Nine weeks into the 2016-17 NFL season and already five former SEC players are being recognized as some of the league’s top 10 highest-performing rookies.
Pro Football Focus has finished crunching its numbers and the results say that Dallas Cowboys first-year players in running back Ezekiel Elliott and former Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott are the best two rookies in the NFL entering Week 10.
“Dak Prescott soundly shredded a hapless Browns’ defense in Week 9, going six-for-seven for 115 yards on intermediate throws (between 10 and 20 yards downfield),” Michael Renner wrote. “As long as he protects the ball, the Cowboys will be in every game this year, and Prescott will maintain his advantage over Carson Wentz in these rankings. For all the flak Prescott has received for not throwing the ball downfield, 58.9 percent of his yards have come through the air, the 10th-highest rate in the NFL.”
To the rankings:
1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
2. Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys (Mississippi State)
3. Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles
4. Jack Conklin, RT, Titans
5. Joey Bosa, OLB/DE, Chargers
6. Michael Thomas, WR, Saints
7. Laremy Tunsil, LG, Dolphins (Ole Miss)
8. Keanu Neal, S, Falcons (Florida)
9. Hunter Henry, TE, Chargers (Arkansas)
10. Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs (Mississippi State)
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
