NFL Rookie Rankings: How Did This Year's Class Stack Up?

The NFL regular season has concluded, and our attention is shifting toward the playoffs. For teams that missed out on the postseason fun, the offseason has arrived and some reflection is needed. The 2015 rookie class has a lot of positives to build off as teams prepare for next year.

We've been tracking the rookie class on a weekly basis throughout the season and ranking players based on their full-season performances. The mixture of statistics, playing time, production per snap and film work helped us throughout the way. Now that the season is over, we can make conclusions with a large sample size.

What happened in 2015 can be encouraging or concerning for each rookie based on how he played. But as careers progress, rookie seasons may not be fully predictive of what is next. Improvement is always needed, or the league will adjust to take away strengths and render the player less effective.

The 2015 class will also benefit from a full offseason heading into next year. Several top picks missed the season with injuries, and 2016 should bear better results for those players. Rookies who struggled, especially trench players, will need to hit the weight room to improve their bodies so they can withstand the brutality of the NFL.

This slideshow will rank and review the top 50 players from the rookie class and break them down into each position for the five best players this season. Make sure you leave your rankings in the comments section below.

Top 50 Overall

Chris Keane/Associated Press

Ranking the top 50 overall players from the 2015 class is difficult because it was top-heavy with a few stars but also deep with quality play. About a dozen more players had good arguments for making this list, but the players with the biggest impacts, even if they had less playing time, must make this list. The best overall talents are below.

The big riser on this list is Henry Anderson. Anderson was terrific for the Indianapolis Colts this year, totaling 31 tackles, one sack and two passes defensed in just five games. He was a top-five rookie before he was lost for the season with a torn ACL. He dropped for a while to help highlight others who were playing more, but Anderson was a top-10 talent when he played.

You’ll also notice the struggles of trench players. The offensive linemen in this class were alarmingly poor. Patience will be needed as they continue to evolve their bodies and techniques.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	1	Same
2	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	2	Same
3	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	3	Same
4	Todd Gurley	RB	Rams	1.10	5	Up
5	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	4	Down
6	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	6	Same
7	Mario Edwards Jr.	OLB	Raiders	2.3	7	Same
8	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	8	Same
9	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	10	Up
10	Jordan Hicks	LB	Eagles	3.20	11	Up
11	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	2.11	38	Up
12	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	12	Same
13	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	UDFA	13	Same
14	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	17	Up
15	Arik Armstead	DE	49ers	1.17	15	Same
16	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.23	16	Same
17	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	14	Down
18	David Johnson	RB	Cardinals	3.22	18	Same
19	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	9	Down
20	Ali Marpet	OG	Buccaneers	2.29	23	Same
21	Mitch Morse	OC	Chiefs	2.17	21	Same
22	Quandre Diggs	CB	Lions	6.24	22	Same
23	Markus Golden	LB	Cardinals	2.26	18	Down
24	Brandon Scherff	OG	Redskins	1.5	24	Same
25	Kevin Johnson	SAF	Bears	5.6	25	Same
26	La'el Collins	OG	Cowboys	UDFA	20	Down
27	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.4	35	Up
28	Malcom Brown	DT	Patriots	1.32	28	Same
29	Denzel Perryman	LB	Chargers	2.16	29	Same
30	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	30	Same
31	Rob Havenstein	CB	Rams	2.25	33	Up
32	Danielle Hunter	DE	Vikings	3.24	34	Up
33	Quinten Rollins	CB	Packers	2.30	33	Down
34	Adrian Amos	DE	Bears	5.6	25	Down
35	Shaq Thompson	LB	Panthers	1.25	27	Down
36	Benardrick McKinney	LB	Texans	2.11	36	Same
37	Stefon Diggs	WR	Vikings	5.10	41	Up
38	DeVante Parker	WR	Dolphins	1.14	39	Up
39	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	32	Down
40	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	40	Same
41	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.30	37	Down
42	Kwon Alexander	LB	Buccaneers	4.25	42	Same
43	Will Tye	TE	Giants	UDFA	49	Up
44	Devin Funchess	WR	Panthers	2.9	44	Same
45	Jamison Crowder	WR	Redskins	6.4	45	Same
46	Rodney Gunter	DT	Cardinals	4.17	46	Same
47	Grady Jarrett	DT	Falcons	5.1	N/A	Up
48	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Lions	2.22	48	Same
49	Duke Johnson	RB	Browns	3.13	N/A	Up
50	Clive Walford	SAF	Raiders	3.4	43	Down

Quarterbacks

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

As a fan of football, it is impossible not to appreciate the quality of quarterback play from Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota this season. Both had excellent, Rookie of the Year-type seasons. Comparing their season numbers and film shows us that predraft projections were accurate.

