NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 2

"The dialogue on the sideline with players and coaches with him is something a nine- or 10-year vet would do, and it's just showing his maturity and the ability that he has to play quarterback."

That's what Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said (per NFL.com writer Connor Orr) after Carson Wentz completed 21 of 34 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown against the Bears on Monday night. As the stats would indicate, Pederson's game plan for his rookie quarterback was fairly conservative, especially early on—a lot of quick throws to the flats—but Wentz also proved that he can stand in the pocket, take huge hits and make "wow" throws. He also proved that he might want to go out of bounds a little earlier at times, but that's a matter of development.

Still, Wentz's performance put him atop the Rookie Review quarterback list, alongside a lot of offensive linemen. There was Detroit left tackle Taylor Decker, who impressed our crew with improvement in pass protection and overall mechanics. Tennessee right tackle Jack Conklin didn't allow a single pressure in 67 snaps against the Lions. There was Chicago center Cody Whitehair, who was tasked with Fletcher Cox this week and came out on top more often than not.

Washington hybrid linebacker Su'a Cravens continues to improve and impress—last Sunday against the Cowboys, he did well against slot receivers and tight ends, and he looks to become the latest standout at the NFL's expanding "Moneybacker" position.

Good news for the Cowboys as well, as quarterback Dak Prescott continued to be efficient in a conservative fashion, and running back Ezekiel Elliott broke out of the box the Giants put him in the week before. Now, about those fumbles...

And how about safety Justin Simmons of the Broncos? The rich keep getting richer, as the NFL's best secondary adds another key part in the third-rounder from Boston College.

It was a great week for many of the NFL's first-year players. Here's how we saw their performances. 

All advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus. 

Biggest Movers Heading into Week 3

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

How do you quantify the effect of the low-drafted or undrafted star? How do you chart the progress of those rookies who are struggling to make their way? With the weekly NFL1000 Rookie Review, we'll look to do both of those things. Part of that process is to align players with their draft positions relative to their on-field performance.

It's what NFL teams do, and it's what we'll do.

Our Week 2 Rookie Review reveals a number of players who have taken major steps forward in their professional development.

1. Jack Conklin

2016 Draft Position: 8 (first round, eighth pick)

Rank Last Week: 41

Rank This Week: 3

What Happened: Conklin got a big test in his first regular-season game against Minnesota's estimable front, and he performed well with no sacks and just two quarterback hurries allowed. He was even stronger in last Sunday's follow up against the Lions, allowing no pressures against Detroit's defense and proving to be a real asset in the run game. 

2. Justin Simmons

2016 Draft Position: 98 (third round, 35th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 7

What Happened: Simmons' rep count went from 28 to 40 as the Broncos moved from the Panthers to the Colts on the schedule, and he's already becoming yet another integral part of the NFL's best secondary. He allowed one catch for seven yards on balls thrown to his area and roamed the field well.

3. James Bradberry

2016 Draft Position: 62 (second round, 31st pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 11

What Happened: What a difference a week makes, right? In his NFL debut against the Broncos, Josh Norman's ostensible replacement allowed four catches on seven targets and looked very much like a rookie. But against the 49ers, Bradberry locked things down, allowing two catches on eight targets for 34 yards, one touchdown, one pick and a 44.8 opposing quarterback rating.

Bradberry is going to be targeted heavily this season, and this performance was an excellent indicator that he can handle the workload and recover well from an iffy performance.

4. Corey Coleman

2016 Draft Position: 15 (first round, 15th pick)

Rank Last Week: 49

Rank This Week: 17

What Happened: After catching two passes on five targets for 69 yards against the Eagles in Week 1, the speedster from Baylor went off against the Ravens in Week 2, bringing in five receptions on eight targets for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Coleman has proved that he has the straight-line speed to attack any defense and to transcend Cleveland's shaky quarterback situation (stop us if you've heard that one before). 

5. Vonn Bell

2016 Draft Position: 61 (second round, 30th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 14

What Happened: Bell didn't play at all in Week 1, which may have perplexed a lot of people who have taken a good look at the Saints secondary. But when he was installed for 46 snaps against the Giants' multitiered passing offense, he made it count, allowing one catch for five yards on three targets. With Bell and Kenny Vaccaro patrolling the back end of that defense, the Saints might be semieffective against the pass this season.

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 2

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Beyond the player grades and rankings in Bleacher Report's NFL1000, we want to zero in on NFL rookies and spotlight the best and worst in their transition from the college game. 

Our Week 2 Top 50 Rookie Rankings are based on Week 2 performances, and we can now see how they shake out against preseason grades and expectations. Here's how things stand for the 2016 rookie class. 

