AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award finalists revealed
Year in and year out NFL rookies seem to continue raising the bar, with first-year players making their transition to the league look seamless by making an instant impact on their respective teams.
The 2023 NFL season was no different, especially on the offensive side of the ball, where countless playmakers were able to translate their game from Saturdays to Sundays with ease. Making this year’s AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award race quite competitive across the league.
On Thursday, the NFL revealed the five candidates for this year’s AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, a stacked group of players that many franchises wish they could have drafted if they had a time machine. Check out this year’s five finalists for the award below (listed in alphabetical order).
Jahmyr Gibbs
Some outsiders scratched their heads when the Detroit Lions used their top draft pick in 2023 to select Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 overall pick. But following his impressive rookie campaign in the Motor City, the celebration in Detroit’s war room on draft night is now more than warranted.
Gibbs led all rookies with 10 touchdowns on the ground this season, adding a receiving score and 1,261 all-purpose yards to his stat line in his impressive first season in the league. But he didn’t limit his production to the regular season, scoring two touchdowns with 182 all-purpose yards in his two playoff games so far for Detroit as well.
Sam LaPorta
Detroit struck gold in the first and second rounds in last year’s draft, selecting tight end Sam Laporta with the No. 34 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the bruiser from Iowa quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s best at his position.
LaPorta didn’t just lead all rookie tight ends in the three major receiving categories, but ranked fifth amongst all NFL tight ends in yards, fourth in receptions, and led all tight ends with 10 touchdown grabs on the season. He ended his rookie season with 86 receptions and 889 yards, also getting it done for the Lions as a blocker in the run game.
Puka Nacua
Puka Nacua will likely go down as the biggest steal of the 2023 NFL Draft after his breakout rookie season. Nacua was the last pick in the fifth round of last year’s draft, selected No. 177 overall by the Los Angeles Rams, but played more like the No. 1 overall pick in his inaugural season in the league.
The former BYU wideout turned heads after racking up 266 yards in the first two weeks of the season, but continued that pace for the remainder of the year delivering one of the most impressive rookie performances to date. His 105 receptions and 1,486 yards on the year set new NFL rookie records, also finding the end zone six times on the season providing one of the best storylines of the season.
Bijan Robinson
Former Texas running back Bijan Robinson was regarded as one of the top prospects heading into last year’s draft and was selected with the No. 8 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons. And he surely lived up to the hype in his first season in ATL.
Robinson led all rookies with 976 yards on the ground in year one, finding the end zone four times on the ground and four times through the air. Like Gibbs, he made his presence felt in the passing game as well with 58 receptions for 487 yards, and will likely give defenses nightmares for many more seasons to come in the future.
CJ Stroud
CJ Stroud rounds out the Offensive Rookie of the Year finalists and represents the only quarterback to make the cut. Quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s best passers and potentially one of the best quarterbacks in the entire league in the near future.
Stroud broke numerous rookie passing records and had one of the most impressive rookie quarterback seasons to date, ranking eighth in the league with 4,108 passing yards and adding 23 touchdown passes to his stat line. He was extremely efficient for a rookie as well, throwing just five interceptions in his rookie season with a sixth-best passer rating in the league. But his biggest accomplishment may be leading the Texans to an AFC South title and an impressive playoff win over the Cleveland Browns.