Every year, several rookies perform at a level well beyond their age and transition smoothly from college to the fast-paced NFL game. Last season, newcomers such as Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens, Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears and Steve Slaton of the Houston Texans blazed onto the national stage. With Ryan and Flacco quarterbacking their teams into the playoffs and Forte and Slaton amassing 1,000-yard-rushing seasons, this year's crop of NFL's rookies class will face the weight of some high expectations.
Perhaps the first-year who has gained the most attention has been New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Fresh out of the University of Southern California, where he started just one season, Sanchez will take over under center in place of the mercurial, on-again off-again Brett Favre.
Coach Rex Ryan, also a rookie in New York, named Sanchez the starter despite an up-and-down preseason that included an impressive showing against the New York Giants but a shaky performance against the Ravens.
In the aftermath of Ryan's declaration, comparisons between Sanchez and Flacco quickly have become commonplace. Flacco last year became one of just eight rookie quarterbacks in league history to start a playoff game, while Sanchez hopes to follow suit after being handed the reins to the rebuilding Jets. But even though Flacco and Sanchez may seem similar on paper regarding their professional inexperience and strong defensive support, they are miles apart on the field.
Whereas Flacco was blessed with Derrick Mason to throw to, Sanchez has no true go-to receiver. Gone is deep-ball threat Laveranues Coles, leaving opposing defenses to key in on Jerricho Cotchery.
But it's undeniable that Sanchez has the potential to fill in admirably for Favre, as the former showed with a stellar performance in limited playing time against the cross-town Giants. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 149 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown pass to Chansi Stuckey.
Yet, in his opening contests, Sanchez looked more like a quarterback fresh out of college than one focused on leading the Jets to the playoffs. Against the Ravens Sanchez was shaky in the pocket in the face of one of the league's best defenses, throwing one interception in only eight attempts and accumulating a passer rating of 55.7.
When Sanchez takes the field on Sept. 13 at Houston, he will become the first Jets rookie quarterback since 1960 to start the opening game. How he performs remains to be seen, but the expectations are certainly high.
Still, while Sanchez is one of the only quarterbacks in line to make an immediate impact, he is certainly not the lone first-year to generate noise this preseason. Across the country, two running backs are making a storm in their respective West divisions, and the rushing attacks of the Denver Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals hinge squarely on their legs.
Broncos back Knowshon Moreno, a first-round draft pick out of the University of Georgia, recently sprained his MCL, and his status is up in the air for Week One. Denver has a history of turning rookie backs into immediate stars, but with pass-happy rookie coach Josh McDaniels at the helm, Moreno's role remains uncertain.
The hype surrounding Moreno would indicate that he is next in line to become the latest star in the Denver backfield. In just two years at Georgia, he averaged 5.5 yards-per-carry and rumbled for 2,736 yards and 30 touchdowns. That does not even include the aggregate 600-plus yards he accumulated in the receiving game.
Rumors have been circulating that Moreno's injury will hinder him from partaking in the opener, but he certainly possesses the physical tools to be an instant splash in the AFC West upon return.
Meanwhile, the Super Bowl runner-up Arizona Cardinals hope their rookie weapon, running back Chris "Beanie" Wells, will provide the missing ingredient for their potent offense — an established running game. Despite ranking second in the league in passing yardage, the Cardinals placed dead last on the ground, averaging just 73.6 yards per game.
Selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Ohio State, Wells brings an established résumé to the desert. He rushed for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Buckeyes his sophomore year, including a 222-yard burst against Michigan, the most against the Wolverines by any one running back in rivalry history.
But performing in the NFL will be a different story. Like Moreno, Wells has the capability to make it big — he was the only back to run a faster 40-yard-dash than Moreno — and he has shown flashes this preseason. On Aug. 28 in his professional debut against the Green Bay Packers, Wells made a splash, rushing for 46 yards and two scores, including a 20-yard scamper in the second quarter.
Even with Pro Bowlers at quarterback in Kurt Warner and wide receiver in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, Wells should provide the necessary ground attack to keep opposing defenses from stacking the secondary.
While other first-years, such as Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, are high up on depth charts, the rookies will have a long climb to stardom. But Sanchez, Moreno and Wells all appear poised to make the leap sooner than expected.
Inside the NFL | Rookies rising: Are first-years ready to fulfill their potential?
