1. Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III
Statistics: 67.1% completions, 2,193 pass yards, 12 TD, 3 INT; 93 rushes, 613 yards, 6 TD
Griffin came off his bye and absolutely shredded the Eagles defense, throwing just one incompletion in 15 attempts for 200 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Oh yeah, he also ran for 84 yards in the game. While Luck is putting up big yardage numbers and the Colts have a better record, Griffin has taken better care of the football, and has a sterling quarterback rating (101.0).
Previous Ranking: 2nd
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin
Statistics: 197 rushes, 1,000 yards, 7 TD; 27 catches, 319 yards, 1 TD
Martin's lost fumble at the goalline against the Panthers nearly cost his team the game, and while Tampa prevailed, it put a bit of a damper on his otherwise strong performance (138 rush yards, 23 receiving yards).
Previous Ranking: 1st
3. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck
Statistics: 57.1% completions, 2,965 yards, 12 TD, 12 INT; 35 rushes, 153 yards, 5 TD
Luck dropped back to Earth against the Patriots, though he did throw for over 300+ yards again (his fifth time), setting a new NFL rookie record for games with over 300 yards through the air. Luck has his team in position to reach the postseason, but will need him to take better care of the ball.
Previous Ranking: 3rd
4. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson
Statistics: 62.1% completions, 1,827 pass yards, 15 TD, 8 INT; 52 rushes, 189 yards
Wilson's season would be likely be good for considerable ROY talk, but RGIII and Andrew Luck have big names and put up ridiculous numbers, making Wilson severely underrated. Wilson also isn't necessarily asked to pass 30-40 times, as he has one of the league's premiere running backs in Marshawn Lynch behind him in the backfield.
Previous Ranking: 5th
5. Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson
Statistics: 180 rushes, 670 yards, 5 TD; 37 catches, 289 yards, 1 TD
After totaling 149 yards from scrimmage against a stout Cowboys defense, Richardson has pushed himself back into the conversation for the second best rookie runner. If it weren't for a slow start due to a preseason knee injury, he could very well be right there with Doug Martin in terms of production. Also impressive is the fact that Richardson has been able to do this despite opponents loading up the box and challenging a below-average Browns passing game.
Previous Ranking: 8th
6. Green Bay Packers cornerback Casey Hayward
Statistics: 37 tackles, 5 interceptions, 14 passes defensed
Hayward doesn't get a lot of the same recognition as some of the other rookies, but he's tied for second in the league with five interceptions, and is third in passes defensed.
Previous Ranking: 9th
7. Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris
Statistics: 184 rushes, 869 yards, 5 TD; 6 catches, 42 yards
Morris gets almost no publicity, as he's not even the best rookie on his team. Largely a two down back, Morris has been very productive in that role, but would do well to work on his pass-catching skills this offseason.
Previous Ranking: 4th
8. New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones
Statistics: 34 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
Jones sat out last week's win over the Colts, and recorded just one tackle in their previous game against the Bills. Despite all that, he still is on pace for just under 10 sacks this season, and has also forced three fumbles.
Previous Ranking: 6th
9. Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin
Statistics: 10 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble
I ding Irvin a little bit for the fact he's almost exclusively a situational pass rusher, but Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has utilized his speed rushing skills perfectly. Despite the fact I thought the Seahawks reached for him in last April's draft, he's clearly provided a major boost to their pass rush.
Previous Ranking: 7th
10. New England Patriots safety Tavon Wilson
Statistics: 31 tackles, 4 interceptions, 6 passes defensed
Wilson has shown great ball skills for a safety, and has also played well against the run. The Patriots had perhaps one of the best defensive drafts in recent memory, grabbing Jones and Wilson, as well as cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and linebacker Dont'a Hightower.
Previous Ranking: unranked
In the Mix: Jacksonville WR Justin Blackmon, Carolina LB Luke Kuechly, Cleveland WR Josh Gordon, New England CB Alfonzo Dennard
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