Sports
All-Time NFL Rookie of the Year Rankings
The greatest Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year seasons and careers in NFL history.
World Ranking
▲ Top 5
#1
Randy Moss - Minnesota Vikings (1998)
Set the unbroken NFL rookie receiving record with 17 touchdown receptions, racking up 1,313 yards for the highest-scoring offense in league history at the time.
+116
#2
Lawrence Taylor - New York Giants (1981)
Only player in NFL history to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in the exact same season, revolutionizing edge rushing.
+108
#3
Jim Brown - Cleveland Browns (1957)
Led the entire NFL with 942 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, winning both Rookie of the Year and the NFL MVP award.
+69
#4
Barry Sanders - Detroit Lions (1989)
Electrified the NFL with unmatched elusiveness, rushing for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
+60
#5
Eric Dickerson - Los Angeles Rams (1983)
Set the unbroken NFL rookie rushing record with 1,808 yards and 18 touchdowns, adding 51 receptions for an astonishing 2,212 all-purpose yards.
+44
▼ Bottom 5
#1
Chase Young - Washington Football Team (2020)
Defensive end lived up to high draft billing with 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries to lead Washington to a division title.
-138
#2
Marshon Lattimore - New Orleans Saints (2017)
Teamed with Kamara to sweep ROY honors for New Orleans, locking down receivers with five interceptions and 18 passes defended.
-93
#3
Garrett Wilson - New York Jets (2022)
Overcame rotating quarterback play to haul in 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns to capture Offensive Rookie of the Year.
-88
#4
Will Anderson Jr. - Houston Texans (2023)
Teamed with Stroud to sweep NFL Rookie of the Year awards for Houston, registering seven sacks and 67 quarterback pressures off the edge.
-61
#5
Robert Griffin III - Washington Redskins (2012)
Ignited Washington with a 102.4 passer rating, 20 passing touchdowns against just five interceptions, and 815 rushing yards with seven scores.
-31
You should check out
The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire by John Eisenberg
View on Amazon
Blood, Sweat, and Chalk: The Ultimate Football Playbook by Tim Layden
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Gridiron Genius: A Master Class in Building Teams and Winning at the Highest Level by Michael Lombardi
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Pro-Football-Reference
AP NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year Winners
NFL.com
NFL Honors: Complete Rookie of the Year History
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Similar Lists
All Items (38)
Randy Moss - Minnesota Vikings (1998)+116
Lawrence Taylor - New York Giants (1981)+108
Jim Brown - Cleveland Browns (1957)+69
Barry Sanders - Detroit Lions (1989)+60
Eric Dickerson - Los Angeles Rams (1983)+44
Gale Sayers - Chicago Bears (1965)+25
Aaron Donald - St. Louis Rams (2014)+7
Earl Campbell - Houston Oilers (1978)+4
Micah Parsons - Dallas Cowboys (2021)+2
Dick Butkus - Chicago Bears (1965)—
Franco Harris - Pittsburgh Steelers (1972)—
Emmitt Smith - Dallas Cowboys (1990)—
Marshall Faulk - Indianapolis Colts (1994)—
Charles Woodson - Oakland Raiders (1998)—
Edgerrin James - Indianapolis Colts (1999)—
Brian Urlacher - Chicago Bears (2000)—
Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings (2007)—
Patrick Willis - San Francisco 49ers (2007)—
Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers (2011)—
Von Miller - Denver Broncos (2011)—
Luke Kuechly - Carolina Panthers (2012)—
Odell Beckham Jr. - New York Giants (2014)—
Saquon Barkley - New York Giants (2018)—
Nick Bosa - San Francisco 49ers (2019)—
Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers (2020)—
Ja'Marr Chase - Cincinnati Bengals (2021)—
C.J. Stroud - Houston Texans (2023)—
Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders (2024)—
Jack Lambert - Pittsburgh Steelers (1974)-2
Alvin Kamara - New Orleans Saints (2017)-2
Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys (2016)-6
Sauce Gardner - New York Jets (2022)-6
Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers (2004)-8
Robert Griffin III - Washington Redskins (2012)-31
Will Anderson Jr. - Houston Texans (2023)-61
Garrett Wilson - New York Jets (2022)-88
Marshon Lattimore - New Orleans Saints (2017)-93
Chase Young - Washington Football Team (2020)-138
Image credits (37)
- Aaron Donald - St. Louis Rams (2014) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings (2007) — 2C2K Photography · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Alvin Kamara - New Orleans Saints (2017) — TaurusEmerald · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Barry Sanders - Detroit Lions (1989) — Greg2600 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers (2004) — Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Brian Urlacher - Chicago Bears (2000) — US Army Africa from Vicenza, Italy · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- C.J. Stroud - Houston Texans (2023) — Tennessee Titans · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Cam Newton - Carolina Panthers (2011) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Woodson - Oakland Raiders (1998) — Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Chase Young - Washington Football Team (2020) — All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys (2016) — Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Dick Butkus - Chicago Bears (1965) — Alan Light · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Earl Campbell - Houston Oilers (1978) — TankedBevo of ShaggyBevo.com · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
- Edgerrin James - Indianapolis Colts (1999) — Collier County Public School District · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Emmitt Smith - Dallas Cowboys (1990) — Anthony Quintano from Honolulu, HI, United States · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Eric Dickerson - Los Angeles Rams (1983) — Master Sgt. Cohen A. Young · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Franco Harris - Pittsburgh Steelers (1972) — Governor Tom Wolf from Harrisburg, PA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Gale Sayers - Chicago Bears (1965) — Unknown · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Garrett Wilson - New York Jets (2022) — New York Jets · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Ja'Marr Chase - Cincinnati Bengals (2021) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders (2024) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Jim Brown - Cleveland Browns (1957) — Topps · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Justin Herbert - Los Angeles Chargers (2020) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Lawrence Taylor - New York Giants (1981) — The White House · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Luke Kuechly - Carolina Panthers (2012) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Marshall Faulk - Indianapolis Colts (1994) — Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Marshon Lattimore - New Orleans Saints (2017) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Micah Parsons - Dallas Cowboys (2021) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Nick Bosa - San Francisco 49ers (2019) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Odell Beckham Jr. - New York Giants (2014) — Maryland GovPics · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Patrick Willis - San Francisco 49ers (2007) — Steven Bowles · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Randy Moss - Minnesota Vikings (1998) — Keith Allison · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Griffin III - Washington Redskins (2012) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Saquon Barkley - New York Giants (2018) — PistonsFan2223 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Sauce Gardner - New York Jets (2022) — New York Jets · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Von Miller - Denver Broncos (2011) — All-Pro Reels · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Will Anderson Jr. - Houston Texans (2023) — Tennessee Titans · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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