With so many rookies fighting for the top spot this season competition between rookies is natural however these players clearly stand out from the rest of the pack and if they can keep up their fantastic play they could find themselves being named rookie of the year.
Todd Gurley (St. Louis Rams): Gurley busted onto the NFL scene like a monster, breaking big run after big run. Defenses however realized that Gurley was the only weapon the Rams had so they have since keyed in on him as they stack the box. Gurley has yet to break a big run since defenses have started to do this which has stopped him from being the breakaway rookie of the year as other players are stepping up. Gurley has started in 9 games this season and has gained 835 yards on 173 rushing attempts. He is currently averaging 4.8 yards per carry and has punched in 6 touchdowns. Gurley has also been an asset in the passing game hauling in 17 receptions for 143 yards and he averages 8.4 yards a catch.
Amari Cooper (Oakland Raiders): Cooper has had a stellar rookie season gaining almost 1,000 yards through the air. Cooper has 920 receiving yards on the season and averages 14.8 yards a catch. He has only gotten into the end zone 4 times which is a little low compared to other top wide receivers however for a rookie that is pretty good. Cooper has 62 receptions and started in 11 games.
Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Winston is the only candidate who is on a team that has a shot to make the playoffs. If Winston could lead the Buccaneers to a playoff berth it would be hard to argue against Winston for rookie of the year. Winston has not had a ridiculously productive year but his impact on the team goes unmatched. Winston has started in 12 games and has completed 221 out of 377 passing attempts which gives him a 58.6 completion percentage. Winston has 2,877 passing yards and 160 rushing yards on 42 rushing attempts. He has a 17 to 11 touchdown to interception ratio and an 85.6 quarterback rating. If Winston can string together a couple of wins he could be a landslide candidate for rookie of the year.
