NFL announces six finalists for Rookie of the Year award

The NFL announced the six finalists for the 2023 Rookie of the Year award on Tuesday ahead of the divisional playoff round. Three of the six finalists are playing this weekend in the hopes of taking their team to a conference championship game. Meanwhile, the other three have wrapped their rookie seasons in the NFL with two of the three appearing in the first playoff games in their career last weekend.

The six finalists are Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane.

Stroud, Robinson and Gibbs were first-round selections in the 2023 NFL Draft. LaPorta went in the second round, followed by Achane in the third and Nacua in the fifth.

Of all six of the league’s top rookies, no one surprised quite like Nacua. While Stroud lived up to and even exceeded expectations in Houston, Nacua came out of left field to shatter the NFL’s rookie receiving record. He had 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns.

Bijan Robinson was a bright spot for Atlanta this season. He carried the ball 214 times for 976 yards with four rushing touchdowns. He also snagged 58 receptions for an additional 487 yards and four more touchdowns.

De’Von Achane battled injuries for the Dolphins but still flashed in his first year. He had 800 rushing yards on 103 carries with eight rushing touchdowns in 11 games. He also had 197 receiving yards on 27 receptions with three more touchdowns.

Rookie stars carry teams to divisional round

CJ Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, had 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions while completing passes at a 63.9% rate. He missed two games and took 38 sacks during the regular season. In the Texans’ Wild Card win over the Browns, he went 16-for-21 for 247 yards and three touchdowns.

Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs instantly impacted the Lions this season, both finishing second amongst their peers in touches and yards. LaPorta had 86 catches, 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gibbs also had 10 touchdowns (plus one more receiving touchdown) with 182 carries and 945 rushing yards.

NFL Divisional Round

Saturday, Jan. 20

AFC Divisional Round Game – (4) Houston at (1) Baltimore
Site: Baltimore
Time/TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
NFC Divisional Round Game – (7) Green Bay at (1) San Francisco
Site: San Francisco, Calif.
Time/TV: 8 p.m. ET, FOX

Sunday, Jan. 21

NFC Divisional Round Game – (4) Tampa Bay at (3) Detroit
Site: Detroit, Mich.
Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC
AFC Divisional Round Game – (3) Kansas City at (2) Buffalo
Site: Buffalo
Time/TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS