NFL Rookies Earning More Prominent Roles After Early-Season Success

Like any of us, the first year on a new job is full of trials and tribulations.

Obviously, it’s no different in the NFL or any other professional sport. But ahead of us lies a dozen rookies that are beginning to fit in very nicely with their teams after showing us some promise earlier this year.

Now keep in mind that we will be defining success in different ways here (as well as each player’s early season). It may not be necessarily reflected in wins and losses or overwhelming statistics. The fact is that these 12 newcomers (in positional order) are starting to make a bigger impact with their teams on a weekly basis.

It will be interesting to see how each of these performers, as well as others, fare by season’s end.

QB Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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It may be hard to believe that a quarterback who owns a 2-4 record and comes off a blown 24-0 lead on Sunday would make the list. But let’s not blame everything on Jameis Winston, who was thrown into the fire right from the get-go and is growing before our eyes.

Yes, he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were smoked right out of the gate by Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans, 42-14. But just as was the case at Florida State last season, he overcame some early issues and bounced back in style. One week after the season-opening debacle, he and his team went to the Superdome and beat the New Orleans Saints.

What has really caught our eye has been Winston’s play in his last two games, this following a two-touchdown, four-interception performance in a loss to the Carolina Panthers. In the split with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins, the rookie signal-caller has hit on 70.9 percent of his throws (34-of-48) for 516 yards, three scores and zero interceptions while averaging a healthy 10.75 yards per attempt.

RB Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams

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In truth, running back Todd Gurley’s 2015 season didn’t begin until Week 3. But after getting his feet barely wet in his team’s 12-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that Sunday, he's been virtually unstoppable.

Apparently, the St. Louis Rams are now all-in when it comes to the 10th overall pick in this spring’s draft. In the team’s 24-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the former University of Georgia standout looked pretty healthy for the third straight game.

Gurley ran 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s victory. That outing followed recent performances of 146 yards and 159 yards versus the Arizona Cardinals (win) and Green Bay Packers (loss), respectively.

The year has basically just begun for Gurley—and so may a very special season for a rookie running back who has caught the attention of everyone, most notably the man handing him the football.

"Just an animal, really," said quarterback Nick Foles to the Associated Press (h/t New York Times). "There's not many people that can run like that, that have ever played this game."

RB Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns

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Talking about an evolving role for a player? The Cleveland Browns began the summer with a logjam at running back and have slowly but surely sorted things out.

Meanwhile, rookie Duke Johnson has seen the game plan change. The third-round pick from the University of Miami has totaled 55 carries for just 176 yards this season, hardly scintillating numbers. A total of 19 of those attempts and 65 of those yards came in the team’s first two contests.

But over the last five games, Johnson has been less of a runner and more of a pass-catcher. After not being targeted by either Josh McCown or Johnny Manziel in the first two games, the rookie has been thrown to 36 times and pulled down 31 passes for 263 yards and a score.

The Browns are a flawed 2-5 team, especially when it comes to stopping the run. However, their offense is rounding into form, and it will be interesting to see how Johnson evolves in the process.

RB T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars

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We got an early taste of what former University of Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon could bring the Jacksonville Jaguars offense. Now hopefully healthy, Sunday’s performance against the Buffalo Bills could be the start of something this team needs in a big way.

On the season, Yeldon has carried 101 times for 406 yards and one touchdown. On Sunday at London, he victimized the Bills for 115 yards and a score on 20 carries. It marked the third time in the six games he’s played that the rookie runner had totaled at least 20 rushing attempts and the second time he's reached the century mark on the ground.

It’s a very promising start for Yeldon, as well as for a team that had a 2014 ground attack led by a quarterback-turned-runner (Denard Robinson) and a then-rookie quarterback (Blake Bortles) forced to run for his life.

WR Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders

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There has seemingly been nothing but success for wide receiver Amari Cooper since he stepped on the field with the Oakland Raiders this spring.

The combination of size (6'1") and quickness (4.42-second 40-yard dash, per NFL.com) along with those soft hands has allowed Cooper to total team highs in catches (33), receiving yards (519) and scoring receptions (three). On Sunday, in a huge 37-29 win over the San Diego Chargers, the former University of Alabama star hauled in five passes for 133 yards and a score.

Cooper has totaled 100-plus receiving yards in three of the club’s first six outings this year. The improvement shown by quarterback Derek Carr and the Oakland offense can be attributed in part to the quick development of Cooper, who is certainly living up to being the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft.

