NFL Week 3 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class, Post-Week 2

The second week of the NFL season has concluded, meaning we’re already one-eighth of the way through the 17-week campaign. That’s a miniscule sample to really gather strong conclusions on what 2015 will have in store for this class of rookies. Our weekly rookie rankings have undergone some major changes after our first exposure to the first-year batch of players.

Throughout the season here at Bleacher Report, I’ll be tracking which rookies stand out above their peers with weekly rankings of the NFL’s rookie class. Each week, the top five NFL newcomers at each position, and top 50 overall, will be highlighted.

Over the course of the season, rankings will be determined based upon which rookies have had the best performance and production for the regular season as a whole. High draft picks won’t be given places on the rankings simply based upon their hype coming into the league—they’ll have to prove on the field that they belong.

For this week’s rankings, we take a look at which players performed best in Week 1 and showed they have the talent to survive in the NFL. Consideration has been given to where each rookie stands on his team’s depth chart, but the rankings aim to reflect how each player has performed thus far moreso than what the expectations are.

Our Week 1 rankings are now very outdated, as Week 2 featured several eye-popping performances. The volatile nature of the NFL to base these rankings must be considered as well. The players listed in the following slides, nonetheless, are the ones who stood out the most during the first two weeks of football.

Top 50 Overall

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

As the season progresses, we will track which players are moving up or down the board after having good or bad games. For this week, the listed movement may be somewhat significant, based on playing time given to each rookie. The few rookies who really stood out will be catapulted higher on the top-50 overall list.

There are some high draft picks who have yet to make their presence felt, holding them out of the top-50. Conversely, there are some late-round picks and even undrafted rookies who stood out enough this first week to be among the top first-year players.The ebbs and flows of an NFL rookie season can be as dramatic as any in all of professional sports.

Standout Week 2 performers like running back Matt Jones and defensive end Henry Anderson are rising up the big board. Arizona Cardinals’ rookie David Johnson is the biggest surprise after his three touchdowns in the first two weeks. He’s proving to be one of the best pure rookie playmakers in the NFL.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	4	Up
2	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	19	Up
3	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	8	Up
4	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	6	Up
5	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	18	Up
6	Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3.31	N/A	Up
7	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	14	Up
8	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	1	Down
9	Hau'oli Kikaha	LB	Saints	2.12	9	Same
10	David Johnson	RB	Cardinals	3.22	N/A	Up
11	Mitch Morse	OC	Chiefs	2.17	3	Down
12	Carl Davis	DE	Ravens	3.26	12	Same
13	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	45	Up
14	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	2	Down
15	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	15	Same
16	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	16	Same
17	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	21	Up
18	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	5	Down
19	Tevin Coleman	RB	Falcons	3.9	10	Down
20	Randy Gregory	DE	Cowboys	2.28	11	Down
21	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	7	Down
22	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.6	20	Down
23	Ali Marpet	OG	Buccaneers	2.29	23	Same
24	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	17	Down
25	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	36	Up
26	Jordan Phillips	DT	Dolphins	2.20	21	Down
27	Jaquiski Tartt	SAF	49ers	2.14	35	Down
28	Shaquille Mason	OG	Patriots	4.34	28	Same
29	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	36	Up
30	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	30	Same
31	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Colts	1.29	44	Up
32	Danny Shelton	DT	Browns	1.12	32	Same
33	Jamil Douglas	OG	Dolphins	4.15	33	Same
34	Ereck Flowers	OT	Giants	1.9	40	Down
35	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	22	Down
36	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.19	26	Down
37	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Lions	2.22	25	Down
38	Michael Bennett	DT	Jaguars	6.4	39	Up
39	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	47	Down
40	Ty Sambrailo	OT	Broncos	2.27	37	Down
41	Nelson Agholor	WR	Eagles	1.20	41	Same
42	Kwon Alexander	LB	Buccaneers	4.25	34	Down
43	Paul Dawson	LB	Bengals	3.35	43	Same
44	Shane Ray LB	LB	Broncos	1.23	34	Down
45	Laken Tomlinson	OG	Lions	1.28	42	Down
46	Rashad Greene	WR	Jaguars	5.3	46	Same
47	Danielle Hunter	DE	Vikings	3.24	47	Same
48	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	48	Same
49	Jeremiah Poutasi	OT	Titans	3.2	31	Down
50	Quinten Rollins	CB	Packers	2.30	50	Same

Quarterbacks

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

The big storyline after Week 1 was how well Tennessee Titans’ quarterback Marcus Mariota played in his debut. His perfect passer rating and four touchdown performance won’t be forgotten in the near future. But his Week 2 play does put a small damper on the excitement about his rookie season.

