The 2022 NFL draft was a rare bird in that it lacked a clear-cut superstar quarterback prospect, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the early favorites for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year come from other positions.
New York Jets running back Breece Hall was sure to be among them before a torn ACL ended his promising rookie campaign.
That being the case, here are the three candidates who are pacing the rest of this year’s draft class for the top offensive honor among first-year players:
Texans RB Dameon Pierce
Pierce was a curious prospect coming out of Florida. With only 100 rushing attempts in his final season, and not a ton of tape as a pass-catcher, it made it tough to evaluate him. The Texans saw enough out of Pierce in his limited workload to take a swing on him in the fourth round, and it’s turning out to be a massive hit.
Pierce looked dominant in the preseason, and forced the Texans to hand him the starting role. Since then, Pierce has exploded, reminding everyone just how underutilized he was in college. So far this season, Pierce has already out-touched his last year with the Gators, with 105 rushes and 17 catches, which he’s turned into over 500 yards of offense as the Texans’ top offensive weapon.
A powerful runner between the tackles with plenty of burst to get through contact, Pierce should continue to command the lion’s share of the action in Houston’s backfield, giving him plenty of opportunities to put up the numbers necessary to take home the OROY.
Saints WR Chris Olave
When the Saints traded up for Olave in the first round, they knew they were getting a potential No. 1 receiver with the most polished route-running ability in this year’s draft. But even they might not have expected Olave to catch on as quick as he as, and make the kind of impact we’ve seen over the first seven weeks of his rookie campaign.
Olave is already putting up impressive numbers, coming off of his second 100-yard performance this season, already establishing himself as the best offensive weapon in New Orleans right now. The Saints have clearly molded their game plan to take advantage of his playmaking ability, and regardless of which quarterback is throwing the ball, he’s been unstoppable.
Should Olave continue on this path, and develop even further in his understanding of the game, he could easily contend for OROY, and perhaps even a Pro Bowl nod.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker
When Rashaad Penny went down in Week 5, things were looking dreary in the Seattle backfield. But when their second-round investment returned from a preseason injury, Walker took control of the Seahawks’ ground game in a massive way.
Walker has been a big-play machine, churning out back-to-back games with over 100 yards, and breaking off big touchdown runs on a weekly basis. This includes an incredible game against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he racked up 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
The Seahawks will undoubtedly continue to lean on Walker, with his impressive combination of vision, explosiveness, and patience making him a dominant force for a team that’s currently in first place in the NFC West.
