2010 NFL Rookies Midseason Progress Report

At the halfway point of the 2010 NFL season, so many questions are left unanswered. Which team is the standout in the AFC and NFC? Will the NFC West winner finish over .500? Can Brett Favre's ankle hold up? Will Randy Moss (finally) stay put in Tennessee?

And, of course, How 'Bout Them Cowboys?

Back in April, we took a look at who we felt would be the best rookies this season. We comprised a list of the Top 50 Impact Rookies. We are now following up by narrowing the list to 25 to see who has made the biggest impact to this point.

Top 25 Impact NFL Rookies for 2010

25. Nate Allen—S—Eagles

• 34 combined tackles (three assists), one sack, nine pass deflections, three interceptions

24. Brian Bulaga—OL—Packers

• Recently held Jared Allen and Demarcus Ware without a sack

23. Russell Okung—OL—Seahawks

• The sixth pick in the draft has helped keep Matt Hasselbeck upright

22. Tony Moeaki—TE—Cheifs

• 30 catches, 344 yards, two TDs

21. Trent Williams—OL—Redskins

• The fourth overall pick has been a big part in rebuilding Washington's offensive line

20. Daryl Washington—LB—Cardinals

• 46 combined tackles (nine assists), one sack

19. Perrish Cox—CB—Broncos

• 25 total tackles, 11 pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble

18. Devin McCourty—CB—Patriots

• 37 combined tackles, four assists, nine pass deflections, two interceptions

17. Maurkice Pouncey—C—Steelers

• The best center prospect from the draft has not disappointed for the Steelers

16. Tyson Alualu—DT—Jaguars

• 23 combined tackles (six assists), 2.5 sacks

15. Rolando McClain—LB—Raiders

• 42 combined tackles (16 assists), 0.5 sacks

14. Taylor Mays—S—49ers

• 32 combined tackles (four assists), forced fumble

13. Kareem Jackson—CB—Texans

• 44 combined tackles (12 assists), nine pass deflections, two interceptions

12. Christopher Ivory—RB—Saints

• 78 carries, 382 yards

11. Koa Misi—LB—Dolphins

• 21 combined tackles (seven assists), 3.5 sacks, two fumbles recovered, fumble recovery TD

10. Ryan Matthews—RB—Chargers

• 87 carries, 382 yards, two TDs

9. Aaron Hernandez—TE—Patriots

• 34 catches, 436 yards, two TDs

8. TJ Ward—S—Browns

• 67 combined tackles (15 assists)

7. Earl Thomas—S—Seahawks

• 39 combined tackles, seven assists, nine pass deflections, four interceptions

6. Eric Berry—S— Chiefs

• 45 combined tackles (11 assists), two sacks, six pass deflections, two interceptions, forced fumble

5. Dez Bryant—WR—Cowboys

38 catches, 435 yards, four TDs, two punt return TDs

Bryant was supposed to contributor on a Super Bowl contender. Now he is one of the very few brights spots on a 1-7 Cowboys team.

Bryant has collected 435 receiving yards and four touchdowns and two punt return TDs. His potential to be a star in the NFL has been on display throughout the first half of the season.

Bryant's resume indicates he may be more of a possession receiver than relied on for his speed. Moving forward, Dallas has at least one offensive piece to build around. The caveat to all this is all four of Bryant's TDs have come from Jon Kitna. Tony Romo is missing out on valuable bonding time with his future No. 1 wideout.

4. Jahvid Best—RB—Lions

107 carries, 345 yards, four TDs, 41 catches, 356 yards, one TD

Before the season, people laughed at the joke that there would be a shirt that read "Lions" on the front and "Best" on the back.

The Lions traded back into the end of the first round to select the California Bears running back, who has, so far, exceeded expectations. Best has racked up 701 total yards and 5 TD between running and receiving. He has brought some much-needed balance to the Lions offense by taking some pressure off of Calvin Johnson.

3. Mike Williams—WR—Bucs

36 catches, 559 yards, five TDs

Mike Williams did not make our preseason list for a couple of reasons.

In 2008, Williams was suspended from Syracuse for academic reasons. He came back in 2009 and racked up impressive numbers, but quit the Orange after seven games. All the concern about character and question marks surrounding Williams have been temporarily swept under the rug.

