NFL Rookie Stats Leaders 2015 Part 2

We are so close to the beginning of the season and we are finally getting to see what rosters and depth charts will look like. A couple of weeks ago Jeff made his predictions, and now it is Clayton's turn. Some picks are the same, some different, with a surprise or two. Oh yeah, and added a stat to the QB's (here's a hint: I am not high on Winston, just his weapons are better).

As done with the NFL stat leaders piece, Clayton made the picks, while Jeff tries to explain the choices.

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Passing

Yards- Jameis WInston - TB - 3,100 yards (1st overall pick)

It’s basically a 2 man race at QB this year (unless you think Bryce Petty has a chance in NY) and frankly neither guy makes me feel good. Winston just has the better weapons which will ultimately make his transition to the NFL a bit smoother. He won’t come without his mistakes, but he should be able to put up 3,100 yards as long as Evans and Jackson stay healthy and the Bucs throw it enough which they should considering they will be trailing in most games.

Touchdowns- Jameis Winston - TB - 18 TD’s (1st overall pick)

With two receivers standing at 6’5” it’s safe to say there will be a lot of goal line fades for Winston which should give him a reasonable shot at beating out Mariota in the TD category as well. 18 is a fair estimate for Jameis in his rookie season.

Interceptions - Jameis Winston - TB - 27 Ints (1st overall pick)

Clayton doesn’t like Winston, and neither do I, but Clayton has said from day 1 he thinks Winston will put up some disgustingly bad INT numbers this year. I’m not sure if I see 27 happening but he could get the elusive more INT’s than TD’s honor this year.

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Rushing

Yards- Melvin Gordon - SD - 1,150 yards (15th overall pick)

I’m not big on Gordon (and I don’t think Clayton is either) but he will probably get the most touches of any rookie, depending on the health of Gurley down in STL. I have always thought Gordon was just another college back that benefited from a system and wouldn’t cut it in the NFL. I still believe that but he is going to a team where he can be the #1 back right out of the gate and should get plenty of touches. Although, I hate to admit it, I think 1,150 yards this season is very doable.

Touchdowns- Todd Gurley - STL - 8 TDs (10th overall pick)

My favorite player of the draft, the pride and joy of my Bulldogs, TODD GURLEY! I have not hidden my love for Gurley and I can’t help but think my endless talking about him for the last year straight might have impacted this decision just a little bit. Clayton still believes he won’t be back week 1, but I feel he could miss the first 3 games and still lead all rookies in any rushing category. This man is the future of running backs and will be a beast this year and for years to come.

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Receiving

Receptions- Amari Cooper - OAK  - 85 catches (4th overall pick)

Amari Cooper is THE GUY for David Carr in Oakland immediately and that should bode well for his stats this year. Cooper will get plenty of targets, it’s just a matter of how many he is able to haul in. He has great hands and exceptional route running skills, but for a rookie coming straight into the league to presumably be facing weekly double teams is a bit of a worry.

Yards- Amari Cooper - OAK - 1,300 yards (4th overall pick)

Cooper should put up huge numbers… however 1,300 yard would have put Cooper in the top 10 for yards last year and I think that is a bit much. As I previously stated I think Cooper is going to get a lot of looks, but he will also be getting a lot of attention from defenses. I think this will result in plenty of catches but a lot of situations where he will make the catch and be immediately brought down.

Touchdowns- DeVante Parker - MIA - 10 TD’s (14th overall pick)

Clayton and I both agree on this selection but he has Parker pulling down 1 more TD than I do. If Mike Wallace can get 10 TD’s in the Dolphins offense last year I see no reason why Parker can’t do the same thing (especially with Wallace now gone). Parker could be a hit or miss this season. I think he will either show up big time for Miami or flame out and be staring down a lot of criticism going into his second year.

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Defense

Tackles- Landon Collins - NYG - 110 tackles (33rd overall pick)

Not really sure how I feel about this pick by Clayton here. I like Landon Collins but not sure he will have this type of impact in his rookie year. I think Collins lands somewhere in the 70-80 tackle range for the Giants this year. I honestly was surprised to see this name pop up here for Clayton. No doubt Collins will get plenty of snaps, but I have seen him blow some easy coverages and being overly aggressive anticipating a run and leaving himself out of position.I think eventually Collins will be a solid pro player but he will definitely have some growing pains this year.

Sacks- Hau'oli Kikaha - NO -  9 sacks (44th overall pick)

This was definitely a shocker for me. He is definitely a pure pass rusher but I am not sure he will be on the field enough to reach this mark. He also has had some injuries in the past and that could factor into his production this year as well. With the departure of Junior Gallette the Saints definitely have a need to fill at pass rush but I am not sure Kikaha fills that void just yet. I see about 4 or 5 sacks being the mark here in his rookie season.

Interceptions- Marcus Peters - KC - 4 INT’s (18th overall pick)

Peters was my pick as well, but I was expecting this one from Clayton given his Chiefs fandom. Peters should get plenty of playtime to start the season and if he can prove himself early he can easily get 4 INT’s as he will be tested early and often. It helps that the Chiefs face Peyton and Rivers twice a year each as those two will definitely test the rookie and give him some chances to make a play.