One year isn’t enough time to reach a verdict on a rising NFL player’s career. It can tell us who’s probably going to be pretty good, however.
2022 was the backdrop to some breathtaking rookie campaigns. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner took the defense that helped push Cincinnati to a College Football Playoff and immediately became a shutdown cornerback for the New York Jets. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux each looked like the kind of edge rushers who’ll torment opposing tackles for the next decade. Kenny Pickett avoided catastrophe long enough for the Pittsburgh Steelers to win games around him.
