Tag: All-Rookie

Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski named to NBA All-Rookie first team

After an impressive debut campaign with the Warriors, Brandin Podziemski earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.

After an impressive rookie showcase with the Golden State Warriors, Bradin Podziemski has earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie first team.

Golden State’s 2023 first-round pick was listed alongside Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Charlotte’s Bradon Miller. Coming off the board at No. 19 in last year’s draft, Podziemski is the highest draft pick in the 2024 All-Rookie class.

In 74 games as a rookie, Podziemski averaged 9.2 points on 45.4% shooting from the field and 38.5% from deep to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 26.6. minutes per contest. Podziemski tallied 20 or more points four different times for the Warriors, including a career-high of 25 against the Los Angeles Clippers in February. The former Santa Clara standout notched seven double-doubles in his rookie campaign. Podziemski led the NBA with 38. charges drawn during the 2023-24 season.

Via @NBAPR on Twitter:

https://x.com/NBAPR/status/1792616309001470110

Via @warriors on Twitter:

https://x.com/warriors/status/1792616536789889351

While Podziemski represented the Warriors on the first team, Golden State’s other talented rookie was left off both the first and second All-Rookie NBA teams. Indiana product and 2024 second-round pick Trayce Jackson-Davis was snubbed from the All-Rookie honors.

Jackson-Davis carved out a key role with the Warriors in his rookie season, averaging 7.9 points on 70.2% from the field to go along with five rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.6 minutes per contest. The rookie center started 16 games for the Warriors, including the Golden State’s appearance in the play-in tournament against the Sacramento Kings.

Dallas center Dereck Lively II, Houston’s Amen Thompson, Utah’s Keyonte George, Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace and Memphis forward GG Jackson earned spots on the NBA’s All-Rookie second team ahead of Jackson-Davis.

Jackson-Davis earned 42 second-place votes, trailing Jackson by only a point to make the second team.

Podziemski became the first member of the Warriors to earn a spot on the All-Rookie first team since Eric Paschall in 2019-2020. Prior to Paschall and Podziemski, Harrison Barnes earned an All-Rookie first-team bid in 2012-13. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson earned spots on the All-Rookie teams after their rookie seasons.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and X! 

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Chiefs DE George Karlaftis named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team

#Chiefs rookie DE George Karlaftis earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors.

The Kansas City Chiefs did a tremendous job in the 2022 NFL draft, finding contributors on both sides of the ball, both early and late in the draft. They’re now being recognized for one of their two first-round draft picks.

Chiefs rookie DE George Karlaftis is one of two defensive ends selected for the 2022 PFWA All-Rookie Team. Karlaftis joined former No. 2 overall pick by the Lions, Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson, as the two defensive ends selected for this year’s All-Rookie Team. Karlaftis, of course, was drafted by Kansas City at No. 30 overall.

This comes after Karlaftis managed a hot finish to the 2022 NFL season, recording six sacks in the last seven games of the year. According to PFF, Karlaftis finished the year with the second-most pressures (48) among all rookie edge rushers behind only Hutchinson. Karlaftis also led all rookie defensive linemen in passes batted at the line of scrimmage (7). He ranked fifth among all rookie defensive linemen in defensive stops (21).

Last season, Chiefs C Creed Humphrey, RG Trey Smith, and LB Nick Bolton were all selected for the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Kansas City has a long-standing history of players being selected by the PFWA for the All-Rookie Team. The last year that at least one rookie wasn’t selected for the team was the 2013 NFL season — Andy Reid’s first year with the Chiefs.

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Packers LB Quay Walker named to PFWA’s 2022 All-Rookie Team

Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker was named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team in 2022.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker was named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team in 2022.

Walker joined Devin Lloyd of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Malcolm Rodriquez of the Detroit Lions as the three linebackers on the team.

Receiver Christian Watson was not selected. Chris Olave of the New Orleans Saints and Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets were the two receivers on the 2022 All-Rookie Team.

The Packers selected Walker at No. 22 overall in the first round. He finished his rookie season with 121 tackles, three forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and seven pass breakups over 17 games and 846 total defensive snaps.

Walker is the first Packers rookie on the All-Rookie team since 2019 when both Elgton Jenkins and Darnell Savage made the team. He’s the first Packers rookie linebacker on the All-Rookie Team since A.J. Hawk in 2006.

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Aidan Hutchinson and Malcolm Rodriguez earn PFWA All-Rookie honors

Lions defenders Aidan Hutchinson and Malcolm Rodriguez earn PFWA All-Rookie honors

The honors keep coming for the Detroit Lions rookie class of 2022. Two Detroit defensive rookies, DE Aidan Hutchinson and LB Malcolm Rodriguez, were voted onto the PFWA All-Rookie team.

