12 Dark-Horse Picks for Best 2016 Rookie Seasons
The usual suspects span the lists of anticipated best 2016 rookie seasons.
In the NFL, it's all about Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, if not Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. It's more of the same in the NBA, with Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram expected to revitalize the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers respectively. Most expect Auston Matthews to put on a show with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets to become one of the biggest names in the NHL.
If only it were so easy.
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Plenty of dark horses who could steal the title in each sport exist, whether it's because of underrated talent, a great opportunity or a simple lack of hype. Here's a look at the long-shot guys who could have the best 2016 rookie seasons.
Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
It is a bad look that the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL draft starts his rookie season inactive, sure.
With quarterback being the most important position in perhaps all of sports, though, Jared Goff of the Los Angeles Rams has to make a list such as this. Keep in mind this important note too, per ESPN's Ed Werder:
Goff has the luxury of not needing to start right away. When he does, he'll be backed by an elite defense, one of the best backs in the league in Todd Gurley and a versatile weapon in Tavon Austin.
Depending on when Goff gets the nod as starter, he might run away with the crown.
Domantas Sabonis, F, Oklahoma City Thunder
Fans can't take much in the way of blame for looking at the Oklahoma City Thunder depth chart and writing off the No. 11 pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Domantas Sabonis.
On paper, Sabonis has a long climb, with Enes Kanter and Steven Adams ahead of him.
It doesn't always work like that.
With Kevin Durant gone, the Thunder might roll with a more developmental lineup at times this season. Sabonis, a pro-ready forward who averaged 17.6 points and 11.8 rebounds last year at Gonzaga, is a beast on the glass and a solid back-to-the-basket scorer.
In other words, he has ingredients that could get him on the floor and keep him there.
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
The way running backs tend to pile up stats, a few of those behind Elliott in terms of hype might steal the whole show.
Leading the charge is Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, a Heisman Trophy winner during his days at Alabama and the No. 45 pick in this year's draft.
Henry rushed for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns last year in college, making it seem a matter of time before he makes veteran DeMarco Murray an afterthought. NFL.com's Chris Wesseling put it best:
With opposing defenses needing to worry about the versatile Marcus Mariota, Henry figures to feast as long as he can stay healthy.
Jamal Murray, G, Denver Nuggets
Hyped as he may have been late in the NBA draft process this year, Jamal Murray fell to seventh and, even worse, went to the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets have a hard time gaining national attention because of their years of struggle and more foreign approach to roster building.
Fine, but Murray might bring the spotlight with him, expected or not. The Kentucky product posted an average of 20 points last year on a loaded roster and happens to be the perfect scoring complement to the pass-happy Emmanuel Mudiay.
Denver's depth chart might suggest Gary Harris starts at shooting guard, but the team could always go small and keep Murray on the court. Given his ability to put up numbers, he might gun for Ingram or Simmons' top spot.
Danton Heinen, W, Boston Bruins
Given the nature of the NHL's rookie system, it's only a matter of time before Danton Heinen joins the Boston Bruins for his debut season.
Heinen, a fourth-round pick in 2014, has the firepower to make his rookie campaign a monster one, should he get the call. A guy who can play either wing, he posted 93 points over 82 games and two seasons with Denver.
As CSN New England pointed out, the idea of Heinen continues to gain traction:
With not much in the way of shooting power on the roster, Heinen might force his way into commanding the spotlight.
Corey Coleman, WR, Cleveland Browns
What? A Cleveland Browns player can't make a list like this?
Corey Coleman just might. In a rather ho-hum wideout class, the Baylor product might rise above the rest and others at different positions if he can translate his big-play ability to the pros.
From the looks of it, Coleman has already solidified a starting spot across from Terrelle Pryor, who shared some strong praise for the rookie, according to Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram:
Provided the Robert Griffin III experiment at quarterback works under the guidance of new head coach and offensive guru Hue Jackson, Coleman could wind up as the main recipient of the credit.
Buddy Hield, G, New Orleans Pelicans
With Eric Gordon out of the way, Buddy Hield could have a bigger role with the New Orleans Pelicans than anticipated.
Hield has much of what the Pelicans lack in a big way, summed up in one word: scoring. He averaged 25 points per game at Oklahoma last year and will take the court next to Jrue Holiday while opposing teams focus on Anthony Davis down low.
The locale isn't the best, but Hield might take home top rookie honors in large part because few others on the roster will do much of the scoring, especially if guys such as Tyreke Evans keep battling injury issues.
Passed because he's already 22 years old with a supposedly limited ceiling, Hield's pro-ready game might take the Association by surprise.
Tajae Sharpe, WR, Tennessee Titans
Who?
For those who haven't followed the NFL preseason on a step-by-step basis, Titans rookie wideout Tajae Sharpe has made waves despite his status as a fifth-round pick this year.
In fact, it seems Sharpe has climbed all the way to at least the No. 2 slot on the depth chart next to Rishard Matthews. Rotoworld's Nick Mensio provided a quote from Mariota that helps to explain the quick rise:
Sharpe posted more than 1,200 yards in each of his final two seasons at UMass while never falling below 11 yards per catch.
Now due a healthy amount of targets at the NFL level, Sharpe's consistency down the field could lead to eye-boggling numbers, which would get amplified through a fifth-round lens.
Zach Werenski, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
It wouldn't be wise to forget about Zach Werenski this season.
Provided his hard-nose play gets the attention of Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella, the No. 8 pick in the 2015 NHL draft figures to see the ice plenty when it matters most in 2016.
In fact, Werenski might be the strong dark horse to take the Calder Memorial Trophy. He posted 11 goals and 36 points over 36 games with Michigan last year and hasn't failed to impress on his climb through the organization.
Werenski's final destination awaits, and he might steal the spotlight from bigger names immediately.
Jakob Poeltl, C, Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors could have a potent combo on their hands with Jonas Valanciunas and rookie Jakob Poeltl underneath the basket.
With Bismack Biyombo gone, the Raptors could look to roll out a twin-towers look at times to great success, which could help the Utah product stuff the stat sheet. For a pro-ready guy who averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last year, it seems a given.
Keep in mind Valanciunas only played in 60 games last year and has only played in 80 or more contests twice over four years. Should the veteran have another issue, it'd be up to Poeltl to carry the load underneath the basket.
Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants
On the topic of wideouts who could fill up the stat sheet video game style and steal all the attention, New York Giants second-round pick Sterling Shepard comes to mind.
Shepard was a solid deep threat in college who tallied 1,288 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 15 yards per catch in his final season. He's had little problem translating this to the NFL, where he's already received praise from a divisional rival, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan:
Now the No. 2 wideout next to Odell Beckham Jr. and ahead of Victor Cruz, Shepard looks like an instant-impact rookie ready for a consistent connection with quarterback Eli Manning.
Jaylen Brown, F, Boston Celtics
One of the most explosive athletes in the 2016 NBA draft, California's Jaylen Brown landed in the perfect situation with the Boston Celtics at No. 3.
Whereas Ingram and Simmons might need some time to adapt and catch up physically, Brown has the look of a guy who could ride his athleticism to consistent scoring as a rotational part of a team ready to compete in the Eastern Conference.
Brown doesn't even have to play small forward thanks to Jae Crowder. He could come in at power forward in a small-ball lineup and turn loose what he's got to solid success. Boston head coach Brad Stevens hasn't been shy about Brown's improvement, as relayed by Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports:
While there's room for improvement on defense and with ranged shooting, Brown has the tools to post some gaudy stat lines out of the gates.
Provided the Celtics let him run, Brown could post one of the best rookie seasons of 2016.
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