Tag: All-Rookie Team

Kam Curl, Chase Young named to PFF 2020 NFL All-Rookie Team

Both Kamren Curl and Chase Young were named to the PFF All-Rookie team, while RB Antonio Gibson barely got edged out by Colts’ Jonathan Taylor.

One of the biggest accomplishments for the Washington Football Team this season wasn’t only that they won the NFC East and made the playoffs, but also that they got a clear look at some of the young guys on their roster and can enter the future knowing that there’s a core of players to build around.

While the roster is loaded with young talent — players like Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, Jimmy Moreland, Cole Holcomb, etc. — a number of rookies stepped up this season and proved that they have a place in the NFL. Among them are DE Chase Young and S Kamren Curl, both of whom were named to the Pro Football Focus 2020 NFL All-Rookie Team. 

Here’s what PFF had to say about the two:

Chase Young

Young’s overall pass-rushing numbers aren’t going to jump off the page at you, but it’s impossible to deny the high-end plays he has put on tape against both the run and as a pass-rusher in his first year. He leads all rookies in sacks (7.5), forced fumbles (five) and tackles for loss or no gain against the run (11). His 88.9 overall grade on the season sits behind only 2011 Aldon Smith, 2011 Von Miller and 2019 Nick Bosa when looking at every rookie edge defender seasons over the past decade.

He is likely the most talented defensive lineman on what has emerged as one of the best defensive lines in the NFL this season. If Young does walk away with the defensive rookie of the year award, it will be well deserved.

Kamren Curl

After finding himself on this team, it’s safe to say that Curl exceeded expectations in his rookie season as a seventh-round pick out of Arkansas. Curl will actually finish the 2020 regular season as PFF’s highest-graded rookie safety at 70.1 overall across 763 defensive snaps after starting every game at safety for Washington since Week 9.

Curl played at least 150 snaps in the box, in the slot and at free safety for the Football Team as a rookie, and he made key tackles throughout the season for Washington. His 19 run stops were more than any other rookie safety this season, as were his 16 stops in coverage.

The defensive line gets all the headlines in Washington, but Curl is part of a back seven that has quietly played very well for much of the season.

You could make a case that rookie RB Antonio Gibson belongs on that list as well, considering that he had 1,042 total yards and 11 touchdowns in just 14 games, but PFF gave the nod to Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, who finished the year with 1,169 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 games. While Gibson may not get the official honors, he will still be the guy that we choose out of this rookie RB class going forward, especially when you consider that Washington snagged him out of the third round of the draft.

Awards like this may not mean a lot, but it’s clear that the young talent in Washington is something special, and they have a chance to be incredibly good down the road.

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Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz makes PFF’s midseason All-Rookie team

Rookie Tyler Biadasz was thrown into the fire after Joe Looney went down with injury. He’s played well enough to make PPF’s All-Rookie Team.

The Dallas Cowboys’ 2020 rookie class has had several players show their worth already this season. CeeDee Lamb has played like a WR1, Trevon Diggs was starting to come into his own before suffering a broken foot, and Neville Gallimore has taken full advantage of his increased role after the departure of Dontari Poe.

Pro Football Focus released its midseason All-Rookie Team on Wednesday. Surprisingly, none of the three rookies previously mentioned were selected. Instead, it was center Tyler Biadasz, who has gotten plenty of playing time due to Joe Looney suffering an MCL sprain in Week 4.

Biadasz played all but one snap after Looney went down. Then he suffered a hamstring injury of his own in pregame warmups before the Cowboys took on the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday and will now miss the next 2-3 weeks.

His 53.3 PFF grade isn’t that impressive by itself, but Biadasz has managed to hold his own against some elite defensive fronts, including the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Football Team, who rank third and fourth in sacks respectively so far this season.

The talented Wisconsin rookie has been one of the few bright spots on a unit that’s used a plethora of different personnel combinations in 2020. Now, it’s just about rehabbing and coming back strong so he can once again challenge Looney for the top spot on the roster at center.

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Antonio Gibson named to PFF All-Rookie offensive team midway through season

Halfway through the season, Gibson has been named to the PFF All-Rookie team, beating out guys like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, DeAndre Swift.

If you were looking for proof that Washington running back Antonio Gibson has had a stellar start to his career, look no further than the fact that he has surpassed all rookie RBs to be named the first-team RB by Pro Football Focus.

So far this year, Gibson has 573 total yards with five touchdowns, and he’s quickly taken over as the lead back in Washington. At the midway point of the season, Gibson is tied with James Robinson for most touchdowns, and leads players like Clyde Edwards-Helaire (2), and DeAndre Swift (4).

Going forward, it’s clear that Washington fans can feel good that they finally might have found the feature back that has been missing from the offense for so long. For a while, it seemed that Derrius Guice might take on that role, but for a number of reasons, he never could get the job done. Now it’s Gibson’s place, and he sure is fun to watch.

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Midseason 2020 NFL All-Rookie Team: Chargers QB Justin Herbert remains on top

Both Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow have been playing great football.

The Offensive Rookie of the Year award has been a tight race between quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow.

