With the 2018 NFL Season coming towards us, I break down the top 5 players on offense that could win Offensive Rookie of the Year.  I also include a dark horse as often the winner is someone that no one expects.

 

Top 5 Offensive Rookie Candidates and 1 Dark Horse

 

 

 

Saquon Barkley

 

New York Giants

Picked 1st Round (2nd Overall)

With an upgraded offensive line, Barkley could see heavy amounts of carries along with passes caught. The only issue is that the Giants signed Jonathan Stewart, which could cut into Barkleys workload.

 

 

Josh Rosen

Arizona Cardinals

Picked 1st Round (10th Overall)

Josh Rosen may be the most NFL ready quarterback from the 2018 draft class, so he’ll be in the mix for the quarterback job. He’s competing right now with Sam Bradford for it, and even if he doesn’t start right away, Rosen will take over. Rosen will have a plethora of weapons such as Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk to help him out, not to mention star running back David Johnson coming back from injury.

 

 

 

Rashaad Penny

Seattle Seahawks

Picked 1st Round (27th Overall)

Penny is a running back that can do anything.  From returning kickoffs to catching passes or running through defenders, this guy can and will do it all. He will play a major factor in the Seahawks offense this year  as they’ve been looking for a playmaker at running back. The only thing that could deter him from this award would be the involvement of veteran running back Chris Carson who has impressed during OTA’s.

 

 

 

DJ Moore

Carolina Panthers

Picked 1st Round (24th Overall)

Moore is a speedy wide receiver  that can go up and get the ball, a wideout that can make a difference on any team. He will take that place of Kelvin Benjamin who was traded away last year. The only thing that could take away from DJ is if second year Curtis Samuel steps up this year.

 

 

 

 

Derrius Guice

Washington Redskins

Picked 2nd Round (59th Overall)

You could describe Guice as a tough running back that can run through people, but also has enough speed to fly by defenders. He is finally the answer that the Redskins need for their team at that position. The one thing that he wanted to improve in were his skills as a receiver, which he has already shown progress at in OTA’s. The main problem for  Guice is the sheer number of backs they have with Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson, and Samaje Perine.

 

 

 

Dark Horse: Michael Gallup

Colorado State

Picked 3rd Round (81st Overall)

A wide receiver who produced a lot of stats for Colorado State will hope to do the same for Dallas. He possesses the ability to catch passes in traffic, along with a great array of  speed and explosiveness: which is a dangerous combo. It is unclear how many targets Gallup will get as a rookie though in a run-first offense, and for now Allen Hurns will certainly be WR1 and take away targets.

 

Winner:

 

Saquon Barkley

 

 

 

I was close to picking Derrius Guice as the winner, but I think that backfield is too crowded for him to get enough touches. Instead Barkley puts up an incredible season for the Giants and wins the award. I believe the top three for the award will be Barkley at one, Guice at two, and then Rosen at three.