10. Lane Johnson Eagles RT- Johnson has had a up and down rookie season so far but is clearly the best tackle picked so far with Eric Fisher and Joeckel suffering from injuries. He has dominated some pretty good pass rushers, but has also struggled to defend guys like Shaun Phillips and Justin Houston. His athleticism has been a perfect fit in Chip Kelly's offense.
9. Deandre Hopkins Texans WR- Arguably the best WR so far in his rookie season ( See Robert Woods) has filled the spot opposite Andre Johnson very well. His big size and great hands highhandedly won the Texans there match up vs the Titans.
8. Dee Milliner Jets CB- Has had a rocky season and was in Rex Ryan's dog house early in the year but has rebounded fantastically and is playing some pretty awesome shut down corner. He is a product of the Jets incredible defense but has held his own and replaced #24 pretty well so far.
7. Barkevious Mingo OLB Browns- The 6th overall pick has been a force for Cleveland and has shown some impressive coverage skills as well. He currently has 17 tackles and 3 sacks. Mingo has shown off his speed and athleticism, he is proving his size is not a factor and will be a force for the rest of the year.
6. Ezekiel Ansah DE Lions- The 5th overall pick was questioned as a high pick as he was very raw coming out of BYU only playing one season of football. Well he is showing he belongs in this game. Ansah currently has 16 tackles and 3 sacks, but not only that, he has 2 forced fumbles. The Lions defense struggled with turnovers last season, but is getting a big boost from this first round stud that most said would be a ....dud.
5. Sheldon Richardson DT Jets- Richardson was questioned when drafted over Floyd and Lotlelei but is proving to be the right guy for the Jets defense. He has some impressive numbers with 36 total tackles and 2.5 sacks
4. EJ Manuel QB Bills- The only QB taken in the first round is out for 6 weeks but was having a pretty solid rookie year. He led the Bills to a 2-2 record before getting injured and had some impressive numbers for not throwing the football a lot. 985 yards 5 touchdowns and 3 INTS. Good stats for a rookie. He will need to get healthy quick if the Bills want to save their season. Manuel has looked worthy of his 16th overall pick and he is a personal favorite. He also showed some clutchness (If that is a word) against the Panthers as I attended that game I saw a comb and composed rookie who led down the field and scored a game winning touchdown throw to Stevie Johnson.
3. Kenny Vaccaro Saints S- The Safety has made the Saints into one of the best defenses in the league. He never misses tackles and is all over the ball. I really liked this kid out of Texans and with 33 tackles and 1 interception, the Saints got a gem.
2. Alec Ogletree LB Rams- His character was questioned, but again for the second year in a row Jeff Fisher took a chance on a talented yet troubled player....and it has payed off again. Ogletree has 46 combined tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and a pick six. He currently is all over the field in coverage as well. Plus a dominating force against the run. This kid is a stud....not a dud.
1. Eric Reid S 49ers- San Fran moved up to get this guy and just ask them how much they love this kid. Replacing Dashon Goldson in a loaded defense has actually made Reid a better player. With quarterbacks testing him, he has made the most of the ball coming his way as he leads the 49ers in intereptions. Not to mention his 5 deflected balls, and his 27 tackles to go along with his 3 interceptions.
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