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Grading rookie first-rounders on offense: Zeke Elliott heads class

With all but two weeks of the 2016 regular season in the books, I'm taking a look at how this year's rookie first-round picks have fared to this point. I assign a grade for each offensive player here, and I unveiled my marks for the defensive first-round rookies on Thursday.

Heads of the class

Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott

Grade: A+
Pick: No. 4 overall
The skinny: Elliott should be a lock to win Rookie of the Year. He leads the league in rushing yards and he's also proven to be a weapon in the passing game. This was a homerun pick for the Cowboys.

Titans OT Jack Conklin

Grade: A+
Pick: No. 8 overall
The skinny: Conklin has been outstanding for the Titans. He's started all 14 games at right tackle and he's been very consistent in both the run and pass game.

Lions OT Taylor Decker

Grade: A
Pick: No. 16 overall
The skinny: Decker has started all 14 games at left tackle for the Lions. He's not flashy, but he's very technically sound/efficient. The improved play of the OL has helped Matthew Stafford play at an elite level.

Ravens OT Ronnie Stanley

Grade: A-
Pick: No. 6 overall
The skinny: Stanley missed a few games earlier in the year, but he's been rock solid in the 10 games he's played this fall. He looks like the long-term answer at LT for the Ravens.

Colts C Ryan Kelly

Grade: A-
Pick: No. 18 overall
The skinny: Kelly has started all 14 games for the Colts at center. His play has improved in the second half of the season and he should partner up with Andrew Luck for the next decade.

Knocking on the door

Eagles QB Carson Wentz

Grade: B+
Pick: No. 2 overall
The skinny: Wentz has started all 14 games for the Eagles. He's thrown for 3,385 yards (17th in the league). He needs to do a better job of protecting the football, but I've been impressed with his athleticism, toughness and arm talent.

Dolphins OG Laremy Tunsil

Grade: B
Pick: No. 13 overall
The skinny: Tunsil has been a little up and down this fall, but I've been impressed with him, considering he's playing out of position at guard. He's produced dominant moments in the run game, but he's been late to pick up twists in pass protection on occasion. He will shine once he moves to left tackle, his natural position.

Browns WR Corey Coleman

Grade: B
Pick: No. 15 overall
The skinny: Coleman got off to a hot start before suffering an injury and missing a few contests. Since he returned to the lineup, he's flashed his big-play potential. He will shine if/when the Browns figure out the quarterback situation.

Texans WR Will Fuller

Grade: B
Pick: No. 21 overall
The skinny: Fuller exploded out of the starting block, producing back-to-back 100-yard games to begin the season. His production slipped down the stretch, but he looks like a promising weapon for the Texans' passing attack.

Seahawks OG Germain Ifedi

Grade: B
Pick: No. 31 overall
The skinny: Ifedi has started 11 games for the Seahawks this fall. He has been inconsistent, but he flashes the power to create a lot of movement in the run game and enough athleticism to handle talented interior pass rushers. It hasn't all come together for him, but his future looks very bright.

Broncos QB Paxton Lynch

Grade: B-
Pick: No. 26 overall
The skinny: Lynch wasn't expected to play during his rookie campaign, but due to injury, he filled in for 2 games this fall. He flashed the arm talent to make some big-time throws, but he was slow to process at times and took too many sacks. The Broncos need him to take over the position next fall.

Mixed results

49ers OG Joshua Garnett

Grade: C+
Pick: No. 28 overall
The skinny: Garnett has started 9 games at guard for the 49ers. He can generate movement in the run game, but he's still a work in progress in pass protection.

Rams QB Jared Goff

Grade: C
Pick: No. 1 overall
The skinny: Goff has been up and down since taking over the starting position midway through the season. The Rams need to upgrade the offensive line and provide him with a true No. 1 receiver.

Major disappointment

Vikings WR Laquon Treadwell

Grade: D
Pick: No. 23 overall
The skinny: Treadwell has been one of the most disappointing first-round picks in 2016. He was expected to have an immediate impact for the Vikings, but instead he's caught only 1 pass this season. He's still very young (21 years old) and hopefully he'll be given more opportunities next fall.

TBD at a later date

Redskins WR Josh Doctson

Grade: Incomplete
Pick: No. 22 overall
The skinny: Doctson only saw action in 2 games this fall before going on season-ending injured reserve. He had a nagging Achilles injury and the Redskins were wise to shut him down to get him ready for 2017.

Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter at @MoveTheSticks.

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