All-Rookie Team 2021-22: Chase, Humphrey, Parsons Lead the Way

All the talk has obviously been the NFL playoffs and now is shifting to the looming Super Bowl match-up between the Rams and Bengals in a week and change from now, we decided to switch it up a little and drop our official JKFOOTBALL All-Rookie team of the 2021-22 season. We've been waiting to push this out but now seems like the perfect time. Below each selection we will say second team: and then a player, meaning they were the runner-ups and would have been an All-Rookie second team member if we made that exist. Let's get into it.

Quarterback: Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Statline: 3801 yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs

In what many thought was one of the more stacked QB classes in recent memory, the last of 5 QBs to go in the first round ended up being the best one in year one. Mac Jones was ranked all over the place in terms of big boards and mock drafts, some thought the Niners might grab him at 3 while others thought he could fall to the early second round. When he began sliding to the mid-first, Bill Belichick pounced on his next franchise QB. Jones was downright impressive as a rookie. Sure, the stats don't jump off the page at you, but Jones was playing efficient, chain-moving, and winning football. He was the only rookie QB to get his team into the playoffs. Sure, he was a bit of a game manager but that is what we fully expected from him in year 1. Jones was first in TD passes, passing yards, and obviously wins as a rookie. He has a lot of potential and spearheads the All-Rookie team as the signal caller!
Second Team: Davis Mills (Texans)

Running Back: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

Statline: 1200 yards, 7 TDs rushing | 74 catches, 467 yards, 3 TDs receiving

When the Steelers made Najee Harris the first RB off of the board in the 2021 NFL draft, everyone knew he was going to have a large workload in store. That was very very true. Harris led all NFL RBs with 381 total touches. He also combined for close to 1600 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs. As a rookie. The Steelers had one of the worst offensive lines in football this season and the dual-threat, ultra-talented bruiser that is Najee Harris blossomed anyway. His 1200 rushing yards was good for 4th best in the entire NFL, only behind the likes of Taylor, Chubb, and Mixon. Pretty good stuff for a rookie.
Second Team: Javonte Williams (Broncos)

Wide Receiver: Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Statline: 81 catches, 1455 yards, 13 TDs receiving

We all know what Ja'Marr Chase did. Chase is easily the MVP of this all rookie team. He broke many NFL rookie receiving marks, including most receiving yards by a rookie en route to being one of the best overall offensive players in football so quickly and being probably the main reason the Bengals went from last in the AFC North to AFC champions in just one season. When I think of the prototypical "deep threat" in the NFL, I now think Chase. The speed, the hands, the route-running, and the SWAGGER. Chase did it all for Cinncy so fast and is probably the best player on this All-Rookie team.

Wide Receiver: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Statline: 90 catches, 912 yards, 5 TDs receiving

After a slow start to his career, Amon-Ra St. Brown turned it up to crazy levels that had him amongst the NFL's top receivers over the past month or so of the season. Joining the Lions as an unheralded mid-round pick, St. Brown has already shattered every expectation for himself and looks like he will be the WR1 in Motown for some time. St. Brown finished the season off on a tear. He became the focal point of this offense and was having Cooper Kupp level dominance and success along with the monster target share. St. Brown had 8 or more grabs in each of the final 6 games of the season along with 70+ yards in each of those games and one or more TDs in 5/6. No one saw this breakout coming, but St. Brown is an All-Rookie member!

Wide Receiver: Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

Statline: 104 catches, 1015 yards, 6 TDs receiving

The 6th overall pick in the draft quietly had an elite rookie season. Jaylen Waddle was drafted so highly for his track speed and deep ball catching abilities. With Tua Tagovailoa's limited arm strength, we didn't see a lot of this deep ball cheese from Waddle we are used to, but his use in the intermediate game was uncanny. Waddle broke the NFL single-season rookie record for most catches with a whopping 104. That tally was also top 10 in the entire league in receiving. Waddle also broke 1000 yards as a rookie and added 6 TDs. We hope we can see that deep ball aspect come back into the picture for him next season but even if not, the Dolphins know how to get production out of this budding superstar.
Second Team: DeVonta Smith (Eagles)

Tight End: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Statline: 68 catches, 1026 yards, 1 TD receiving

When the Falcons made Kyle Pitts the highest drafted Tight End in NFL history by taking him 4th overall in the NFL draft, the expectations were obviously sky-high. It's safe to say that he delivered as well as he probably could have as a rookie. Rookie TE's historically are bad, but Pitts was anything but bad. Sure, he had a couple stretches of less production, but he finished as the second rookie TE in NFL history to have 1,000 yards, the only other is Hall of Famer Mike Ditka. It's safe to say that Pitts is right on track. What a season.