Top-100 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	NFL1000 Score	LW	Moving
1	Taylor Decker	OT	DET	16	80	3	↑
2	Carson Wentz	QB	PHI	2	79	13	↑
3	Jack Conklin	OT	TEN	8	79	41	↑
4	Cody Whitehair	C	CHI	56	78	28	↑
5	Ryan Kelly	C	IND	18	76	4	↓
6	Su'a Cravens	ILB	WAS	53	76	10	↑
7	Justin Simmons	FS	DEN	98	76	NR	↑
8	Laremy Tunsil	OG	MIA	13	75	27	↑
9	Darron Lee	OLB	NYJ	20	75	45	↑
10	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	TB	11	75	NR	↑
11	James Bradberry	CB	CAR	62	75	NR	↑
12	Andy Janovich	FB	DEN	176	74	1	↓
13	Sterling Shepard	WR	NYG	40	74	21	↑
14	Vonn Bell	FS	NO	61	74	NR	↑
15	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	135	73	8	↓
16	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	4	73	16	-
17	Corey Coleman	WR	CLE	15	73	49	↑
18	Will Fuller	WR	HOU	21	73	17	↓
19	Ronnie Stanley	OT	BAL	6	73	5	↓
20	Kevin Dodd	OLB	TEN	33	73	NR	↑
21	Deion Jones	ILB	ATL	52	73	11	↓
22	Derrick Kindred	SS	CLE	129	73	19	↓
23	DeAndre Washington	RB	OAK	143	72	38	↑
24	Jordan Howard	RB	CHI	150	72	NR	↑
25	Derek Watt	FB	SD	198	72	25	-
26	Jarran Reed	DT	SEA	49	72	42	↑
27	Jatavis Brown	ILB	SD	175	72	NR	↑
28	Derrick Henry	RB	TEN	45	71	30	↑
29	Devontae Booker	RB	DEN	136	71	NR	↑
30	Jalen Richard	RB	OAK	UDFA	71	9	↓
31	Vincent Valentine	DT	NE	96	71	NR	↑
32	Joe Thuney	OG	NE	78	70	18	↓
33	Emmanuel Ogbah	OLB	CLE	32	70	NR	↑
34	Blake Martinez	ILB	GB	131	70	NR	↑
35	Alex Lewis	OG	BAL	130	69	50	↑
36	Ted Karras	OG	NE	221	69	22	↓
37	Kenyan Drake	RB	MIA	73	68	NR	↑
38	Josh Ferguson	RB	IND	UDFA	68	NR	↑
39	Michael Thomas	WR	NO	47	68	14	↓
40	Tajae Sharpe	WR	TEN	140	68	26	↓
41	Vernon Butler	DT	CAR	30	68	23	↓
42	Darian Thompson	FS	NYG	71	68	2	↓
43	Dwayne Washington	RB	DET	236	67	NR	↑
44	Matt Judon	OLB	BAL	146	67	NR	↑
45	Kyler Fackrell	OLB	GB	88	67	NR	↑
46	Sean Davis	CB	PIT	58	67	NR	↑
47	Jalen Mills	CB	PHI	233	67	37	↓
48	Austin Hooper	TE	ATL	81	67	48	-
49	Will Lutz	K	NO	UDFA	65	NR	↑
50	Jalen Ramsey	CB	JAX	5	64	33	↓

Quarterbacks

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Dak Prescott enjoyed another consistent display as the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback. Prescott is showing off a clearly defined skill set so far. He is poised and will make plays from the pocket, but his accuracy is questionable, and the offense the Cowboys are running appears to be limited to simplify the passing game for him. Prescott is outplaying his draft spot more than anyone could have anticipated. However, Week 2 was all about Carson Wentz, who shined on Monday night.

Grading Scale
Acc. — Accuracy (Graded out of 25)
Arm — Arm Strength (Graded out of 25)
Press — Pressure/Run Threat (Graded out of 20)
Dec. — Decision-Making (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW - Rank Last Week

Rookie QB Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Acc.	Arm	Press.	Dec.	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Carson Wentz	PHI	18	21	15	15	10	79	2	↑
2	Dak Prescott	DAL	16	19	13	15	10	73	1	↓
3	Jacoby Brissett	NE	16	15	8	10	10	59	NR	↑

Notable Omissions
Paxton Lynch — Insufficient snaps
Jared Goff — Insufficient snaps
Cody Kessler — Insufficient snaps
Trevone Boykin — Insufficient snaps
Connor Cook — Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Carson Wentz

Week 2 Stats: 21-of-34, 190 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Wentz's coaching staff features three prominent quarterback-inclined coaches: his head coach, his offensive coordinator and his quarterbacks coach. Those three have worked on the young quarterback's footwork to the point that he moves much better now than he did during his time in college. That has freed Wentz to show off the rest of his skill set unhindered.

 

Dak Prescott

Week 2 Stats: 22-of-30, 292 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Prescott remains steady, consistent and limited. He's miles ahead of the backup quarterbacks the Cowboys had last year and miles behind Tony Romo as the team's starter. If he can improve his ball placement to get Dez Bryant more involved, the Cowboys can expect to keep winning football games.

Running Backs

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Week 2 was very up-and-down for the two star rookie running backs.

