The Tennessee Titans drafted wide receiver Corey Davis with the fifth overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Davis was the second ranked wide receiver on many big boards and first on others. No matter where he was drafted, the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year award winner will be Corey Davis.
2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award Winner: Corey Davis
Davis was a star at Western Michigan University. He recorded over 1,400 receiving yards in each of his three seasons with the Mustangs. What was more impressive is he did all of that with a mediocre quarterback in Zack Terrell.
2016 was the season that separated him from Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams was the wide receiver projected as the best in the draft. However, his stats tell a different story.
Even with star quarterback Deshaun Watson throwing to him in 2016, Williams only recorded 1,361 receiving yards.
Not only does the stats help make Davis’ case for the Offensive Rookie of the Year, but the team he’s on helps as well.
Titan Up
The Titans were on the outskirts of the playoffs last season. A loss in Week 15 and a broken leg for quarterback Marcus Mariota ended their hopes at the postseason.
Now, Mariota is healthy and with no top receiver, he’ll be looking for Davis to be his top target next season.
Making the Case Against Other Rookies
Davis is one of many star players drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. Three of the top quarterbacks went in the top 12. So why of all these stars is Davis going to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year?
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky threw for 30 touchdowns in 13 games at North Carolina last season. He could be the Offensive Rookie of the Year, right? Wrong. Trubisky has no help around him with the Chicago Bears. They even got rid of their best receivers.
Watson was drafted by the Houston Texans and the team needs a quarterback. What’s keeping him from winning the award? The offensive line in Houston is known for breaking down and Watson could see himself on his back many times.
Patrick Mahomes II threw for over 5,000 yards in 2016. No quarterback had come close to that in the NCAA last season. His future looked bright, especially if he got a starting job.
Unfortunatley for him, he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. Not only will Mahomes not even start, he’ll be the next backup for a mediocre team in 2018.
Running back Christian McCaffery was a star at Stanford. He rushed for 3,922 yards over his two seasons with the Cardinal. Unfortunately, with the Carolina Panthers offensive line, he’ll probably rush for less than 1,000 yards. That won’t win him any type of award at the end of the season.
Leonard Fournette is with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have had no success the past several years. Dalvin Cook probably won’t see much action in his rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings.
Davis is Draft’s Top Dog
Davis will start on the active roster, as will several rookies. None of them will make a bigger impact than Davis will for the Titans. He is key to their path to the playoffs and will be the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year when it’s all said and done.
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