Percentage of vote: 53.5

Hill has made his mark already as a speed threat in the NFL. It’s not hyperbole to suggest the 24-year-old is the fastest player in the league, routinely impacting the game as a receiver, runner and returner. Hill has a compact frame but plays with some power, too.

Runner-up: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

Tight end

Evan Engram, New York Giants

Percentage of vote: 48.8

The reality of some NFL offenses is that tight ends are asked to serve frequently in a detached alignment, working in a slot role that requires immense athletic skills. Engram, 23, is in some ways a jumbo wide receiver, firmly cementing his spot as a bright spot in the Giants’ offense as a rookie.

Runner-up: Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

Offensive tackles

Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans

Percentage of vote: 72.1

While some still believe that the value of a left tackle surpasses that of a right tackle, Conklin’s immediate emergence on the right side for Tennessee proves it’s a position of massive influence. Powerful and technically sound, the 23-year-old is currently recovering from a knee injury.

Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints

Percentage of vote: 51.2 percent

During a time when NFL teams are finding the challenge of identifying ready-made offensive linemen more difficult, Ramczyk, 24, stepped into a starting role right away. He played every snap in 2017 and handled multiple positions.

Runner-up: Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens

Guards

Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts

Percentage of vote: 93 percent

Nelson was a near-unanimous pick, a reflection of his pedigree coming out of Notre Dame. The 22-year-old plays with a blend of nasty and surgical attention to detail. Indy hopes he’ll set the tone for the line for a decade.

Percentage of vote: 25.6 percent

The 24-year-old Peat is a dancing bear, an impressive athlete for a player of his size with positional versatility.

Runner-up: Will Hernandez, New York Giants

Center

Pat Elflein, Minnesota Vikings

Percentage of vote: 60.5 percent

The center position involves more than just meets the eye; Elflein, 24, absorbs great responsibility pre-snap in getting the offensive line in sync. His acclimation to the pro game from his college days was an expedient one.

Runner-up: Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions

Interior linemen

Sheldon Rankins, New Orleans Saints

Percentage of vote: 53.5 percent

Rankins, 24, is unique in this sense: He’s an immovable object in the middle of the Saints’ defense that makes the group decidedly better against the run, while also adding value as an intention rusher.

Leonard Williams, New York Jets

Percentage of vote: 74.4 percent

Williams’ length stands out, as the long-levered and versatile 24-year-old defender makes it hard for an offensive lineman to stay engaged. His value will transcend his statistics, but those are already quite impressive.

Runner-up: Jonathan Allen, Washington

Pass-rushers

Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers

Percentage of vote: 93 percent

Bosa, 23, drew pre-draft comparisons to J.J. Watt, an almost unfair parallel for any player to face. And yet, he has been a dominant force with some shades of Watt in terms of next-level power and acceleration.

Percentage of vote: 53.5 percent

Garrett was a bit limited by injuries as a rookie but made his mark all the same. He may have been the best talent on the Browns’ roster last season when the team went 0-16. Much more impressively, the 22-year-old may still be the most talented player on an improved roster.

T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Percentage of vote: 51.2 percent

The younger Watt, 23, is a terrific athlete and has the reactive skills to be a factor in coverage. Oh, did we mention he’s already an immense force as a rusher for a defense that led the NFL in sacks last year?

Runner-up: Yannick Ngakoue, Jacksonville Jaguars

Linebackers

Myles Jack, Jacksonville Jaguars

Percentage of vote: 74.4 percent

In a league where offenses stress a defense every inch of the field horizontally, Jack’s athletic tools stand out. The 22-year-old has already established himself as a ferocious tackler, cooling any concerns over a serious college knee injury.

Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Percentage of vote: 60.5 percent

Jones, 23, carries a rep as one of the game’s best coverage linebackers already. He runs like an oversized defensive back while also setting the tone as a hitter. He’s the quarterback of Atlanta’s defense.

Reuben Foster, San Francisco 49ers

Percentage of vote: 32.6 percent

Foster’s NFL career is young, but what already stood out was his feel for finding the football. The 24-year-old must stay healthy and will serve a two-game suspension to begin the season, but he could emerge as San Francisco’s best defensive player.

