excel as an NFL left tackle. He just isn't quite ready yet, and as Jordan Raanan from NJ Advance Media noted during a recent mailbag column, that's expected:

"

He's been far from perfect. He's had plenty of bad preseason and training camp snaps. But he's a rookie and playing a very difficult position (and being asked to fill an almost impossible role) and has done an overall solid job. The most important aspect of this summer is that he's shown constant improvement. No reason that shouldn't continue.

"

Flowers is allowed to be a rookie. And at certain positions—like left tackle—starting a rookie means having patience.

Some deep breathing in the early going could be required with the Buccaneers' Donovan Smith, too. He's also set to conquer the NFL left tackle learning curve right away, and his start was a little rocky after allowing a sack and three quarterback hits over 110 preseason snaps, per PFF.

Others receiving votes: Ty Sambrailo, Denver Broncos (three votes)

Guard

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Winners: La'el Collins, Dallas Cowboys (four votes); Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (two OG2 votes); John Miller, Buffalo Bills (two OG2 votes)

La'el Collins' draft experience was, in a word, bizarre.

He was widely viewed as a first-round talent yet became connected to an investigation into the death of a woman reported to be his ex-girlfriend by the Times-Picayune's Jim Kleinpeter. For a brief time—the only time that mattered—he was deemed toxic around NFL front offices. The sheer uncertainty of a police investigation planted a garden of red flags around his name.

A few days later it was all over, and Collins was cleared of any involvement. So of course the Dallas Cowboys, a team already powered by its bulldozing offensive line, snatched him up. They pounced on the opportunity to employ another first-round-caliber blocker up front, but at the price of an undrafted free agent.

Collins will be a valuable depth piece at first, but as Bleacher Report National Lead Writer Mike Tanier noted, that might not last long.

"Collins will start the year on the bench for the Cowboys, but he'll be the first lineman off when there's an injury and may supplant Ronald Leary during the season," Tanier said. "Not only is Collins a first-round value, but he will step into one of the best situations in the league."

Collins received four votes to occupy the top guard spot, but then things became a little murky for the second guard. Both the Buccaneers' Ali Marpet and the Bills' John Miller tied for the lead with two votes apiece.

Marpet surged during the Senior Bowl and combine, vaulting into the second round. The leap he's attempting to make from his Division III program at Hobert is still significant, however, and it showed during the preseason when he allowed two sacks and six quarterback hurries over 123 snaps, per PFF.

Then there's Miller, whom Bills general manager Doug Whaley described as a "mauler who brings attitude" when speaking with Bill O'Hare of BuffaloBills.com after the draft. If that description of the 6'3", 303-pound starting right guard is accurate, he'll quickly become a critical cog as new Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman leans on a power-running scheme.

Others receiving votes: Laken Tomlinson, Detroit Lions (three votes)

Center

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Winner (tie): Shaq Mason, New England Patriots (four votes); Mitch Morse, Kansas City Chiefs (four votes)

It takes a lot to make New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick form any kind of facial expression showing emotion or just say words in general. So when he called center Shaq Mason "probably the best run-blocker in the entire draft," according to Mike Loyko of NEPatriotsDraft.com, the young man just might have a bright future ahead.

Mason could be a bit of a project early after being used almost purely as a run-blocker at Georgia Tech. In 2014 he was asked to pass-block on only 25 percent of his snaps, per College Football Focus. But his effectiveness as a run-blocker alone could earn him playing time. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein echoed Belichick while calling Mason "one of the most powerful drive blockers in the 2015 draft."

Mike Tanier also pointed to another valuable asset that could earn Mason snaps quickly: his versatility, as he can play both guard and center.

"The Patriots shuffle centers and guards around early in the season to get the best possible combination," Tanier said. "I can see Mason working his way past the veteran guards early in the year. He's a quick, smart system fit for a team that wants to snap the ball quickly and isn't looking for piledrivers in the middle."

Mason may have to find his role, but Kansas City Chiefs rookie center Mitch Morse doesn't have that problem. He leapfrogged Eric Kush early in training camp to become the Chiefs' starting center. The team later cut Kush after Morse showed his impressive athleticism translates well to a zone-blocking scheme.

At 305 pounds, Morse posted a time of 5.17 seconds during his 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and did 36 bench-press reps.

Others receiving votes: None

Returner

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Winner: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks (five votes)

Tyler Lockett's preseason was, well, rather efficient.

