Top NFL Rookies: Nos. 13-16

MORE FARRELL: Top 50 CFB players

With the NFL season at its midpoint, it’s time to take a look at how the league's top rookies are faring and how far they came from since high school. We rank the top 16 rookies in the NFL, beginning today with Nos. 13-16.

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

The skinny: Ramsey originally committed to USC but decided to keep his options open. He eventually took official visits to Florida, Florida State, Washington and Mississippi State, which ultimately led to his flip to the Seminoles on National Signing Day. Selected by Jacksonville with the fifth overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ramsey became an immediate starter for the Jaguars. Currently with 30 tackles, which puts him fourth on the team, plus one pass break-up, Ramsey has already helped stabilize the Jacksonville secondary.

Farrell’s take: Talk about a home run ranking and a prospect who lived up to everything we expected of him. Ramsey was a big, athletic cornerback who could do so many things on defense and special teams. We expected him to be a star and he could still end up being the best NFL player on this list. Ramsey had a cockiness about him that I loved, although he has taken that to a bit of an extreme at the NFL level. Ramsey always wanted to be on an island against the best and he liked to tackle. I will always take that from a defensive back.

The skinny: While Oregon was seen as Buckner’s clear favorite for several months, UCLA and California became serious threats as his recruitment neared its conclusion. However, he ended any speculation with a commitment to Oregon at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. He was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by San Francisco and quickly earned a starting job for the 49ers. While he does need to improve his play against the run, his 36 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery gives a solid sample of his potential.

Farrell’s take: Hawaiian prospects are hard to evaluate because we don’t get to see them consistently. So we mainly have to go off film against horrible competition. I would have never expected Buckner to be a top 10 NFL pick. In fact, I felt he could be a reach despite his physical gifts. So far he has been very active and a disruptive force as a pass rusher.

The skinny: Hargreaves seemed to keep his recruitment relatively open, until a July visit to Gainesville quickly resulted in his commitment to the Gators. Drafted with the 11th overall pick by Tampa Bay, Hargeaves was immediately thrust into a starting role. While he has experienced some rookie ups and downs, he has also shown improvement over the last two months as his role increases. Currently with 35 tackles and three pass break-ups, Hargreaves will look to continue his improved play through the end of the season.

Farrell’s take: Hargreaves had a solid but not great junior season at Florida and there were some concerns about his ability to tackle and cover bigger players. But in coverage there was no doubting his ability and instincts. Hargreaves was one of our highest-ranked corners ever because of his ball-hawking ability and solo coverage skills, and those attributes still stand out. He was the best rookie in the league during the preseason and has earned a starting role for a bad Bucs defense.

The skinny: There was little drama in Neal’s recruitment as he committed to Florida nearly a year prior to National Signing Day over offers from Auburn, Clemson and South Carolina. Drafted with the 17th overall selection by Atlanta, Neal has been extremely impressive for the Falcons. With only five games under his belt, he has already totaled 32 tackles, two forced fumbles and two pass break-ups.

Farrell’s take: Neal was always a very physical kid in the defensive backfield, but his coverage skills were average, which is why he wasn’t ranked higher out of high school. That being said, we still liked him enough to be a top seven safety and top 75 player nationally. Neal could have played linebacker if needed as well because he was so good in run. His play in the NFL has been as physical as expected.