NFL: 15 Rookies who are future Pro Bowlers

We always talk about judging players down the road, and this 2015 NFL Draft class is no different. We’re quick to grade the value of a pick and their fit, but in reality we don’t know how it will all shake out. Even beyond their rookie year, really, as things change so quickly in the NFL that a successful or unsuccessful year can turn all the way around the next season.

Today we look at the long term impact of this new crop of rookies and examine fifteen players who we think can be Pro Bowlers at some point in their career. It’s not just about their rookie season – many rookies won’t even get enough chances to make the Pro Bowl in their first year in the NFL.

No, it’s about the whole package, how they fit now and how they might fit in a few years. Will there be ample opportunity in the offense for that young wide receiver to get enough targets? Does he have a good quarterback to throw him the ball? What about that running back, does he have a good offensive line? Do we love that linebacker but know he might struggle to emerge from a packed front seven? Or do we think that offensive tackle is going to be overmatched for a few years, only to emerge down the road?

All these things factor into our thoughts about these players and how they will perform long term.

So with that out of the way, here are fifteen rookies we think have a shot at being Pro Bowlers during their careers and why.

Next: Shane Ray, OLB, Denver Broncos