ESPN Final NFL Rookie Rankings

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2. Mac Jones, QB, New England Patriots
Stats: 3,801 passing yards, 22 TDs, 13 INTs
Drafted: No. 15 overall

Jones discovered down the stretch what many rookies -- especially quarterbacks -- eventually do: Adjusting when opponents attack your weaknesses is simply a part of NFL life. He had two of his three multi-interception games over the last four weeks, and he completed just 51.9% of his passes over a two-game losing streak at the end of December. But in terms of degree of difficulty, what was on his vocational plate and the expectation level for the team (both inside and outside the building), Jones dealt with more than anyone else in the rookie class. And his team made the postseason with 10 wins.

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5. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Stats: 81 receptions, 1,455 receiving yards, 13 TDs
Drafted: No. 5 overall

Chase was a problem for defenses early in the season (101 yards in Week 1), in the middle of the season (201 yards in Week 7) and late in the season (266 yards in Week 17). Flowers and well-wishes to the AFC North defensive backs for, well, years to come. As he and quarterback Joe Burrow continue to build on what they've already done, more days like the rookie-record 266-yard effort against the Chiefs in the second-to-last game of the regular season are possible. His 1,455 receiving yards were the most for a rookie in the Super Bowl era, and before you point to the extended regular season, he actually broke the record in Week 17.

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6. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Stats: 68 receptions, 1,026 yards, 1 TD
Drafted: No. 4 overall

Some will point to the lone touchdown, but talk to personnel executives around the league, and you get a lot of no-doubt assessments of his play. Many actually have Pitts above Chase here because of the upside and skill set. Pitts consistently wins in man coverage, even when defensive coordinators put a cornerback across from him, and he can work from all over the formation, both in tight and out wide. He is just the second rookie tight end in league history to top 1,000 yards, as his 1,026 receiving yards sit right behind Mike Ditka's 60-year-old NFL-record 1,076 yards.

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7. Pat Surtain II, CB, Denver Broncos
Stats: 58 tackles, 4 INTs, 14 passes defended, 1 TD
Drafted: No. 9 overall

Surtain missed the Broncos' season finale with a calf injury, but up until that point, he consistently played with the composure of a "guy who's been in there for years,'' Broncos safety Justin Simmons said. Denver coach Vic Fangio was willing to put Surtain across from the best of the best every week without worry. The top-10 pick wasn't often challenged by quarterbacks, who usually chose not to pick on the rookie, but he tended to get his hands on the ball when they did.

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8. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Stats: 104 receptions, 1,015 yards, 6 TDs (plus one rushing TD)
Drafted: No. 6 overall

For some, Waddle's production will always be measured against the trade the Dolphins made to select him (the Dolphins moved up six spots, but it cost them an additional 2022 first-rounder). But Waddle consistently improved as the weeks went by, with five games with at least eight receptions during Miami's six-game winning streak in the second half of the season.

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DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: Smith closed out the year with 64 receptions, 916 receiving yards and five touchdowns in an offense that had the fewest pass attempts in the league (29.1 per game). And 67% of Smith's receptions this season resulted in a first down.

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Christian Barmore, DT, New England Patriots: Barmore injured his right knee in the regular-season finale against the Dolphins but was consistently explosive and disruptive on the inside. His seven quarterback knockdowns were second on the team to Matthew Judon.

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Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Harris finished a busy rookie season with 1,200 rushing yards (tops among rookies) and 74 receptions (second on the Steelers). His 381 touches as a runner and receiver led the league's running backs, and he was one of just two running backs in the league to top 300 carries for the year.

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Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs

Smith was my under-the-radar rookie in October's edition of the rookie rankings, but he's back again. Perhaps he hasn't gotten quite the recognition he deserves because he has been overshadowed by fellow rookie Creed Humphrey -- who is my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But we should not be sleeping on Smith, who was stellar in his own right. Among guards, he ranked second in pass block win rate and third in run block win rate. In other words: By our win rate metrics, Smith was one of the very, very best guards in the league this season despite being a rookie taken in the sixth round. The Chiefs knocked this pick out of the park.

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