Both Rodriguez and Hutchinson won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Week honors during the season. So did safety Kerby Joseph, who missed making the PFWA team over Kyle Hamilton of the Ravens and Jalen Pitre of the Texans.

Hutchinson has a great case to be defensive rookie of the year, but here he lost out to Jets CB Sauce Gardner.

The full All-Rookie team from the PFWA:

As a disclaimer, I am a PFWA voter and I voted for Hutchinson, Joseph, Rodriguez and DE James Houston from the Lions.

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Former Notre Dame star has massive first season in NFL

No surprises in South Bend to find this out

We all were aware of the impact that linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had in South Bend. The winner of the 2020 Butkus Award was expected by many to get selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

That didn’t happen and JOK fell to Cleveland in the second round, the 52nd overall pick. It’s safe to say that if teams could have a re-do, JOK was absolutely phenomenal during his rookie year in the NFL. The linebacker had 43 tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced two fumble while make a significant impact for the Browns.

Today, Owusu-Koramoah was recognized by the Pro Football Writers of American as one of their All-Rookie linebackers.

The expectations for JOK will be much higher in his second-year after an honor like this, but we all know he will rise to the occasion.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Penei Sewell, Alim McNeill earn spots on PFF all-rookie team

Detroit Lions RT Penei Sewell, DT Alim McNeill earn spots on PFF all-rookie team

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Good seasons from a pair of Detroit Lions rookies were rewarded with some recognition this week. Right tackle Penei Sewell and defensive tackle Alim McNeill earned spots on the Pro Football Focus all-rookie team for 2021.

Sewell had a strong overall year but really took off once he moved to the right side. He was PFF’s third-rated right tackle following his move from the left side. Detroit’s first-round pick was also the NFL’s youngest player in 2021.

McNeill’s solid play on the defensive interior carried him to the top of what was a fairly weak rookie D-line class. A third-round pick from North Carolina State, McNeill finished the year with two of his top three PFF game grades for the season in the last two weeks.

Missing from the list is wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. He is a tough omission but had some very stiff competition in Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Miami’s Jaylen Waddle. Kicker Riley Patterson also lost out to a Bengals rookie, though Patterson played very well once taking over the duties in Detroit.

Chiefs rookies Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith crack PFF’s All-Rookie Team

After a stellar rookie season, #Chiefs standout offensive linemen Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith were named to PFF’s All-Rookie Team. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Two selections from the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2021 draft class made their way to Pro Football Focus’ All-Rookie team, with guard Trey Smith and center Creed Humphrey setting themselves apart from all other first-year players at their positions. Both graded out to be in the top-20 of any players at their positions, with Humphrey ending up as the overall best center in the league with a 91.4 grade according to independent analysts.

While Smith didn’t quite meet that standard, he ended the regular season as the league’s 18th ranked guard, grading out appreciably better in the running game where he excelled throughout the 17-game schedule. He didn’t quite beat veteran teammate Joe Thuney who was their eighth-best guard in the league. However, compared to other rookies under consideration, Smith blew away the competition.

Having two players make the list is a best-case scenario for the Chiefs’ front office, which fully committed to fixing the offensive line after a brutal loss in Super Bowl LV where the unit was completely exposed in pass protection. Every position up-front fielded a new starter in 2021, with the two rookies on the list being the crown jewel of what has proven to be a rejuvenated group this season. They even managed to become just the third pair of rookies to start every game in their inaugural season for the franchise.

Smith may not have led the league with his 72.1 composite grade on the interior, but his presence was felt all season, especially given his status as a sixth-round draft pick. For his part too, expectations were relatively low for Humphrey, who was the Chiefs’ second second-round pick after standout linebacker Nick Bolton.

All eyes are on the young linemen as the fast-approaching playoffs are on the horizon. Whether they can keep MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes upright or not will likely be key to Kansas City’s fortune in elimination games, and will be the true test of any accolade they may have gotten for their performances in the regular season.

If the recognition is any indication though, both rookies should be up to the task and ready to make their presence felt at every turn when their team has the ball.

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Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed named to PFF All-Rookie Team

Sneed was the best rookie cornerback in the NFL this season.

The Kansas City Chiefs did a tremendous job in the 2020 NFL draft. There’s no better example than rookie CB L’Jarius Sneed, who has been named to the annual PFF All-Rookie Team after a tremendous season.

