Earlier this week, ESPN writers released their countdown of the top ten rookies in the NFL this season.

It… got some attention.

Putting together any kind of list like that is destined to become a lightning rod, because trying to encapsulate the top players around the league, whether rookies or veterans, is something that everyone can drop an opinion on.

Including us here at Touchdown Wire.

So not to be outdone, here is Touchdown Wire’s Top 12 rookies this season. This is based primarily on film study of the league over the entire season to date. Because there are many deserving players, we also included an Honorable Mention section for those who are worthy of mention but did not quite make the cut.

Honorable Mentions

(AP Photo/Al Drago)

As with any list like this, no matter how many players you include there will be omissions. If you put together a top ten list, there are going to be a number of players on the outside looking in. Top twenty, top thirty, that fact does not change. But some of the players that have legitimate cases for inclusion include:

Washington running back Antonio Gibson, Chicago defensive back Jaylon Johnson, Jeremy Chinn in Carolina, Tee Higgins with the Bengals, Jerry Jeudy with the Broncos, Tua Tagovailoa with the Miami Dolphins, and CeeDee Lamb with the Dallas Cowboys.

Now, onto the Top 12.

12. Michael Onwenu, OL, New England Patriots

(AP Photo/Stew Milne)

Something about Michigan players and the sixth round for the New England Patriots…

As New England struggles to find an offensive identity, one of their bright spots have been rookie offensive lineman Michael Onwenu. They have used him at a variety of spots this season, but have seemed to find a home for him at the right tackle spot despite his time as a guard at Michigan. His footwork needs some refinement if he is going to stay on the edge, but his combination of strength and hand technique has enabled him to solidify an offensive line that was in flux for some of the season.

11. Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

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The depth of this wide receiver class had many overlooking some of the talented players that were available after the first round, but the success of players like Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman and of course Chase Claypool has people rethinking that pre-draft position. Claypool has been a go-to target for Ben Roethlisberger in the passing game this season, and his combination of size, speed and strength makes him a threat to all levels of the field.

In the Steelers’ offense, they are finding ways to create mismatches for receivers in single coverage situations using 3×1 formations, and that has given Claypool some one-on-one opportunities to flourish in the passing game. Plus, it is hard to argue with seven receiving touchdowns.

10. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)

There is a case to be made that Antoine Winfield Jr. is already one of the best safeties in the game. We’ll leave that debate for another time – and perhaps for Doug Farrar to tackle – but looking at this rookie class there is reason to include him on a list such as this one.

He got off to a great start this season, and his production has perhaps quieted of late, but some of that might have been due to the games the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played recently, including a blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. But he looks every bit the disruptive safety the organization thought they were getting when they drafted him, and that’s gonna put him on a list like this.

9. Julian Blackmon, S, Indianapolis Colts

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Antoine Winfield Jr. is not the only standout rookie safety in the NFL this season, there is also Julian Blackmon with the Indianapolis Colts. Blackmon has stepped into the free safety role vacated by the injured Malik Hooker, and has thrived in that role. He already has a pair of interceptions this season in the stout Colts defense, including one of Joe Burrow that sealed a Week 6 win.

Recently, however, the Colts have used him down near the line of scrimmage more. He has two tackles for a loss this season, both of which came in the past two weeks. Last week he got Derrick Henry behind the line of scrimmage on a running play. As Matt Eberflus uses him in different roles, you’ll see his body of work expand. Blackmon is certainly a player to keep an eye on down the stretch.

8. James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

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There have been few bright spots in Jacksonville this season – aside from the fact the tank seems to be on to the cheers of Jaguars fans – but one of them is certainly rookie running back James Robinson. An undrafted rookie running back out of Illinois State, Robinson has been a core component of the Jacksonville offense this season.

To date, Robinson has 689 rushing yards on 155 attempts for five touchdowns. He also has 29 receptions for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns, averaging 7.9 yards per reception. He has both the power and the change-of-direction ability to be a featured back in the NFL. While the Jaguars have to answer questions at other positions on offense – most notably at quarterback – they definitely have something with Robinson in the backfield.

7. Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns are in playoff contention, and rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. is a big reason why. He has stepped into that LT spot and performed extremely well for the Browns, giving up just three sacks through nine games in the NFL. Better still, he seems to be improving from week to week. Judging by grading from Pro Football Focus, his best two pass blocking games of the season were in Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders and in Week 10 against the Houston Texans, the last two games played by the Browns. He has not allowed a pressure on Baker Mayfield since the Cincinnati game back in Week 7. If the Browns keep winning, his work at LT will be a huge reason why.

6. Mekhi Becton, OT, New York Jets

Another member of the rookie class of  tackles checks in on this list, and it is big Mekhi Becton with the New York Jets. Like the Jaguars, there have not been many bright spots with the Jets this season. Sam Darnold is facing questions about his future with the organization and Adam Gase certainly seems like one of the next coaches to be fired, but Becton has been as advertised. His combination of size and power makes him a potential cornerstone tackle in the NFL, and he has been a force in the run game. If there is one thing to watch, it is the injury question, as he has been dinged up a few times this year. But when healthy, he is a player to watch.

5. Chase Young, DL, Washington Football Team

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It certainly seemed like Chase Young was going to live up to the hype after his first NFL game. In a surprising – at the time – Washington win over Philadelphia Young notched a pair of sacks against Carson Wentz.

He only has one more sack since then, a Week 9 takedown of Daniel Jones, but he has also amassed 14 quarterback hurries in that time. Along Washington’s front, the talent level is such that if Young is not getting to the passer, either Ryan Kerrigan, Montez Sweat or somebody else is. The strength of Washington right now is there defense, and what Young brings to the table as a pass rusher is a big component of their success.

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Behind a patchwork offensive line, Joe Burrow has largely lived up to the hype as the first overall draft pick. On the year Burrow has completed 65.4% of his passes for 2,485 yards and 12 touchdowns against five interceptions, and the Bengals have been more competitive than many expected them to be in 2020. Sure they looked bad against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but many teams have.

Has Burrow been perfect? No. Few rookie quarterbacks are. Watching him in the structure of the Cincinnati offense you can see how Zac Taylor is crafting a system where he can be successful, with some half-field designs and a lot of plays out of empty formations.

Perhaps most telling is the fact that Burrow is battling on despite taking some big hits over the past few weeks. Competitive toughness matters at the quarterback position, and that is a box that Burrow certainly checks.

3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

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Justin Jefferson is a prime example of putting a rookie into a perfect situation. Many pegged Jefferson as simply a slot receiver coming out of LSU, given how Joe Brady used him last season in the passing game, but that was a short-sighted way of viewing him. Back in the 2018-2019 season, Jefferson displayed that he could be an effective receiver on the outside when tasked with beating press coverage.

Rather than harping on his pre-draft evaluation however, it is better to focus on where he landed. In Minnesota, where the Vikings utilize a lot of 12 offensive personnel. That means Jefferson gets to operate out of a more reduced split at times, giving him that two-way go he often saw last year when aligned in the slot.

The result? He has put up incredible numbers for the Vikings. To date Jefferson has caught 42 passes for 762 yards and three touchdowns, and has averaged 18.1 yards per route. These are all impressive numbers for a wide receiver, let alone a rookie, and as such he should certainly be in the mix for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

2. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

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Bad haircuts aside, Justin Herbert has also been a revelation this season. Coming out of Oregon, he faced questions about his scheme fit given what he was asked to do in college conceptually. But offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton deserve a ton of credit for what Herbert has done so far. The Los Angeles Chargers have put Herbert in a spread-based system that features layered route concepts and a lot of downfield throws. This allows Herbert to rely on his combination of arm talent and ability to read and throw against leverage that he flashed at Oregon, and that is probably a pre-requisite for rookie quarterbacks.

But Herbert also deserves credit for how he has also developed and refined his game. Ask anyone who studied him or who coached against him at Oregon, and they are likely very surprised with how Herbert has handled pressure in the pocket this season. That was a weakness of his game at Oregon, but something he has definitely improved upon as a rookie quarterback. That is very rare.

1. Tristan Wirfs, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers acquired Tom Brady as a free agent back in March, one task became critical to their success in 2020.

They needed to protect him.

Tasked with protecting one edge has been rookie tackle Tristan Wirfs. He has started every game at right tackle for Tampa Bay, and so far this season he has allowed one sack of Brady, which came on a Thursday night game back in Week 5 against Khalil Mack. Other than that, he has helped keep Brady clean in the pocket for an offense that at times has been one of the best in the league.

Sure, playing in front of Brady makes it easy, given how quickly the veteran QB gets the ball out, but in the Bruce Arians offense that features a lot of downfield throws, you need tackles that can hold up on those designs. Wirfs has done that and more.