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Through 12 weeks of the 2022 NFL season, plenty of the league’s rookies have looked excellent stepping up to the pros from college. On both sides of the ball we’ve seen some of the top 2022 draft prospects making plays, as well as those selected further down in the drafting process.
Some rookies have shocked NFL fans with how well they’ve been balling out so far in the 2022 season, and here we rank five who already look like superstars.
Top 5 rookies in the 2022 NFL season
#5 - Breece Hall, New York Jets
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New York Jets running back Breece Hall was a top candidate for Rookie of the Year before injury cut his debut campaign short. Hall was excellent when on the field and in seven games he rushed for 483 yards and four touchdowns.
Not only that, he also averaged 5.8 yards per carry, which is the fourth-best in that category in the entire NFL. Hall will be hoping to pick up where he left off when he returns to the field in 2023.
#4 - Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
Aidan Hutchinson was the second-overall pick of the 2022 draft, and the Lions DE already looks like a stud. In 11 career starts he’s already racked up 5.5 sacks, as well as 31 total tackles. On top of this, Hutchinson has also recorded two interceptions in his short career.
The rookie looks set to be a menace to opposition offenses for years to come, based on his 2022 campaign. To top it off, he was recently named defensive Rookie of the Month for November.
#3 - Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker has been a breath of fresh air for Seattle since replacing the injured Rashaad Penny. Walker has amassed 613 yards and nine touchdowns in just 10 career games. He’s proven he knows how to find the end zone and will go through just about anything or anyone to get there.
Having a solid rushing game has also helped Geno Smith and the Seahawks surprise many fans this year. Instead of competing for the first-overall pick in 2023, they’re well in the playoff hunt at 6-5. They sit second in the NFC West and that is partly down to Walker.
#2 - Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks
Like Walker, Tariq Woolen has helped transform the Seahawks, who looked decimated after trading away Russell Wilson in the 2022 offseason. Woolen, a cornerback who wasn’t drafted until round five, has already amassed five interceptions in his short career.
Woolen also returned one of them for a touchdown and his five INTs rank second in the entire league. He has established himself as a ball-hawk DB, and has all the makings of a future superstar in the pros.
#1 - Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, New York Jets
The New York Jets hit two home runs during the 2022 NFL Draft with Breece Hall and Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner. Gardner is already viewed by many NFL fans as one of the top-five cornerbacks in the league, which as a first-year player is frankly ridiculous.
Gardner has caught two interceptions, as well as 14 passes defended - a stat which leads the entire NFL. He’s also put up an 86.7 overall player grade from PFF, which is the highest grade out of any corner in the entire league.
Keep an eye out for Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner's development, as he looks set to be a major feature in the Jets' defense for years to come.
