theScore's NFL Awards Roundtable: Offensive Rookie of the Year
The NFL Honors will be handed out on Feb. 4, but theScore's NFL Editors are making a case for the players whom they feel deserve to take home the hardware this season.
theScore's NFL Awards
- Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Coach of the Year
- Comeback Player of the Year
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Most Valuable Player
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
1,631 rushing yards, 15 TDs
32 receptions, 363 receiving yards, 1 TD
While his Cowboys teammate Dak Prescott ran him close, Elliott should take home this award. When you're taken fourth overall in the draft, especially as a running back, many expect immediate returns. Somehow, Elliott managed to actually exceed the sky-high expectations, easily becoming the focal point of a resurgent Dallas team. This should be the first of many, many individual awards for the young back. -Jack Browne
All Elliott did was lead the NFL in rushing in his first year as a pro. The case for Elliott isn't hard to make. He didn't beat Eric Dickerson's rookie rushing record, but he came as close as a rook can be expected to. Elliott was the difference-maker in the Cowboys' turnaround from 4-12 to 13-3. -Michael McClymont
There's no debate on this one, Elliott trumps all others as the offensive rookie of the year and deserves consideration as the league MVP, but we'll discuss that later in the week. -Justin Boone
Prescott had an incredible debut season, and a fourth-round rookie stealing Tony Romo's job is a major story. But the Cowboys just don't win 13 games without Elliott. The Ohio State product lived up to the hype. -Dan Wilkins
He may have been in the most ideal situation possible, running behind the Cowboys' stellar offensive line, but his dominance went totally unmatched by the rest of the rookie class. Elliott finished first in league rushing yards despite sitting out Week 16, racking up 318 yards more than runner-up and fellow first-year back Jordan Howard. He shook off the rookie rust early, putting up his worst performance of the year in Week 1 and didn't look back. His biggest fault may have been making it look too easy. -Mitch Sanderson
Elliott was arguably the NFL's most electrifying player, with his breakaway speed and field vision on full display throughout the season. At 21, Elliott appears poised to dominate the NFL for the next decade and is the star of a very deep rookie class. -Arun Srinivasan
Elliott, obviously. -David P. Woods
theScore's NFL Awards