Second Team: Pat Friermuth (Steelers)

Offensive Line:

Tackle - Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers

Guard - Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Center - Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

Guard - Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets

Tackle - Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions

As far as rookie classes go for O-lineman, this was one of the best performing classes from the get-go that you will ever see. I was going to go player by player but I'm going to start right in the middle with Creed Humphrey. Not only was he the best rookie Center and O-lineman, but he was probably the best Center in the entire NFL as a rookie. You don't see that. He anchored a much improved Chief O-line this season and allowed just 1 sack all year. Elite. Rashawn Slater was the best rookie tackle. The mid-first rounder proved he will be Justin Herbert's lockdown tackle for the next decade. He allowed just 4 sacks all year along with an elite 83.6 PFF grade. Trey Smith was the shockingly one of the best O-lineman in the class as well. The unheralded 6th-round selection instantly worked his way into the KC starting O-line and proved he should have been a first-round pick as the Chiefs got yet another elite piece for the future. Other Guard Vera-Tucker and Tackle Sewell both had rocky starts to their season but finished off very very strong and also both proved how they are going to be fixtures in their teams' starting lineups for years to come. If this rookie class was a starting O-line, it would be one of the best lines in all of football...

Second Team mention: Landon Dickerson (Eagles)

Edge Rusher: Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins
Statline: 42 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection

It certainly took him some time to get acclimated to the NFL level, but once he did, Phillips was the best rookie edge rusher in the league (pure edge rusher that is; Parsons). The Dolphins knew that he was probably the most talented pure rusher in the draft and they took him in the mid-first round because of this belief. Phillips had some injury concern coming into the draft but the Dolphins took a gamble, and its already paid off. The highlight of Phillips' season has to be a two-week stretch in late November/early December in which Phillips had 5 sacks in those two games. He has serious 10-15+ sack potential every season from here on out. He is going to be a stud for a long time to come in this league.

Edge Rusher: Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants

Statline: 49 total tackles, 8 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass deflections

Despite all of the turmoil their was in New York this season, second-round rookie Azeez Ojulari was one of the few bright spots. The Giants hit a home-run with their second round pick as it looks like Ojulari may be able to be one of their best pass rushers for years to come. Despite a lot of teams being low on Ojulari going into the draft for a variety of reasons, the Giants were willing to take a risk and they have to be loving it now. Ojulari had 8 sacks along with a nice 49 tackles. Those are elite numbers for a rookie. Good to see a team who needs young impact players getting an All-Rookie member!

Second Team: Odafe Oweh (Ravens)

Defensive Tackle: Christian Barmore, New England Patriots

Statline: 46 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 pass deflections, 4.5 stuffs

While these numbers may not jump off the page, Barmore has instantly turned into an amazing force in the middle of Bill Belichick's defense. Barmore didn't finish on many sacks, but he was constantly forcing pressures. He was top 10 in the NFL in terms of this mark with 47 pressures on the QB. I think we could see him take even another big step next season. 

Defensive Tackle: Osa Odighizuwa, Dallas Cowboys

Statline: 36 total tackles, 2 sacks, 6 stuffs

The race for the 2nd DT spot was a bit of a crapshoot here, but mid-round DT Osa Odighizuwa gets all the All-Rookie nod from us. With Barmore leading rookie DTs in most categories (statistically), Odighizuwa was second in pretty much all of those same marks. Osa was able to cause a lot of pressure as well on opposing QBs and proved his worth in the Dallas defense. Dan Quinn revitalized this defense, and Osa was a super underrated component in this happening.

Second Team: Alim McNeil (Lions)

Linebacker: Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

Statline: 84 total tackles, 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 pass deflections

The defensive MVP of this All-Rookie team is obviously none other than the dominant Micah Parsons. Parsons is coming off of the best rookie season for a defensive player I've ever seen. He was legitimately in the DPOY race for much of the season. His impact on the Dallas defense was as large as you can have. Parsons did everything for Dallas and did it all at a high level. He is going to be one of the best players in the NFL for years to come. Oh, and he also just won the NFL Pro Bowl Fastest Man challenge, outrunning Tyreek Hill and others for the honor.