Things did not go smoothly for Mariota in Week 2.The Titans couldn’t protect him against a talented Browns’ defense. Mariota’s completion percentage dipped to 56 percent, and he took seven sacks. Although his blocking was subpar, Mariota did not help the situation when he began to hold the ball too long.

He also had four fumbles. This is an area that Mariota struggled at Oregon with, so it’s a considerable weakness for him at this time. Putting the ball in that much danger is why he drops to No. 2 this week.

On the other hand, Buccaneers’ quarterback Jameis Winston parlayed a bad first week into a much better performance in Week 2. Winston didn’t have to carry as heavy of a load as he did in his first game, and he responded with an efficient, yet effective game. He finished throwing at a 66 percent clip, with one touchdown and zero interceptions.

Each quarterback is bound to have ups and downs throughout the season. Since each has had one strong performance and one poor one, our gap between the two is miniscule. But, since Winston was the hot hand this past week, we’ll give him the nod as the top quarterback for now.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	2	Up
2	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	1	Down
3	Brett Hundley	QB	Packers	5.11	3	Same
4	Garrett Grayson	QB	Saints	3.11	4	Same
5	Bryce Petty	QB	Jets	4.4	5	Same

Running Backs

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

It didn’t take too long for the rookie running backs to make an impact on the outcome of games. The Week 2 production was headlined by Washington Redskins’ running back Matt Jones, who broke out with 123 yards on 19 carries. The rest of the rookie backs didn’t fare as well, but there’s some momentum to build on for several of them.

One outcome that will affect this and future rankings is the injury Tevin Coleman sustained. Coleman fractured a rib, which could keep him out several weeks. That’s a tough loss since Coleman was playing very well for the Atlanta Falcons early on.

Sans Jones and David Johnson, this group of rookies played alright, but not great. Chargers’ back Melvin Gordon sprung a big 27-yard carry, but was limited outside of that run. We’ve yet to see any real signs of consistent production and usage from many of these young backs.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3.31	N/A	Up
2	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	4	Up
3	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	5	Up
4	Tevin Coleman	RB	Falcons	3.9	1	Down
5	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.19	2	Down

Wide Receivers

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Unsurprisingly, the first monstrous statistical performance of the year comes from Raiders’ receiver Amari Cooper. His 109-yard game against the Baltimore Ravens came against an excellent cornerback in Jimmy Smith. Cooper continues to separate himself from the rookie receiver field.

The rest of the field did not do overly well in Week 2. The lack of impact from players like DeVante Parker and Phillip Dorsett don’t figure to continue all season long, but each is facing a deep receiving core ahead of them. Their roles may grow if injuries or poor performance opens a door in each respective situation.

For now, our receiver rankings will stay put from last week. There just hasn’t been another solid receiver for two weeks outside of what Cooper has accomplished. Maybe Week 3 will provide more fireworks from the rest of this class.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	1	Same
2	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	2	Same
3	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Colts	1.29	3	Same
4	Rashad Greene	WR	Jaguars	5.19	4	Same
5	Nelson Agholor	WR	Eagles	1.20	5	Same

Tight Ends

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Similar to most of the rookie wide receivers, we haven’t seen anything impressive from the rookie tight ends. The group wasn’t highly lauded in the draft process, and that is bearing true so far on Sundays. We do have two new entrants into the top-five, though.

Kansas City backup James O’Shaughnessy recorded two receptions for 54 yards in Week 2, which catapults him into No. 1. He may not consistently produce, but he is the leading receiver at the position amongst rookies. It’s probably not a bad thing he gets to work behind Travis Kelce every day in practice, either.

Until one of these rookies starts to establish themselves as a consistent performer, expect to see this group to continue their volatile ways. Fast risers and sudden drop-offs will be the norm for now. Baltimore’s Maxx Williams and Oakland’s Clive Walford are the two most likely to eventually break away from the rest, based on their impressive collegiate careers.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	James O'Shaughnessy	TE	Chiefs	5.37	N/A	Up
2	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	1	Down
3	Clive Walford	TE	Raiders	3.4	2	Down
4	Blake Bell	TE	49ers	4.18	4	Same
5	Tyler Kroft	TE	Bengals	3.21	5	Same

Offensive Tackles

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

The rookie offensive tackle class hasn’t been able to hit their stride yet. There were four rookies starting at right tackle in Week 2, and three left tackles. All played pretty poorly in pass protection, sans one. Minnesota Vikings’ right tackle T.J. Clemmings only allowed one quarterback hurry, per Pro Football Focus.

