There’s just over a week left in the Summer B semester, and that means we’re mercifully just a few weeks away from the start of the NFL Preseason. With that in mind, here are five NFL rookies you need to look for when you start to question why on earth you’re watching glorified scrimmages in August.
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Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders WR — Of all the players taken in the 2015 NFL Draft, this is the guy with the best chance to be a future Pro Bowler. While there have been plenty of talented receivers taken in the last few years, none have come out of college more polished and NFL-ready than Cooper. He put up 1727 receiving yards with 16 touchdowns at Alabama last season, despite being the only true Crimson Tide weapon and being forced to face every opponent’s best corner. The team’s second-best receiver, DeAndrew White, only had 504 yards in 2014. With the way the Raiders throw the football — they had 629 passing attempts last year, the fourth most in the league — expect Cooper to have a monster season.
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Landon Collins, New York Giants SS — Another Crimson Tide player, go figure. Collins, known as an enforcer in the secondary, led Alabama with 103 tackles last season, adding three interceptions, and will look to provide the Giants with the leadership and physical presence they need on the defensive side of the ball. Schematics shouldn’t be an issue for the Nick Saban product and he’ll likely make an immediate impact for the NFL’s 18th-ranked passing defense.
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Leonard Williams, New York Jets DL — Williams, drafted third from USC, was considered by many scouts and analysts to be the most talented player in the draft this year, but quarterback needs for the Buccaneers and Titans kept him from being the top pick. The former Trojan had 80 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles in 2014 and will look to crack an already stacked defensive line for the Jets. The negative element of that is he may not see as much playing time as he would have on a weaker line, but the plus is that he will see one-on-one matchups on a regular basis.
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Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB — Quarterbacks with a high football IQ coupled with all the physical traits you could ask for don’t come around often, but the Buccaneers have one in Winston. Unlike the offense Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota ran at Oregon, Winston’s FSU offense was much more similar to what he’ll be running as a professional and will make the transition easier. While the hike in interceptions from his freshman to sophomore year — 10 to 18 — is alarming, coach Lovie Smith likely won’t ask too much of the rookie early with his conservative approach.
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Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams RB — This one is less of a sure bet given the injury concern over the former Georgia running back’s recovery from an ACL tear he suffered during the season, but Gurley is a special talent in the backfield. Despite only playing in six games, Gurley still managed to run for 932 yards, averaging a whopping 151.8 per game, and nine touchdowns. St. Louis was convinced enough that they still took the back in the first round without even knowing if he would be ready for week one. Even if he needs to wait to debut until midway through the season, similar to what Odell Beckham Jr. did last season for the Giants, the presence of a healthy Todd Gurley will be felt.
Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper catches the ball during the Crimson Tide's 42-21 win against the Gators on Sept. 20 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
