NFL Week 7 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class Post Week 6

Blockers and tacklers continue to rule the roost from the 2014 NFL draft class, as three offensive linemen and three linebackers make up the top six spots in the league's rookie rankings following Week 6.

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

The rankings are becoming fairly consistent at this point of the year, as the players sitting at the top are rookies who have played well for their teams week in and week out. One strong performance can't skyrocket a player up the rankings unless he has the body of work from previous weeks to back up his emergence.

Still, there were some significant moves up and down the board from Week 6 games. While some players have started to parlay more quietly solid performances into bigger opportunities to make names for themselves, others who started out hot have started to slide down the depth chart.

Top 50 Overall

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Stealing an interception away from Oakland Raiders receiver Brice Butler helped San Diego Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett move up this week's rankings.

Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio, Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker C.J. Mosley and Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Anthony Barr remain the top three this week, as all three had solid games in Week 6.

The big mover into the top five this week is Zack Martin, who played a pivotal role in a dominant effort by the Dallas Cowboys offensive line when his team pulled off a surprise victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night.

Beyond Martin, many of this week's risers came from the San Diego Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders game. The Chargers ultimately won on a game-sealing interception by cornerback Jason Verrett against Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, but both players had strong performances Sunday, as did previously hidden gems such as Chargers running back Branden Oliver and Raiders cornerback T.J. Carrie.

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	2	Same
3	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	3	Same
4	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	8	Up
5	Corey Linsley	C	Packers	5.21	5	Same
6	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	4	Down
7	Aaron Donald	DT	Rams	1.13	6	Down
8	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	13	Up
9	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	7	Down
10	Chandler Catanzaro	K	Cardinals	N/A	10	Same
11	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	11	Same
12	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Packers	1.21	14	Up
13	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	12	Down
14	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	9	Down
15	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	15	Same
16	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	22	Up
17	Russell Bodine	C	Bengals	4.11	23	Up
18	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	18	Same
19	Cody Parkey	K	Eagles	N/A	19	Same
20	Calvin Pryor	SS	Jets	1.18	16	Down
21	Ja'Wuan James	RT	Dolphins	1.19	20	Down
22	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	41	Up
23	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	26	Up
24	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	27	Up
25	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	29	Up
26	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	21	Down
27	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	31	Up
28	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	36	Up
29	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	17	Down
30	Deone Bucannon	SS	Cardinals	1.27	25	Down
31	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	34	Up
32	Isaiah Crowell	RB	Browns	N/A	45	Up
33	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	30	Down
34	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	48	Up
35	T.J. Carrie	CB	Raiders	7.4	NR	Up
36	Jimmie Ward	CB	49ers	1.30	33	Down
37	Justin Ellis	NT	Raiders	4.7	37	Same
38	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	43	Up
39	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	NR	Up
40	Ryan Shazier	ILB	Steelers	1.15	28	Down
41	Jarvis Landry	WR	Dolphins	2.31	NR	Up
42	John Brown	WR	Cardinals	3.27	39	Down
43	Trai Turner	RG	Panthers	3.28	44	Up
44	Brandon Linder	RG	Jaguars	3.29	38	Down
45	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	32	Down
46	Terrance West	RB	Browns	3.30	24	Down
47	Zach Kerr	DL	Colts	N/A	42	Down
48	Ego Ferguson	DT	Bears	2.19	40	Down
49	Chris Kirksey	ILB	Browns	3.7	NR	Up
50	Jordan Matthews	WR	Eagles	2.12	NR	Up

Players to drop out from last week's top 50 were Atlanta Falcons linebacker Prince Shembo (No. 35), Cleveland Browns wide receiver Taylor Gabriel (No. 46), Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (No. 47), Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews (No. 49) and Chicago Bears defensive tackle Will Sutton (No. 50).

Quarterbacks

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Quarterback Rankings

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

Neither Derek Carr nor Blake Bortles has been able to lead his team to any victories yet, but in Week 6, both gave their teams reason to be optimistic that their futures at the quarterback position could be bright.