Every other rookie tackle allowed more pressure than what is acceptable. Surprisingly, the newcomer to the top-five is an undrafted free agent for the Washington Redskins. Kendall Lamm was a solid run blocker in his first career start, helping running back Matt Jones dominate the Rams.

The rest of the rookies really struggled. Titans’ right tackle Jeremiah Poutasi dropped off our list this week after allowing four sacks on Marcus Mariota. Something must change for these rookies, or else we’ll continue to see bad quarterback play across the league.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	2	Up
2	Kendall Lamm	OT	Redskins	UDFA	N/A	Up
3	Ty Sambrailo	OT	Broncos	2.27	3	Same
4	Ereck Flowers	OT	Giants	1.9	4	Same
5	Donovan Smith	OT	Buccaneers	2.2	5	Same

Offensive Guard

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The rookie offensive guards have arguably been the most productive and effective group of any. There are at least five of the seven guards that played in Week 2 that can be considered starter-quality. Considering the lack of depth along offensive lines around the league, the influx of new talent is a positive development.

Week 2 was a good showing for the rookie guards. Only two of our top-five this week allowed a sack, Jamil Douglas and Jamon Brown. But each had relatively strong performances outside of that. Each failed to reach the top-three of all guards, but that’s more of a statement about the general strength of the position so far.

Lions’ rookie Laken Tomlinson dropped out of the rankings since he did not play last game. The new face was the highest-drafted guard of all in the 2015 draft, Brandon Scherff. Scherff has been a very good run blocker in the first two weeks of the season.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Ali Marpet	G	Buccaneers	2.29	1	Same
2	Shaquille Mason	G	Patriots	4.32	2	Same
3	Jamil Douglas	G	Dolphins	4.15	3	Same
4	Brandon Scherff	G	Redskins	1.5	N/A	Up
5	Jamon Brown	G	Rams	3.8	N/A	Up

Centers

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

One of the more nondescript positions in the NFL is the offensive center. Rarely do centers have to do the brunt work that a guard or tackle does, the center is usually the brain of the unit. They must identify blitzers and the MIKE linebacker. They’re incredibly important.

But the NFL has a lot of quality centers, and the rookie pool suggests that not many starters were needed. The only starting rookie centers in Week 2 were Kansas City Chiefs’ center Mitch Morse and Patriots’ center David Andrews.

Morse, a second-round pick, unsurprisingly earned his spot quickly with the team. Both Morse and Andrews have played well thus far. Andrews is proving to be quite the value for the Patriots. His presence has helped New England’s pass protection solidify.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Mitch Morse	OC	Chiefs	2.17	1	Same
2	David Andrews	OC	Patriots	UDFA	2	Same
3	Hroniss Grasu	OC	Bears	3.7	3	Same
4	Andy Gallik	OC	Titans	6.32	4	Same
5	Kristjan Sokoli	OC	Seahawks	6.38	5	Same

Defensive Ends

Brad Penner/Associated Press

There are several contenders to be named the cream of the defensive end crop based off the first two weeks. Remember, we’re considering all 3-4 and 4-3 defensive ends in this category for the sake of consistency. Despite different responsibilities, an impact defensive end is one of the most valuable positions in the NFL.

An impact pass rusher on a rookie contract is a tremendous bonus for teams. If players like Vic Beasley and Leonard Williams continue to show out, they’ll become household names and earn a big contract after their rookie deals expire. It may seem rushed to say that, but that’s how good they’ve been in the first two weeks.

That’s why they continue to headline this group. The two other notable 3-4 defensive ends are Indianapolis Colts’ defensive end Henry Anderson and Baltimore Ravens’ end Carl Davis. Anderson is coming off a great Monday Night Football performance against the Jets. He goes through stretches of games where he’s one of the best players on the field for the Colts’ defense.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	2	Up
2	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	2	Up
3	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	3.29	N/A	Up
4	Carl Davis	DE	Ravens	3.26	4	Same
5	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	5	Same

Defensive Tackles

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

The second week was an overall positive for the top-five defensive tackle list. We’re starting to see some competition and depth emerge around the league. It all starts with Colts’ defensive tackle David Parry.Parry has been the best run-stuffing tackle among all rookie, and it’s really not close. He eats blocks extremely well for a rookie.

Behind Parry is Eddie Goldman. Goldman was our top tackle after Week 1, and he’s still playing well.His early success is proving Chicago right on their Day 2 gamble on him. He could develop into a key cog for their defense for the foreseeable future.

