The top NFL Rookie of the Year candidates have finished up shop on what were spectacular regular season performances.
One is headed to the conference championship weekend with his team. But for this specific award, it’s all about hoe they performed in the regular year.
Let’s dive into our final NFL Rookie of the Year rankings with the finalists for each side of the ball having been announced.
Related: The Most Expensive Rookie Cards Ever – Includes NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL
2022-23 NFL Rookie of the Year candidates (offense)
Honorable mention
- Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders
- Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
- Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
- Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
- Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Kenneth Walker, RB, Seattle Seahawks
- Kenneth Walker stats (2022): 228 attempts, 1,050 rushing yards, 27 receptions, 165 yards, 1,215 total yards, 9 TD
This former Heisman finalist finshing up his first regular season with a bang. Walker tallied 354 rushing yards at a clip of 4.5 yards per attempt over the final three games en route to leading Seattle to a surprise playoff appearance.
That came after Walker struggled to the tune of 126 yards on 3.2 yards per tote in his previous four outings. He’s now one of the three finalsits for the NFL Rookie of the Year on the offensive side of the ball, joining these other two.
2. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
- Brock Purdy stats (2022): 67% completion, 1,374 yards, 14 total TD, 4 INT, 107.3 QB rating
With a perfect 5-0 regular-season record since taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy is a surprise finalist for the NFL Rookie of the Year on offense. He put up a three-touchdown performance in which the quarterback completed 15-of-20 passes in a blowout Week 18 win over the Arizona Cardinals to set the stone for San Francisco’s playoff run.
Purdy is the first quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger to win each of his first five NFL starts. He’s also the first rookie since Dan Marino to throw at least two touchdowns in each of his first five NFL starts. If this isn’t enough, Purdy finished the regular season with the highest QB rating for a rookie in league history while helping San Francisco run off 10 consecutive wins. That’s insane.
1. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
- Garrett Wilson stats (2022): 83receptions, 1,103 yards, 4 TD, 56.5% catch rate, 3.4% drop rate
We can’t fault the disastrous Jets’ quarterback situation for Wilson’s struggles to conclude the season. He hauled in just 16-of-37 targets over the final three games. New York scored a grand total of 15 points during that span with the likes of Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco and Chris Streveler (who?) seeing action under center.
As for Wilson’s entire body of work, the Ohio State product put up three 100-yard games as a rookie. He’s also topped the 90-yard plateau a total of six times. It has Wilson as our top NFL Rookie of the Year candidate.
Related: Sportsnauts NFL Playoff defense rankings
2022-23 NFL Rookie of the Year candidates (defense)
Honorable mention
- Jalen Pitre, S, Houston Texans
- Jaquan Brisker, S, Chicago Bears
- Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens
- Jack Jones, CB, New England Patriots
- Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, New York Giants
- James Houston, EDGE, Detroit Lions
3. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions
- Aidan Hutchinson stats (2022): 52 tackles, 9 for loss, 15 QB hits, 9.5 sacks, 3 INT
Hutchinson led all NFL rookies in QB pressures and QB hits. He recorded an interception of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the end zone back in Week 9. He followed that up by recording eight tackles and a sack in Detroit’s second consecutive the following week.
This Michigan product’s ability to change the game at any given moment was apparent in college. It now looks like this is transitioning pretty well to the professional ranks. He’s one of the reasons Detroit was in the playoff race until the very end and has to be considered a top-end NFL Rookie of the Year candidate. There’s no other way to go about it.
2. Tariq Woolen, CB, Seattle Seahawks
- Tariq Woolen stats (2022): 63 tackles, 16 passes defended, 6 INT, 1 TD
This rookie fifth-round pick from Texas San-Antonio is headed to the Pro Bowl Games after finishing up shop on one of the most-surprising rookie seasons from a defensive player in recent history.
Not only did Woolen lead the NFL with six interceptions, he yielded an absurdly low 48.0 QB rating when targeted. Signal callers also completed a mere 52.5% of their passes when targeting him. If it weren’t for the individual listed below, Woolen would be the odds-on favorite to come away with the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
1. Sauce Gardner, CB, New York Jets
Sauce Gardner stats: 75 tackles, 20 passes defended, 2 INT
Sauce Gardner led the NFL with 20 passes defended during his rookie year. He made game-changing plays against the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen throughout his rookie season. Opposing quarterbacks boasted a 53.1% completion and 61.2 QB rating when targeting the first-year player. Wide receivers averaged 5.1 yards per target when blanketed by Gardner.
Do we really have to say anthing more? Gardner is not only going to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, he’s already a Pro Bowler and well on his way to becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the entire league.
Revisiting the 2021 NFL Rookie of the Year
The quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL Draft class didn’t quite live up to their lofty expectations, but there were still several outstanding performances. Ja’Marr Chase picked up where he left off with Joe Burrow, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, helping the Cincinnati Bengals reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
- Ja’Marr Chase stats in rookie year: 81 receptions, 1,455 receiving yards, 13 TD catches
On defense, Micah Parsons became an instant star from the very beginning. Playing in his first game of the year, Parsons burst onto the scene with seven tackles, a QB hit and a pass deflection, never looking back.
- Micah Parsons stats in rookie year: 84 tackles, 13 sacks, 3 FF, 20 TFL, 3 PD, 30 QB Hits
Past NFL Rookie of the Year winners
- 2021: Ja’Marr Chase, Micah Parsons
- 2020: Justin Herbert, Chase Young
- 2019: Kyler Murray, Nick Bosa
- 2018: Saquon Barkley, Shaquille Leonard
- 2017: Alvin Kamara, Marson Lattimore
- 2016: Dak Prescott, Joey Bosa
- 2015: Todd Gurley, Marcus Peters
- 2014: Odell Beckham Jr., Aaron Donald
When is the NFL Rookie of the Year announced?
The 2022-23 NFL Rookie of the Year will be announced during the league’s annual awards show on the weekend of the Super Bowl, February 11.
Who will emerge as the early ROTY candidates during the 2022-23 NFL season?