Carr, in his fifth NFL start, threw for a season-high 282 yards and doubled his prior touchdown total with four passes for scores Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. An interception by Jason Verrett led to keeping the Oakland Raiders winless, but the rookie is making quick strides as a downfield passer despite playing with one of the league's least talented receiving corps.

Bortles has been mistake-prone in his first three starts for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he only threw one interception against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday while completing 32 of 46 passing attempts for 336 yards and one touchdown. He also added 38 rushing yards. He has to start throwing less passes to opposing teams—his seven interceptions thrown are tied for the league's second-most—but he's put his tools on display and made clear improvement in Week 6.

Teddy Bridgewater is the only rookie quarterback with a win so far this year, but his second start Sunday, against the Detroit Lions, didn't go so well. Forced to deal with consistent pressure, Bridgewater took eight sacks and threw three interceptions. While his offensive line's struggles played a big part in his tough game, he's going to have to deal with the pressure more effectively if the problems up front persist.

No other rookie quarterbacks saw playing time this past week.

Running Backs

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Running Back Rankings

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

 

Most rushing offenses would suffer greatly if the top three running backs on the depth chart were all out with injury, but the San Diego Chargers haven't, thanks to an undrafted rookie from Buffalo.

Oliver became the first rookie in the NFL this season to have multiple games with 100 or more rushing yards—in fact, he's the only rookie in the NFL this season to have multiple games with 100 or more yards from scrimmage—when he rushed for 101 yards on 26 carries and gained 23 more yards on four receptions against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

After rushing for 114 yards and gaining 68 yards in Week 5 against the New York Jets, Oliver now ranks second among all rookies in yards from scrimmage, despite the fact he received just 16 total touches in San Diego's first four games.

While Oliver shot to the top of this week's running back rankings, Terrance West's move down the board from first to fourth corresponds with how he has dropped down the Cleveland Browns' running back depth chart since Ben Tate's return from injury. Despite a hot start, West was kept off the team's 46-man game-day roster on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the Browns decided to roll with Tate, Isaiah Crowell and Glenn Winston as their three backs.

Crowell, a fellow rookie, continued to get playing time as the change-of-pace back spelling Tate. He took advantage of his opportunities, rushing for 77 yards on just 11 carries, but also fumbled the ball twice, one of which was recovered by the Steelers.

Jeremy Hill hasn't had any huge games for the Cincinnati Bengals, but he's been the most consistent performer of the rookie RBs as the team's No. 2 back behind Giovani Bernard. Jerick McKinnon had 82 combined yards as the Minnesota Vikings lead back Sunday in his first game starting ahead of Matt Asiata, but his struggles in pass protection showed why the Vikings might have been skeptical to move him to the top of their depth chart in the first place.

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	2
3	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	3
4	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	5
5	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	6

 

Kelvin Benjamin continues to lead all NFL rookies in yards from scrimmage after a seven-catch, 49-yard performance in the Carolina Panthers' overtime tie with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, highlighted by a three-yard touchdown catch through a heavy hit from Bengals safety George Iloka.

Sammy Watkins had a statistically underwhelming day against the New England Patriots on Sunday, catching just two passes for 27 yards, but that's less disappointing when you take into account that Watkins was shadowed by one of the NFL's best cornerbacks, Darrelle Revis, throughout the game.

The fact that the Patriots respected Watkins enough to line their best cornerback up against him all afternoon makes a great statement about Watkins in itself, and it enabled other Bills receivers to get open and accumulate receptions and yards.

Mike Evans had a strong return from injury on Sunday, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout caught four passes for 55 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown.

Allen Robinson has been a steady performer for the Jacksonville Jaguars all season, and that continued to be the case Sunday when he caught eight passes for 68 yards against the Tennessee Titans. He displaced teammate Allen Hurns, who caught just two balls for 18 yards and slipped on Blake Bortles' only interception Sunday, from this week's top five.

