The NFL may have found the antidote for its declining television ratings. It's the 2016 draft class.
Five stars, three of them on the offensive side of the ball, are emerging from what was considered a defensive-rich draft, and on Sunday the future morphed into the present. Nowhere was this better on display than at Heinz Field when the Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-30.
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott played well beyond their age and experience in the win. Elliott accounted for 209 yards and three touchdowns, while Prescott was as cool and in control as some of the best quarterbacks in the league. He matched Ben Roethlisberger drive for drive, including leading the game-winning touchdown drive with 42 seconds left, which ended with Elliott rushing 32 yards for the final go-ahead score.
In calling around to NFL front office executives over the past few weeks, five rookies drew the most mentions as budding stars, including Elliott and Prescott. All five are building résumés that could get them to the Pro Bowl this season.
Here's who executives singled out, and what each is doing that bodes well for the future:
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
What he has done: Elliott is the first back in the league to go over 1,000 yards, rushing for 1,005 yards and having an unstoppable 5.1-yards-per-carry average. Elliott has nine touchdown runs in nine games and is all but a lock to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He is having one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.
"He's a complete back, which is impressive," an NFL front office executive said. "What I like about him is how smart he is. He is very aware of the defenses, and he knows what to do and where the holes in the defenses are."
Elliott is getting some lofty comparisons.
"I thought he was one of the best to come into the league in a long time," a different NFL front office executive said. "Some compared him to Herschel Walker. He's better than Herschel Walker."
What opposing players told me:
"He's really good, really good," Washington Redskins safety Donte Whitner said. "I didn't expect him to be this good this early. I don't know why I didn't. You like the way that he works, the way that he prepares, his upbringing, his father always being there. I knew he was going to be good. I just didn't know it was going to be this early."
"Elliott is running the football, but you got to mention the offensive line," Redskins cornerback Josh Norman said. "Those linemen are moving human beings out of the way. These holes are like the size of the Red Sea. They are opening them up. Yes, he has vision. He has vision, but when you hit those holes, oh my gosh."
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
What he has done: You have to go back to Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 to see a rookie signal-caller play this well. Working with a running offense, Roethlisberger, who Prescott beat on Sunday, took control and helped the Steelers to a 15-1 season. Prescott, 8-1 as the starter, is making everyone forget about Tony Romo.
"You can see the way the team has responded to him -- there is no way you can take him out and put Romo back in," an NFL front office executive said.
Prescott has completed 187 of 290 passes for 2,339 yards, and his touchdown-to-interception ratio is incredible: 14-to-2. A three-year starter at Mississippi State, he looks like a veteran.
"Clearly, he benefited by staying in school that extra year," an NFL front office executive said. "The big moments don't seem to bother him and he's getting more chances to get into big moments."
"Dak has that calm about him," another NFL front office executive said. "All good quarterbacks have that calm about him. He knows where to go with the football. That's all you need in the NFL. If you read defenses and know the subtle movements, you can be a successful quarterback."
What an opposing player told me:
"He doesn't make mistakes," Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said. "That's the amazing part of his game. He seems to have everything in control when he's on the field."
Joey Bosa, DE, San Diego Chargers
What he has done: Bosa missed training camp because of a contract holdout and missed four games with a hamstring injury. But he is doing more in six games than most rookies do in a full season. In his first six games, he has four sacks and almost 20 knockdowns and pressures. He suffered an ankle injury last week against Tennessee that has slowed him down the past six quarters.
Still, he has been amazing. The biggest praise comes from his teammates.
"He probably can be the best in the NFL," Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget said. "He can rush on the inside, he can rush on the outside. The guy is relentless. He's special."
"He's as good in technique and fundamentals as anyone I've seen," Chargers defensive tackle Brandon Mebane added.
Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
What he has done: Though he wasn't expected to play as a rookie, Wentz has the Eagles in the playoff hunt with a 5-4 record. His numbers are solid. He has 202 completions in 311 attempts for 2,121 yards. The Eagles don't have a great receiving corps, which may explain why his touchdowns are only at nine. His big thing is not making mistakes. He has thrown only five interceptions.
Philadelphia gave up a lot to trade up with Cleveland to get Wentz, but it looks like it was worth it.
"Each week you have to keep wondering what the Browns are thinking about the way Wentz is developing, while they are figuring out what they have at quarterback," an NFL front office executive said.
What opposing players told me:
"I said this before, and I'll say until they prove me wrong, but I say Dak Prescott and Carson are above and beyond their time at the quarterback position," Norman said. "They don't make rookie mistakes. You got to think about how many rookies who have come into the NFL and haven't matched up to what these guys have done in their first year. It's unbelievable to see this transition. They are going to be playing for a long time. If their rookie seasons are going to be like anything like their 12th season, it's going to be amazing."
"He's a young quarterback, but he has all the tools," Whitner said. "He's more athletic than people give him credit for. He and Dak are going to be the next wave of quarterbacks behind Andrew Luck and all the other young quarterbacks who have come on."
Jack Conklin, OT, Tennessee Titans
What he has done: Conklin is the sleeper of the group, but what a rookie season he is having. He hasn't allowed a sack. That's incredible for a rookie. He is immediately establishing himself as one of the top right tackles in the league. He works perfectly across a line that has Taylor Lewan at left tackle.
"The way those two tackles have come on is why they are winning and running the ball so well," an NFL front office executive said. "Conklin gives them an attitude on offense."
What an opposing player and a teammate told me:
"He's a great player," Bosa said. "It was fun rushing against him. Sure, he had a little help with others helping him with chip blocks, but the key to him is not letting him get his hands on you. He's strong."
"He's really consistent," Lewan said. "Sometimes his technique is all over the place, but he still gets the job done. I think he's more consistent than I was coming into the league. Once he gets those technique things figured out, it's only going to make him better."