As the No. 8 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 2017 NFL draft, running back/receiver Christian McCaffrey stepped into a high-pressure, high-expectation role last fall and hardly missed a step.
McCaffrey, 21, finished the regular season as one of five finalists for NFL Rookie of the Year honors after recording 435 rushing yards (with two touchdowns) and 651 receiving yards (with five touchdowns).
He was the top receiving target of quarterback Cam Newton with 80 catches, a franchise record for a rookie, and caught passes out of the backfield as well as in the slot and out wide.