Tight Ends

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Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	1
2	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Buccaneers	2.6	3
3	Eric Ebron	TE	Lions	1.10	2
4	Richard Rodgers	TE	Packers	3.34	4
5	Crockett Gillmore	TE	Ravens	3.35	NR

 

On a New York Jets offense starved for receiving talent, second-round pick Jace Amaro has started to emerge as a key weapon for Geno Smith and the passing game. Easily the most productive tight end of this year's rookie class thus far, Amaro led New York with 10 receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown on Sunday in a loss to the Denver Broncos.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins is the most well-rounded tight end in the class with his abilities to be both a receiver and a blocker. He also achieved season highs in Week 6 when he caught four passes for 58 yards against the Baltimore Ravens.

Eric Ebron has shown some flashes of his talent but hasn't yet provided consistent play as either a pass-catcher or blocker. He had two catches for 23 yards on four targets against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

There's been little to show for the rest of the rookie class of tight ends this year, but one player who is starting to get opportunities after a season-ending injury to Dennis Pitta is Ravens' third-round pick Crockett Gillmore. The Colorado State product caught the first two passes of his NFL career for 16 yards in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	3
3	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	2
4	James Hurst	LT	Ravens	N/A	5
5	Jake Matthews	LT	Falcons	1.6	4

 

The rookie class of offensive tackles is leaving many draft prognosticators—myself included—with egg on our faces. While Ja’Wuan James and Justin Britt were widely lampooned as “reaches” this May, the two right tackles have turned out to be the best first-year players at their position so far this season.

No. 19 overall pick James has provided much-needed stability to the Miami Dolphins offensive line, while second-round selection Britt has proved to be a fine replacement for Breno Giacomini on the Seahawks' offensive front.

Seantrel Henderson had a promising start to the season for a seventh-round pick but has had some issues, especially in pass protection, on a Buffalo Bills line that has really struggled its way through its past couple of games. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Henderson has allowed 21 quarterback pressures in six games, including four sacks.

James Hurst has had enormous shoes to fill as an undrafted rookie filling in for an injured Eugene Monroe, and he has done so admirably through three starts.

The big disappointment among the rookie offensive tackles thus far has been Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews. Expected to be successful as a plug-and-play starter, he's instead been a disaster.

In his past two games alone, Matthews has been charged with four penalties (two were declined) and has allowed 12 total quarterback pressures, according to PFF. If he continues to struggle against the Ravens in Week 7, he could lose his spot in the top five to fellow first-round pick Taylor Lewan, who performed well for the Tennessee Titans in his first start replacing injured left tackle Michael Roos.

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	2
3	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	3
4	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	5
5	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	4

 

Joel Bitonio, as I detailed here on Bleacher Report on Friday, has been the NFL's best rookie so far this season. A highly athletic former left tackle who has made a huge impact in run blocking and been reliable in pass protection, the Cleveland Browns' quiet superstar continued to play well against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6.

Another converted offensive tackle playing guard, Zack Martin, is also starting to make a case for being the league's best first-year player. Seemingly improving each week, Martin has proved to be the missing piece that has enabled the Dallas Cowboys offensive line to jell into a unit that is providing consistent time for quarterback Tony Romo and opening wide running lanes for DeMarco Murray.

Weston Richburg and Gabe Jackson haven't played at the same difference-making level as run-blockers that Bitonio and Martin, but both have allowed just seven quarterback pressures this season, according to Pro Football Focus, and have solidly filled their teams' voids at left guard.

Jack Mewhort has also been an impressive, steady starting left guard when he has been on the field for the Indianapolis Colts, but he has missed the past two games with an ankle injury.

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	Jonotthan Harrison	C	Colts	N/A	5
5	Bryan Stork	C	Patriots	4.5	4

 

Despite being third-day picks in this year’s draft, Corey Linsley and Russell Bodine have started all of their teams’ games so far and brought stability to the middles of the offensive lines in the process.

Luke Bowanko’s first four games as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting center have been up and down, but he’s been a clear upgrade over Jacques McClendon, who started the first two games of the season, and 2013 starter Mike Brewster. The Virginia product is providing very good value to the Jaguars as a sixth-round pick.

Also among the ranks of the NFL’s current starting centers is undrafted rookie Jonotthan Harrison, who has replaced A.Q. Shipley in the Indianapolis Colts lineup for the past two games. While the move was a bit of a surprise after Shipley’s season got off to a strong start, Harrison received a positive grade from Pro Football Focus for his play in Week 6 against the Houston Texans.

