The 14 playoff teams have been finalized, and although the vast majority of these clubs have relied on veteran quarterbacks, edge rushers, receivers and players at other positions, the rookie classes have also been supported by these successful teams.
What do you think the Texans’ record would be without CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr.? What would it be like for the Packers if you cut some of the key first-year pros from their huge 2023 draft class?
With that in mind, it’s time to rank the highest-scoring rookie classes for playoff teams.
Diaby, a hybrid outside runner from Louisville who had absurd testing numbers at the combine, translated respectably to the pro game in year one. He is fourth on the team with 24 quarterback pressures in 277 opportunities and has eight sacks. Although Palmer was held in the passing game far more than the preseason indicated, he caught 37 passes for 375 yards with one score.
In the trenches, Kancey began his rookie campaign injured, but he fared well, although he was often taken out against the run. He is quietly second on the team with 32 pressures. Mauch struggled but played the entire season as the starting right guard. This is a solid, if unspectacular, draft class in Tampa Bay that has had a reasonable impact on that club’s playoff hopes.
Although Torrence wasn’t Ruben Brown at guard as a rookie, his calm demeanor and rugged play were a boon to Buffalo’s blocking unit and offense. The right guard position had been a liability in the Josh Allen era, and the former Louisiana-turned-Florida product has been a consistent force at the position all season.
Kincaid set a Bills rookie record with 66 receptions, and he has rushed for over 40 yards in seven separate games to date. Beyond that, he forced seven missed tackles on those catches.
Williams didn’t play much, but when the linebacker group was ravaged by injuries midway through the year, he jumped into full-time work with five tackles and a pass breakup against the Jaguars and a performance of 10 tackles. in the close victory against the Giants. Buffalo appears to have landed two future offensive essentials with its first two selections in the 2023 draft.
Quality trumps quantity here, and this group is primarily anchored by Rice, who is currently the NFL leader in yards after the catch with 654. He has just three drops on 102 targets and has scored seven touchdowns . Morris recently replaced injured left tackle Donovan Smith with mixed results. He only allowed a total of two pressures in back-to-back contests in Las Vegas and Green Bay.
Conner has seen more playing time lately and has shown glimpses of promise. The explosive safety has one interception and 28 tackles, including two lost, on 22.5% of defensive snaps. Of course, the Chiefs rely on their veterans, but this trio has its place in this winning club of the AFC West this season.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Benton and Porter Jr. were born to play on the Steelers defense. They looked like classic Steelers picks in April. While TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith grab the headlines on Pittsburgh’s defense, Benton is a blue-collar inside who brings his hard hat to the field every week. He plays with brute strength at the point of attack and has thrived as a nose tackle with 21 pressures on 260 opportunities to date.
Since being inserted into the roster full-time, Porter Jr. has been nearly as confined as he was 2.5 hours northeast of Pittsburgh during his college years – 10 assists, one interception and just one touchdown authorized on nearly 500 cover shots. His combination of length and athleticism has been a nightmare for veteran receivers at times. Jones played both left and right tackle, and while the former Georgia Bulldozer didn’t dominate, he provided improvement at those spots for the Steelers. The incredibly tall Washington was a rock as a pass blocker in the nearly 500 snaps he played before the regular season finale in Baltimore.
Herbig essentially shut down the game against the Seahawks in Week 17 and has had seven pressures on 64 passing snaps this season. As usual, the Steelers drafted well last April.
Vital recruits: TE Sam LaPorta, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, S/CB Brian Branch
Key contributors: LB Jack Campbell
General manager Brad Holmes has delivered a magnificent trio of youngsters to the Motor City. LaPorta looks like one of the 5-7 best tight ends in all of football. I want to say that. He is fourth at his position in catches with 81, sixth in yards with 860 and ninth in forced missed tackles with 11. Iowa’s latest monster at tight end has been a fundamental part of the passing game Detroit this season, with Amon-Ra St. … Brown, of course.
Gibbs was as advertised and the Lions deployed him in a smart and calculated manner. I didn’t drive him into the ground, I mostly took him into space on outside runs and as a receiver. The rocket of a back has 1,231 yards from scrimmage entering Week 18, and his 5.6 yards per touch ranks fifth among all qualifying running backs.
Campbell has been slowly brought in and playing more on himself recently, with five games of five or more tackles in his last seven games. Rather quietly, the intimidatingly large off-ball linebacker has 83 tackles this season on just 56.8% of the Lions’ defensive snaps.
3. Green Bay Packers
The year after selecting three receivers, the Packers went even crazier at the offensive skill positions in the 2023 draft. I love their recognition of the growing value of players catching the football. Reed not only leads the team in receptions with 60, but also played a vital role in quarterback Jordan Love’s midseason rebound. Wicks averages nearly 16 yards per catch, which isn’t completely surprising for a 6-foot-1 wideout with serious explosiveness — he had a 39-inch vertical jump and a 130-inch broad jump combined .
Then there’s a litany of first-year pros who have proven their contributions here and there on either side of the ball in Green Bay. Kraft has been a momentum player in the Tundra of late, averaging 7.7 yards after contact per catch on 28 grabs after Musgrave’s injury. Valentine has played over 650 snaps and, while he doesn’t have an interception, the Kentucky alum has defended eight passes. None of Brooks, Van Ness or Wooden were stars and yet collectively they only recorded 50 pressures and about 530 assists, and they played all over the line. Hats off to a variety of hits in a huge draft class for Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and his staff.
The Rams’ streak of not having a first-round pick continued into 2023 – and it’s a streak that started in 2017 (!). Despite this, general manager Les Snead and Co. knocked it out of the park on draft weekend. Armed with 14 picks, the Rams started with Avila in the second round, and all he did was lead the team in snaps this season playing center. The TCU product was steady as a pass protector and mostly held his own in Sean McVay’s zone blocking scheme. Young in the third round was an impactful addition. While he hasn’t always thrived in one-on-one scenarios, he has been a stunt threat and enters Week 18 second on the team with 46 pressures on 478 pass chances .
After that came Turner, who has nine sacks at the defensive tackle position and played with some Aaron Donaldian vibes in terms of closing speed with the quarterback or ball carrier.
And then there was Nacua, the jewel of the class. He was exceptional in every way in his first professional season. Making plays down the field, creating separation at all levels, after the catch and when Matthew Stafford gave him the opportunity to show off his skills with the ball. Nacua will get the Offensive Rookie of the Year votes at the end of the season. Evans is currently ninth in overall punt-yard average.
1. Houston Texans
The Texans won seven games in the 2021 and 2022 seasons combined and have won 10 games in 2023 thanks in large part to Stroud’s selection second overall and the bold decision to trade up to snatch Anderson with the next choice in April.
Stroud is the justified favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He’s been incredibly efficient — Stroud’s 8.1 yards per attempt average ranks third in all of football — and his average depth of target of 9.4 also ranks third in the NFL. He kept his foot on the accelerator all season. Although injuries were scattered throughout Anderson’s rookie campaign, he managed 57 heavy pressures on just 394 passing snaps. He also added 10 tackles for loss.
Before a broken leg ended his rookie year in professional football prematurely, Dell was a blur as a route runner and on the field. He had 47 catches for 709 catches with seven touchdowns in 11 games. Despite his small size, Dell actually led the team with a 60% contested catch win rate.
Then there are Scruggs and Patterson who have played respectably inside at guard and center, respectively, and To’o To’o has made some key plays early in the season. While other classes had more contributors, the impact of Stroud, Anderson and Dell on the 2023 Texans was seismic.
NOTE: This story has been updated, so stats go through week 17
