The best rookie in every NFL division

ByESPN.COM
January 18, 2017, 8:41 AM

— -- Jalen Ramsey or Jack Conklin in the AFC South? Ezekiel Elliott or Dak Prescott in the NFC East? (How about both?) NFL Nation reporters voted on the best rookie in all eight divisions.

The results are below. Click the links for each division to view the complete answers.

AFC East

Laremy Tunsil, OG, Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins knew they had a good player the moment they drafted Tunsil. The only question was whether Tunsil could steer clear of trouble after having issues at Ole Miss, which included a video of him smoking a substance through a bong that surfaced on social media on draft night and immediately dropped his stock. But Tunsil proved the Dolphins right by staying on the straight and narrow. The football part took care of itself, as Tunsil started 14 regular-season games and one playoff game. He was very good as a rookie playing out of position at left guard and filling in at his natural left tackle position for a few games when? Branden Albert?was injured. Tunsil has the makings of a 10-year starter for Miami if he avoids injuries and off-field trouble.? Read the full vote.

AFC North

Ronnie Stanley, OT, Baltimore Ravens

This is a tough one because the division didn't have a star rookie such as? Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott or Joey Bosa. The decision comes down to Stanley and? Pittsburgh Steelers?cornerback Artie Burns. The nod goes to Stanley, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He allowed only three sacks all season while blocking Joe Flacco's blind side. Stanley was also the NFL's best left tackle over the last four weeks of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. Some will go with Burns, but he gave up the most touchdown passes by a rookie corner this season.? Read the full vote.

AFC South

Tie: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars; Jack Conklin, OT, Tennessee Titans

It didn't take the Jaguars' coaching staff very long to figure out what to do with Ramsey: Stick him on the opponent's best receiver and let him go. Ramsey had that assignment nearly every week and responded with 65 tackles, a team-high 14 pass breakups and two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. He matched up one-on-one with T.Y. Hilton, DeAndre Hopkins, Alshon Jeffery, Jordy Nelson, Amari Cooper and Sammy Watkins and more than held his own.

The Titans traded out of the No. 1 pick with the Rams, but they traded back up to No. 8 to get general manager Jon Robinson's target: right tackle Conklin. He was a key piece of the Titans' resurgent offensive line. He's the All-Pro right tackle and a Pro Bowl alternate. Pro Football Focus said Conklin gave up only four combined sacks/hits in 16 games and rated him as the best right tackle in the NFL. ESPN's John Clayton also named Conklin to his All-Pro Team.? Read the full vote.

AFC West

Joey Bosa, DE, San Diego Chargers

The season certainly began with some drama, given that Bosa was the last rookie to sign a contract, but he consistently ratcheted up his play as the season progressed. In the last five games of the season, he had six sacks and 19 tackles combined. He consistently affected play, disrupted things along the line of scrimmage and led all of the league's rookies with 10.5 sacks. He added 41 tackles and a forced fumble. But his 17 tackles for loss were most telling in his impact. Not bad for a guy who saw a contract offer pulled before training camp. He missed training camp in the continued contract squabble, then missed the first four games of the season with a hamstring injury. Those last 12 games, however, showed he's going to be a problem for offensive lines throughout the division for some time.? Read the full vote.

NFC East

Tie: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, and Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys don't just have the two best rookies in the division, they have the two best rookies in the NFL with Elliott and Prescott. Going into each week, opposing coaches talk about how they have to shut down Elliott, that that is their No. 1 priority. He's that dangerous a threat as a runner and pass-catcher. He runs with speed, power and elusiveness. He can do it all. No wonder Elliott averaged 5.1 yards per rush and finished as the league's leading rusher by more than 300 yards.

Prescott came in with no expectations as a fourth-round pick, and all he did was tie Ben Roethlisberger for the most wins (13) by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. He entered training camp as the Cowboys' third quarterback, but injuries to Tony Romo and Kellen Moore forced him into the lineup. He responded with 23 touchdown passes and just four interceptions, answering every challenge along the way. He even went through an early December hiccup and responded with two of his best games. Read the full vote.

NFC North

Tie:? Jordan Howard, RB, Chicago Bears; Taylor Decker, OT, Detroit Lions

Howard exceeded all expectations. He began the season third on the depth chart, but he still rushed for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns. Howard is a physical runner who got stronger as the season wore on. He not only broke? Matt Forte's franchise rookie rushing record, he had seven games of 100 rushing yards or more. Howard will spend an entire offseason in the Bears' voluntary workout program, and his second season could be even better.

Left tackle is one of the hardest positions to transition to as a rookie in the NFL. It's not a glamour spot, and typically the only time a player gains recognition there is when he is having a bad season. And yet after the first few games of the season, Decker's name was barely mentioned -- and that was a very good thing. He continually improved throughout the season and protected? Matthew Stafford's blind side well. Decker adjusted to switches at left guard next to him with ease. He looks like he could be a solution on Detroit's offensive line for the foreseeable future.? Read the full vote.

NFC South

Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

Thomas' 92 catches were the second most in NFL history by a rookie receiver, behind only Anquan Boldin's 101 in 2003. The second-round pick from Ohio State also ranked sixth all-time among NFL rookies with 1,137 receiving yards and tied for 15th with nine touchdown catches, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound receiver provided the kind of physical and sure-handed presence the Saints had for a decade with Marques Colston, before they released him last February. And Thomas' emergence as a go-to guy helped New Orleans maintain its status as the No. 1 total offense and No. 1 passing offense in the NFL in 2016.? Read the full vote.

NFC West

DeForest Buckner, DL, San Francisco 49ers

One of the few bright spots in a lost season for the 49ers, Buckner was as valuable for his availability as he was for his production. He finished with 73 tackles, tied for third most among all defensive linemen, while playing 963 snaps, which was second only to the New York Giants' Olivier Vernon. Buckner also had six sacks, which was fourth among rookies in the league.? Read the full vote.