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After every season, Gil Brandt of NFL.com assembles the names of some of the first-year players who really stood out and forms an “All-Rookie” team. Brandt just released this year’s roster, and three Chargers found themselves on it. That ties the Bolts with the Chicago Bears for most rookies on the list. Those three players were TE Hunter Henry, DE Joey Bosa, and P Drew Kaser. Here’s what Gil had to say about each of the Bolts young stars along with my quick take on each of them.
Brandt: “Henry averaged 13.3 yards per catch and totaled eight touchdowns on 36 catches. He’s a very good red-zone receiver and improved a lot as a blocker during the season. I think he’s going to be a very productive tight end.”
My take: Hunter Henry is going to be a very special player. He is already great at finding the hole in zone coverages and knows how to work his man to get open. That’s what makes him so dangerous in the red-zone.
Brandt: “I think the Defensive Rookie of the Year surprised nearly everyone by coming in and playing like did after a holdout. Bosa racked up 10.5 sacks and 46 pressures in 12 games.”
My take: Bosa is just unstoppable. That’s all there is to it. He’s already one of the best at his position and he is only going to get better. Bosa will be dominating in this league for years to come.
Brandt: Kaser averaged 46.3 yards per punt and did not have a single punt blocked, though he did have one returned for a touchdown. He’s a very good directional kicker.”
My take: After a sensational pre-season, Kaser had kind of a rocky start to his career. He shanked a couple of punts early on, but was much better later on in the year as he grew more comfortable.
(Note: That Kaser punt that was returned for a touchdown was ridiculous. Tyreek Hill did everything you’re not supposed to do as a returner and still scored.)
Here is the full list of Gil Brandts All-Rookie team:
Quarterback
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Running back
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears
Wide receiver
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Malcolm Mitchell, New England Patriots
Tight end
Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers
Offensive tackle
Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions
Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans
Offensive guard
Joe Thuney, New England Patriots
Laremy Tunsil, Miami Dolphins
Center
Cody Whitehair, Chicago Bears
Defensive lineman
Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
Noah Spence, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
DeForest Buckner, San Francisco 49ers
Linebacker
Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Darron Lee, New York Jets
Leonard Floyd, Chicago Bears
Cornerback
Vernon Hargreaves, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars
Eli Apple, New York Giants
Safety
Keanu Neal, Atlanta Falcons
Sean Davis, Pittsburgh Steelers
Punter
Drew Kaser, Los Angeles Chargers
Kicker
Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints
Returner
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
Special teams player
Miles Killebrew, Detroit Lions