Many high profile players, especially offensively, were drafted early in the 2021 draft. Several preseason favorites to win the award may not be in the conversation anymore, so let's see how the year has played out for the young stars vying for Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROTY).
Offensive Rookie of the Year
1. WR Ja'Marr Chase, CIN
Round: 1 Pick: 5
Ja'Marr Chase exploded onto the scene in 2021 posting seven straight games with receptions over 30 yards and securing six touchdowns in that stretch. Through 12 weeks of football, Chase has 50 receptions for 906 yards and 8 touchdowns, and leads all rookies with 14 catches of 20+ yards. He is also second in the NFL in catches over 40 yards, with 6 (tied with Deebo Samuel and trailing only DeSean Jackson). He has slowed down over the last few weeks as the Bengals have been carried by their running game, so Chase will have to finish strong in order to hang on to the honor.
2. QB Mac Jones, NE
Round: 1 Pick: 15
Mac Jones was never in the conversation until the Patriots decided to go on a rampage and win six straight games. After taking the starting role from Cam Newton in training camp, Jones has completed 268/381 attempts for 2850 yards, 16 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, for a 97.1 QBR. The yardage puts him at 10th on the QB list but his 70% completion percentage is third in the NFL behind only Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa.
Basically, Jones is having a similar year to Teddy Bridgewater in Denver and Taylor Heinicke in Washington, his team is just having more overall success. His 2:1 TD/INT ratio has helped his defense stay off the field however, and Jones is certainly a large part of New England's recent success. If the Pats continue on to make the playoffs, Jones will have a greater shot at overtaking Chase for the OROTY honor.
3. RB Najee Harris, PIT
Round:1 Pick: 24
Harris has had a good year for a rookie, but nothing like rookie seasons we have seen in recent history from the likes of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. On 196 carries, Harris has 708 yards and 5 touchdowns, adding 52 receptions for 351 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The yardage puts him at 8th on the rushing leaders list, but his 3.6 yards per carry and only 5 scores put him in the statistical lower half of starting running backs. It's the passing work that has made Harris indispensable to the Pittsburgh offense, and his 1059 total scrimmage yards ranks 5th in the NFL among running backs.
4. RB Jaylen Waddle, MIA
Round: 1 Pick: 6
Jaylen Waddle leads all rookies with 77 receptions, and it's a healthy margin between him and Najee Harris in second with 52. 77 also puts him at 5th on the NFL receptions list, in the company of Cooper Kupp, Devante Adams, and Tyreek Hill. His 2021 stat line of 77 receptions, 759 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 2 rushing attempts for 3 yards and a touchdown, squarely establishes him as the second-best rookie receiver behind Chase.
5. WR DeVonta Smith, PHI
Round: 1 Pick 10
Smith, more so than Waddle because of his playing style, was thrust into a situation where he was the WR1 on the team before training camp even started. That's a heavy load to shoulder, especially on a struggling team with a young mobile QB who is also trying to find his way in the NFL. Smith has taken advantage of the opportunity however, and looks to develop into a star. Over 12 weeks of the 2021 season, Smith has accrued 686 yards on 48 receptions, good enough for a 14.3 YPC average (12th in the NFL among players with 30+ receptions), and 4 touchdowns.
6. TE Kyle Pitts, ATL
Round: 1 Pick: 4
Pitts took over the primary receiving tight end role in Atlanta right out of the gate, but the team overall has struggled with moving the ball and scoring points, which has effected Pitt's stat line negatively. He has 45 receptions for 661 yards and 1 touchdown, which puts him 3rd in yardage and 7th in receptions among tight ends in 2021. Not a bad run for a rookie on a terrible team. The lone touchdown is what truly holds him out of the ROTY conversation, but with six games left on the schedule Pitts still has time to break 1000 yards and add a few scores in order to fulfill the hype he had when they selected him 4th overall.
7. QB Trevor Lawrence, JAX
Round: 1 Pick: 1
Trevor Lawrence has had a rough development under Urban Meyer, and although he is progressing, it hasn't translated into wins or particularly good stats. Lawrence has completed 231/398 attempts for 2369 yards along with 9 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. This puts him near the bottom of the starting QB list, and while he wasn't expected to light the league on fire, we were hoping for more from the first overall pick regardless of the team he was drafted to.
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