25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career: 4. Erik Dickerson – Los Angeles Rams
Eric Dickerson is best known for still being the owner of the most yards in one NFL season on the ground. In his second season in the NFL, he ran for 2,105 yards. Nobody has ever rushed for more yards in one season. Not Derrick Henry. Not Chris Johnson. Nobody has been able to match Dickerson’s 1984 season.
However, Dickerson was already dominating the league in his rookie season. He led the league with 1,808 yards and he scored 18 touchdowns on the ground. He easily won rookie of the year after those numbers. It was a ridiculous season that was only going to get better the next season.
He led the league in rushing four times. He retired as the second-leading rusher of all time in terms of career rushing yards. He is now ninth on that list. He was one of the All-Pro running backs five times throughout his career. There was no one like him at the time. He was just too good.
Dickerson goes down as one of the best to ever play the position. His record still stands despite so many great running backs coming after him. Every other rushing record had fallen except for Dickerson’s. He was one of a kind, and that’s why he sits in our top five.