Injuries and suspensions thrust Sneed into early action on the outside for Kansas City. By the second week of the season, he led the NFL in interceptions and appeared to be the steal of the draft class. Unfortunately, an injury would see him sidelined for six weeks, but that’s perhaps the most impressive part about his story.

According to PFF’s Ben Linsey, Sneed wasn’t just the best statistical rookie at the corner position this year, he was among the best of all cornerbacks in the league. Check it out:

“From a statistical standpoint, no rookie cornerback came close to matching the season that Sneed had for the Chiefs. He allowed just 214 passing yards into his coverage on 45 targets, and those targets yielded a passer rating of just 53.4 — third-lowest of any cornerback to be targeted at least 30 times this season behind only Bryce Callahan (46.9) and Xavien Howard (53.0).

Sneed also showed the ability to play both outside (164 snaps) and inside in the slot (171 snaps) with different roles before and after an injury that held him out from Week 4 through Week 10. All of that led to a wins above replacement mark that was nearly double the next closest rookie cornerback. The Chiefs couldn’t have hoped for much more from the fourth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech.”

When Sneed returned from his injury, he was playing nickel corner, an entirely different position than where he’d started the season. There was a bit of an adjustment period, but he’s been just as dominant on the inside as he was on the outside.

Sneed finished the regular season starting six games and appearing in nine. During that span, he recorded 41 total tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, seven passes defended and three interceptions. According to PFF, he’s allowed just 28 receptions in 252 coverage snaps this season. He’s only allowed a single touchdown on the year, in what was a perfect throw from a future Hall of Fame QB in Drew Brees. He’ll look to build on this performance during the divisional round of the playoffs, to end his season on the best possible note.

This marks the second consecutive season that the Chiefs have seen a rookie in the secondary make the PFF All-Rookie Team. Last year, Juan Thornhill made it in despite his late-season injury.

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Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton named to PFF Midseason All-Rookie Team

Tershawn Wharton is receiving some recognition for his performance with the Chiefs this season.

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The cat is out of the bag on Kansas City Chiefs DT Tershawn Wharton.

The undrafted free agent signee from Division II Missouri S&T has quietly been thriving among the NFL’s defensive rookies. He accomplished the improbable in making it to the NFL and earning a spot on the 53-man roster of the reigning Super Bowl champions. Now, it’s Wharton’s superior play that is earning praise.

The folks at Pro Football Focus have named Wharton to their Midseason All-Rookie team. He’s the only Chiefs rookie named to the team and they’ve had several standouts such as Clyde Edwards-Helaire, L’Jarius Sneed and Mike Danna. Here’s a look at what PFF’s Michael Renner wrote about the Chiefs’ standout rookie:

“Wharton has been quite the find for the Chiefs this season as a sub-package player. The undersized defensive tackle has received a bigger role in the past three weeks and responded with eight pressures over that span. He plays with terrific leverage and already has 10 stops in the run game on 91 run-defense snaps, as well.”

Wharton might be undersized, but he’s a superior athlete. Chiefs fans have seen that athleticism on full display numerous times this season as he’s worked his way up to a more significant role. He’s also been praised for his work ethic and mastery of the playbook. He came in ready to work like a professional and the coaching staff recognized that.

Wharton saw his season-high in snaps against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9 with 50 snaps. He continues to impress in those opportunities too. This rookie should be in line for a large helping of snaps as Kansas City makes the final push for the playoffs and another Super Bowl title.

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Villanova coach Jay Wright writes letter to congratulate Eric Paschall for NBA All-Rookie First Team nod

To congratulate his former player for earning a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team, Villanova coach Jay Wright penned a letter to Eric Paschall.

Despite the Golden State Warriors league-worst 15-50 record, members of the 2019-20 squad are still earning hardware.

On Tuesday, the league announced the 2020 All-Rookie Teams. Alongside Ja Morant and Zion Williamson, Golden State’s second-round pick Eric Paschall earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.

To celebrate Paschall’s nod, his former coach at Villanova shared a letter to the newly crowned All-Rookie First Team member. In his letter, Wright congratulated Paschall for joining a fraternity of former Villanova alumni to earn All-Rookie team honors.

Read Wright’s full letter via @warriors on Twitter:

Wright also chimed in on Twitter with a pair of tweets to celebrate Paschall’s accomplishment. The two-time championship coach credited Golden State’s rookie for being “an exemplary Wildcat.”

Via @VUCoachJWright on Twitter:

 

During his time with Wright at Villanova, Paschall played a key role in the Wildcats run through the tournament in 2018 for the NCAA Championship.

As a senior, Paschall earned First Team All-Big East honors, averaging 16.5 points on 44.7% shooting from the field with 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest.

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