Over four games, the wide receiver returned four punts and seven kickoffs. Of those 11 total returns, two ended in touchdowns, including a 103-yard kickoff return. He finished the preseason first in kick return yards (262) and tied for first in punt return average (26.3 yards).

The third-round pick will carve out an offensive role as a receiver too, using his acceleration off the line of scrimmage to separate deep—and do it quickly. That's how Lockett scored a 63-yard touchdown against the Oakland Raiders during Seattle's preseason finale.

There's home run-swing potential any time Lockett is on the field, which is critical for an offense that lacks secondary-stretching speed and too often wasn't gifted quality field position from the return game in 2014. The Seahawks ranked 30th in kick return average and 25th in punt return average. 

Others receiving votes: Jarryd Hayne, San Francisco 49ers (three votes)

Defensive End

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Winners: Leonard Williams, New York Jets (six votes); Vic Beasley, Atlanta Falcons (six votes)

New York Jets defensive end Leonard Williams is a scary mismatch-creator with his ability to line up at multiple positions throughout the defensive line. He showed that immediately during his preseason debut with 1.5 sacks, five tackles and a safety against the Atlanta Falcons.

Then he became scary in a different way when the 21-year-old suffered a knee injury during Week 3 of the preseason. It was only a brief moment of cowering in a corner for Jets fans, though, as tests came back negative and Williams told ESPN.com's Rich Cimini he'll be fine for Week 1.

That is critical, because a Jets defensive line without both Williams and Sheldon Richardson—who will sit out the first four games with a suspension—would be a suddenly weak unit. With Williams healthy, he'll use his quickness that led to 35.5 tackles for a loss over three seasons at USC to form a formidable tandem across from Muhammad Wilkerson.

In Atlanta there isn't a tandem quite yet—unless the budding relationship between Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley and his head coach Dan Quinn counts.

Beasley, who finished his four seasons at Clemson with 30 sacks, impressed during the preseason. At one point, he staggered Jets three-time Pro Bowl left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson with a swift spin move, disrupting a third-down pass by Ryan Fitzpatrick and causing an incompletion.

But he's not satisfied and is hungry to develop while leading a Falcons pass rush that ranked 30th in 2014 out of the basement.

"I'm there, but I've just got to work on getting off the tackles, getting off the blocks," he told ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure. "I had a couple of good ones, but there were ones that I needed to work off the tackle.

"I need that [critique]. I mean, Coach Quinn is there for me. I'm very appreciative of that because he's going to get me better."

Others receiving votes: None

Defensive Tackle

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Winners: Danny Shelton, Cleveland Browns (eight votes); Malcom Brown, New England Patriots (eight votes)

Getting eight people to agree on anything usually requires a blessing of some kind from the heavens above. Doing it twice? Remember where you are right now, as we may be making history.

Our group of eight football minds unanimously predicted the Browns' Danny Shelton and the Patriots' Malcom Brown will be the top two rookie defensive tackles. Both selections bring a fine combination of disruptiveness and space-eating muscle.

In Cleveland, Shelton recorded three run stops during the preseason over 30 snaps, per PFF. He's an overpowering brute at nose tackle who totaled 17 tackles for a loss and nine sacks during his final collegiate season at Washington.

Browns head coach Mike Pettine told Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com that Shelton plays much faster than his 5.64 time in the 40-yard dash, the 2015 scouting combine's worst result:

"

That’s not something we were concerned with, especially after you watch the film. He doesn’t play to that speed and the college coaches who have gone against him have made the comment they’re glad he’s gone. He’s gone against elite competition and played well. I think he’s an example of you believe the tape more than you believe the stopwatch or tape measure.

"

Brown, meanwhile, will likely start his career in a rotational role for the New England Patriots. As ESPN.com's Mike Reiss observed late in training camp, the 21-year-old is learning much different techniques than what he used during a successful collegiate career at Texas.

As his confidence grows, his snap count will do the same.

Others receiving votes: None

Outside Linebacker

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Winners: Hau'oli Kikaha, New Orleans Saints (eight votes); Kyle Emanuel, San Diego Chargers (four votes)

Hau'oli Kikaha was another unanimous pick as the top rookie set to dominate his position, and it's not hard to see why. In 2014, Kikaha, who was Shelton's teammate with the Washington Huskies, had the second-most tackles for a loss in the nation at 25 and finished first in sacks with 19.

