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Kiper's 2017 NFL All-Rookie team
Melanie Kiper jr
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It was a great year for rookies in the NFL -- at some positions. There were legitimate stars at running back, cornerback and quarterback, if we include Deshaun Watson's shortened season. It was tough to pick standouts at positions like wide receiver and guard, where the highest-ranked players headed into the 2017 draft didn't produce.

So my 2017 All-Rookie team has some first-round picks and others littered throughout from Rounds 2 through 7. Teams got a lot of value on Day 2.

I did a team in the preseason and at midseason, and there are several changes. I'm including again where each player landed on my final top 300 prospects list before the 2017 draft.

Here are the parameters (same as always):

This is a measure for all games played this season.

Total snap count matters. Staying on the field is a measure of value.

Positional value matters, but overall performance and impact on the team matter more.

Relative value matters. I ask: Would this player be a starter on most teams or on a good team?

OFFENSE

Quarterback


Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

Final Big Board rank: 34
Midseason pick: Watson
Preseason pick: DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns


How good would Watson's stat line have been if he hadn't torn his ACL in practice in early November? He had 19 touchdown passes in only six starts. That's more than Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor and Marcus Mariota had all season. DeShone Kizer, the lone rookie quarterback who started in Week 1, had only 11 touchdown passes to 22 interceptions. Just too many turnovers. Mitchell Trubisky flashed at times for the Bears, but he and Kizer finished in the bottom three in Total QBR. Year 2 is important for both -- Trubisky will have a new coach, while Kizer will likely be battling a first-round pick. I expect Watson to have a huge 2018 season.

Running back


Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Final Big Board rank: 82
Midseason pick: Hunt
Preseason pick: Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

Hunt and the Chiefs had a 1-6 lull in midseason but finished 4-0 to end the season. He had a rushing touchdown in all four of those games, and he's an important cog if Kansas City hopes to beat New England in a potential playoff matchup next weekend. Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards and added 53 catches. Cook was my preseason pick to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he tore his ACL in Week 4.

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

Final Big Board rank: 88
Midseason pick: Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars
Preseason pick: Fournette

How good was Kamara down the stretch? He's my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Saints have relied on running the ball and playing solid defense, and it's working. Drew Brees is playing efficiently while throwing shorter passes, many of them to his rookie running back. Kamara led the league in yards per carry (6.1) and had 81 catches and 14 total touchdowns. Anybody even remember when Adrian Peterson was in New Orleans? That's because Kamara has been so good (along with Mark Ingram). Fournette had only one 100-yard rushing game in his last five, barely squeaking above the 1,000-yard mark for the season (1,040).

All-purpose back



Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

Final Big Board rank: 6
Midseason pick: McCaffrey
Preseason pick: McCaffrey

McCaffrey finished the season with 80 catches and seven total touchdowns, though he averaged only 3.7 yards per carry. I expected more from him, but he improved down the stretch. Now Carolina has a chance to go on a postseason run in the wide-open NFC field. Tarik Cohen was in consideration here, too.

Wide receiver


Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Final Big Board rank: 83
Midseason pick: Kupp
Preseason pick: Kupp

The Rams have had one of the best offenses in the league in Year 1 under Sean McVay, but it's not all Todd Gurley. Kupp has been the primary slot receiver since Day 1, finishing the season with 62 catches for 869 yards and five touchdowns. I said before the year that he was one of the most physically-ready receivers in the draft class, and it has been a strange season for wide receivers taken in the first round -- Corey Davis had 34 catches, Mike Williams had 11 and John Ross had none. None of the three had touchdowns.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

Final Big Board rank: 39
Midseason pick: Smith-Schuster
Preseason pick: Zay Jones, Buffalo Bills

Smith-Schuster broke out in Week 8 with a seven-catch, 193-yard performance that included a 97-yard touchdown, and he finished the season with 58 catches and eight touchdowns, including one on a kick return. If you're looking for a potential X factor in the playoffs, Smith-Schuster might be the guy. And remember: He's only 21 years old. That Steelers offense has so much potential. Jones had only 27 catches on 74 targets for the Bills.

