Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
The midpoint of the NFL season is upon us and a look at the top rookies and where they came from is due. We continue our Top 15 today with Nos. 7-9, topped by a former five-star wide receiver.
RANKING THE NFL'S BEST ROOKIES: Nos. 10-12 | 13-15
The skinny: Mayfield walked on at Texas Tech despite holding offers from Washington State, Rice and Florida Atlantic. He immediately became the starter for the Red Raiders and earned Big 12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors. However, he left the team at the end of the regular season and eventually decided to transfer to Oklahoma.
He continued his tremendous success with the Sooners, which culminated in the Heisman Trophy last year. Selected with the first overall selection by Cleveland, Mayfield started the season on the bench, but has impressed since finding the field with 1,768 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: With a gunslinger’s mentality, Mayfield had a great high school career, but many felt he was a system kid and he didn’t get a ton of offers. That looks crazy now. He’s a Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and off to a great start in the NFL. I’m happy with his three-star ranking, since we saw something none of the local schools did at least (he was a walk-on, after all), but he has clearly outplayed his ranking and his leadership skills are off the charts.
*****
The skinny: Lindsey gave his commitment to Colorado almost a year before his own Signing Day. He chose the Buffs over Utah and never wavered on his word. At Colorado, he excelled during his final two seasons with 2, 726 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground, plus 650 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Despite his impressive collegiate career, he went undrafted.
Signed as a free agent by Denver, Lindsay has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2017 season with 591 yards and three touchdowns, while averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Farrell’s take: Lindsay was a low three-star recruit coming out of high school who lacked great size but was slippery and had some speed. He had a solid career in college but I don’t think many expected him to make this kind of impact in the NFL this early.
*****
The skinny: Ridley committed to Alabama during the spring after his junior season. While Florida State received an official visit during the fall, and other programs continued to pursue him, he ended up sticking with the Tide. Ridley established himself as one of the top receivers in the country during his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, finishing with 224 receptions for 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Drafted with the 26th overall pick by Atlanta, Ridley has blended in very nicely in the Falcons’ potent passing attack with 33 receptions for 463 yards and seven touchdowns.
Farrell’s take: Ridley set freshman records at Alabama as a receiver, the same place where Julio Jones and Amari Cooper dominated, so that's heady stuff. Ridley was always an elite prospect in high school and a no-brainer five-star from the start. He was an accomplished route runner, had solid size and amazing hands. He just needed to fill out and find his way into the Alabama offense. Now he has become one of the best picks in the draft and has made a huge impact on the Falcons offense.