Runner-up: Kwon Alexander, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cornerbacks

Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints

Percentage of vote: 60.5 percent

Lattimore’s ability to play on an island is reflective of his confidence, reactive athletic ability and ball skills. It’s hard to quantify how much mental toughness impacts defensive back play; the 22-year-old Lattimore has a ton of it.

Percentage of vote: 95.3 percent

No player earned a higher percentage of votes in this exercise than the 23-year-old Ramsey. The question may not be whether he’s one of the best players under 25, but rather whether he’s on track to becoming the league’s best defensive player.

Runner-up: Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills

Safeties

Landon Collins, New York Giants

Percentage of vote: 67.4 percent

Collins, 24, almost immediately emerged into a leadership role for the Giants. He’s a check-the-box safety, with the ability to do almost any task asked of him. He’ll make you remember his hits too, with excellent playing strength.

Jamal Adams, New York Jets

Percentage of vote: 65.1 percent

Adams oozes confidence with good reason. His pattern recognition and proactive athletic skills will align with a bucket of interceptions in time, while he’s also a player ready to run the alley as a box defender. The 22-year-old can hang in coverage versus tight ends.

Runner-up: Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers

Kicker

Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

Percentage of vote: 55.8 percent

Butker, 22, had a historic season, as his 38 field goals for the Chiefs in 2017 were the most by a rookie in league annals. He has a cannon for a leg, nailing 38 of 42 attempts, connecting on all of his extra points and booming 78.2 percent of his kickoffs for a touchback.

Punter

Michael Dickson, Seattle Seahawks

Percentage of vote: 32.6 percent

It’s rare to see a specialist win the MVP of a bowl game for a major college program, be selected a unanimous All-American, forego his final college season or earn a fifth-round NFL selection. Dickson, the Seahawks’ 22-year-old fifth-rounder in 2018, did them all. They hope for him to become a major weapon.

Runner-up: Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis Colts

“This is the healthiest I’ve felt since I was going into college,” Kittle said.

Improved health wasn’t Kittle’s only offseason emphasis. He managed to finish his rookie season with 43 catches for 515 yards, rookie records for a 49ers tight end and second among all rookies at the position. Finally healthy in the season finale against the Rams, Kittle went for 100 yards on four catches. Still, those overall numbers could have been better if not for an early-season struggle with drops.

Kittle finished with five drops on the season, tied for third most among tight ends. Some of those miscues were the product of his tendency to let the ball get too close to his body instead of using his hands to snatch it out of the air. Which is why tight ends coach Jon Embree has instituted a system of fines for his players when they don’t catch the ball away from their bodies in practice.

“In the NFL at our position, I would say that 85 percent of the passes you catch are going to be contested balls with people around you,” Embree said. “So he’s had to learn, and is still learning, how to play outside of his frame. In other words, playing with his hands away from his body, using his length.”

Assuming Kittle can stay healthy and eliminate some of those drops, it’s not hard to envision how Shanahan can put him to work. While tight ends have never been the primary target in Shanahan’s previous offenses (in part because he’s rarely had legitimate playmakers at the position), he has had a knack for getting the most out of them when the ball does go their way.

In two seasons with Shanahan in Atlanta, Falcons tight ends were fifth in the NFL in yards per catch (12.18) and third in yards before first contact with a defender (11.07). With Shanahan in 2014, Browns tight ends ranked second in yards per catch (15.22) and first in yards before first contact (14.33). In other words, Shanahan’s scheme has a way of creating openings for tight ends to run free for big gains.

Kittle still has a long way to go to be considered among the game’s elite at his position, but the 49ers are pleased with his trajectory.

“We put a lot of pressure on George early because we needed to and it was up and down throughout the year, but he never shied away,” Shanahan said. “… He is a tough guy who is going to play through things, but he’s healthy right now. He’s moving great and it’s allowing him to get better in the run and pass. That’ll continue. George has got a lot of ability.”