Tight end



Evan Engram, New York Giants

Final Big Board rank: 21
Midseason pick: Engram
Preseason pick: O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Engram had a lot more snaps and targets than I thought he would, but that's because the Giants were devastated by injuries to pass-catchers. He had to play. He finished the season with 64 catches and six touchdowns. Engram still has to improve as a blocker, but he's an important part of the Giants' future. Let's see who's throwing him the ball in 2018. Howard and David Njoku combined for 10 touchdown catches, too. It was a solid first year for rookie tight ends.

Offensive line


Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints

Final Big Board rank: 29
Midseason pick: Ramczyk
Preseason pick: Ramczyk

Sixteen games, 16 starts for Ramczyk. And he moved from left tackle to right tackle once Terron Armstead got healthy.



Cam Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

Final Big Board rank: 28
Midseason pick: Robinson
Preseason pick: Robinson

Like Ramczyk, Robinson was plugged into the starting left tackle spot early in training camp. The Jaguars' offseason trade for Branden Albert didn't work out. Robinson missed one game, but he was solid protecting Blake Bortles' blind side and clearing holes for Fournette.


Dan Feeney, Los Angeles Chargers

Final Big Board rank: 76
Midseason pick: Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Preseason pick: Bolles

Feeney, my No. 3-ranked guard before the draft, made nine starts for the Chargers after Matt Slauson was injured, helping Los Angeles dig out of an 0-4 hole. Forrest Lamp, my top-ranked guard, was ruled out for the season in training camp, so the guard group wasn't especially strong in 2017.



Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills

Final Big Board rank: 54
Midseason pick: Dawkins
Preseason pick: Taylor Moton, Carolina Panthers

The second-round pick has impressed down the stretch while filling in for Cordy Glenn at left tackle. I rated Dawkins as a guard, and he was dominant as a tackle at Temple. He has shown a lot in Year 1. Moton played only 62 offensive snaps for the Panthers.


Pat Elflein, Minnesota Vikings

Final Big Board rank: 62
Midseason pick: Elflein
Preseason pick: Elflein

Elflein has been a consistently good presence in the middle of the Vikings' O-line, though a shoulder injury forced him to miss two games, including the final regular-season game. Elflein is battling back to try to make it for Minnesota's divisional-round game.

DEFENSE

Defensive end


Carl Lawson, Cincinnati Bengals

Final Big Board rank: 52
Midseason pick: Lawson
Preseason pick: Jonathan Allen, Washington Redskins

Lawson finished the season with 8.5 sacks, 21 quarterback knockdowns and eight tackles for loss while playing in the Bengals' defensive line rotation. He started only one game but still played a lot. The former five-star recruit is super talented, but injuries dropped him to the fourth round in the draft. Keep an eye on him as a potential 10-sack-per-season pass-rusher going forward. The Bengals got a steal. Allen played in only five games due to a foot injury.


Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

Final Big Board rank: 1
Midseason pick: Solomon Thomas, San Francisco 49ers
Preseason pick: Garrett

The No. 1 overall pick had seven sacks, 18 quarterback knockdowns and nine tackles for loss -- in only 11 games. He missed the first part of the season with an ankle injury, but he was already one of the Browns' best defenders. He has All-Pro talent -- he just needs to stay on the field. I'm excited to see how he improves in 2018. Thomas had three sacks and 41 total tackles in 12 starts.

Defensive tackle



Dalvin Tomlinson, New York Giants

Final Big Board rank: 107
Midseason pick: Tomlinson
Preseason pick: Tomlinson

Tomlinson pitched in with 50 tackles and a sack while starting all 16 games next to Damon "Snacks" Harrison, playing 53.1 percent of New York's defensive snaps. The second-round pick was reliable against the run.



