St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley, who led all NFL rookies in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, was selected as the 2015 Rookie of the Year and 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year, chosen in voting conducted by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, who tied for the NFL lead in interceptions, was selected as the 2015 Defensive Rookie of the Year by the PFWA.
Gurley, a first-round pick (No. 10 overall) out of Georgia, rushed 229 times for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games, while averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. He led all NFL rookies in rushing yards (third overall in the NFL), rushing touchdowns and scrimmage yards (1,294). Coming back from a knee injury suffered in his junior season at Georgia, Gurley made his NFL debut in Week 3. The following week, he began a streak of four straight 100-yard rushing games as part of five overall in 2015. He became the first rookie in NFL history to rush for 125 yards or more in four consecutive games. Gurley was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month for October after he rushed for 433 yards and two touchdowns in three games.
Peters, a first-round pick (No. 18 overall) out of Washington, tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with eight, led the league in interception yards with 280 and tied for first in the NFL in passes defensed with 26. He intercepted the first pass he saw in his NFL career, and he returned a pair of picks for touchdowns. He finished fourth on the Chiefs in total tackles with 60.
Gurley is the fourth Rams player to be selected Offensive Rookie of the Year and the first since quarterback Sam Bradford in 2010, and he is the third Rams back to gain the PFWA honor, joining Eric Dickerson (1983) and Jerome Bettis (1993). Peters is the fourth Chiefs player to be selected Defensive Rookie of the Year and the first since CB/PR Dale Carter in 1992. Other Kansas City winners of the award were CB James Marsalis (AFL 1969) and LB Derrick Thomas (1989).
The Buccaneers and Seahawks led all clubs with four All-Rookie selections. Tampa Bay had quarterback Jameis Winston, guard Ali Marpet, tackle Donovan Smith and linebacker Kwon Alexander earn honors. Seattle had running back Thomas Rawls and a rare triple honor by Tyler Lockett, who was selected at kick returner, punt returner and special teamer. The Minnesota Vikings were third in most All-Rookie slots with three players on the squad. In all, 15 clubs are represented among the 27 players honored.
The All-Rookie offense includes Winston at quarterback, Gurley and Rawls at running back, Oakland’s Amari Cooper and Minnesota’s Stefon Diggs at wide receiver, New York Giants tight end Will Tye, Kansas City center Mitch Morse, Marpet and Washington’s Brandon Scherff at guard and St. Louis’ Rob Havenstein and Smith at tackle.
The All-Rookie defense includes New England’s Malcom Brown, Chicago’s Eddie Goldman, Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter and the New York Jets’ Leonard Williams on the defensive line, Alexander, New Orleans’ Stephone Anthony and Minnesota’s Eric Kendricks at linebacker, Buffalo’s Ronald Darby and Peters at cornerback and Chicago’s Adrian Amos and the New York Giants’ Landon Collins at safety.
The All-Rookie special teams consists of San Diego placekicker Josh Lambo, Miami punter Matt Darr and Lockett at kick returner, punt returner and special teamer.
2015 PFWA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: RB Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams
2015 PFWA OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: RB Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams
2015 PFWA DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: CB Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
2015 PFWA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Offense
QB – Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RB – Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams; Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks
WR – Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders; Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings
TE – Will Tye, New York Giants
C – Mitch Morse, Kansas City Chiefs
G – Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Brandon Scherff, Washington Redskins
T – Rob Havenstein, St. Louis Rams; Donovan Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Defense
DL – Malcom Brown, New England Patriots; Eddie Goldman, Chicago Bears; Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings; Leonard Williams, New York Jets
LB – Kwon Alexander, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Stephone Anthony, New Orleans Saints; Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings
CB – Ronald Darby, Buffalo Bills; Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
S – Adrian Amos, Chicago Bears; Landon Collins, New York Giants
Special Teams
PK – Josh Lambo, San Diego Chargers
P – Matt Darr, Miami Dolphins
KR – Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
PR – Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
ST – Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks