NFL Week 6 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class Post-Week 5

While skill-position players often get the most attention, many of the best players in the rookie class thus far have been consistently performing offensive linemen like left guard Joel Bitonio of the Cleveland Browns and linebackers racking up tackles like C.J. Mosley of the Baltimore Ravens.

Each week here at Bleacher Report, I am ranking the top 50 overall rookies and top five at each position based upon each player’s cumulative performance for the regular season.

At this point in the season, teams and their fans have started to figure out what they’re getting from their rookies in their debut seasons. While some draft picks and undrafted signees have made immediate impacts, others have not yet become ready to contribute on a regular basis.

We’re still a long way from deciding Rookie of the Year battles, and some NFL teams have only played four games to this point due to bye weeks. Nevertheless, plenty of newcomers have already made their franchises look smart.

Top 50 Overall

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Joel Bitonio continued to be a dominant force for the Cleveland Browns’ offensive line in his team’s Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Able to consistently use his athleticism and strength to make key run blocks and keep pass-rushers away from quarterback Brian Hoyer, Bitonio has been an excellent addition to the Browns up front at left guard. For his efforts this past week, he earned a high overall rating of 4.3 from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he currently ranks as the league’s fourth-best guard.

While Bitonio has been fantastic all season, C.J. Mosley seems to be getting better by the week. The Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker had an outstanding performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, recording 15 total tackles, one interception and one quarterback hit. He moves up to the second spot in the overall rookie rankings as a result.

Three offensive linemen to make significant moves up the rankings this week are Green Bay Packers center Corey Linsley, Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin and New York Giants left guard Weston Richburg. Each of them has been a solid starter for the offensive line all year and seems to be stepping up his level of play with each passing week.

Players to slide from high spots in last week’s rankings include Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who only caught three passes on 11 targets while dropping a pass and losing a fumble on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, and New York Jets safety Calvin Pryor, who struggled against the San Diego Chargers one week after suffering a thigh bruise.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Joel Bitonio	LG	Browns	2.3	1	Same
2	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	3	Up
3	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	2	Down
4	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	5	Up
5	Corey Linsley	C	Packers	5.21	10	Up
6	Aaron Donald	DT	Rams	1.13	6	Same
7	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	4	Down
8	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	17	Up
9	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	18	Up
10	Chandler Catanzaro	K	Cardinals	N/A	14	Up
11	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	8	Down
12	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	12	Same
13	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	16	Up
14	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Packers	1.21	21	Up
15	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	25	Up
16	Calvin Pryor	S	Jets	1.18	7	Down
17	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	9	Down
18	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	27	Up
19	Cody Parkey	K	Eagles	N/A	22	Up
20	Ja'Wuan James	RT	Dolphins	1.19	23	Up
21	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	11	Down
22	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	24	Up
23	Russell Bodine	C	Bengals	4.11	31	Up
24	Terrance West	RB	Browns	3.30	13	Down
25	Deone Bucannon	SS	Cardinals	1.27	42	Up
26	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	15	Down
27	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	28	Up
28	Ryan Shazier	LB	Steelers	1.15	19	Down
29	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	34	Up
30	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	30	Same
31	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	36	Up
32	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	26	Down
33	Jimmie Ward	CB	49ers	1.30	39	Up
34	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	33	Down
35	Prince Shembo	ILB	Falcons	4.39	43	Up
36	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	40	Up
37	Justin Ellis	NT	Raiders	4.7	37	Same
38	Brandon Linder	RG	Jaguars	3.29	NR	Up
39	John Brown	WR	Cardinals	3.27	20	Down
40	Ego Ferguson	DT	Bears	2.19	47	Up
41	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	NR	Up
42	Zach Kerr	DE	Colts	N/A	35	Down
43	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	NR	Up
44	Trai Turner	RG	Panthers	3.28	NR	Up
45	Isaiah Crowell	RB	Browns	N/A	29	Down
46	Taylor Gabriel	WR	Browns	N/A	NR	Up
47	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Vikings	1.32	38	Down
48	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	41	Down
49	Jake Matthews	LT	Falcons	1.6	32	Down
50	Will Sutton	DT	Bears	3.18	46	Down

Players to drop out from last week's top 50 were Baltimore Ravens running back Lorenzo Taliaferro (No. 44), Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (No. 45), Minnesota Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon (No. 48), Carolina Panthers cornerback Bene Benwikere (No. 49) and Oakland Raiders cornerback T.J. Carrie (No. 50).

Quarterbacks

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Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Vikings	1.32	1
2	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	2
3	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	3
4	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	Patriots	2.30	4
5	Logan Thomas	QB	Cardinals	4.20	NR

With Teddy Bridgewater sidelined by an ankle injury and Derek Carr's Oakland Raiders on a bye week, Blake Bortles was the only rookie quarterback to start a game in Week 5, but the Jacksonville Jaguars signal-caller didn't play well enough to move up the rankings.

Bortles completed 22 of 36 passing attempts for 191 yards—only 5.3 yards per attempt—and threw two interceptions as the Jaguars remain winless following a 17-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The No. 3 overall pick has thrown a pair of interceptions in all three games he has appeared in, which leaves him tied for the league lead (six). He has been mistake-prone, ranks 31st among NFL quarterbacks in passer rating and has failed to provide a significant spark for a struggling Jaguars offense.

The only other rookie quarterback to attempt passes in Week 5 was Arizona Cardinals fourth-round pick Logan Thomas.

As Carson Palmer remained sidelined with a shoulder injury, the Cardinals had no choice but to turn to their rookie when Drew Stanton was knocked out of Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos with a concussion.

Thomas had the first big play of his NFL career when he rifled a downfield pass between two defenders to Andre Ellington, which the running back caught and took all the way to the end zone for an 81-yard touchdown. The other seven passes Thomas attempted all went incomplete, and the Broncos easily pulled away for a 21-point win.

Running Backs

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Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Terrance West	RB	Browns	3.30	1
2	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	3
3	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	NR
4	Isaiah Crowell	RB	Browns	N/A	2
5	Jerick McKinnon	RB	Vikings	3.32	5

 

Ben Tate's return from injury left fewer opportunities for Cleveland Browns rookies Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell to get touches in Week 5.

West has the best rushing average among rookies at 58 yards per game, but he only received seven carries for 31 yards on Sunday, while Tate took the bulk of the team's rushing load and played well. Crowell might actually be in line for more snaps than West going forward, as he has a more complementary style to Tate than West does, but he only managed 19 yards on six rushing attempts Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

The star among rookie running backs this past week was Branden Oliver of the San Diego Chargers.

Oliver, who became San Diego's feature back against the New York Jets on Sunday after Donald Brown left with a concussion, took advantage of the increased workload for a breakout game. He scored two touchdowns and had two plays of 50-plus yards. Overall, Oliver ran for 114 yards on 19 carries and finished with 68 total receiving yards on four catches.

On a team that currently has three injured running backs between Brown, Ryan Mathews (knee injury) and Danny Woodhead (out for season with broken fibula), there should be more touches on the table for the undrafted rookie from Buffalo, at least so long as players remain injured in front of him.

A dynamic and tough runner who has been compared to former Chargers and current Philadelphia Eagles back Darren Sproles, Oliver could continue to climb the rankings with another big performance in Week 6. That said, there's plenty of competition in the rookie running back class, with semi-productive backs like Andre Williams (New York Giants), Devonta Freeman (Atlanta Falcons), Carlos Hyde (San Francisco 49ers) and Bishop Sankey (Tennessee Titans) not even landing a spot in the top five at the position.

Wide Receivers

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Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	1
2	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	3
3	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	6
4	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	2
5	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	4

 

As previously mentioned in the top 50 overall slide, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin did not have a particularly strong Week 5 performance. He caught just three passes for 38 yards on a team-high 11 targets and turned the ball over when he was stripped for a lost fumble by Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller.

Even so, Benjamin has made more big plays than any other rookie wideout so far this season and has a distinct lead among rookies with 367 receiving yards. As no other rookie pass-catcher has been as large a factor in his team's offense and as consistently productive as Benjamin has been through five weeks, he continues to hold the top spot in his position's rankings.

Brandin Cooks, who does a little bit of everything as a receiver, runner and returner for the New Orleans Saints, leads all first-year players with 32 receptions. He hasn't had a signature play yet in the NFL, but he is coming off a productive game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which he caught nine passes for 56 yards and ran twice for 15 yards.

It's been a roller-coaster start to Sammy Watkins' career for the Buffalo Bills, but he seemingly had more confidence in Week 5 following Buffalo's quarterback switch to Kyle Orton. The No. 4 overall pick made a number of challenging grabs among his seven receptions for 87 yards against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Like Watkins, Hurns' production has varied greatly from week to week so far in his rookie year. He had a down performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. The Jacksonville Jaguars' undrafted gem caught four passes for 26 yards but also dropped multiple balls.

Mike Evans fell in the rankings this week after missing Tampa Bay's Week 5 game with a groin injury. His injury could open the door for other rookie wideouts, such as Jaguars wideout Allen Robinson or Taylor Gabriel of the Cleveland Browns, to break through into the top five next week.

One rookie who trended down and out of the top five this week, in a deep crop of rookie receivers, is John Brown of the Arizona Cardinals. He caught just two passes for four yards on Sunday and has not emerged as a significantly productive player yet as the team's slot receiver.

Tight Ends

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Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	1
2	Eric Ebron	TE	Lions	1.10	2
3	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Buccaneers	2.6	3
4	Richard Rodgers	TE	Packers	3.34	4
5	Crockett Gillmore	TE	Ravens	3.	5

 

A stat line of three receptions for 19 yards is not usually looked upon as an impressive one, but that production was enough for New York Jets tight end Jace Amaro to be the most productive rookie at his position and his team's second-leading receiver in Week 5 against the San Diego Chargers.

Amaro, who has 14 receptions for 144 yards on the year, is the only tight end in the rookie class who has consistently been showing up in box scores. He hasn't done anything spectacular yet and has not shown to be much of a blocker, but he's established himself as a decent receiving playmaker on an offense that lacks weapons and stable quarterback play.

Eric Ebron's start for the Detroit Lions can be classified as a disappointment thus far, but he has still been more productive than any first-year player considered to be a tight end not named Amaro. After catching two passes for eight yards against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Ebron has eight receptions for 80 yards on the season.

Despite playing just about every down for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught just one pass for 11 yards. He's evidently asserted himself as the Buccaneers' best tight end based upon his playing time over Brandon Myers, but he hasn't brought much to the table yet in game action.

No other rookie tight end caught a pass or made any significant contribution this past week.

Offensive Tackles

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Offensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Ja'Wuan James	RT	Dolphins	1.19	1
2	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	2
3	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	4
4	Jake Matthews	LT	Falcons	1.6	3
5	James Hurst	LT	Ravens	N/A	5

 

Among the rookie offensive tackles who have been starting early this season, Miami Dolphins right tackle Ja'Wuan James has stood out as the most consistent, both in pass protection and run blocking. The Dolphins had a bye in Week 5.

Seantrel Henderson has performed admirably for a seventh-round pick who is starting on an NFL offensive line as a rookie, but he's also had the struggles one would expect of a first-year player at his position. Following a rough game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Henderson currently has Pro Football Focus' worst cumulative grade of any offensive tackle in the NFL.

The worst single-game Pro Football Focus overall grade for any offensive tackle this season, according to PFF's Pete Damilatis, belongs to Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews after he was dominated by New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul in the Falcons' loss on Sunday. Matthews has been overmatched at times thus far in his rookie season and has struggled much more than expected as the No. 6 overall pick.

Seattle Seahawks right tackle Justin Britt had a solid performance on Monday Night Football, showing that he could keep pressure away from quarterback Russell Wilson in what turned out to be a signature game for Wilson against a Washington Redskins defense that includes talented pass-rushers on the edge.

