25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career

25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career: 5. Marshall Faulk – Indianapolis Colts

Now we’re just splitting hairs. Marshall Faulk might be the best dual-threat running back in NFL history. He set the tone for players like Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and LeVeon Bell. Faulk had 1,000 yards receiving and rushing, the second person to ever do it and the third overall. Faulk was the Greatest Show on Turf. His unique skill set was perfect for a game that was going through a transition. More focus was going on the quarterback, but it wasn’t all the way there yet. Faulk was the best of both worlds.

Faulk broke 20 total touchdowns twice on those two Super Bowl-bound Rams teams in 2000 and 2001. Only one season in his career did he fail to catch a touchdown pass. He was always getting into the end zone one way or another.

Some might not realize that Faulk was a dominant running back for the Colts before he moved on to the Rams. Right out of the gate, he put up a 1,283-yard season as a rookie. He added 52 receptions for north of 500 yards and a total of 12 touchdowns. That won him the Rookie of the Year award, and he kept playing lights out after that.

Faulk is one of the best receiving backs in history, that much is obvious. However, he is also one of the greats on the ground. His elusiveness was one of a kind. He could make anyone miss a tackle, and he was keen on breaking big plays.