With Week 18 in our sights, it's that time of year where everyone in and around the NFL starts handing out end-of-season awards. Things are no different here at CBSSports.com. This week, on the With The First Pick podcast, CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Ryan Wilson and former NFL general manager Rick Spielman unveiled their All-Rookie Team for the 2023 season.
Quarterback: C.J. Stroud
Stroud put together one of the best rookie quarterback seasons in league history, up there with players like Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Robert Griffin III and more. He has so far completed 63.2% of his passes at an average of 8.1 yards per attempt, with 3,844 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He took over a Texans team that was one of the worst in the NFL and has led it to the brink of the playoffs despite working behind a subpar and injured offensive line, and losing one of his top receivers earlier in the season.
Running back: Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs got the nod here over Bijan Robinson and De'Von Achane. His 1,231 total yards nearly equal Robinson's and his 10 touchdowns exceed Robinson's total. The Lions first-rounder was also more efficient than Robinson on a per-touch basis. Achane was the most explosive player in the league at his position, but didn't play enough games or get enough touches to make as much of an impact as did Gibbs.
Wide receiver: Puka Nacua, Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers
Nacua came out of the fifth round and is verging on setting multiple rookie records, racking up 101 catches for 1,445 yards, heading into Week 18 for the Rams. Addison took over as the Vikings' No. 1 wideout for part of the season while Justin Jefferson was out, and has so far turned his 100 targets into 66 grabs for 854 yards and nine scores. Flowers has been Lamar Jackson's top receiver all season, and has alternately been an explosive deep threat and a short-area YAC machine, doing whatever the Ravens have needed on his way to a 77-858-5 receiving line.
Tight End: Sam LaPorta
LaPorta is a few receptions away from setting the record for a rookie tight end, and he is the only tight end in league history to surpass 80 catches, 800 yards and eight touchdowns. He's been a huge part of the Lions' explosive offense all year long.
Offensive tackle: Darnell Wright, Paris Johnson
Wright and Johnson got the nod here after starting all 16 games so far for the Bears and Cardinals, respectively. They struggled a bit in pass protection and with penalties at times, but turning into functional starters as rookies is quite the accomplishment.
Guard: O'Cyrus Torrence, Steve Avila
Avila has probably been the best of the rookie offensive linemen in pass protection, allowing only two sacks and seven hits all year for the playoff-bound Rams, per Pro Football Focus. Torrence has been a major contributor to Buffalo's rebuilt offensive line, which has been especially effective over the second half of the season as the Bills have surged in the playoff picture.
Center: Joe Tippmann
Tippmann, a second-rounder for the Jets, was one of only three rookie centers to see significant snaps this year. Jarrett Patterson played in only seven games for the Texans, and Tippmann was much more effective run- and pass-blocking than his Giants counterpart, John Michael Schmitz.
Edge rusher: Will Anderson Jr., Tuli Tuipulotu
Anderson (36) and Tuipulotu (33) lead all rookies in pressures for the Texans and Chargers, respectively. Anderson's pressure rate of 15.7% is on par with that of players like Bradley Chubb and Aaron Donald, while Tuipulotu's 11.7% rate puts him in company with Brian Burns and Joey Bosa. Pretty impressive stuff for a pair of first-year edge guys. They're also third (Anderson) and first (Tuipulotu) among rookie defenders in run stops, per PFF.
Interior DL: Jalen Carter, Bryan Bresee
Carter has faded down the stretch of the season for the Eagles, but was so effective early on that he's still tied with Tuipulotu with 33 pressures. His performance against the run, in particular, has waned, but he probably has more high-impact games than any rookie defender on the interior. It was surprising to see Bresee get this nod over Kobie Turner, but Bresee does still have 22 pressures and 15 stops on an effective New Orleans defense.
Linebacker: Ivan Pace Jr, Jack Campbell
Pace somehow went undrafted and then emerged as one of the best and most versatile players on Brian Flores' Vikings defense. He's got 93 tackles and eight quarterback hits, along with two passes defended, a forced fumble and a recovery, an interception, and 2.5 sacks. He's really impressive. Campbell has made some splash plays on the second level of Detroit's defense, and he has been solid against the run. Teams have been able to take advantage of him in coverage at times, but he's been dependable enough to emerge as a consistent starter or rotational player in his first year.
Cornerback: Devon Witherspoon, Joey Porter Jr., Deonte Banks
These three guys had very good seasons. Not just for rookie cornerbacks -- for anyone. Witherspoon split time between the slot and out wide and was Seattle's best corner. Porter was by far Pittsburgh's best cover man on the outside, and by the end of the year was at times shadowing No. 1 receivers and giving them issues with his size and physicality. And Banks was one of the only bright spots in this disastrous Giants season. An argument could be made for Tyrique Stevenson deserving one of these spots as well.
Safety: Brian Branch, Ji'Ayir Brown
Branch is tied for second among rookies with his three interceptions and 10 passes broken up, and he has been a playmaker in coverage all year for the Lions. He's nominally a safety but has done most of his work in the slot. Brown was asked to take over for injured Talanoa Hufanga, and he stepped right in and did a fantastic job fitting in with one of the NFL's best defenses.
