Deshaun Watson played in only seven games before tearing his ACL, but he set the NFL and the fantasy world on fire. He'll be one of the more exciting players to project when the 2018 season rolls around. Taking a look back on his shortened 2017, it was still one of the more amazing rookie campaigns by a quarterback.
Watson put up 21 total TDs in those seven games (19 passing, 2 rushing). You can go back through the past 40 years of first-round picks, and only six quarterbacks have put up more touchdowns in their rookie seasons. Two of those guys are or will be first-ballot Hall of Famers.
Way too soon to say that Watson will go on to have a great career. Robert Griffin didn't, and too soon to say on some of those other productive rookies. But pretty select company for Watson nonetheless, especially considering he didn't even start for half a season.
Rookie numbers of first-round quarterbacks from the past 40 years, sorted by total touchdowns, are shown below. (List cropped at 10 total TDs, which leaves off the other 2017 first-rounders, Mitchell Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes.)
FIRST-ROUND QUARTERBACKS, TOTAL TDS (1978-2017) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Pk | Player | PaYds | PTD | YdR | RTD | TDT |
2011 | 1 | Cam Newton, Car. | 4051 | 21 | 706 | 14 | 35 |
2015 | 1 | Jameis Winston, T.B. | 4042 | 22 | 213 | 6 | 28 |
2012 | 1 | Andrew Luck, Ind. | 4374 | 23 | 255 | 5 | 28 |
2012 | 2 | Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 3200 | 20 | 815 | 7 | 27 |
1998 | 1 | Peyton Manning, Ind. | 3739 | 26 | 62 | 0 | 26 |
1983 | 27 | Dan Marino, Mia. | 2210 | 20 | 45 | 2 | 22 |
2017 | 12 | Deshaun Watson, Hou. | 1699 | 19 | 269 | 2 | 21 |
2015 | 2 | Marcus Mariota, Tenn. | 2818 | 19 | 252 | 2 | 21 |
2010 | 1 | Sam Bradford, St.L. | 3512 | 18 | 63 | 1 | 19 |
2006 | 3 | Vince Young, Tenn. | 2199 | 12 | 552 | 7 | 19 |
2016 | 2 | Carson Wentz, Phil. | 3782 | 16 | 150 | 2 | 18 |
2004 | 11 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 2621 | 17 | 144 | 1 | 18 |
2008 | 3 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 3440 | 16 | 104 | 1 | 17 |
1995 | 5 | Kerry Collins, Car. | 2717 | 14 | 74 | 3 | 17 |
1990 | 1 | Jeff George, Ind. | 2152 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 17 |
2008 | 18 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 2971 | 14 | 180 | 2 | 16 |
2003 | 7 | Byron Leftwich, Jac. | 2819 | 14 | 108 | 2 | 16 |
1999 | 1 | Tim Couch, Clev. | 2447 | 15 | 278 | 1 | 16 |
2014 | 32 | Teddy Bridgewater, Minn. | 2919 | 14 | 209 | 1 | 15 |
2009 | 1 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 2267 | 13 | 108 | 2 | 15 |
2009 | 5 | Mark Sanchez, NYJ | 2444 | 12 | 106 | 3 | 15 |
1993 | 1 | Drew Bledsoe, N.E. | 2494 | 15 | 82 | 0 | 15 |
1993 | 2 | Rick Mirer, Sea. | 2833 | 12 | 343 | 3 | 15 |
2012 | 8 | Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 3294 | 12 | 211 | 2 | 14 |
2012 | 22 | Brandon Weeden, Clev. | 3385 | 14 | 111 | 0 | 14 |
1979 | 7 | Phil Simms, NYG | 1743 | 13 | 166 | 1 | 14 |
2013 | 16 | EJ Manuel, Buff. | 1972 | 11 | 186 | 2 | 13 |
2011 | 12 | Christian Ponder, Minn. | 1853 | 13 | 219 | 0 | 13 |
2006 | 10 | Matt Leinart, Ariz. | 2547 | 11 | 49 | 2 | 13 |
2011 | 10 | Blaine Gabbert, Jac. | 2214 | 12 | 98 | 0 | 12 |
2002 | 1 | David Carr, Hou. | 2592 | 9 | 282 | 3 | 12 |
2002 | 3 | Joey Harrington, Det. | 2294 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
2014 | 3 | Blake Bortles, Jac. | 2908 | 11 | 419 | 0 | 11 |
2010 | 25 | Tim Tebow, Den. | 654 | 5 | 227 | 6 | 11 |
2009 | 17 | Josh Freeman, T.B. | 1855 | 10 | 161 | 0 | 10 |
2002 | 32 | Patrick Ramsey, Wash. | 1539 | 9 | -1 | 1 | 10 |
1994 | 3 | Heath Shuler, Wash. | 1658 | 10 | 103 | 0 | 10 |
1982 | 5 | Jim McMahon, Chi. | 1501 | 9 | 105 | 1 | 10 |
--Andy Richardson