The 2021-2022 NFL regular season has come to a close and it was a strong year for the rookie class. Multiple players broke franchise and/or league records; Jaylen Waddle, Ja'Marr Chase, Kyle Pitts and Micah Parsons chief among them. The top four separated themselves from the pack throughout the course of the season. The rest of the list was rather fluid and tight.
These rankings are not based on statistical performance but rather overall play. Without further ado, the cumulative regular-season rookie rankings following Week 18 action:
Final Rookie Rankings
| 1 | 
Creed Humphrey
Kansas City Chiefs C
|
| Humphrey is just an animal. Denver had no luck getting through him and he shattered their spirit in open space. The Oklahoma product has been consistently good in every facet of the game. I do not think he will win Offensive Rookie of the Year though because of how voting is commonly skewed towards skill players and Ja'Marr Chase had a historic season. | |
| 2 | 
Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys OLB
|
| Parsons did not play on Saturday night against the Eagles because he was in COVID protocol. | |
| 3 | 
Ja'Marr Chase
Cincinnati Bengals WR
|
| Cincinnati had already locked up a playoff spot so Chase played just five snaps. He was targeted on four of those plays and finished with two receptions. It was more important that they kept him healthy for next week, however. I do believe that he should win Offensive Rookie of the Year. His play has directly resulted in more team success. Realistically speaking, Offensive Rookie of the Year is going to go to a skill player rather than an offensive line. | |
| 4 | 
Rashawn Slater
Los Angeles Chargers OT
|
| Yannick Ngakoue gave him some trouble throughout this game, including an outside in stutter move in the second quarter. Slater was tremendous in space and continues to be a calming presence along that Los Angeles offensive line. | |
| 5 | 
Jaylen Waddle
Miami Dolphins WR
|
| Waddle finished the regular season with 104 receptions for 1,015 yards (9.8 yards per reception) and six touchdowns. He broke Anquan Boldin's record for most receptions by a rookie in a single season. He actually dropped one that could have been a house call in the second quarter. | |
| 6 | 
Kyle Pitts
Atlanta Falcons TE
|
| Pitts fell 50 yards short of Mike Ditka's rookie receiving record by a tight end. The most surprising part of his season is that he finished with just one touchdown. Cordarrelle Patterson was stealing all the red zone touchdowns this season. | |
| 7 | 
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Cleveland Browns OLB
|
| Owusu-Koramoah is a foundational piece for the Browns on defense. He is a quick twitch linebacker that can drop into coverage and impact passing lanes or fit run gaps. He is not going to supply the same sack production as Micah Parsons but it is clear that he is going to be one of the better linebackers in the league for quite some time. | |
| 8 | 
Jevon Holland
Miami Dolphins FS
|
| I've noted in previous iterations how much single high coverage Holland has played but he covers a lot of ground quickly, which allows him to be impactful in the run game and coverage. Holland is a savvy player that anticipates plays and often finds himself in the right position. | |
| 9 | 
Penei Sewell
Detroit Lions OT
|
| Sewell did not play in Week 18, which is unfortunate because it would have been nice for him to see through a solid rookie campaign. He played left tackle at a high level when called upon and seamlessly transitioned back to right tackle where he showed continued improvement. | |
| 10 | 
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Detroit Lions WR
|
| The Lions season could be broken down into two parts. The first, the portion of the year where St. Brown did not have a string of games with 8+ receptions. During that period, he accumulated 39 receptions for 352 yards, zero touchdowns and zero carries. The team went 0-9-1. The second, St. Brown caught 51 passes for 560 yards and five touchdowns, in addition to seven carries for 61 yards and one touchdown. Detroit went 3-3 during that timeframe. | |
| 11 | 
DeVonta Smith
Philadelphia Eagles WR
|
| Similar to Chase, Smith did not play a full game's workload. He was targeted four times and two were very high. He was unable to reel one in while the other was a great snag along the boundary. | |
| 12 | 
Mac Jones
New England Patriots QB
|
| As the season progressed, it became clear that the system was significantly aiding Jones and that he was more of a trailer than a tractor. However, the Alabama rookie made some big time throws and would not have been able to achieve such success if he were not a smart player that put in the time to prepare. | |
| 13 | 
Trey Smith
Kansas City Chiefs OG
|
| Smith is an anchor in the run game and he destroys defenders in open space. There are some occasions where he will have natural body lean to the outside and that allows for pressure inside. | |
| 14 | 
Nate Hobbs
Las Vegas Raiders CB
|
| Hobbs showed his versatility working out of the slot and moving to the boundary when called upon. He was productive in the backfield and impacted passing lanes. To his credit, he was penalized four times this season: two in the backfield and two in the secondary. | |
| 15 | 
Samuel Cosmi
Washington Football Team OT
|
| The final spot came down to Cosmi and two running backs -- Elijah Mitchell and Javonte Williams. When Cosmi was healthy, he played at a higher level at a more difficult position. He should have the right tackle role locked down in 2022. | |
2021 NFL jerseys now available
The new NFL season is here! Win or lose, you can shop jerseys, shirts, hats, and much more to support your favorite team. Shop here and show your colors.
We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