He then rattled off a dozen or more from that Carolina team. Then-fullback Mike Tolbert had more nicknames — Tub of Goo, Tub of Mayonnaise, Plate of Paste, Chunky Soup, Toldozer, Fat Boy, Bowling Ball — than anybody because of his 5-foot-9, 250-pound physique.

Tolbert wasn’t offended. Carolina players just roll with whatever nickname Newton gives them.

“Cam’s weird. A good weird, though,” defensive end Mario Addison said. “He’s given me so many nicknames, I don’t know which one he really calls me by. He’ll say Rio, Super Mario — everything. Cam, man, I guess it’s what he’s feeling like that day which one you’re going to get.”

Newton gave himself the nickname “Ace Boogie” when he initially came into the league. He also considers himself the “Sensei of Swag,” for obvious reasons, if you’ve seen his sometimes out-there wardrobe.

Center Ryan Kalil said the nicknames show “what an incredible mind he has.

“I couldn’t come up with half the things he comes up with,” Kalil said. “A lot of them are more clever than people realize. There are a lot of them that are inside jokes that can’t leave the locker room that are really funny.

“He’s sharp that way. His mind goes 100 miles an hour.”

Not all nicknames are public knowledge. Kalil’s is one of them.

“He says it a lot to me,” Kalil said. “But it’s a quarterback-center bond thing. I can’t break that trust and tell you what it is.”

Garrett Gilbert, the front-runner to be Newton’s backup, is amazed by the depth of some of Newton’s nicknames.

“Depth is a good word,” he said. “They are extremely creative. Sometimes they take a while to craft. Sometimes it hits him the first day when a player comes on the field. But they are definitely, without a doubt, very creative.”

Gilbert’s nickname is a prime example, although Newton gets an assist from wide receiver Brenton Bersin on this one. Gilbert is called Glanch, after Matt Blanchard, who was on the Carolina practice squad in 2013-14.

“Cam heard it and took off with it,” Gilbert said.

Most of the nicknames Newton comes up with on his own. Some are obvious. Some not so much.

He dubbed former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks “Denzel” because the now-Arizona Cardinals coach reminded him of the actor Denzel Washington. He called former Carolina wide receiver Willie Snead (now with the Ravens) “Honeycomb” because of the blond-dyed tips to his hair that reminded him of the cereal.

Cam’s best creations

Many new nicknames are sure to come from the current roster during training camp, which begins on July 26. Here are some that are already out there:

Blistex (TE Chris Manhertz): Manhertz made the mistake of telling Newton he gets blisters on his feet in practice.

Bucky (OL Tyler Larsen): You have to dig deep to figure this one out. Larsen apparently reminds Newton of Bucky Larson from the comedy “Born to be a Star.”

Captain America (LB Luke Kuechly): The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year is the All-American do-good super hero for the Panthers.

C-Mac (RB Christian McCaffrey): No explanation needed.

Clutchery (WR assistant coach Jericho Cotchery): Cotchery was Newton’s clutch receiver during the Panthers’ 2015 run to Super Bowl 50.

Frazier (DE Julius Peppers): This is after former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier, whose punch was as lethal as the hits the future Hall of Famer Peppers makes on quarterbacks.

Fun or Fun-Fun (WR Devin Funchess): Funchess always is smiling and likes to have fun, so this one is self-explanatory.

Kirko (WR Curtis Samuel): Newton originally gave this to safety Kurt Coleman, but after Coleman was released Samuel inherited it. Newton also called Coleman “Bishop.”

Lil Cap (CB Captain Munnerlyn): At 5-9, Munnerlyn is one of the smallest players on the team.

Mayor of Charlotte (LB Thomas Davis): The then-real mayor of Charlotte gave Davis the key to the city in 2015 for his leadership role in the community.

Major James (CB James Bradberry): Something to do with Bradberry being bald. Deep.

Old School (SS Mike Adams): He is old (37) in NFL years. He also likes to listen to what Newton would call old-school music.

Super Mario (Mario Addison): Again, no real explanation needed for the player who has been Carolina’s sack leader the past couple of seasons.