He continued that constant camp-out in the opposing backfield during his first NFL preseason, logging four quarterback hurries and five defensive stops, per PFF. The Saints are hoping Kikaha can mature at the next level quickly after they released outside linebacker Junior Galette, who accounted for 10 of New Orleans' 34 sacks in 2014.

Teammate and fellow pass-rusher Cameron Jordan has liked what he's seen so far from the 44th overall pick.

"'Kika' is definitely headed in the direction that the team wants him to," Jordan told Christopher Dabe of the Times-Picayune. "We got a lot of young guys on our defense and at this time I'm pretty excited about where we're headed."

For the San Diego Chargers, Kyle Emanuel didn't come with the same draft pedigree after being selected in the fifth round, but they'll still lean on him heavily. They'll need Emanuel as key depth after fellow outside linebacker Tourek Williams suffered a broken foot.

Emanuel recorded three quarterback hits during his preseason debut, per PFF. An already thin Chargers depth chart at outside linebacker will be hungry for more of that from a mid-round pick.

Others receiving votes: Eli Harold, San Francisco 49ers (two votes) Bryce Hager, St. Louis Rams (one vote), Nate Orchard, Cleveland Browns (one vote)

Inside Linebacker

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Winners: Stephone Anthony, New Orleans Saints (four votes); Kwon Alexander, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (seven votes)

The Saints are navigating their way through a youth movement in their front seven. Kikaha's replacing Galette is one core piece, and first-round pick Stephone Anthony will also be an opening-day starter. He'll begin what the Saints hope is a long career as their cornerstone middle linebacker.

His ascension was fast, as Anthony started playing with the first unit on the second day of training camp. Then he recorded six tackles during his preseason debut while manning the position vacated when Curtis Lofton was released, making middle linebacker a draft priority.

As for Kwon Alexander, he's a soaring mid-round pick who forced his way into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting lineup with a strong preseason highlighted by 13 tackles. ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas called him "the most pleasant surprise of training camp."

"Originally scheduled to be a backup and special teams player, Alexander has used his athleticism to land the starting job at middle linebacker," Yasinskas wrote. "He'll be in the starting lineup on opening day."

Others receiving votes: Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings (four votes)

Cornerback

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Winners: Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs (six votes); Ronald Darby, Buffalo Bills (six votes)

When the Kansas City Chiefs selected Marcus Peters with their first-round pick, they knew what they were investing in: a physical cornerback who can win battles for contested balls and has the speed to shut down throwing windows.

That is exactly what he did throughout a shining preseason.

Peters was targeted nine times in August and gave up only two receptions for a total of 22 yards. His passer rating allowed in coverage? A mere 39.6, per PFF.

That's a tiny preseason sample size. But in the glimpse he's offered, Peters has lived up to his predraft hype.

The Bills' Ronald Darby didn't quite experience the same sparkling debut. Darby allowed a 97.9 passer rating in coverage throughout the preseason, again per PFF. He was scorched by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant, allowing 79 yards during Week 3 of the preseason. However, Darby balanced that with two interceptions against the Cleveland Browns.

The Bills may have to tolerate some inconsistent play during Darby's meandering development.  

Others receiving votes: Damarious Randall, Green Bay Packers (one vote)

Safety

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Winners: Landon Collins, New York Giants (five votes); Jaquiski Tartt (four votes)

New York Giants safety Landon Collins is basically a human Scud missile. He locks on whenever a ball is in front of him, and often carnage follows.

He does the limb-rearranging part of playing safety well, and his physicality let to 184 tackles over three seasons at Alabama. Now he joins a Giants defense that struggled against the run in 2014 while allowing a whopping 135.1 rushing yards per game, and on early downs, Collins can essentially function as another linebacker.

The concern, however, lies in his coverage and Collins' ability to shed that box-safety label.

Collins finished his 2014 college season with seven passes defensed and three interceptions. But he also allowed a completion percentage of 63.8, which ranked 84th among all safeties in the nation, per College Football Focus. If Collins can be even an average defender and still a body-punishing tackler at 228 pounds, the Giants will be more than satisfied.

In San Francisco, the 49ers have both the next man in line when starting strong safety Antoine Bethea's contract expires after the 2017 season and quality short-term depth in Jaquiski Tartt.

Like Collins, Tartt has the ability to detonate a play with his 6'1", 221-pound frame.

"He's really good versus the run," ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said in his evaluation, via Joe Fann of 49ers.com. "He gets in the box and drops the hammer."

Others receiving votes: Clayton Geathers, Indianapolis Colts (one vote)