Williams leads all rookies with 559 yards and five TDs. He has built up a nice rapport with Bucs first-rounder from 2009, Josh Freeman. The Bucs also have two other rookies who have contributed nicely on offense—Arrelious Benn and LeGarrette Blount.

2. Ndamukong Suh—DT—Lions

30 combined tackles (five assists), 6.5 sacks, two pass deflections, INT, fumble recovery TD

We initially projected Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh to have the biggest impact among NFL rookies in 2010. It might have seemed like an easy choice, considering they were the top two picks in the draft. Well flash-forward halfway through the season, and these two men have truly impacted their teams, to the point that the Rams and Lions are competitive. Neither team should have any regrets on their major investments to this point.

Ndamukong Suh has proven worthy of the No. 2 pick. Head Coach Jim Schwartz, who specializes in defense, has revamped Detroit's defense starting with the line. Suh has 25 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, two passes deflected, an interception, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Suh's 6.5 sacks are two more than any other defensive tackle in the league. He is fourth overall in the NFL in sacks.

1. Sam Bradford - Quarterback - Rams

171-292, 1,674 yards, 11 TDs, eight INT

The Rams are 4-4 and actually tied for first place in the NFC West. Bradford has started every game for the Rams and has thrown for 1,674 yards, 11 TDs and eight INTs. The $50-million man has exceeded expectations and under head coach Steve Spagnuolo the Rams are overachieving . Although he lost his top two receivers in Donnie Avery and Mark Clayton early on, Bradford has managed to spread the wealth to guys like Danny Amendola and Danario Alexander. You can cash that $50-million check now, Sam.

The Rookies We Missed On

In hindsight, there are some players who were ranked a little too high from our initial Top 50 Impact Rookies.

We initially listed Demaryius Thomas third and Gerald McCoy fifth.

Thomas was the 22nd overall pick and the first wide receiver selected in the draft. Thomas has caught 16 passes for 215 yards and two TDs. A foot injury suffered at Georgia Tech has affected his rookie season growth on the field. Denver has also seen the emergence of Brandon Lloyd, who leads the NFL in receiving yards. We did not take into consideration breakout seasons from Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney.

Tampa Bay has had a breakout season this year, but McCoy has contributed little. McCoy has 12 total tackles and zero sacks. The Bucs expected major things out of McCoy and so did we. Raheem Morris is a defensive guy and the Bucs have a lot invest in "The Next Warren Sapp" so we fully expect McCoy to have a big impact at some point down the road.

We thought C.J. Spiller would be awesome.

C.J. Spiller was expected to do a little bit of everything for the Bills, from returning kicks, running, and receiving. But Spiller, who was drafted ninth overall, has been a big disappointment. He has 81 yards receiving and 150 yards rushing and only two TDs—one receiving and one kick return.

We projected Kyle Wilson as the 11th-best rookie and second-best cornerback.

Wilson's confidence was shaken early in the year and with Revis Island and Antonio Cromartie, the Jets do not have an urgency to rush Wilson on the field if he cannot cover anyone. The Boise State product has struggled to get on the field after a rough couple of weeks where he could not contain anybody.

2010 NFL Rookie Fun Facts

• Mike Williams is ranked third after not being mentioned in the original top 50.
• Christopher Ivory appears at 12. He is the only undrafted rookie on our list.
• The top 25 includes 15 first-rounders, five second-rounders, one third, two fourth, one fifth, and the previously mentioned one undrafted.
• Of our initial 50-5 have been placed on season-ending injured reserved (Jared Odrick, Sergio Kindle, Monterio Hardesty, Derrick Morgan and Brian Price).
• Seahawks, Lions, Cheifs, Patriots each have two rookies on this list.
• College Conference Representation: Seven Big 12, five SEC, four PAC-10, three Big East, two Big Ten, two Mountain West, one WAC, one Division II
• College Team Representation: Two Oklahoma State, two Oklahoma, two Iowa, two Florida, two Alabama
• In 2010, four rookies quarterbacks have started (Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy, and Max Hall). Tim Tebow has seen action and has two rushing TDs.
• Top 25 Position Breakdown: Five safeties, two wide receivers, two tight ends, three running backs, one quarterback, four offensive linemen, three linebackers, two defensive tackles, three cornerbacks
• Tim Toone, aka Mr. Irrelevant (the 255th pick in the draft), is on injured reserved for the Lions. Toone played college football at Weber State.