The 2023 season is almost here, and one of the best parts of every new season is watching the fresh influx of talent coming into the league. Every single draft class brings in a series of talented youngsters, with the most impressive player winning Rookie of the Year honors. Last year, Aidan Hutchinson took home the title, but who will get it in 2023?
Note that this article is not based on any posted odds – this is just my personal rankings. For simplicity, we’re also going to do offensive and defensive players on the same list. The Associated Press hands out Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, while the Pepsi Rookie of the Year award is for all first-year players.
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10 Players That Could Win Rookie of the Year, Ranked
10. Quentin Johnston
The 6′-3″, 216-pound rookie wide receiver out of TCU has a chance to make an immediate impact for one of the AFC’s more talented teams. While Quentin Johnston will probably be the third option behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, Justin Herbert is easily good enough to support three separate wide receivers. This could propel Johnston into the Rookie of the Year race, but he is facing an uphill battle thanks to all the target competition.
ROOKIE WATCH: @Chargers WR Quentin Johnston finds the end zone pic.twitter.com/GTmpOjvJta
— The Fantasy Source (@FantasySource_) August 13, 2023
9. Zay Flowers
The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver depth chart is wide open and, if training camp reports are to be believed, Zay Flowers appears to be in line to start. First-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken is bringing a more sophisticated passing attack to Baltimore, and that’s good news for Flowers. If he can make an impact right out of the gate, then he could establish himself as the top option in the Ravens offense, which will obviously help his case for Rookie of the Year.
8. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Based on raw talent alone, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is probably the best rookie wide receiver out there. However, the reason he’s not higher on this Rookie of the Year list is because of his surroundings. The Seattle Seahawks aren’t exactly the most pass-heavy team in the league, and Smith-Njigba is buried on the depth chart behind D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. He will have a great career, but he might need to wait a season or two before he starts putting up eye-popping numbers.
7. Jordan Addison
The Minnesota Vikings have Justin Jefferson and nobody else of note at the wide receiver position. Jordan Addison fills an immediate need in an offense that should be one of the better units in football. Kirk Cousins is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL and is more than capable of getting the ball out to his impressive young playmaker. Additionally, while Jefferson will always lead the team in targets, his presence means that Addison should face plenty of single coverage, which will only make his job that much easier.
6. Anthony Richardson
Anthony Richardson is going to be the Day 1 starter for the Indianapolis Colts, and it’s anyone’s guess as to how he’ll do as a rookie. The Florida product is a relatively unpolished player but possesses arguably the best physical tools in the league. If Richardson’s natural gifts can overcome his accuracy issues, then he’s going to be a highlight machine that could make some noise in a weak AFC South. If he can somehow keep the Colts in the playoff race, he’ll definitely be in the Rookie of the Year race.
5. Christian Gonzalez
The New England Patriots got an absolute steal in cornerback Christian Gonzalez. The Oregon product is arguably the best cornerback in his class, and now he gets to be a featured part of one of the best defenses in football. Gonzalez should start from Day 1, and the invaluable tutelage of Bill Belichick combined with the overall talent of the unit means that the cornerback should be a favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors.
4. Bryce Young
If Bryce Young was 6′-4″ instead of 5′-10″, then he’d probably be considered a generational quarterback prospect. As it is, the rookie out of Alabama became the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft due to his insane combination of arm talent, accuracy, and athletic potential. Quarterback is probably the hardest job in professional sports, but if Young is able to do it at an above-average level, then he’ll be in the running for Rookie of the Year. Much like Richardson, Young could also take advantage of a weak division and put his team in the playoff hunt.
3. Jalen Carter
There is a case to be made that Jalen Carter is the most talented player to come out of the 2023 NFL Draft. While he obviously has his off-field issues, he should be close to unstoppable as long as he can stay out of trouble. The Georgia product is simply unblockable at his best, and he should wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines, especially since he’ll be playing on an absolutely loaded defensive line.
2. Bijan Robinson
At worst, Bijan Robinson is the third-best running back to enter the league in the past 15 years. It’s impossible to overstate just how good this guy is, and he’s going to have a starting job from Day 1. The Falcons are addicted to running the ball, and Atlanta’s offensive line was able to let a rookie Tyler Allgeier rush for over 1,000 yards as a rookie. This is a perfect marriage of talent and situation, and you shouldn’t be surprised if the Texas product wins Rookie of the Year honors by a comfortable margin.
The first NFL carry for Falcons’ rookie RB Bijan Robinson: pic.twitter.com/T0rJMff4JN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2023
1. Will Anderson
While Jalen Carter might have more raw talent, nobody comes close to matching the combination of ceiling and floor that Will Anderson provides. The edge defender has to the potential to be an immediate 10-sack guy, especially since he plays in a division with some truly terrible offensive line play. Last year, Aidan Hutchinson earned Rookie of the Year honors with 9.5 sacks, and Anderson has a very real shot of surpassing Hutchinson’s numbers.
Main Photo: John David Mercer – USA Today Sports
