5 Players Who Could Make a Late Push for 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

In the remaining five weeks of the 2021 NFL season, several players will have an opportunity to make their case for Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

Since 2015, quarterbacks and running backs have won OROY, with three winners coming from both positions, but this year's group of signal-callers has featured underwhelming performances under center.

Going into Week 13, Mac Jones had the best resume among rookie quarterbacks with 16 touchdown passes, eight interceptions and a 70.3 percent completion rate, but he completed just two of three attempts for 19 yards in a windy Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills. 

With two of his last four games in New England, Jones may hand off a lot more than he throws in wintry weather. The efficient passer doesn't have impressive-enough numbers to give him a cushion over some of the most productive playmakers in this year's draft class.

In a wide-open race for OROY, who has the best chance to make a run for the award? We'll highlight five players who could earn the honor.

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Jeff Dean/Associated Press

Through the first half of the season, Ja'Marr Chase jumped ahead of the pack as the clear-cut front-runner to win this award. At one point, he racked up receiving yards at a historic rate for first-year pass-catchers.

Chase still leads all rookies in receiving yards (958) and touchdown receptions (eight) while averaging 17.4 yards per catch as one of the league's top big-play receivers, but he's cooled off lately, recording fewer than 53 yards in five consecutive outings. On top of that, his quarterback, Joe Burrow, will attempt to play through a dislocated pinky finger, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, Burrow suffered the injury and remained in the game. Going forward, he may not have the same zip on the ball, and that might minimize Chase's big-play ability.

Yet, Chase's rapport with Burrow could keep him atop the list in receiving yards and touchdowns among rookies. As the primary target in the Bengals' passing attack, he leads the team in multiple receiving categories. After a strong start, the LSU product may not have to do much more to secure the award.

Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Najee Harris won't win Offensive Rookie of the Year with efficiency. He would earn it with his respectable numbers despite a subpar supporting cast. The Alabama product has done more with less compared to the other candidates. 

Harris leads rookies in scrimmage yards (1,116) and ranks seventh leaguewide. He's logged the second-most touches (274) in the NFL. Without the high volume, his numbers wouldn't look impressive. He's averaging 3.6 yards per carry.

Nevertheless, Harris doesn't have much help from his offensive line, but he's still productive. The rookie ball-carrier averages just two yards per rush attempt before contact (tied for 45th), which means he creates a lot of his own yardage.

Harris' elusiveness allows him to grind out extra rushing yards after contact. Going into Week 13, he led all running backs in missed tackles forced (60), per Pro Football Focus.

In addition to Harris' hard-nosed running style, he's a big part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' short passing game, listing second on the team in catches (57) and third in receiving yards (387).

Because of his massive workload, Harris has an advantage over the other top candidates in the battle for OROY.

Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Scot Tucker/Associated Press

In this year's draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Elijah Mitchell as their second running back behind rookie third-rounder Trey Sermon, but the former leapfrogged the latter on the depth chart before Week 1.

In the season opener, running back Raheem Mostert went down with a season-ending knee injury. With Jeff Wilson Jr. on the physically unable to perform list, Mitchell handled the bulk of the carries, finishing with 19 attempts for 104 yards. Despite missing a few games because of shoulder and finger injuries, he's held on to the lead role.

Mitchell ranks second in rushing (759 yards) among rookies and 10th across the league. Unlike Harris, he doesn't have a consistent pass-catching role, but he's far more efficient on the ground, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, with a comparable number of rushing attempts per game (18.3 to Harris' 18.1).

As the lead ball-carrier in the 49ers' run-heavy offense, which ranks fifth in carries, Mitchell has a good shot to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. He's recorded 104-plus rushing yards in four of his nine outings. If the unheralded sixth-rounder doesn't miss time after entering the concussion protocol Monday, he'll be a dark-horse candidate to go home with some hardware.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Jaylen Waddle doesn't stretch the field with big plays over the top, but he's a speedy high-volume receiver.

Waddle leads the 2021 class in catches (86) and ranks second in receiving yards (849) with a 75.4 percent catch rate. In recent weeks, he's hit his stride, with fellow wideouts William Fuller V (finger) and DeVante Parker (hamstring) on injured reserve for extended periods.

Though Parker returned last week and will take some targets from Waddle, the rookie wideout should maintain a key role in the Miami Dolphins' passing attack because of his connection with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who's also shown improvement as of late. 

Tagovailoa's short-to-intermediate passing accuracy puts Waddle in a position to catch and run in space, which explains why the rookie wideout ranks 17th among all players in yards after the catch (351). 

If Tagovailoa remains efficient with a 70.9 percent completion rate, Waddle will benefit because of his speed and ability to create yards in open space. He's made a recent push for Offensive Rookie of the Year with a career-high 137 receiving yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12 and three consecutive contests with at least eight receptions.

Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos

Bart Young/Associated Press

For most of the season, Javonte Williams has shared the rushing workload with Melvin Gordon III, as the two have 140 and 135 carries, respectively.

However, Williams picked up steam with his most productive game on the ground in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, rushing for 111 yards. Gordon missed the Denver Broncos' Week 13 outing because of shoulder and hip injuries, and the rookie running back showcased his three-down skill set, racking up 178 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

This season, Williams averages more yards per touch than Gordon (5.4 to 4.9). Down the stretch, the Broncos may lean on the rookie rather than the veteran, who's banged up.

Williams ranks third among rookies in rushing yards (670). Looking ahead, he could accumulate big numbers on the ground with three of his last five matchups against run defenses that rank 26th or worse and another game with the Chiefs at home. 

If Williams finishes as the leading rusher among the 2021 draft class, he would become a prime candidate to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.