The 5 Best Rookie Quarterback Seasons Over the Last Decade
2. Russell Wilson, 2012
I think we all kind of know the Russell Wilson story at this point. The undersized and underrated third-round pick out of Wisconsin has already made two trips to the Super Bowl.
2012 was the year that the likely franchise quarterbacks Luck and Robert Griffin III were taken in the beginning of the draft. No one knew that Wilson would possibly end up being the best quarterback in that draft.
Wilson attempted a career-low of 393 passes in 2012 but did so with great efficiency by throwing 26 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. Only six other players in NFL history had ever thrown for 26 or more touchdowns in a season on 393 passes or fewer, including players such as Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw.
Seattle was a run-first offense during the first few years of Wilson's career and "Hustle Russell" ended up being a focal point of the rushing attack alongside Marshawn Lynch. Wilson rushed for a career-low 489 yards but added 4 rushing touchdowns in 2012.
He was effective both in the air and on the ground as a rookie.
| Player | Passing NEP | Rank | Rushing NEP | Rank | Total NEP | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Wilson | 84.01 | 8th | 28.81 | 4th | 112.82 | 7th |
Unlike Luck, Winston, or Newton, Wilson finished in the top 10 in passing and rushing.
Luck and Wilson both made the top-five after being drafted in 2012, but there is still one more from that class who tops our list.