Bryan Stork, who had started the New England Patriots’ previous two games at center, missed New England’s game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday with a concussion.

Defensive Ends

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Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Zach Kerr	DE/NT	Colts	N/A	1
2	Kareem Martin	DE	Cardinals	3.20	2
3	Ra'Shede Hageman	DE	Falcons	2.5	NR
4	Dominique Easley	DE	Patriots	1.29	3
5	Cassius Marsh	DE	Seahawks	4.8	4

Splitting time between the defensive end and nose tackle positions in the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive front, Zach Kerr hasn’t seen much playing time as a rookie but has managed to make some plays off the bench each week for his team. He recorded one tackle on Thursday against the Houston Texans and also had a quarterback pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

In a surprising development after back-to-back solid games as a starting defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, Kareem Martin lost most of his playing time to another rookie, fifth-round pick Ed Stinson, on Sunday against the Washington Redskins.

Martin kept the No. 2 spot in this week’s defensive end rankings due to a lack of valid challengers and his play in the previous two games, but Stinson could push his way onto the rankings next week if he continues to see playing time.

Ra’Shede Hageman has not emerged as a difference-maker yet for the Atlanta Falcons defense, but the versatile lineman has seen some playing time off the bench and made one big play Sunday when he blocked an extra point attempt by Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould.

Dominique Easley, who has failed to make much impact thus far for the Patriots defensive line, missed New England’s game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills with a shoulder injury. Cassius Marsh’s impact was minimal in the Seattle Seahawks’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Still, both rookies remain on this week’s list due to a lack of players considered to be defensive ends who are making impacts.

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	3
4	Will Sutton	DT	Bears	3.18	4
5	Shamar Stephen	DT	Vikings	7.5	5

 

The St. Louis Rams gave Aaron Donald his first start Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, and he did not disappoint.

Donald showed his ability to penetrate and disrupt, as he recorded four total tackles, including a fourth-quarter 4th-and-1 stop and, according to Pro Football Focus, two quarterback hurries. He played 88.4 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps—the most for a St. Louis defensive tackle in a game since 2007, according to PFF’s Nathan Jahnke.

Justin Ellis has been a solid presence in the middle of the Oakland Raiders defense since he took over the starting nose tackle job. In Week 6 against the San Diego Chargers, he recorded three tackles.

After starting the Bears’ previous three games, Will Sutton saw just 16 snaps in Chicago’s win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, according to PFF. Although Ego Ferguson has seen less playing time than Sutton on the Bears defensive line, Ferguson has been the more disruptive of the two players on the field.

As a solid rotational piece for the Minnesota Vikings defensive line, Shamar Stephen recorded two tackles Sunday against the Detroit Lions, who took an interest in Stephen at his predraft pro day at the University of Connecticut.

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	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	6
5	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	5

 

C.J. Mosley, Anthony Barr and Khalil Mack have all lived up to, if not exceeded, the expectations placed upon them as first-round picks in this year’s NFL draft.

Mosley, who leads all rookies with 57 total tackles, had a game of eight tackles and three quarterback hits against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. A rangy, well-rounded linebacker who is very good at getting in position to make plays, Mosley has formed one of the NFL’s best inside linebacker duos along with Daryl Smith.

Barr and Mack haven’t been quite as productive as expected as pass-rushers, but both rookies have been excellent against the run. Barr recorded seven total tackles against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, while Khalil Mack, coming off another strong performance setting the edge and making run stops, is graded by Pro Football Focus as the best run-stopping 3-4 OLB in the NFL.

Another top-17 pick who has been impressive is Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Ryan Shazier, but he fell out of the top five this week. The No. 15 overall selection has missed the past three games with a sprained MCL after a hot start.

Moving up the rankings this week is Aaron Lynch, who has continued to bring heavy heat as a rotational pass-rushing outside linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers. He recorded four quarterback hurries against the St. Louis Rams on Monday night, according to PFF.

