Not surprisingly, Edgerrin James is our top rookie on the offensive side of the ball.

Running back Edgerrin James and defensive end Jevon Kearse made an immediate impact, becoming stars in their first years. Both players were selected to the AFC Pro Bowl team -- each as starters.

Any discussion of the 1999 rookie class can't be complete without a quick look at the quarterbacks. The first three picks in the draft were quarterbacks -- Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith -- and five quarterbacks were taken in the top 12 picks -- Daunte Culpepper (No. 11) and Cade McNown (No.12) were the others. While Culpepper didn't play at all this year, the other four saw considerable action.

Couch started 14 games for the Browns, putting up respectable numbers on a team that won only two games. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was 15-to-13 -- probably his most impressive statistic. McNabb, McNown and Smith all showed promising ability at various times during the season.

Another rookie quarterback who emerged was Tampa Bay's Shaun King. Selected in the second round out of Tulane, King replaced injured quarterback Trent Dilfer and won five of the six games he started.

On to the awards.

Top Offensive Rookie: Edgerrin James

Bill Polian's draft day decision to select James over Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams raised some eyebrows. However, it didn't take very long to realize that Polian knew what he was doing when he took the running back from Miami (Fla.) with the No. 4 pick. All James did in his rookie season was lead the NFL in rushing (1,553 yards), finish second to former Colt Marshall Faulk in total yards (2,139) and tie for the most touchdowns in the NFL with Redskins running back Stephen Davis (17).

The Colts, who went 3-13 last season, completed one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history by finishing 13-3 and winning the AFC East. While many point to Peyton Manning's maturation as the reason for the turnaround, the emergence of James as one of the best backs in the league was arguably just as important.

Along the way, James set a Colts rookie record for rushing in a season, and he established an NFL rookie record with 10 100-yard rushing games. He also became the first rookie since the Rams' Eric Dickerson to lead the league in rushing and just the third Colts' player to accomplish the feat. He is a cinch to walk away with NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and will likely get some votes for the NFL's MVP award.

In addition to piling up more than 1,500 rushing yards, James also caught 62 passes for 586 yards. Four of his touchdowns came through the air. James proved he was every bit the versatile back that Polian envisioned when he decided to select him ahead of Williams.

Honorable mention: Tim Couch, QB, Browns; Kevin Johnson, WR, Browns; Olandis Gary, RB, Broncos; Jon Jansen, ORT, Redskins

Top Defensive Rookie: Jevon Kearse

Kearse was nicknamed "The Freak" at Florida, and it didn't take very long for him to show everybody in the NFL why. Because of concerns about his size -- some considered him too small to be a defensive end -- Kearse slipped to No. 16 in the draft.

Not only is Kearse a lock for Defensive Rookie of the Year, he should get serious consideration as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-foot-5, 254-pound defensive end set the rookie record for sacks when he caught Jay Fiedler behind the line to raise his season total to 13½. With a sack in Tennessee's last game of the season, Kearse finished the with 14½ -- good for fourth in the NFL and first in the AFC.

Kearse's play this season has drawn comparisons to some of the greatest defensive players in the history of the league. "You have to account for him," Falcons coach Dan Reeves said. "He's the Lawrence Taylor-type where you use different blocking schemes, and he still gets a couple sacks."

Honorable mention: Champ Bailey, CB, Redskins; Fernando Bryant, CB, Jaguars; Chris Claiborne, LB, Lions; Mike McKenzie, CB, Packers; Chris McAlister, CB, Ravens

Biggest Surprise: Olandis Gary

While Gary won't make the fans in Denver forget about superstar running back Terrell Davis, he is doing a decent impersonation of his fellow Georgia alum. Gary finished his rookie season as the Broncos all-time leading rookie rusher. The fourth-round pick from Georgia piled up 1,159 yards on the ground in only 12 games.

Gary established the Broncos' single-game rookie rushing record with 183 yards against the Seahawks on Dec. 19. He followed that up by breaking the record with 185 yards against the Lions on Christmas Day.

Ironically, Gary broke the Broncos' rookie rushing record in what was arguably one of his worst games of the season. He entered Denver's final game of the year against the Chargers needing 31 yards to break the record held by Bobby Humphrey. He finished the game with only 38 yards on 18 carries, just barely breaking the record. Gary also had a costly fumble in the second quarter that led to a Chargers' field goal, giving them a 9-0 lead. San Diego ended up winning the game 12-6.

"For me as an individual the record was great," Gary told the Denver Rocky Mountain News. "But next year we've got to try to get together next year and put a run together."

Gary should combine with a healthy Davis next season to give the Broncos one of the most formidable backfields in the NFL.

Honorable mention: Darrin Chiaverini, WR, Browns; Mike McKenzie, CB, Packers; Shaun King, QB, Buccaneers; Ryan Young, OT, Jets

Biggest Disappointment: Cecil Collins

He wasn't taken until the fifth round, but Collins has to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year. Many thought the Dolphins got the steal of the draft when they took Collins. He slipped to the fifth round because of a number of off-field incidents in a college career that saw him get kicked off teams at LSU and then McNeese State.

The talk coming before the season was that Collins was going to be a difference-maker and had as much talent as any back Jimmy Johnson had ever coached. A list that includes Emmitt Smith.

However, because of a combination of injuries and unspectacular play, Collins never had the kind of impact that Dolphins fans were envisioning. And because of continued off-field problems, he probable never will. Collins is in jail after having been arrested Dec. 16 after a couple told police that they awoke to find him in their bedroom at night.

Because of Collins' past legal troubles in Louisiana -- he was charged twice in the summer of 1998 with unauthorized entry at his apartment complex in Baton Rouge -- he could face as long as four years in prison on the charge of violating probation.

Others to consider: Dimitrius Underwood, DE, Vikings and Dolphins; Jim Kleinsasser, TE, Vikings; David Boston, WR, Cardinals

Looking toward next season:

With the 1999 regular season over, it's not too early to start looking towards next year's crop of rookies.

While there won't be five quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks, Chris Redman from Louisville and Chad Pennington from Marshall will make sure that the quarterback position is well represented in the first round.

Wide receiver Peter Warrick is an explosive offensive talent who the Browns will look long and hard at taking with the No. 1 pick. The thought of building an offense around Couch and Warrick has to excite Cleveland fans. Junior WR Plaxico Burress of Michigan State could join Warrick as a top-five pick if he decides to enter the draft. At 6-6, Burress is sure to draw comparisons to Randy Moss. His stock shot up after his dominant performance in the Citrus Bowl when he torched Florida for 185 yards and three touchdowns on 13 receptions.

On the defensive side of the ball, LB LaVar Arrington and DE Courtney Brown, both from Penn State, might both be chosen in the top three. Either one would make an attractive pick for the Redskins (No. 2 pick from New Orleans), who have struggled all year on defense.

At running back, Thomas Jones from Virginia is considered the best pro prospect, with Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne next on the list. .

While the draft is a long way away (April 15-16), it's not to early to start thinking about what rookies will make an impact in the 2000 NFL season.