Rookies to watch in the NFL Playoffs
Dec 28, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley (57) gets introduced prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
C.J. Mosley, LB, Baltimore Ravens
Mosley wins my vote for Rookie of the Year. This season, he’s been better than Ray Lewis was for the last couple years of his career. He’s nowhere close to Ray Lewis’s prime – yet. Mosley has recorded two picks and a forced fumble this year and ranks seventh in total tackles with 133. He’s what analysts call a “downhill” linebacker who attacks the ball – he’s excellent in run support and good in pass coverage.
Mosley has arguably become a top 15 or 20 linebacker in the entire NFL, and I can’t wait to see how he performs against a tough Steelers offensive line (as of late, at least) and one of the best running backs in football in Le’Veon Bell (provided that he’s healthy).
Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Hill’s stats, for someone who hasn’t started every game (he sat behind Giovani Bernard), are excellent. They’d be impressive even if he had started every game. His numbers look like this: 222 carries, 1,124 yards, and nine touchdowns. That’s 5.1 yards per carry. Hill stole the job from Gio Bernard, who is an excellent runner, and he won’t be giving it back. Hill has looked like the better back so far.
Hill is riding a hot streak into the playoffs – he closed the regular season with three straight 100-yard games – and he could be the most exciting player on the Bengals, in addition to the most exciting rookie to watch, in the 2015 NFL playoffs.
Honorable mention: Zack Martin, G, Dallas Cowboys. It’s tough to pay attention to a center, and football fans don’t generally watch offensive lines for fun, but Martin is one of the best guards in the game already.