Time for a new Rookie Big Board, my ranking of the best rookies of the 2017 NFL season. Here's my top 30, plus where each player landed on my final top 300 prospects list before the 2017 draft.
Here are the parameters (same as always):
As with my other Big Boards, write-ups here won't change too much. I'll just note recent stat changes along with some of my scouting notes.
This is a measure for all games played this season -- not just last week.
Total snap count matters. Staying on the field is a measure of value.
Positional value matters, but overall performance and impact on the team matter more.
1. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Previously ranked: 3 | Final 2017 Big Board rank: 88 | Where he was drafted: 67
Kamara played only a few plays on Thursday night before a helmet-to-helmet hit sidelined him for the game, but he has been ridiculous since the Saints traded away running back Adrian Peterson. His loss was felt against the Falcons. Kamara has 11 total touchdowns and leads the league in yards per carry (7.0) by more than a full yard. Kamara was my eighth-ranked running back before the draft, as he split time in the Tennessee backfield and had only 210 carries from 2015 to '16. The Alabama transfer led all running backs with a 39½-inch vertical leap and 10-foot-11 broad jump at the combine.