Ranking the top NFL rookies: Nos. 10-12

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

With the Super Bowl a couple of weeks away, it’s time to look at the top NFL rookies from this past season and where they ranked in Rivals.com history. today we look at Nos. 10-12.

NFL ROOKIES: Nos. 13-15

FRESHMAN 15: Nos. 1-3 | 4-6 | 7-9 | 10-12 | 13-15

FARRELL 50: Nos. 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | 31-35 | 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50

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The skinny: Fitzpatrick committed to Alabama during the spring before his senior season, but rumors persisted that Florida State was still a major player. Despite taking an official visit to Tallahassee during his senior season, he still stuck with the Tide on National Signing Day.

Fitzpatrick, who was an immediate contributor in Tuscaloosa, quickly became a leader on the defensive unit and was named a consensus All-American after the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Drafted with the 11th overall pick by Miami, he continued to excel with the Dolphins, with 80 tackles, two interceptions, two tackles for a loss and nine pass break-ups.

Farrell’s take: I watched Fitzpatrick since he was a freshman in high school. He has always been a five-star talent, but scouting him so much might have led to expectations that were too high. It's why we moved him from cornerback to safety in the end because he struggled in solo coverage against elite wide receivers. So much for that, huh? Fitzpatrick's instant impact as a freshman on the Alabama defense was amazing and he took it to the next level each year. Now he’s off to a great start in the NFL as a “do everything” defensive back.

The skinny: Darnold kept his recruitment rather silent, but then suddenly committed to USC a few weeks after getting offered following a workout in front of the coaching staff. Oregon, Northwestern, Duke and Utah were some of the other schools involved at the time of his decision. Darnold passed for 7,229 yards and 57 touchdowns during his two seasons as a starter at USC before being selected with the third overall pick by the New York Jets.

An immediate starter with the Jets, Darnold experienced some ups-and-downs, but his ups were enough to energize Jets’ fans. With 2,865 yards and 17 touchdowns, it will be interesting to see how his game progresses with new head coach Adam Gase.

Farrell’s take: Darnold slipped in our final rankings after a rough week at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but being No. 8 at dual-threat quarterback isn’t so shabby. Some of the things we worried about in high school are still there (turnovers, etc.), so it will be interesting to see how his NFL career plays out beyond his rookie year. I’m not in love with his potential as others are, but the Jets are banking on him being their franchise guy and he’s off to a solid start.

The skinny: Ward earned his offer at an Ohio State summer camp and committed to the Buckeyes before he left campus. Kentucky, Rutgers, Washington State and Cincinnati were involved at the time of his decision. In his only season as a starter in Columbus, Ward was named consensus All-American while finishing with two interceptions and 15 pass break-ups.

Despite his big season, many were still surprised when Cleveland drafted Ward with the fourth overall pick. However, he responded by totaling 53 tackles, five tackles for a loss, three interceptions and 11 pass break-ups, despite missing a few games at the end of the season with a concussion.

Farrell’s take: Ward wasn’t filled out in high school despite having a solid frame and average height. He was better on offense than he was on defense, so you can see where his ball skills come from and despite his lack of size, he was a willing tackler. He was undervalued for a few reasons, but most of those issues (inconsistent in coverage, tracking the ball) were things he worked on and clearly improved in college and he’s now showing that improvement in the NFL.