After a solid first start in place of Eugene Monroe at left tackle, James Hurst of the Baltimore Ravens played more like a typical undrafted rookie against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. According to PFF, Hurst gave up three sacks and seven total quarterback pressures in the game. Nonetheless, he is one of only five rookies to start multiple games at offensive tackle so far this year.

Offensive Guards

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Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Joel Bitonio	LG	Browns	2.3	1
2	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	3
3	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	4
4	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	2
5	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	5

 

The start of the year has been a very strong one for the rookie class of guards, not only because of the dominant play of Joel Bitonio, but also because of more than a handful of others who have stepped into starting roles up front for their team's offense and provided an immediate upgrade.

Zack Martin has been a steady pass protector while steadily improving as a run-blocker for an offensive line that has helped Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray take an overwhelming NFL lead in rushing yards.

Weston Richburg had some growing pains early in his transition from center to left guard, but he has quickly become a strong replacement for injured starter Geoff Schwartz. If he continues to play as well as he has, the New York Giants will have to keep him in the lineup one way or another, whether that means staying at guard or taking over the starting position at center.

Jack Mewhort has been fantastic for the Indianapolis Colts when healthy, but he missed the team's most recent game Sunday with an ankle injury.

Gabe Jackson has been a steady presence on the Oakland Raiders offensive line and holds the fifth spot through the team's bye week. That said, an argument could also be presented by two other rookie guards who were selected back-to-back late in the third round: Brandon Linder of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Trai Turner of the Carolina Panthers. Both are now starting at right guard for their offensive lines and providing both strong pushes and effective pass blocking.

Centers

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Center Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Corey Linsley	C	Packers	5.21	1
2	Russell Bodine	C	Bengals	4.11	2
3	Luke Bowanko	C	Jaguars	6.29	3
4	Bryan Stork	C	Patriots	4.5	4
5	Jonotthan Harrison	C	Colts	N/A	NR

 

For the first time all year, there were a full handful of rookie starting centers in Week 5 of the NFL season.

The clear standout of that position group among rookies has been Corey Linsley for the Green Bay Packers, who had a strong performance against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football this past week. Linsley, who has not yet been responsible for a sack this season, according to Pro Football Focus, did an excellent job of working the middle of the line of scrimmage to open up running lanes on Thursday.

While Linsley has made a number of rookie mistakes, he hasn’t looked physically overmatched at all by his competition. He has played well enough that he should be able to keep the starting center job when J.C. Tretter, who was expected to start going into the season, returns from injury.

Russell Bodine has struggled his way through the first part of his rookie season more than Linsley has, but he’s the only rookie who has started every game at center this year. His play should continue to stabilize, and he exhibits the potential to be a solid starter at the position for years to come.

Luke Bowanko has been an upgrade for the Jacksonville Jaguars since taking over the starting job from Jacques McClendon, while the New England Patriots seem to have found the offensive line combination they will proceed forward with this year—a combination that is built around rookie Bryan Stork as the center.

The Indianapolis Colts’ decision to start Jonotthan Harrison on Sunday came as a big surprise, as they received strong play from veteran A.Q. Shipley in the middle of their offensive line in their first four games.

Harrison struggled in his first start, as he had a couple of issues on snap exchanges with Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Wells; however, the decision to play him over Shipley in Week 5 suggests that Indy is high on the promise of Harrison, an undrafted rookie.

Defensive Ends

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Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Zach Kerr	DE	Colts	N/A	1
2	Kareem Martin	DE	Cardinals	3.20	4
3	Dominique Easley	DE	Patriots	1.29	2
4	Cassius Marsh	DE	Seahawks	4.8	3
5	Timmy Jernigan	DE	Ravens	2.16	5

 

Hybrid defensive end/nose tackle Zach Kerr has been the most productive player classified as primarily a DE thus far this season. Despite being an undrafted rookie from Delaware who comes off the bench, Kerr has displayed his explosiveness in his limited repetitions and has recorded six total tackles, including one sack, this year.

Having started back-to-back games on the Arizona Cardinals defensive line, Kareem Martin is starting to emerge as a significant player on that front. He has had minimal impact thus far as a pass-rusher, playing a 3-4 defensive end position that is not an ideal fit for his skill set, but he has been solid as a run stopper around the line of scrimmage. He was able to bat a pass down on Sunday against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

Outside of Kerr and Martin, no other defensive end has made a significant contribution with any regularity. Dominique Easley has had some impressive flashes, but he did little against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night before he left the game with a shoulder injury.

At the bottom of the top five is Timmy Jernigan of the Baltimore Ravens. Though he had solid play for the Ravens in their first two games of the season, he’s been inactive every game since after suffering a meniscus injury in Week 2.

Defensive Tackles

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Defensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Aaron Donald	DT	Rams	1.13	1
2	Justin Ellis	NT	Raiders	4.8	2
3	Ego Ferguson	DT	Bears	2.19	4
4	Will Sutton	DT	Bears	3.18	3
5	Shamar Stephen	DT	Vikings	7.5	5

 

While he’s come off the bench in each of the St. Louis Rams’ first four games this season, Aaron Donald hasn't been stopped from making things happen once he is on the field. The explosive penetrator has been disruptive, even though the stat sheet doesn’t always show it; while he made one tackle in his last game, Pro Football Focus also credited him with four quarterback pressures.

Another disruptive penetrator and pass-rusher off the bench from the defensive tackle spot has been Chicago Bears second-round pick Ego Ferguson.

He has recorded a pair of tackles in each of his last three games. After having sacks in his previous two contests, Ferguson batted two passes around the line of scrimmage Sunday; one led to an interception by Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

Ferguson’s teammate drafted one round later than him, Will Sutton, has been starting ahead of Ferguson but has not been as impactful in his time on the field.

Prior to the Oakland Raiders’ bye this past week, Justin Ellis had already emerged as a solid anchor in the middle of the team’s interior defensive line as its starting nose tackle.

Shamar Stephen has seen some rotational play for the Minnesota Vikings. He hasn’t made a big impact, but neither has any other rookie defensive tackle not included in the top four. 

Linebackers

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Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	2
2	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	1
3	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	3
4	Ryan Shazier	ILB	Steelers	1.15	4
5	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	5

 

No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney has been out since the Houston Texans’ season opener with a knee injury, while No. 15 overall pick Ryan Shazier has missed back-to-back games due to a sprained MCL, but each of the five linebackers drafted in the top 17 picks of this May’s draft have been impact players when they have been on the field.

In the past two weeks, no rookie has made a bigger impact than C.J. Mosley has for the Baltimore Ravens. He has been all over the field as a tackling machine while also showing quickly that he can make plays dropping back into pass coverage, which he did Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts with an interception.

Anthony Barr has looked polished for the Minnesota Vikings, impacting each game as a run defender and pass-rusher, while Khalil Mack has also displayed the abilities to make plays off the edge and at the second level. Barr had six total tackles for the Vikings on Thursday against the Green Bay Packers; Mack and the Oakland Raiders had a bye in Week 5.

After one game coming off the bench, Preston Brown moved right back into the starting lineup for the Buffalo Bills defense on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, a game that regular starter Nigel Bradham missed with a knee injury. He has a significant decrease in tackles from his first four games, as he only recorded three on Sunday, but he has been a steady presence against the run and showed improvement in coverage versus the Lions.

This is another position where there have been plenty of impactful rookies this season. Other players who make a strong case for the top five include San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch, who has emerged as a dangerous rotational pass-rusher off the edge, and Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker Prince Shembo, who has wrested a starting job from Joplo Bartu with solid play this season.

Cornerbacks

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Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	1
2	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	2
3	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	4
4	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	3
5	Jimmie Ward	CB	49ers	1.30	6

 

Kyle Fuller didn’t have a great game against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday—he gave up four receptions for 49 yards, according to Pro Football Focus, and committed a pass interference penalty in the red zone—but he’s played well enough in coverage to complement the ball skills and playmaking ability he has shown often already in his rookie year.

