While the remarkable performance of the rookie class of wide receivers has drawn much of the attention in recent weeks, there's been significant impact all over. In fact, there are a few cases where a rookie wasn't just the best among first-year players, but also could hold an argument as the best player at his position across the NFL. And as we see every year, big-time performances came from up and down the draft board.
After you look at my picks for Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year, feel free to go back and look at my preseason picks for the All-Rookie team. I will say, just as I noted then, that opportunity often supersedes overall talent early on in an NFL career. If Carlos Hyde is in, say, Jacksonville to start the season, is he really waiting for carries behind Toby Gerhart in the way he did behind Frank Gore? Of course not.
With that in mind, let's hand out the hardware and also look at some close calls.