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Grantland Midseason First - Round NFL Rookie Rankings ....

Monday Night Shyamalan

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Monday Night Shyamalan Newbie

Monday Night Shyamalan

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Posted

Guess who is #1 ....

 

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/80551/midseason-first-round-nfl-rookie-rankings

 

 

4. Kenny Vaccaro, S, Saints (no. 15)
3. Eric Reid, S, 49ers (no. 18)
2. Sheldon Richardson, DL, Jets (no. 13)
1. Star Lotulelei, DT, Panthers (no. 14)

It’s one thing to find a player who can be a reliable starter as a rookie. It’s another to find one who can actually develop into a true, quality starter play in and play out.

Vaccaro may be the biggest stretch with that designation, as he has mixed a few coverage mishaps in with his big plays, but he belongs in this group based on how much he has done to transform the Saints’ identity on defense. Part of New Orleans’s success on that side of the ball has been how much it has asked its players to do, and Vaccaro has played several roles in Rob Ryan’s defense. He can be a force against the run, he’s a willing blitzer, and he has a knack for making plays. He hasn’t been the best player from this class, but he may have been the best pick the Saints could have made.

In a draft where most of their picks were wait-and-see, high-upside options easily afforded with their deep roster, the 49ers took Reid with the hope he’d come in and start right away. That has happened, and he may actually be an upgrade in coverage over Dashon Goldson — who went to the Pro Bowl the past two year. A.J. Jenkins was a miss, but Reid looks like another huge score for the 49ers.

But while the safeties have played well, it’s the big guys up front who have stood out most from this class. Lotulelei and Richardson haven’t just been good for the Panthers and Jets, respectively — they’ve been dominant. New York ranks first in run defense DVOA, and Richardson has a lot to do with it (although Damon Harrison and Muhammad Wilkerson don’t hurt). A penetrating three-technique tackle in college, the thought was that Richardson would come in and be more effective as a pass-rusher early on, but it’s in the run game where he has done most of his damage. An incredible athlete, Richardson never really stops.

Lotulelei is just the latest in draft-day stories that sound obvious in retrospect. Considered by many to be the best player in the draft for most of the college football season, the former Utah defensive tackle fell down draft boards after a heart condition was discovered before the combine. The Panthers took him 13th overall, plugged him into the middle of their defense, and that was that. Carolina is fifth in defensive DVOA and second in scoring defense. Sometimes, the best decision is the most obvious one.

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