Cincinnati Bengals: Ranking the 5 Best Rookie Seasons in Bengals' History

Cincinnati Bengals' rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are currently having extraordinary campaigns and  are both in the conversation for the Rookie of the Year award.

Throughout Bengals history there have been numerous sensational rookie seasons. While Green and Dalton's seasons are far from over, comparisons to past Bengals greats have already started.

To acknowledge the record-setting season the duo is having, here is a list of the five greatest rookie seasons in Cincinnati Bengals history.

Criteria

In ranking the best rookie seasons, a few things had to be taken into consideration.

For one, since this is an acknowledgment of Dalton and Green's success, only offensive rookies were considered for the list.

Candidates were not only ranked on their statistical performance, but the impact their performance had on the team. Final records and playoff  appearances were taken into account. After all, great statistics from a rookie mean nothing if it didn't contribute to the overall success of the team; that being the reason they were drafted in the first place.

With this in mind, let's begin.

Honorable Mentions

Carl Pickens, WR - Round 2 pick 31

Pickens' 1992 rookie season was highlighted by being named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He caught 26 passes for 326 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals finished 5-11 that season in what continued to be a downward spiral for the franchise.

Darnay Scott, WR - Round 2 pick 30

Scott broke into the league in 1994 to form a dangerous duo with Carl Pickens. Scott finished his rookie season with 46 receptions for 866 yards and five touchdowns. The Bengals finished 3-13 on the season.

Greg Cook, QB - Round 1 pick 5

Cook was selected in the 1969 AFL draft by Cincinnati to take over the quarterback position after the inaugural season of the franchise. Cook had an amazing season throwing for 1,854 yards and being named UPI's AFL Rookie of the Year.

To make the season more impressive, it was later discovered Cook had done all of this with a torn rotator cuff, an injury that would soon force him to retire. The Bengals finished 4-9-1 that season.

5: Eddie Brown

Receiver Eddie Brown was selected by the Bengals in the 1985 NFL Draft. Brown was the 13th overall selection and played football at the University of Miami, Florida.

His rookie season was a success as he recorded 53 catches for 942 yards and eight touchdowns. His numbers resulted in him being named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Bengals finished 7-9 in Brown's rookie season. Despite catching passes from Boomer Esiason, overall the team was not good enough to finish better than .500.

Interestingly enough, Brown was selected three picks ahead the greatest receiver of all time, Jerry Rice.

4: Issac Curtis

Receiver Issac Curtis was selected 15th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1973 draft. With his great speed, Curtis was selected out of San Diego State in the hopes he and franchise quarterback Ken Anderson would be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

By the end of his rookie season, Curtis had 45 receptions for 843 yards and nine touchdowns. The Bengals finished with a record of 10-4 that season, and exited the playoffs in the AFC divisional round by losing to the Miami Dolphins.

Due to Curtis' world-class speed, he changed the game of football forever. Defensive backs would block him at the line of scrimmage, which led to the creation of "The Issac Curtis Rule." Thanks to Curtis, defenders are now allowed to block a receiver within five yards of the line of scrimmage, any contact after five yards is a penalty.

3: Corey Dillon

Running back Corey Dillon was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft, 43rd overall. Dillion played at the collegiate level for Washington University.

Dillion's rookie season was historic. He rushed for 1,129 yards on 233 attempts and scored 10 touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes for 259 yards.

On December 4th, 1997, Dillion set the NFL rookie record for rushing yards in a single game with 246 against the Tennessee Oilers. During the game, Dillion also set franchise records for most points scored in one game (24) and most touchdowns in one game (four).

The Bengals finished 7-9 in Dillion's rookie year.

2: Cris Collinsworth

The Bengals selected receiver Cris Collinsworth in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft, 37th overall. A native of Dayton Ohio, Collinsworth played collegiate football at the University of Florida.

Collinsworth was named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. Sixty-seven receptions, 1,009 receiving yards along with eight touchdowns earned him the honors.

Collinsworth was ahead of his time as a receiver, standing at 6'5 with deadly deep-threat speed. He and quarterback Ken Anderson combined to give defensive coordinators nightmares during the 1981 season.

The Bengals finished 12-4 in Collinsworth's rookie season, making it all the way to the Super Bowl. The Bengals would lose Super Bowl XVI to the San Francisco 49ers, falling behind 20-0 at halftime and never being able to fully recover.

Despite being a rookie, Collinsworth recorded 107 yards in the game. He would play for the Bengals for seven years, being named to the Pro Bowl four times.

1: Ickey Woods

The Bengals selected running back Ickey Woods in the second round of the 1988 NFL Draft, 62nd overall. Woods attended UNLV before being selected by Cincinnati.

Woods was phenomenal in his rookie season rushing for 1,066 yards on 203 attempts. His 15 touchdowns was an NFL rookie record. Woods led the entire league in rushing average, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

Woods would join Boomer Esiason and Cris Collinsworth to lead an offensive attack that allowed the Bengals to finish 12-4. The running duo of Woods and James Brooks was nearly unstoppable. The journey ended at Super Bowl XXIII where the Bengals would lose to the San Francisco 49ers 20-16. Woods finished the game as the Bengals' leading rusher, recording 79 yards.

Conclusion

There you have it folks. It's easy to see why there is so much optimism for the future in Cincinnati. Looking into the past, Andy Dalton and A.J. Green stack up nicely when compared to franchise greats.

Just think Bengals fans, this list will have to be updated very, very soon. Twice.