You can make an argument for both signal-callers, but like myself, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler believes that Herbert’s play at the halfway point of the 2020 season is deserving of it.

Despite attempting 68 fewer passes, Herbert has more passing touchdowns (15) than Burrow (11), holding the edge in completion percentage (67.4) and passing yards per game (303.3). He has also been more impressive when it comes to pushing the ball downfield, accounting for 23 passing plays of 20-plus yards, compared to 20 for Burrow. With his three touchdown passes against Denver on Sunday, Herbert joined Deshaun Watson as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history with three-plus touchdown passes in four straight games.

Even though Herbert’s record as starting quarterback might not be appealing, he’s been the primary reason why Los Angeles has been able to stay competitive and have huge leads in all of their games. Unfortunately, the other side of the ball has let him down.

The former Oregon product is completing 67.4% of his passes, throwing for 1,820 yards and 15 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions this season. While Burrow is on pace to break Andrew Luck’s rookie passing yards record (4,374), Herbert has two less games under his belt.

The bottom line is that it’s going to be close, but it will be fun to watch how the rest of the season unfolds for both Herbert and Burrow. Either way, the future appears to be bright for both quarterbacks.

2020 NFL All-Rookie Team: Chargers QB Justin Herbert edges out Bengals’ Joe Burrow

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is playing like the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Chargers drafted quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft with the hopes of him becoming the long-term solution at the position, and so far it appears to be paying off.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler compiled a list of the top rookies at each position through the quarter mark of the season, and edging out No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow is Herbert.

Here is a gist of Brugler’s reasoning for giving the edge to Herbert:

The main reason I gave Herbert the edge so far is the impact plays. He has produced more 20-plus yard passing plays (11 compared to eight for Burrow) and 36.3% of his passing plays have resulted in a first down, slightly ahead of Burrow at 35.4%.

Some might argue that Burrow has been more impressive when you consider his offensive line, but the Chargers’ offensive line has also been a problem. Herbert has been pressured on 31.9% of his dropbacks compared to 26.0% for Burrow.

In three games, the former Oregon product has amassed 931 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, three interceptions while completing 72% of his passes.

Many thought that the rookie needed time to develop, and while that was the original plan before Tyrod Taylor’s injury, Herbert has shown that the stage isn’t too big for him as he’s gone toe to toe with two of the best quarterbacks in the league, Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Buccaneers’ Tom Brady.

Herbert has done his best to put Los Angeles in position to win in each of his three games, but there have been other unfortunate blunders that have gotten in the way from the rookie getting his first win.

Herbert has debunked a lot of his pre-draft scouting report with his play. His big arm has been on display in every game up, but his poise and pocket awareness and mobility when under pressure has been quite impressive.

Herbert has done enough to keep his job as the starter moving forward, but coach Anthony Lynn said that Taylor would get his job back when healthy. We now wait to see if Lynn sticks to his word.

Warriors’ Eric Paschall reacts to earning NBA All-Rookie First Team nod

After earning a bid to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team, Warriors forward Eric Paschall chimed in on Twitter.

For the first time since 2013, a member of the Golden State Warriors was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team. After averaging 14.0 points on 49.7% shooting from the field with 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest, Eric Paschall earned a place on the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.

The Villanova product notched 28 First Team votes and 60 Second Team votes for a total of 116 points. Paschall finished just one point ahead of Miami’s Tyler Herro for the First Team’s final spot.

After the league announced the All-Rookie Team, the 2019 second-round pick shared a message on social media. On Twitter, Paschall quote tweeted a graphic of the All-Rookie team with the caption “Doesn’t stop here!! Appreciate the love! Crazy how life works!”

Via @epashcall on Twitter:

With injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the young forward quickly grew into a top option in Steve Kerr’s offense.

During his rookie season with the Warriors, Paschall scored 30 or more points in three games and 20 or more points in 13 games. The 23-year-old rated in the top 10 in both points and rebounds per contest for 2019 rookies.

On the All-Rookie First Team, Paschall was joined by Rookie of the Year Ja Morant and his teammate Brandon Clarke. New Orleans’ Zion Williamson and Miami’s Kendrick Nunn rounded out the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team.

The All-Rookie Second Team included Herro, Toronto’s Terence Davis, Chicago’s Coby White, Charlotte’s P.J. Washington Jr., and Washington’s Rui Hachimura.

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Texans RT Tytus Howard would have rather played in playoffs, not made all-rookie team

Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard would have rather played the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs than make the PFWA’s all-rookie team.

Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard had an impressive rookie season. Despite being limited to eight games due to an MCL injury, the former 2019 first-round pick landed on the Pro Football Writers of America’s all-rookie team.

Howard appreciates the honor, but if he could trade it back for more playing time in his rookie season, he would.

“It felt pretty good,” Howard said. “I can’t lie, I didn’t think I was going to make it because I didn’t play eight games. To me, to be honest, I wish I would have been here because it’s not, to me, about making All-Rookie.”

The consummate offensive lineman in mentality, Howard’s accomplishment is shadowed by the fact he was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 30. The Alabama State product missed the last five games of the season and Houston’s two playoff games due to the knee injury.

