St. Louis Rams rookie RB Todd Gurley is up for the 2015 Pepsi Rookie of the Year award.
The Pepsi Rookie of the Year Award is determined by online voting at NFL.com, awarded since 2002. While it lacks the history of the Associated Press Rookie of the Year awards given to one player from offense and one from defense, it is sponsored by Pepsi and as we know sponsors make things very fancy and official and stuff.
Here are the five candidates for the award:
St. Louis Rams RB Todd Gurley
Gurley finished with 1,106 rushing yards (3rd) and 10 rushing TDs (t-5th) in year one, tops among all rookies. His five games of 125+ yards are the second-most for a rookie behind only former Rams RB Eric Dickerson.
Gurley won the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award in Week 4 and was also nominated in Weeks 5, 7, 8 and 14.
Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper
Cooper's 1,070 receiving yards and six receiving TDs were the most among rookie wideouts. He put up five games of 100+ receiving yards.
Cooper won the weekly award four times and was nominated in two other weeks as well.
Seattle Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett
Lockett, the only nominee not taken in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, cobbled together six receiving touchdowns, one on a kick return and another, against the Rams in Week 1, on a punt return. He's the only rookie to put together 5 receiving TDs and one from each returning aspect aside from Hall of Famer and former Chicago Bear Gale Sayers.
Lockett picked up the weekly nod in Weeks 14 and 17 and was nominated in Weeks 3 and 11 also.
Kansas City Chiefs CB Marcus Peters
Eight interceptions (t-1st), two interception TDs (t-1st) and 280 interception yards (1st)? Yeah, that'll get you in this discussion.
Though he never won the Pepsi Rookie of the Week award this year, he was nominated in Weeks 1, 2, 6, 10, 13 and 15.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston
Winston finished with 4,042 passing yards (third-most for an NFL rookie ever) and 22 passing TDs (fourth-most for an NFL rookie ever).
Winston's performances in Weeks 2, 5 and 11 were good enough to win the weekly award in the only three weeks he was nominated.