Linebacker: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Cleveland Browns

Statline: 76 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 4 pass deflections

Everyone knew that JOK was one of the best defensive prospects available in this year's draft, so when the Browns found a way to steal him in the second round, it was bound to be a home run. JOK did everything we expected out of him as a rookie. A jack of all trades kind of Linebacker, JOK hit over 70 tackles, got to the QB 1.5 times, forced 2 fumbles, and broke up 4 passes. He was everywhere as you can see. Easy All-Rookie.

Linebacker: Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs

Statline: 112 total tackles, 16.5 stuffs, 3 pass deflections

Everyone knew that Bolton to the Chiefs in the late second-round was a steal, but no one saw him having THIS big of an impact right away. Bolton lead all rookies with 112 total tackles and also a whopping 16.5 run stuffs. He also added 3 pass breakups and returned a fumble 86 yards in week 18. Bolton is going to be the center of this defense for years to come.

Second Team: Willie Gay (Chiefs)

Cornerback: Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

Statline: 58 total tackles, 4 INTs, 14 pass deflections, 1 TD

Patrick Surtain II is already living up to the high bar set by his father (a former Patriot legend). Surtain was a top 10 pick but the second corner off the board, but he probably would go first if it could be done again. Surtain proved to not only show the makings of a future shutdown CB, but he was also a more than willing tackler with 58 tackles to go with his elite 4 picks and 14 pass deflections. Denver has the makings of a new no fly zone with Surtain and also guys like Justin Simmons in the secondary.

Cornerback: Eric Stokes, Green Bay Packers

Statline: 55 total tackles, 1 INT, 14 pass deflections

The Packers shocked a lot of people when they took Stokes in the back-end of the first round, however, the pick has been a home run so far. The Pack passed on more pressing needs to get their CB2 of the future to pair up alongside Jaire Alexander for years to come. Stokes was forced into the CB1 role at times due to injury and played exceptionally. He was top 10 in the entire NFL in pass breakups with the elite 14 and he also had a pick and like Surtain, was a more than willing tackler. Anticipate success from the breakout Stokes to continue into next season!

Second Team: Greg Newsome II (Browns)

Safety: Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins

Statline: 69 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 10 pass deflections

My favorite underrated and little tackled about stud from this year's draft was Dolphins second-rounder Jevon Holland. Look at those stats. Tell me he's bad after looking at those stats. Those eye-catching numbers don't even tell the full tale of just how good Holland was. No one pegged him to be a Derwin James or Jamal Adams type of talent, at least this quickly, let he showed a lot of similarities to those All-World players in his rookie year. 70 tackles. 2.5 sacks. He was imposing his force on players in the intermediate field and also the backfield. 2 picks, 10 pass breakups. He was an elite coverage player as well. Aside from the big 3 of this class which is Chase, Humphrey, and Parsons, I think Holland may have been the next best player. What a rookie season from him!

Safety: Trevon Moehrig, Las Vegas Raiders

Statline: 55 total tackles, 1 INT, 6 pass deflections

Another rookie safety that quietly had a great rookie season was Trevon Moehrig of the Raiders. The mid-second rounder was a gem in the up and down Vegas defense. Known for his physicality and toughness in college, Moehrig instantly brought that to Vegas as he was an exceptional tackler in the open field. He also showed strides of improvement in coverage with a pick and a nice 6 deflections. I think the Raiders have a true piece for the future in Moehrig as he definitely played well enough to earn this All-Rookie nod!

Second Team: Richie Grant (Falcons)

Special Teams

Kicker - Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals

Punter - Pressley Harvin, Pittsburgh Steelers

Returner - Kene Nwangwu, Minnesota Vikings

As far as rookie ST goes, this also has to be one of the best classes EVER. McPherson has just shown throughout the playoffs that he already may be one of the best AND most clutch kickers in football. He hasn't missed yet this post-season and has hit game-winning field goals in all 3 of the Bengals' wins leading up to the Super Bowl. Pressley Harvin certainly had his ups and downs, but looks like he may wind up being one of the biggest legs in the game for awhile. Nwangwu wasn't just good for a rookie returner, he was an All-Pro level talent at that spot. Safe to say this was a great rookie class.