“I wish I was here to play in the playoffs so I could help us beat the Chiefs,” said Howard. “So, yeah, it felt good to make All-Rookie but it would have been better for me to play the second half of the season.”

The Texans fell 51-31 to Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC divisional playoffs. Despite having a 24-0 lead, Houston was blown out of the water with the Chiefs outscoring the Texans 51-7.

Houston was rotating Roderick Johnson and Chris Clark at tackle during the final five games of the season. The offensive line would have benefited from having Howard bring consistency to the other bookend opposite of left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

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2 Broncos named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team

Broncos guard Dalton Risner and tight end Noah Fant made PFWA’s 2019 All-Rookie Team.

Denver Broncos offensive lineman Dalton Risner and tight end Noah Fant both made the Pro Football Writers of America’s 2019 All-Rookie Team, it was announced Tuesday. Risner allowed 2.5 sacks in 16 starts this season. Risner was also named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Rookie Team.

Fant led all rookie tight ends in receptions (40), yards (562) and yards per catch (14) this season. Fant was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft. Risner was selected by Denver in the second round.

No team in the league has more PFWA All-Rookie selections over the last two years than Denver (four). Last season, running back Phillip Lindsay and outside linebacker Bradley Chubb made PFWA’s All-Rookie Team. Lindsay was voted to the Pro Bowl and Chubb was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2018.

Broncos safety Justin Simmons did not make the PFWA’s All-NFL Team or All-AFC Team but he did take home second-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press. Simmons is set to become a free agent in March and Denver is expected to make him a high priority this offseason.

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3 Saints rookies receive PFWA recognition after 2019 debut

The Pro Football Writers of America recognized New Orleans Saints Erik McCoy, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Deonte Harris on its All-Rookie Team

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Three members of the New Orleans Saints rookie class were recognized by the Pro Football Writers of America on their 2019 All-Rookie Team, highlighting their impressive efforts during their first season in the NFL.

Saints center Erik McCoy, cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson (who went by Chauncey in college before abbreviating it in the pros), and punt returner Deonte Harris were each singled out as top performers. Of that group, Harris was also named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler.

McCoy snapped the ball on 99.4% of the plays run by the Saints offense, and played a combined 1,141 snaps between his time on offense and defense, per Pro Football Reference. That total trailed only right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who tied McCoy’s snap count on offense but logged three more appearances on special teams. The consistency and mistake-free football McCoy played with (he didn’t draw a single penalty flag in the final six weeks) is remarkable to see out of a rookie.

Encouragingly, the Saints got great returns on both prospects they traded up to acquire. The trade package that helped New Orleans move to pick McCoy in the second round of last year’s draft also netted them a fourth-round pick that was swapped again in a leap up for Gardner-Johnson.

It took the safety some time to earn playing-time with the defense, but he ultimately finished tenth-best in snaps played there (546) while also logging the seventh-most snaps on special teams (205). He was credited with just four missed tackles on 46 attempts, a rate of 8.0%. Only first-team All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis had a better missed tackle rate (4.3%) among Saints players who attempted 40-plus tackles.

As for Harris: he had the best season for a punt returner in the Sean Payton era, having returned 36 punts to gain 338 yards (leading the NFL in both categories), a rate of 9.4 yards per try. He also finished the year tied with Buffalo Bills kick returner Andre Roberts for the fourth-most yards in that phase (644), but did so with fewer kick returns than all of the players ranked above him (24).

It took a little longer for Harris to become comfortable fielding kickoffs in the NFL than punts — which should be expected given he played at small-school Assumption College before this — but he was ferocious down the stretch, picking up 100-plus kick return yards in four of his last seven games, including three matchups when opposing teams were too scared to kick to him.

So, all told, that’s not too bad for a draft class in which the Saints didn’t own a first-round pick. It’ll be intriguing to see where they go next.

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Texans OT Tytus Howard makes PFWA All-Rookie team

Houston Texans rookie offensive lineman Tytus Howard made the PFWA’s All-Rookie team, the sportswriting organization announced Tuesday.

Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard made the Pro Football Writers of America’s 2019 All-Rookie Team, the sportswriting organization announced Tuesday.

The 2019 first-round pick from Alabama State played in eight games for Houston, starting in all of them, and was a key part of getting the Texans’ offensive line turned around. Going from a unit that allowed quarterback Deshaun Watson to be sacked a league-leading 62 times in 2018, the addition of Howard helped drop Watson’s sacks down to 44 on the season.

Howard also cleared the way for running back Carlos Hyde to produce his first 1,000-yard season of his six-year career with 1,070 yards and six touchdowns on 245 carries.

The 6-5, 322-pound offensive lineman was placed in injured reserve on Nov. 30, a day before the Texans beat the New England Patriots 28-22 on Sunday Night Football for their biggest win of the regular season. Howard sustained an MCL sprain in Week 6’s 31-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs that he couldn’t shake off. Despite missing the next two games and returning for Week 9’s 26-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, the injury was too much for him to battle through and he only played two more games thereafter.