Fuller gets the nod for the top rookie cornerback because of the takeaway-creating ability he has shown, but Jason Verrett of the San Diego Chargers has arguably been the most consistent rookie cornerback in coverage.

Verrett allowed just two receptions for 14 yards on Sunday, according to PFF, but he had the advantage of going up against a New York Jets passing offense that has been a disaster this season and was so especially on Sunday.

Among the other first-round picks at the position, Bradley Roby and Jimmie Ward have solidified themselves as solid nickel slot cornerbacks for their respective teams so far in their rookie seasons. Neither No. 8 overall pick Justin Gilbert of the Cleveland Browns nor No. 24 overall pick Darqueze Dennard of the Cincinnati Bengals has worked his way into his team’s lineup yet.

The most pleasant surprise of an outside starting cornerback in the rookie class has been E.J. Gaines of the St. Louis Rams. The sixth-round pick from Missouri put his playmaking skills on full display Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. He had an interception, another pass breakup and a fumble recovery. 

Safeties

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Safety Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Packers	1.21	2
2	Calvin Pryor	S	Jets	1.18	1
3	Deone Bucannon	SS	Cardinals	1.27	3
4	Terrence Brooks	FS	Ravens	3.15	5
5	Dezmen Southward	FS	Falcons	3.4	4

 

Among the three first-round safeties from this year’s draft, both Ha Ha Clinton-Dix of the Green Bay Packers and Deone Bucannon of the Arizona Cardinals had strong performances in Week 5 that helped bolster their rankings heading into the sixth week of the season.

Clinton-Dix has demonstrated his range to make plays while being targeted infrequently with throws. He recorded six total tackles and a quarterback hit on Thursday against the Minnesota Vikings, while he had just one pass completed against his coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bucannon, who plays as both a strong safety and as a nickel linebacker, has been making plays in the box while also coming up with much-needed improvement in coverage. He recorded six tackles on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, including one for loss, and did not get beaten for any significant gains downfield in coverage.

New York Jets safety Calvin Pryor, on the other hand, had a poor performance against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Outside of one tackle for loss against the run, Pryor made a minimal impact, and he was a recipient of heavy criticism on Twitter (he actually deleted his Twitter account following the game, according to Tim Weaver of Cover32.com).

“Calvin Pryor looked completely lost out there,” FootballPerspective.com’s Chase Stuart tweeted Sunday.

Beyond the first-round picks, third-rounders Terrence Brooks of the Baltimore Ravens and Dezmen Southward of the Atlanta Falcons have started to emerge as contributors in the past couple of weeks. Both players recorded three total tackles for their teams in Week 5, while Brooks also had a pass defensed and a fumble recovery.

Specialists

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Specialist Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Chandler Catanzaro	K	Cardinals	N/A	1
2	Cody Parkey	K	Eagles	N/A	2
3	Pat O'Donnell	P	Bears	6.15	3
4	Cairo Santos	K	Chiefs	N/A	4

 

It was a strong week for the four active kicking specialists on NFL rosters.

Chandler Catanzaro hit two field goals for the Arizona Cardinals to remain perfect (11-of-11) for the season. Cody Parkey, who has just one miss this year, hit two field-goal attempts on Sunday for the Philadelphia Eagles, while Cairo Santos successfully converted a 42-yard field-goal attempt.

Pat O’Donnell had one of his punts returned for a touchdown, but it would be unfair to pin that score against him, as it occurred on an unusual play. Carolina Panthers rookie Philly Brown was interfered with while trying to catch the punt and then had the wherewithal to scoop up the loose ball and return it for a 79-yard touchdown.

Overall, O’Donnell had a strong performance Sunday against the Panthers. The Chicago Bears sixth-round pick averaged 51.3 yards per punt and put two of his four punts inside the 20-yard line.

 

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Follow @Dan_Hope