Defensive tackles Michael Bennett and Jordan Phillips haven’t played very often, but each have made their marks in limited time. Expect to see those two earn more playing time as the season continues. Impact pass rushers at the position are major assets for defensive coordinators to work with.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	3	Up
2	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	1	Down
3	Jordan Phillips	DT	Dolphins	2.20	2	Down
4	Danny Shelton	DT	Browns	1.12	4	Same
5	Michael Bennett	DT	Jaguars	6.4	5	Same

Linebackers

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Whether you’re looking for a 3-4 or 4-3 outside linebacker, you’ll find the top-five right here. Luckily for this group, opportunity started to show itself. Three 4-3 outside linebackers played significant snaps, while four 3-4 rush linebackers were able to see the field often. Teams that needed impactful play from these rookies continue to wait, though.

The 3-4 linebackers have disappointed to a certain extent. Linebackers like Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith just haven’t been noticeable unless looking right at them. This may improve they gain strength and improve their technique. There’s no reason to be overly concerned at this point, but it is something to mention.

4-3 linebackers Hau’oli Kikaha, Shaq Thompson and Eric Kendricks played well in Week 2. Each have assumed a major role in their respective defenses and haven’t struggled too much. Don’t expect them to let go from the top-three spots anytime soon if they continue to play well.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Hau'oli Kikaha	LB	Saints	2.12	1	Same
2	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	N/A	Up
3	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	4	Up
4	Shaq Thompson	LB	Panthers	1.25	N/A	Up
5	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.6	5	Same

Cornerbacks

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

This rookie cornerback group is a lot of fun to watch. It’s hard to find quality rookie cornerbacks because of the shear difficulty of the position, but we have a few standouts thus far. Their early success should have teams kicking themselves for passing over instant starters at such a valuable spot.

The stellar play of Marcus Peters is notable. Despite being lined up against stalwarts like Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders in Week 2, he notched four pass breakups and a pick-six on Peyton Manning. He continues to show signs of development into an elite cornerback.

Rising this week is Houston’s Kevin Johnson. Johnson wasn’t facing great competition, but he locked down the Panthers’ receivers he faced. His ability to come in and help a talented Texans’ secondary is very impressive.

Although Ronald Darby didn’t play too well against Julian Edelman, his talent cannot be denied. The speedster has been a solid coverage corner across from star Stephon Gilmore. The Bills should be very pleased thus far.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	1	Same
2	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	4	Up
3	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	2	Down
4	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	3	Down
5	Damian Swann	CB	Saints	5.31	N/A	Up

Safety

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

The safety class saw some more action in Week 2 than Week 1, but our top safety from last week dropped off to just 11 snaps. Jaquiski Tartt of San Francisco wasn’t in the gameplan for a struggling 49ers’ defense. That ushers in a new No. 1 after Week 2.

The top safety in Week 2 was by far Byron Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. Jones showed his natural coverage skills a few times and helped deter several completions. He was the only starter I’d say was solid this week.

There’s really no other position like safety in the NFL. The disparity between bad starters and even starter-quality is steep, making the elites even that more obvious. Unfortunately for this rookie class, every other safety outside of Jones simply struggled to make any type of impact. That’s why we see some slight changes this week.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Motion
1	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	N/A	Same
2	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	3	Same
3	Jaquiski Tartt	SAF	49ers	2.14	1	Up
4	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	2	Same
5	Clayton Geathers	SAF	Colts	4.10	4	Down

Specialists

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

We only have minor changes in the specialist section this week. The emergence of Tampa Bay kicker Kyle Brindza adds some competition to the mix. But San Francisco 49ers’ punter Bradley Pinion was able to score four touchbacks, keeping him in first place.

Miami Dolphins’ kicker Andrew Franks and San Diego Chargers’ kicker Josh Lambo each missed a field goal last week. Since each was well below 50-yards, they’ll have to show they belong in the NFL quickly, or else teams will simply dump them for another option. Kickers that cannot make intermediate field goals consistently do not last long in the NFL.

We don’t have an impact return rookie specialist so far. Arizona’s David Johnson would be an option, if he didn’t have a role on offense. But watch out for Dolphins’ kick returner Raheem Mostert. He has the talent to get on this list.

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Bradley Pinion	P	49ers	5.29	1	Same
2	Kyle Brindza	P	Buccaneers	UDFA	N/A	Up
3	Jason Myers	K	Jaguars	UDFA	N/A	Up
4	Andrew Franks	K	Dolphins	UDFA	4	Same
5	Josh Lambo	K	Chargers	UDFA	N/A	Down

All stats used are from sports-reference.com. Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.  Follow @NFLFilmStudy