WR Jamison Crowder, Washington Redskins

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It’s been a year of transition in a way for the Washington Redskins and their offense as fourth-year quarterback Kirk Cousins is now at the controls.

One of the pleasant surprises for head coach Jay Gruden has been the play of wide receiver Jamison Crowder, a fourth-round pick from Duke University, who finds himself as the No. 3 receiver this season with 32 receptions for 292 yards. He’s been targeted at least five times in each of the club’s last five games, and all but one of those 32 catches have come over that span.

It’s just a matter of time before Crowder also finds his way into the end zone.

WR Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

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Here’s another player who has had some early success in 2015, even though his “early” wasn’t the same as his club’s.

The Minnesota Vikings have come a long way from the team that was embarrassed by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

Similar to St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley, we did not see Diggs earlier this year, as he was inactive for the team’s first three games. On Sunday at Detroit, the fifth-round selection from the University of Maryland totaled six receptions for 108 yards and a score, which included a spectacular diving grab for a touchdown.

Three games (including two starts) into his pro career, Diggs ranks second on the Vikings with 19 catches and first on the club with 324 receiving yards. And he and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater may be just getting warmed up this season.

WR/KR Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

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We got a taste of what wide receiver Tyler Lockett could do during the summer. Now regular-season opponents are finding out what a weapon the Seattle Seahawks have added.

On Thursday night at San Francisco, the third-round pick from Kansas State was targeted five times by quarterback Russell Wilson and responded with five catches for 79 yards and a score, including a 43-yard touchdown grab. The five receptions marked a season-high for Lockett, who has totaled 17 catches in seven games this season.

Add in his impact as a kickoff and punt returner, in which he has scored a touchdown on each, and Wilson will be making even more use of the big-play rookie on a weekly basis.

OLB Hau'oli Kikaha, New Orleans Saints

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It’s not been a great year for the New Orleans Saints, but things seem to be getting better.

Following an 0-3 start, Sean Payton’s club has won three of its last four games, and while it has dug itself a bit of a hole in the improved NFC South, we know nothing is too insurmountable in the NFL these days.

Outside linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha has played in all seven of the team’s games this season and was a starter in the first six. He ranks third on the team with 37 tackles, second on the club with four sacks and first with three forced fumbles.

Along with fellow rookie linebacker Stephone Anthony, Kikaha is part of the future of a New Orleans defense that is hoping youth continues to be served immediately.

ILB Jordan Hicks, Philadelphia Eagles

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Given the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a performance in which they surrendered 204 yards rushing, it may not be advisable to be talking about one of their inside linebackers.

Still, rookie Jordan Hicks, who struggled Sunday night in the team’s 27-16 loss at Carolina, has been a very pleasant surprise for a defense that has had more ups than downs so far this season.

The third-round pick from the University of Texas, a starter in four of the last five games, currently ranks second on the team with 43 tackles. Add in one interception, three fumble recoveries, one sack, one forced fumble and a pair of passes defended, and it adds up to a nice start for Hicks and company.

MLB Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings

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Although he didn’t open the season as the starter, Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker Eric Kendricks has been making up for lost time in the last three games.

The good people at Pro Football Focus will tell you that while pass coverage is not Kendricks’ forte, his run-stopping abilities and pass-rushing skills have been on display the last three weeks. On Sunday at Detroit, the 2015 second-round pick totaled six tackles and a pair of sacks in the team’s 28-19 win over the Lions.

Suddenly, Kendricks ranks second on the team in both tackles (35) and sacks (four). And he’s part of a defensive unit that seems to be getting better on a game-by-game basis.

CB Ronald Darby, Buffalo Bills

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As we know, the Buffalo Bills' supposedly-formidable defense has been a very big disappointment to date.

But don’t blame those shortcomings on rookie cornerback Ronald Darby, who has been a bright spot since the start of 2015. Save for a rough outing against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6, the former Florida State standout has started all seven games this season. He ranks fourth on the team with 34 tackles while totaling a pair of interceptions and an impressive 14 passes defended.

He’s currently ranked as Pro Football Focus’ third-best cornerback in the league. Not bad for a second-round pick who hasn’t gotten a lot of help from the team’s pass rush this season.

All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth chart information comes via Ourlads. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus.