Identifying early 2021 NFL Rookie of the Year candidates

Sep. 26, 2023 – 10:42 – Since the 2021 NFL Draft has not happened yet, narrowing down a list of possible NFL Rookie of the Year winners can be tricky. Generally, a large part of analyzing whether a player is set to thrive in his new environment depends on many things such as his fit within a scheme or positional depth. Last season, a popular early ROY pick was Clyde Edwards-Helaire due to Kansas City’s lead back opting out. CEH had a great year, but it wasn’t quite the year many were anticipating. Fueled by incredible rookies such as Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson, Joe Burrow, Chase Young, Antoine Winfield Jr., and more, fans got to witness a special group of talent from the 2020 NFL Draft class. Even though the college football season featured fewer games than usual, the 2021 rookie class figures to feature plenty of potential. Some NFL Draft analysts expect as many as five or six quarterbacks taken in the first round alone. While quarterbacks tend to dominate the conversation, the 2021 NFL Draft features a lot more than just players who can throw a football. Let’s dive into some of the other candidates for the 2021 Rookie of the Year award.