If only every NFL rookie class could be as good as this season’s crop.
The following offensive rookies have become household names: Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, DeSean Jackson, Matt Ryan, Steve Slaton, Eddie Royal, Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Joe Flacco, Tim Hightower and Donnie Avery.
If ever there has been a more impressive rookie class, I think these guys would stack up pretty well against it.
All of these players have had varying degrees of success this season and have entered the collective psyche of fantasy owners everywhere. Always thinking down the line, fantasy owners can only hope that the next crop of college stars turn out as good—or maybe even half as good—as this 2008 class.
Several of today’s college stars are poised to become the next Ryan, Johnson, Forte or Royal. And if any of these players are not familiar names now, they surely will be on draft days ahead.
Ready now
Tim Tebow [QB, Florida Gators]
Tebow is the next Steve Young.
The similarities between the two do not end at being left-handed quarterbacks. Tebow is mobile, smart, and a maturing passer.
Young was mobile, highly intelligent, and a raw passing talent when he entered the league.
Tebow’s physical stature and toughness could help him become an even better pro than Young, and this is coming from an LSU Tigers fan!
Michael Crabtree [WR, Texas Tech Red Raiders]
Crabtree is the next Anquan Boldin.
Crabtree showed his unique skill set to a national television audience in Texas Tech’s upset win over the Texas Longhorns.
He fights through tackles, has a good build, will go over the middle, and can contribute to an NFL team immediately. If that is not Boldin in a nutshell, I am not sure what is.
Knowshon Moreno [RB, Georgia Bulldogs]
Moreno is the next Cadillac Williams. Minus the injuries, Williams had one of the best starts of any rookie in recent memory back in 2005. Now broken down, his career showed a ton of promise.
The two backs share a similar running style, but Moreno looks a little stronger and faster than the elder Williams. If he can avoid the injuries that have plagued Caddy, Moreno could become the back everyone thought Williams would be.
Chris “Beanie”
Wells [RB, Ohio State Buckeyes]
Wells is the next Jamal Lewis.
Big, strong, good vision, and surprising quickness. I think Wells has more speed than Lewis ever had, but both guys can deliver the blow and like to take the ball between the tackles.
J-Lew had a great start to his career, sputtered for a few seasons in the middle, and now has resurrected himself once more in Cleveland.
If Wells can stay away from some of the off-the-field problems that hurt Lewis’ career, he could surpass everything Lewis has done in the league.
Matthew Stafford [QB, Georgia Bulldogs]
Stafford is the next Jay Cutler.
Stafford is a young gunslinger with just the right touch of mobility. He even currently sports the same shaggy hairstyle as his counterpart, Cutler. Both guys have an abundance of confidence in their arms
which leads to some mistakes, a la Brett Favre.
Regardless, guys like Stafford, Cutler, and the elder Favre are always fun to watch.
Not sure what to think
Graham Harrell [QB, Texas Tech]
Harrell could be the next David Carr.
Harsh? Maybe.
But just like Colt Brennan, draft experts and NFL scouts will wonder if this guy is just the product of the Texas Tech system.
Where he played college football, despite the big win against Texas, likely will hurt his draft stock. But if he does get drafted high, the expectations may be too much for him to overcome in the NFL.
Colt McCoy [QB, Texas]
McCoy could be the next Kyle Boller.
A smart guy with a strong arm, McCoy shows a lot of promise as a quarterback. But can he excel at the next level?
Boller came in as an over-hyped rookie and never lived up to the expectations, despite brief flashes of brilliance. McCoy likely will face similar pressure with the constant comparisons to former Texas’ quarterback Vince Young.
LeSean McCoy [RB, Pittsburgh Panthers]
L. McCoy could be the next LenDale White.
He is not yet as big as LenWhale, but has a bigger frame than most running backs. Not that there is anything wrong with White, who—despite being the brunt of many a fat joke—has been one of the most consistent touchdown-scoring machines in the NFL this season.
Sam Bradford [QB, Oklahoma Sooners]
Bradford could be the next Philip Rivers.
Rivers’ career could have gone one of two ways: good or bad.
Right now, it is looking pretty good. He overcame the pressure of replacing an established quarterback with the San Diego Chargers and showed a lot of toughness last year.
But he did not prove that he was an elite quarterback until this season. Bradford will have to prove his elite-ness at the next level, if he ever gets that opportunity.
Down the line
Dez Bryant [WR, Oklahoma State Cowboys]
Bryant might be the next Plaxico Burress.
He can out jump anyone on the field and his natural height advantage is a handicap to any cover corner. Bryant may be faster than Burress, too.
He is a young talent with a lot of raw ability. If Bryant continues to improve his game, he should have a decent NFL career full of fade-route and jump ball touchdowns.
Joe McKnight [RB, USC Trojans]
McKnight might be the next Reggie Bush—the home run-hitting running back/wide receiver weapon who struggles running between the tackles, but is a touchdown waiting to happen.
McKnight is cut from the same mold as Bush—explosive, exciting, and dangerous in the open field. While he might not get it done in the trenches, McKnight, like Bush, will find other ways to gash a defense.
Terrelle Pryor [QB, Ohio State]
Pryor might be the next Randall Cunningham.
Pryor is a work-in-progress, but he has a big arm, great mobility, and elusiveness in the pocket.
While he may not be as fast as the elder Cunningham, his game is pretty similar—stay alive in the pocket, escape for running yards, or launch a rocket down the field for a big play.
It will be fun to watch this guy mature at Ohio State the next few years.
Julio Jones [WR, Alabama Crimson Tide]
Jones might be the next Terrell Owens.
Starting as a freshman for the National Championship contending Crimson Tide, Jones is a physical specimen at a young age.
Owens continues to be a physical specimen in his mid 30s. These two have more in common than just stature, though. Jones is a tough receiver willing to go over the middle to make big plays and he likes to take on smaller corner backs.
Both players fight hard for every yard and can stretch the field. I even think there may be a little T.O. attitude festering in Jones’ stout frame as well.
