5 most surprising rookie seasons in NFL history

The NFL Draft always leads to discussions as fans across the league evaluate picks from every franchise. They usually focus more on first-round players, as they are often the most well-known or went to the biggest colleges.

Stars such as Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert were all very well-known early picks in recent memory, so it wasn’t a surprise to see them do well in their rookie years.

However, as you get further down the draft, we occasionally see late-round draft picks enjoy excellent rookie seasons. Their achievements are all the more notable as they aren't household names to fans across the league.

Here are five of the most surprising rookie seasons in NFL history:

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#5 Clinton Portis

Cleveland Browns v Washington Redskins

Not many eyebrows were raised across the league when the Denver Broncos drafted Clinton Portis 51st overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. It made him the fourth running back drafted that year.

However, Portis smashed all expectations straight away in Denver, amassing over 1,800 yards from scrimmage to go along with 18 total touchdowns.

He managed to pick up Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as well. Overall, Portis managed 9,923 rushing yards and 78 touchdowns across his NFL career with both the Broncos and the Washington Redskins.

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#4 Devin Hester

Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears drafted Devin Hester in round two of the 2006 draft and listed him as a cornerback. Hester was, of course, known for his insane return skills during his time in the league, and this was evident as soon as he entered the league.

He returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns during his rookie year, setting the league record for most touchdown returns in a season. By the time he retired, he had set the league record for total return touchdowns with 20, as well as being named All-Pro on four occasions.

Hester was also named into the 2000s and 2010s NFL All-Decade teams.

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#3 Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints v New York Jets

Alvin Kamara has been one of the best running backs in football since he entered the league in 2017 and took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Kamara recorded 728 rushing yards and 826 receiving yards to establish himself as arguably the best receiving back in football. He also had 14 total touchdowns to his name, as the third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints made himself a household name with NFL fans.

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#2 Phillip Lindsay

Houston Texans v Cleveland Browns

Phillip Lindsay went undrafted during the 2018 NFL Draft process before being picked up by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent. Hailing from Denver, Lindsay excelled when he arrived in the league, rushing for 1,037 yards in just 15 games and just eight starts.

He also had 10 total touchdowns, as he was named to the 2018 Pro Bowl. This feat meant Lindsay became the first undrafted rookie to be voted into the Pro Bowl in NFL history.

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#1 Darius Leonard

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Indianapolis Colts

Linebacker Darius Leonard’s selection in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft raised a few eyebrows. It was mostly because the Indianapolis Colts drafted an FCS linebacker so early. However, Leonard proved his doubters wrong from the start as he embarked on a historic rookie campaign.

He led the league in combined (163) and solo (111) tackles, in addition to recording eight passes defended and four forced fumbles. Leonard was named first-team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl.