The best rookie seasons in NFL history

The 2020 NFL Draft is approaching, and we'll soon have answers for all the questions we’ve raised about which players will go where. The conversation will then shift to which players will make their mark with their new franchises. 

Will any take a shot at history, etching their name in the record books and in the minds of football fans for years to come? That, too, will get answered in time. For now, we look back at the top five offensive rookie seasons of all time. 

Randy Moss (Minnesota Vikings – 1998)

The transition from college to the NFL isn’t easy, and receivers can especially struggle at times to reach those lofty expectations right away. 

There may be additional complexities that take time to learn in a new offense. Defenses are obviously much better in the NFL than in college in terms of personnel, systems, coaching, and execution.

None of that fazed Randy Moss. 

The Vikings selected Moss with the 21st pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, and he was an immediate impact player, racking up 1,313 yards receiving and a league-leading 17 touchdowns in his rookie season.

One performance stands out above the rest in his rookie season. In a Week 12 showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, Moss turned just three catches into 163 yards receiving and three touchdowns.

Gale Sayers (Chicago Bears – 1965)

Just about every time Gale Sayers stepped on the field during his rookie season, he was a threat to score. 

Selected fourth overall by the Chicago Bears in 1965, Sayers was dynamic, scoring 22 touchdowns in his first year. 

Sayers scored 14 of those touchdowns running ball, with 867 rushing yards and 5.2 yards per carry. He added six receiving touchdowns, with 507 yards receiving and 17.5 yards per catch. 

Sayers didn’t stop there. He could hurt you on special teams, too, scoring two touchdowns on kickoff or punt returns. When the season was over, he led the NFL with 2,272 all-purpose yards. 

Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams – 1983)

Eric Dickerson burst onto the scene for the Los Angeles Rams as the second pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. 

He scored 20 touchdowns – 18 rushing, two receiving – and led the NFL in rushes (390), rushing yards (1,808), rushing yards per game (113.0), and total yards from scrimmage (2,212). 

Dickerson's heightened ability to find those small openings, to accelerate with breakaway speed, and break tackles put him on another level throughout most of his career. 

There is no surprise he was named to the NFL’s All-Time Team this past November.

Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers – 2011)

Cam Newton became a dual threat as the rookie quarterback of the Carolina Panthers. 

Selected first overall out of Auburn in the 2011 NFL Draft, Newton threw for 4,051 yards – a personal single-season total he has never been able to match since – and 21 touchdowns. 

Yes, Newton also threw 17 interceptions, but Andrew Luck threw 18 interceptions in his rookie year, and Peyton Manning – one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time – was picked off 28 times as a rook. 

What made Newton so special was his ability to make big plays on the run. 

Robert Griffin III (Washington Redskins - 2012)

Honorable mention to Russell Wilson here, but Robert Griffin III was on another level in his first year with the Washington Redskins. He could do it all. 

His passing numbers were solid, with 3,200 yards through the air, 20 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. 

He was also a threat to run the ball, with 815 yards rushing, a league-leading average of 6.8 yards per attempt, and seven touchdowns. 

When the season was over, he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

We will always wonder what could've been with Robert Griffin III, but injuries took their toll and he has been limited to only 41 starts in his career.