While Winston’s season showed high peaks, he also had some poor performances. His total of 22 touchdowns and just 27 sacks taken despite a bad offensive line helps highlight his playmaking ability. He can extend plays and withstand contact en route to a game-changing throw.

Winston also shows a penchant for risky passes. He had 15 interceptions and a completion percentage of just 58.4 percent. His decision-making could use some improvement to boost those numbers.

Mariota had a more efficient season, which was expected based on his Oregon film. He had a completion percentage of 62.2, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Those are the types of numbers you’d expect from a more seasoned quarterback, not a rookie.

The area Mariota can improve the most is his overall pocket presence. He was sacked 39 times behind a dreadful line, but his 10 fumbles are concerning. He also had a fumbling problem at Oregon, with 27 fumbles in 41 games. Feeling the pressure caving around him is something that can help Mariota elevate his game to the next level.

Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	1	Same
2	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	2	Same
3	Brett Hundley	QB	Packers	5.11	3	Same
4	Garrett Grayson	QB	Saints	3.11	4	Same
5	Bryce Petty	QB	Jets	4.4	5	Same

Running Backs

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

The argument against drafting a running back highly continues to look valid after strong rookie seasons from several backs taken on Day 3 and undrafted backs. While Todd Gurley had a fantastic season, totaling 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns, the drop-off from him to his peers wasn't steep on a per-snap basis. Undrafted free agent Thomas Rawls had a similarly fantastic season for the Seattle Seahawks.

Rawls averaged 5.6 yards per carry on 147 carries. That gave him 830 yards and four rushing touchdowns. He could force Marshawn Lynch out of the picture in Seattle next year if he heals from his broken ankle this offseason. He was far from the only stud found late.

Third-round dynamo David Johnson was a known receiving threat out of Northern Iowa, and he translated perfectly into the NFL. He amassed 581 rushing yards, 457 receiving yards and 599 kick return yards as a rookie. He’s a weapon for the Arizona Cardinals, which is impressive considering their deep core of playmakers already in place.

Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Todd Gurley	RB	Rams	1.10	1	Same
2	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	UDFA	2	Same
3	David Johnson	RB	Cardinals	3.22	3	Same
4	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	4	Same
5	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Lions	2.22	5	Same

Wide Receivers

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

The wide receiver class proved to be deep with potential playmakers, and things will look even better in 2016 after Kevin White and Devin Smith see more playing time. One rookie, Amari Cooper, eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark with 1,070 total receiving yards. Six others had over 450 yards in lesser roles than Cooper.

The variety of receivers who emerged is fascinating. Cooper and Tyler Lockett are able to produce with nuance and quickness. Receivers Dorial Green-Beckham and DeVante Parker are more physically gifted but also raw in their development. Then there are the shifty slot receivers who made impact plays as well.

The Minnesota Vikings' Stefon Diggs had the second-most receiving yards of all rookies, finishing with 720 yards and four touchdowns. He places third in our rankings because he didn’t have the return yards that Lockett did, but he edged out Green-Beckham because of his pure production.

Parker beats out Jamison Crowder for fifth because of the dominance factor. While Crowder had 110 more yards, he also had 30 more receptions. Crowder looks more like Jarvis Landry, while Parker has shades of a higher-end talent to his game.

Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	1	Same
2	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	3	Up
3	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	2	Down
4	Stefon Diggs	WR	Vikings	5.10	5	Up
5	DeVante Parker	WR	Dolphins	1.14	4	Down

Tight Ends

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Unlike the other playmaker positions, the rookie tight ends struggled to find their footing. This isn’t surprising, as past draft classes had the same issue from this position. The long-term outlook of this class appears to be average and limited right now.

The best rookie tight end was an unlikely one. Will Tye of Stony Brook went undrafted but led the class in receiving yards. He finished with 464 yards and three touchdowns.

No other tight end finished with over 400 receiving yards. Clive Walford of the Oakland Raiders and Maxx Williams from the Baltimore Ravens flashed talent at times, but they need to ramp up their production next season.

Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Will Tye	TE	Giants	UDFA	2	Up
2	Clive Walford	TE	Raiders	3.4	1	Down
3	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	3	Same
4	Tyler Kroft	TE	Bengals	3.21	4	Same
5	Nick Boyle	TE	Ravens	5.35	5	Same

Offensive Tackles

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Of all the positions, the rookie tackles may need the most repairing entering 2016. The lack of core and lower-body strength was evident in literally every offensive tackle who played significant snaps except Rob Havenstein. It’s not a coincidence that Havenstein was the only tackle to yield zero sacks in 2015.

