We’re now 12 weeks into the 2024 season, and the conclusion of the regular season is rapidly approaching. We’ve seen enough of the 2024 draft class to determine who is having a successful rookie season and who is not. Nonetheless, a lot can change in 6 weeks. With that said, had the season ended today, here would be my top-5 in terms of the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award:
5. Malik Nabers - WR NYG:
Malik Nabers has had a very eventful rookie campaign. Regarding stats per game, Nabers is undoubtedly the top rookie amongst skills positions. So far, Nabers has averaged 7.4 catches for 74.5 yards per game. However, throughout the season, Nabers has struggled with multiple injuries and has missed a quarter of his games. Since the most important ability is availability, the injuries have severely hurt Nabers’ case for Rookie of the Year. In addition, after scoring 3 touchdowns in his first 3 games, Nabers has failed to find the endzone in his last 6 appearances. Nevertheless, Nabers is still having a great rookie season and will be a threat for years.
4. Caleb Williams - QB CHI:
After being drafted with the first overall pick, Williams’ rookie season has been nowhere near what anybody had hoped. While it isn’t his fault, Chicago’s 4W-7L record is still the reality. Williams showed he could live up to the hype by going on a hot streak from week 3 through week 6. In those 4 games, Williams threw for 262.5 yards per game, a TD-INT ratio of 9-3, and a passer rating of 106.41. In that hot streak, Chicago put up 27.75 points per game and went 3W-1L. Ever since then, the Bears’ offense has fallen apart and Williams has been horrible. In his past 5 games, Williams has thrown for 253 yards per game, only 2 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 86.02. In this 5-game cold streak, Chicago’s offense has put up 14.6 points per game and the Bears are winless. Caleb Williams has shown the potential of being a great quarterback, but he hasn’t done well enough to be considered for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
3. Brock Bowers - TE LV:
Brock Bowers has justified being the first tight end selected in the past NFL draft. Despite being in a dysfunctional Raiders’ offense, Bowers has thrived in his rookie year. Despite Raiders’ quarterbacks only completing 65.5% of their passes, Bowers has hauled in 74.7% of his targets. Through his first 11 games, Bowers has averaged 6.7 receptions for 67.6 yards per game. Bowers is currently on pace to break Mike Ditka’s rookie tight end record of 1,076 receiving yards. While Brock Bowers’ rookie campaign has been historic, he’ll likely miss out on the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award because he’s not a quarterback.
2. Bo Nix - QB DEN:
8 years after Peyton Manning retired, the Denver Broncos have finally found their next franchise quarterback. After Nix struggled in his first 2 games, many doubted Nix and were ready to write him off. Over the following 10 games, Bo Nix made said doubters eat their words. In his past 9 games, Nix has thrown for a TD-INT ratio of 16-2, and a passer rating of 99.18. Over this 10-game hot streak, Denver has put up 23.7 points per game and won 7 out of 10 games. At 7W-5L the Broncos are currently in the 7th seed in the AFC and had the season ended today, the Broncos would make the playoffs for the first time after an 8-year drought. Bo Nix has been a huge part of fixing a franchise that seemingly couldn’t be fixed and would win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in most classes. As a Broncos fan, I couldn’t possibly be more excited about the future of the franchise with Bo Nix.
1. Jayden Daniels - QB WSH:
Had the season ended today, my pick for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award would be the Washington Commanders’ quarterback, Jayden Daniels. Don’t let Washington’s current 3-game losing streak distract you from Daniels’ historic stats. Daniels entered a dumpster fire franchise and instantly showed Washington hope they hadn’t seen in years. Over his 12 games, Daniels has been great through the air a dangerous on the ground. Through the air, Daniels has put up a remarkable 68.4 completion percentage, a TD-INT ratio of 12-5, and a passer rating of 97.6. Meanwhile, Daniels has added 46.3 yards per game and 3 touchdowns on the ground. One year removed from the Commanders’ abysmal 4W-13L 2023 season, Jayden Daniels led them to a 7W-2L start. In the past 3 games, Daniels hasn’t been horrible, but his supporting cast has failed him. During the losing streak, Daniels has still put up a serviceable passer rating of 77.72 and his offense has put up 23.6 points per game. It’s been the coaching and special teams blunders that have caused Washington to drop three consecutive 1-score games. Had Jayden Daniels been playing for a functional organization, his team would likely be 9W-3L or 10W-2L. There’s no doubt that Daniels is putting up a historic rookie season and deserves to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
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