Preston Brown, who started four of the Buffalo Bills’ first five games, settled into a backup role in Week 6 with all three Bills starting linebackers back healthy and in the lineup. He didn’t play very well when he was on the field, as he was beaten multiple times in coverage and had just two tackles, but his productivity from the first five weeks of the year keeps him in the rankings for this week.

Cornerbacks

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Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	2
2	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	1
3	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	3
4	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	4
5	T.J. Carrie	CB	Raiders	7.4	NR

The San Diego Chargers have gone from having two of the NFL’s worst starting cornerbacks last season to two of the best this year, with one of those major upgrades being rookie Jason Verrett.

Highlighted by the aforementioned game-sealing interception—a terrific play in which he stole the ball away from Oakland Raiders wideout Brice Butler in midair—Verrett provided textbook coverage throughout San Diego’s victory Sunday. A strong performance in which he allowed just two receptions for 36 yards on 36 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, made him the site’s third-ranked cornerback for the entire league.

While Verrett’s strong showing Sunday vaulted him to the top of the rookie cornerback chart, Kyle Fuller has continued to impress for the Chicago Bears. He remains tied for the NFL lead with three interceptions and tied with Bradley Roby for the lead among rookies with six pass defenses.

Roby had an excellent performance in Week 6, as the Denver Broncos slot cornerback recorded two passes defensed, a sack and three total tackles while, according to PFF, allowing just one catch on 37 coverage snaps.

Still in the third spot among rookie cornerbacks, nonetheless, is pleasantly surprising sixth-round pick E.J. Gaines of the St. Louis Rams. While Gaines was memorably toasted by the 49ers' Michael Crabtree for a 32-yard touchdown pass Monday night, he otherwise had a good game, as he did not allow any other catches against him, according to PFF.

Also a surprise standout among rookie cornerbacks this year has been Oakland Raiders seventh-round choice T.J. Carrie.

The Ohio product had a big performance on both defense and special teams against the Chargers on Sunday. Carrie took advantage of an opportunity to start at cornerback and recorded two passes defensed and four total tackles while allowing just one reception for 20 yards. He also had three kickoff returns for 85 yards and three punt returns for 30 yards, as he put his speed and multifaceted playmaking ability on display.

Safeties

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Safety Rankings

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

 

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has not yet started a game for the Green Bay Packers, but that hasn’t stopped the safety from making a big impact in their secondary.

The No. 21 overall pick, who has seen time at both free and strong safety, has been reliable in coverage and active in run support. On Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, he came off the bench to lead the Packers with seven tackles, including one tackle for loss, and recorded a pass deflection.

Fellow first-round picks Calvin Pryor and Deone Bucannon have also been active tacklers—and they have both actually been starting games—but they’ve been more prone to mistakes than Clinton-Dix. Bucannon, who allowed five Washington Redskins receptions for 62 yards against him on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus, has been frequently picked on by opposing passing offenses.

Terrence Brooks has seen increasing playing time in each of the Baltimore Ravens’ last three games, and he actually led Ravens safeties in snaps played Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to PFF. Perhaps the most well-rounded safety on the roster, Brooks has played well in limited action and could be in line for a starting role very soon.

The only other rookie safety to see consistent playing time for his team over the past three weeks has been Dezmen Southward of the Atlanta Falcons. His role has been more limited than that of Brooks, but he was able to record the first pass deflection of his career against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

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

 

No kicker in the NFL this year has made more field goals without a single miss than Chandler Catanzaro, whose career is off to a 14-of-14 start with the Arizona Cardinals. He has also been great on kickoffs, according to Pro Football Focus, as 20 of his 29 boots have ended up as touchbacks.

Nearly as impressive as Catanzaro has been Cody Parkey, who made two field goals against the New York Giants on Sunday night to improve to 12-of-13 on the season. The Philadelphia Eagles kicker has also put 22 of his 38 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.

Pat O’Donnell has been one of the NFL’s least impressive punters this season—he ranks 31st of 32 with a 34.9 net yards per punt average—but he’s been good enough to be a slight upgrade for the Chicago Bears from what Adam Podlesh was for them last year.

Cairo Santos, the only other rookie currently employed by an NFL team as a kicking specialist, had a Week 6 bye with the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

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

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