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Young Blood: A look at which rookies will have an impact this year in the NFL The NFL Draft of 2000 supplied the league with tremendous talent. Here's a look at what rookies will have an impact this season. Rookies: Class of 2000
Jamal Lewis As the first running back taken in the 2000 draft, Lewis could be the next big time running back in the NFL. He's quickly proving that the Ravens made the right choice. He's got the rare combination of fullback size and running back speed. His great performance in a losing effort against the Dolphins earned him the starting job. The Ravens will still use Priest Holmes a lot but Lewis will receive most of the carries. He should easily be a 1,000 yard rusher in his first year if he stays healthy.
Courtney Brown Courtney Brown was the first defensive end to be selected number one overall since Bruce Smith was taken out of Virginia Tech, 9 million years ago. In just 3 games Brown already has 3 sacks. He's got good size, and he could get bigger as the years go by. Brown has great speed for his size so he's very good at accelerating against an offensive lineman. He's also got very long arms (he's got an 86-inch wing span), so even if he can't completely get to the quarterback he can reach for him. He's a quiet guy but very intimidating. Brown should be a Pro Bowler in a few years.
LaVar Arrington LaVar Arrington had one of the most exciting college careers any defensive player has ever had in the NCAA. He was a human highlight reel with a great play happening every game. The Redskins made him the #2 pick in the entire draft and expected big things out of him right away. So far things are going a little slower than expected. Arrington held out and missed almost a week of training camp. This really slowed down his learning process in terms of getting a grasp of Ray Rhoades's defensive system. However, his upside is tremendous. He'll without a doubt be starting soon. The Redskins' defense is playing well but they need Arrington's big play ability to help revamp an already impressive defense. He's made some very big hits when he's been on the field. It's just a matter of time before this monster is unleashed full time on the NFL.
Travis Taylor Taylor was the second of the Raven's two first round picks. He's made an immediate impact on the their offense. His presence takes the pressure off Qadry Ismail. He's already pulled in a few touchdowns and could really surprise a lot of people.
Ron Dayne Ron Dayne has really surprised me. All he did in college was break Ricky Williams's career NCAA rushing record. But I was never really sold on him. So far he's proving me wrong, though. What else can you say about a running back that weighs more than the defenses starting linebacker core? Dayne uses his great size to grind out yards out of nothing. If he gets outside he's dangerous too. Because of his size, teams try to tackle him by his legs and feet, but Dayne is so nimble he easily jumps over opposing arms and gets good yardage. He works great with Tiki Barber, and was a solid pick for the G-Men.
Dre Bly At one time during his college career at the University of North Carolina, Dre Bly was the best cornerback in the nation. During his career as a Tar Heel, he set an ACC record with 20 career interceptions. He was on the covers of magazines and was a household name amongst college football fans. Then he kind of fell off the face of the earth. Peter Warrick emerged as the ACC's superstar and everyone forgot about Dre Bly. He no longer was the best corner in the nation as Georgia's Champ Bailey and Arizona's Chris McCallister were taken ahead of him in the draft. Bly was drafted by the Rams in the second round and made great contributions in their ride to the Super Bowl. He is still a great corner with good speed and great athleticism. The Chesapeake, Virginia, native is playing great this year and could be the Rams starting cornerback of the future. Stay tuned for next week's article about players from the Class of 1999 that have made great impacts in their second year. |