The rest of the rookie tackles were bad. The jump to the NFL ended up proving to be more than this class could handle. With D.J. Humphries in Arizona, Andrus Peat in New Orleans and Jake Fisher expected to compete for starting jobs next year, maybe those three can elevate a weak position.

Major technique flaws constantly plagued players forced into playing too early. T.J. Clemmings and Ereck Flowers were revolving doors on a weekly basis. Their play was so bad that Peat, Fisher and Kendall Lamm round out our list despite playing sparingly throughout the season.

Offensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Rob Havenstein	OT	Rams	2.25	1	Same
2	Ty Sambrailo	OT	Broncos	2.27	3	Up
3	Andrus Peat	OT	Saints	1.13	5	Up
4	Jake Fisher	OT	Bengals	2.21	N/A	Up
5	Kendall Lamm	OT	Texans	UDFA	N/A	Up

Offensive Guards

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The rookie guard class proved to be the most competent of the offensive lineman rookie positions. This top five had legitimate starters throughout as the regular season ended, which should give comfort to their respective teams. Two rookie guards really stood out this season, though.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Ali Marpet and the Washington Redskins' Brandon Scherff became stalwarts as the season progressed. Marpet is still grabby, as he was called for seven penalties this year, but he also consistently shut down pass-rushers. He allowed just two sacks and 17 quarterback hurries, which was the best per-snap production of any rookie.

Scherff was certainly one reason the Redskins offense surged down the stretch. His pass protection steadily improved with experience, which helps justify his lofty draft status. His nastiness in the run game made him one of the most fun players to watch throughout the season.

Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Ali Marpet	G	Buccaneers	2.29	1	Same
2	Brandon Scherff	G	Redskins	1.5	3	Up
3	La'el Collins	G	Cowboys	UDFA	2	Down
4	A.J. Cann	G	Jaguars	3.3	4	Same
5	Cody Wichmann	G	Rams	6.39	N/A	Same

Centers

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Only five rookie centers played this season, so they will occupy the top five spots. What is more of note is the fact that only one played well enough this season to be a starter. The Kansas City Chiefs invested a second-round pick in Mitch Morse, and the talent difference between him and the rest is steep.

One indicator of how ready for the NFL these centers were is the number of penalties each was responsible for. The grabbier the center, the less comfortable or capable he physically is. Morse had just one, David Andrews had five and Hroniss Grasu finished with four, per Pro Football Focus.

Grasu especially needs to improve this offseason because the Chicago Bears invested a third-round pick in him. There's no need to panic about whether he can be a quality player, even in 2016. But the progress he shows this offseason and into next season will be important.  

Center Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Mitch Morse	OC	Chiefs	2.17	1	Same
2	Hroniss Grasu	OC	Bears	3.7	2	Same
3	David Andrews	OC	Patriots	UDFA	3	Same
4	Andy Gallik	OC	Titans	6.32	4	Same
5	Jamil Douglas	OC	Dolphins	4.15	5	Same

Defensive Ends

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

No position had more depth and impressive play for the length of the season than the defensive ends. That includes both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive ends. The rookie class has a ton of upside, but the immediate dividends point toward breakout seasons coming soon.

Leonard Williams was the star of the group and didn’t move from our top five overall all season long. His transition from USC to the NFL was seamless, as he totaled four sacks and 27 quarterback hurries. His presence may allow the New York Jets to move on from Muhammad Wilkerson or Sheldon Richardson this offseason.

Vic Beasley, Danielle Hunter and Frank Clark—4-3 defensive ends—are terrific athletes who flashed dominant traits in small sample sizes. Their roles should continue to grow in 2016 into more full-time players if possible. It is difficult to keep impact pass-rushers off the field.

Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	1	Same
2	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	2	Same
3	Danielle Hunter	DE	Vikings	3.24	5	Up
4	Arik Armstead	DE	49ers	1.17	4	Same
5	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	N/A	Up

Defensive Tackles

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Similar to the offensive line class, the defensive tackle rookies had their ups and downs. A few stood out more than others, but these players looked like specialists in their first year. The hope is they’ll evolve as their bodies mature.

The most effective player overall was Eddie Goldman for the Bears. The former Seminole led the defensive tackles with 4.5 sacks and provided a solid run presence. His upside should be considered the best of anyone at this position with his ability to play three downs.

The run-stuffers are led by Malcom Brown. Brown transformed from a big body to an actual asset for the New England Patriots, which is a testament to his work ethic and the Patriots coaching staff. He finished the year with 29 run stops, first among the rookies.

Defensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	1	Same
2	Malcom Brown	DT	Patriots	1.32	2	Same
3	Rodney Gunter	DT	Cardinals	4.17	4	Up
4	Grady Jarrett	DT	Falcons	5.1	5	Up
5	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	3	Down

Linebackers

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

By combining the outside and inside linebackers into one positional group, we're missing several talented playmakers because of the top-five ranking. But the players who aren't here can be found in the top 50. A total of 13 linebackers are on our top-50 board, which is easily the most of any one position on the aggregate board.

Establishing the best linebacker from this group is difficult. Despite missing eight games, Jordan Hicks was the most impactful linebacker. As soon as Hicks went down, the Philadelphia Eagles defense crumbled without his playmaking ability. He had 50 tackles, three recovered fumbles and two interceptions.

Denzel Perryman, Eric Kendricks, Benardrick McKinney, Stephone Anthony and Kwon Alexander were all inside linebackers with major flashes of talent as well. While Anthony and Alexander are better athletes than instinctual players right now, it’s easy to see high upside as they continue to gain experience.

Pass-rushers Markus Golden and Preston Smith were by far the two best rookie outside linebackers. Golden and Smith are solid athletes who can win in a variety of ways. They finished with seven and eight sacks, respectively.

Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	1	Same
2	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.6	4	Up
3	Markus Golden	LB	Cardinals	2.26	2	Down
4	Mario Edwards Jr.	LB	Raiders	2.3	N/A	Up
5	Denzel Perryman	LB	Chargers	2.16	5	Same

Cornerbacks

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Another fun position to break down throughout the season has been the rookie cornerbacks. This is usually a position at which players struggle for their first few years, and immediate studs are uncommon. That hasn’t been the case this season.

Marcus Peters should win Defensive Rookie of the Year for his phenomenal play this season. He finished with eight interceptions, 17 passes defensed and a passer rating of 67.7 when targeted. He’s already knocking on the door of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Ronald Darby was also tremendous in his rookie season for the Buffalo Bills. He was exactly what the Bills secondary needed to complement Stephon Gilmore. He proved he wasn’t just a speedy cornerback, instead showing legitimate ball skills with 13 passes defensed and two interceptions.

The rest of our top five had an impressive year as well. Damarious Randall, Quandre Diggs, Kevin Johnson and Quinten Rollins all proved to be rotation-worthy this year. Watch out for Eric Rowe and Jalen Collins to join them in 2016 as quality defensive backs.

Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	1	Same
2	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	2	Same
3	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	4	Up
4	Quandre Diggs	CB	Lions	6.24	3	Down
5	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	5	Same

Safeties

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Only two players logged full-time snaps at safety this year: Adrian Amos and Landon Collins. While Amos played well and should continue to improve, Collins really struggled in coverage. It was never a strength of his at Alabama, but the New York Giants must immediately find a way to improve his performance in 2016.

Amos had 71 tackles and 20 run stops but also missed 10 tackles. His lack of interceptions throughout 16 games is probably the biggest detraction to his rookie year, and it’s a significant one. There aren’t many safeties better than average, and Amos needs to force turnovers to reach that next tier.

The rest of our safeties either didn’t see much time at the position or were backups for large stretches of the season. Byron Jones wouldn’t fit at cornerback, and he was a hybrid for the Dallas Cowboys this year, so he settles in here.

Safety Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	1	Same
2	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	2	Same
3	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	3	Same
4	Jaquiski Tartt	SAF	49ers	2.14	4	Same
5	Anthony Harris	SAF	Vikings	UDFA	5	Same

Specialists

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

While it was a weak year for rookie kickers, the punters and return men had a good showing. The top three return men were already listed under other positions, which disqualifies them from being specialists. But the fourth- and fifth-leading returners were able to slide in along with the punters.

The rookie punters were notable because of how similarly they produced. Matt Darr led the rookies with an average of 39.8 net yards. Jordan Berry and Bradley Pinion tied with an average of 38.8 net yards. There’s little separation there.

Return specialists Quan Bray and Lucky Whitehead were the fourth- and fifth-leading kick returners, respectively. Bray averaged 27.1 yards per kick return and 7.9 yards per punt return. Whitehead was able to manage 28.3 yards per kick return and 6.3 yards per punt return. 

Specialist Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Quan Bray	KR	Colts	UDFA	2	Up
2	Matt Darr	P	Dolphins	UDFA	1	Down
3	Lucky Whitehead	KR	Cowboys	UDFA	3	Same
4	Bradley Pinion	P	49ers	UDFA	N/A	Up
5	Jordan Perry	P	Steelers	UDFA	N/A	Up

All stats used are from Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

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