National Football League

Rookies Making NFC East Great Again

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The NFC East bolsters four star rookies that have changed the state of the division while being viable candidates for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

A once-docile division in 2015, the NFC East has turned around completely just one season removed from historically bad play. And it’s all because the teams took chances and struck gold.

The NFC East was the laughing stock of the league in 2015. It wasn’t just bad—it was historically bad. The division accounted for 14 wins against non-NFC East opponents, the worst record since 1970. The Redskins having the only winning record with 9-7. Oddly, it was a tough division to win because none of the four teams were all that good.

That’s all changed—except for the “tough division to win.”

Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz have flipped the script for their teams. The Dallas Cowboys found their future in Prescott while the Philadelphia Eagles continue to reap benefits with Wentz. Ezekiel Elliot is living up to every bit of his expectations while Sterling Shepard makes the New York Giants dangerous.

Let’s take a look at this crop of rookies that are changing the face of the NFC East.

Dak Prescott

With the best offensive line in the league, the Dallas Cowboys just needed a quarterback that could execute in Tony Romo’s absence. Dak Prescott has done that and then some. His success has led Dallas to a division-leading 4-1 start. And by the way, Prescott has thrown zero interceptions. He is the only rookie quarterback in that standing this season.

Prescott is the division leader for now with 1,239 yards passing and four touchdowns.

He was just meant to be a place-holder until the return of the great-but-fragile Tony Romo. Romo has a lot to worry about and the Cowboys would be foolish to stop this ball from rolling.

Let’s give credit where credit is due; Prescott wasn’t a sought-after player as a fourth-round draft pick. Dallas clearly saw potential. He won the job over newly-squired Mark Sanchez, whose veteran status meant nothing competing against the standout.

Carson Wentz

He won’t be much, they said. He’s just an FCS quarterback, they said. Apparently they were all wrong. Carson Wentz is adjusting to the NFL in the most expectation-exceeding way.

Wentz has been a saving grace for the Philadelphia Eagles—a franchise that was hoping to find its identity in the post-Chip Kelly era. Nobody predicted a 3-1 start Philadelphia. The pressure may be slightly off the No. 2 overall pick after throwing his first interception of his pro career in the loss against the Detroit Lions.

Wentz has thrown for 1,007 yards, seeing the end zone to score seven times. His poise and leadership have been something the Philadelphia Eagles have needed for some time. Facing all non-divisional teams to this point, Wentz will have his first NFC East divisional game against the Redskins.

Ezekiel Elliot

Believe the hype. All of it. Ezekiel Elliot is the real deal. Running behind the league’s best offensive line, Elliott is on pace for a record-setting season.

The Dallas Cowboys are set. Elliot made NFL history, being just the third rookie to have 130+ rush yards in three-straight games. His achievements so far exceed some of the franchise’s most successful backs. He’s rushed for 546 yards and five touchdowns in his first five games. Tony Dorsett (337 yards and four touchdowns), Herschel Walker (285 yards and four touchdowns), and Emmitt Smith (225 yards and three touchdowns) can’t say that over their first four games.

Elliott started in a lull in comparison to his last few games. And that’s because he is improving every week. His yards per carry average from Week 1 to 5 goes: 2.6, 4.0, 4.7, 6.0, and 8.9. If you’re a Cowboys fan, you have every right to be excited about that offense.

Sterling Shepard

There wasn’t much room for a rookie receiver to shine on a New York Giants team that rosters one of the most electric wideouts in the league, Odell Beckham Jr. But Sterling Shepard is on track to compliment the pass game in a big way for a second-round pick.

Through the first five games of his career and the 2016 season, Shepard’s stats are quite impressive. He’s hauled in 22 of his 33 targets for 277 yards and two touchdowns. Considering the prominence of Beckham in the offense, that he’s been able to produce at that level is impressive.

With secondaries draped all over Beckham Jr., Shepard has had a chance to shine. Shepard has seen the end zone twice while others are distracted by Beckham. If Victor Cruz keeps added more and more into the mix and Eli Manning figures out how to play his receivers up, the Giants are looking at a very dangerous receiving corps.

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