Larry Ogunjobi, Cleveland Browns

Final Big Board rank: 99
Midseason pick: Nazair Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Preseason pick: Eddie Vanderdoes, Oakland Raiders

The top of the 2017 DT class really hasn't played much. Chris Wormley, my top-ranked defensive tackle, played only 11.2 percent of the Ravens' defensive snaps. My No. 2 DT Malik McDowell hasn't played at all for the Seahawks after an injury before the season. The Browns have two candidates, though, including my No. 3-ranked DT Caleb Brantley, who has two sacks. But I'm going with the third-round pick Ogunjobi, who has 32 tackles and a sack while playing more snaps than Brantley.

Linebacker


T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Final Big Board rank: 48
Midseason pick: Watt
Preseason pick: Watt

After two sacks and an interception in his NFL debut, we thought Watt had to regress, right? He finished the season with seven sacks, 12 quarterback knockdowns and 10 tackles for loss. He also had 52 total tackles and started 15 games. It was a solid rookie year for the younger Watt brother, who's at his best when he can get after quarterbacks. The Steelers need him to be at his best in the playoffs.


Reuben Foster, San Francisco 49ers

Final Big Board rank: 8
Midseason pick: Kendell Beckwith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Preseason pick: Foster

Foster played only 10 games, but he was a menace in the middle of the 49ers' defense. He had seven tackles for loss and 72 total tackles. He was one of my favorite 2017 prospects and my top-ranked inside linebacker. He's the reason the 49ers parted ways with longtime stalwart NaVorro Bowman earlier this season. Beckwith had a good year, but Foster played at an All-Pro level when he was on the field.


Jarrad Davis, Detroit Lions

Final Big Board rank: 17
Midseason pick: Davis
Preseason pick: Davis

The Texans' Zach Cunningham was an option here, but Davis started two more games and had 14 more total tackles. And the first-round pick Davis -- who had 96 tackles, two sacks and an interception -- is a little better in coverage. He struggled with ankle injuries at Florida last season, but his 4.56-second 40-yard dash and 38½-inch vertical at the Florida pro day moved him up my board.

Cornerback


Tre'Davious White, Buffalo Bills

Final Big Board rank: 32
Midseason pick: White
Preseason pick: White

Cornerback was the easiest position to pick on this team. White was dependable -- he had four interceptions and broke up 15 other passes, along with 69 total tackles. He played 98.7 percent of the Bills' defensive snaps and looks like he could be Buffalo's No. 1 corner for years to come. The first-round pick was one of the most consistent prospects I graded in the Class of 2017.



Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints

Final Big Board rank: 9
Midseason pick: Lattimore
Preseason pick: Lattimore

Lattimore is my pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year. That means the Saints get both rookie award-winners. New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton did a fantastic job with their 2017 class. Lattimore had five interceptions, nine pass breakups and 52 total tackles in 13 starts. He didn't look out of place against the league's best receivers. Lattimore has a chance to be a special player in this league for a long time. Fifth-round pick Desmond King, who has done a great job for the Chargers, would be my pick for third cornerback.

Safety



Jamal Adams, New York Jets

Final Big Board rank: 3
Midseason pick: Adams
Preseason pick: Adams

There were a few good rookie safeties this season, but none were better than the No. 6 overall pick Adams. The Jets moved him around, even playing him some at linebacker and wide cornerback. That's versatility. He started every game, finishing with 82 tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries. The Jets again have the No. 6 pick for the second straight year -- they won't need to go safety with their first two picks again.



John Johnson III, Los Angeles Rams

Final Big Board rank: 143
Midseason pick: Marcus Maye, New York Jets
Preseason pick: Maye

The third-round pick started 11 games for the much-improved Rams, contributing an interception and 71 tackles. Los Angeles couldn't keep the Boston College product off the field. Eddie Jackson, who had two 75-plus-yard touchdowns in Week 7, and Marcus Williams, another Saints draft pick, were also in consideration.