Ezekiel Elliott continued to run with a lot of power and effort against the Redskins, but his inability to hold on to the football led him to getting benched. He had multiple fumbles, and Alfred Morris got goal-line carries in the fourth quarter because of Zeke's ball-security issues. When he did hold on to the football, Elliott displayed the consistent running nature the Cowboys have been looking for, rushing 21 times for 83 yards and a touchdown. Like the first week, he ran violently and hit the hole with burst and speed that will eventually make him a star. He just needs to hold on to the football.

After a very rough Week 1 against the Vikings, Derrick Henry had a much better outing against the Lions. He had nine carries for 40 yards and looked far more like the player we saw in the preseason. He still has not had any explosive runs, but he was much more consistent working his way up the field.

Oakland's DeAndre Washington had a breakout week with 46 yards on seven carries, while Josh Howard of the Bears and Dwayne Washington for the Lions made their NFL debuts. Both look like they should get the rock more in upcoming games.

Grading Scale
In — Inside Running (Graded out of 25)
Out — Outside Running (Graded out of 25)
Rec. — Receiving (Graded out of 20)
Blk. — Blocking (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW - Rank Last Week

Rookie RB Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	In.	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	17	17	16	17	6	73	2	↑
2	DeAndre Washington	OAK	18	17	16	15	6	72	5	↑
3	Jordan Howard	CHI	18	17	16	15	6	72	NR	↑
4	Derrick Henry	TEN	18	16	15	16	6	71	4	↑
5	Devontae Booker	DEN	18	17	15	15	6	71	7	↑
6	Jalen Richard	OAK	17	17	16	15	6	71	1	↓
7	Kenyan Drake	MIA	15	17	15	15	6	68	NR	↑
8	Josh Ferguson	IND	15	15	16	16	6	68	NR	↑
9	Dwayne Washington	DET	17	15	14	15	6	67	NR	↑

 

Notable Omissions
Kenneth Dixon — Inactive
C.J. Prosise — Inactive
Paul Perkins — Inactive
Wendell Smallwood — Insufficient snaps
Tyler Ervin — Insufficient snaps
Alex Collins — Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott

Week 2 Stats: 21 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD; 2 receptions, 4 yards

While Elliott was much more productive in his second game, his inability to hold on to the ball put him on the bench in the fourth quarter. Zeke's two fumbles almost cost Dallas the game and are something that will need to be cleaned up moving forward. He does look poised for his first 100-yard game in the near future if he can rectify his fumbling issue.

 

Derrick Henry

Week 2 Stats: 9 carries, 40 yards, 0 TD; 1 reception, 9 yards

After a tough Week 1, Henry looked much closer to the version of himself that we saw in the preseason, displaying his special feet and patience evading tacklers in the open field. He still struggled on some outside runs because of a lack of speed, but he was much more effective in the Titans' first win of the year.

 

DeAndre Washington

Week 2 Stats: 7 carries, 46 yards, 0 TD; 1 reception, 6 yards

Washington had a strong outing against Atlanta, adding to the complete Oakland run game. He was an adept inside runner, hitting the hole hard and finishing on contact. He should combine with fellow rookie Jalen Richard for a promising young tandem.

Fullbacks

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

While the two rookie fullbacks didn't record many stats, they both continued to be mainstays in top-tier rushing offenses.

Despite not having an Adrian Peterson-type touchdown run like he did in Week 1, Denver's Andy Janovich continued to help clear holes for C.J. Anderson. The Broncos had their second straight game with over 100 rushing yards, and Janovich saw his snap count increase by seven to 34. That is eye-opening for a rookie fullback on the defending Super Bowl champions. Head coach Gary Kubiak and his staff believe in Janovich, and from what I have seen, I understand why.

Derek Watt is proving he is more than just J.J.'s brother. In two games, Watt has helped rookie-bust Melvin Gordon break out into second-year stardom. While the Chargers don't give him the ball, his ability to block and push linebackers in space helped Gordon have his first 100-yard rushing game as a pro. Watt's toughness and effort are evident on every snap he plays.

Grading Scale
Blk. — Blocking (Graded out of 50)
Run — Running (Graded out of 25)
Rec. — Receiving (Graded out of 15)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie FB Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Andy Janovich	DEN	44	16	10	4	74	1	-
2	Derek Watt	SD	44	15	9	4	72	2	-

 

Notable Omissions:
Dan Vitale - Practice Squad

 

Notable Performances

Andy Janovich

Week 2 Stats: 1 reception, 11 yards, 0 TD

Janovich continued his strong season by playing physical and locating linebackers on the second level. He helped C.J. Anderson have another productive day and showed he will be a threat out of the backfield with a nice catch.

 

Derek Watt

Week 2 Stats: N/A

Another big day for Melvin Gordon, another day for Derek Watt cleaning holes. He has been excellent flying around and throwing his body into defenders. He played three more snaps than he did the first week and looks to be a mainstay in the Chargers' breakout run game.

Wide Receivers

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Two of the top rookie wide receivers met in the Big Apple, with Sterling Shepard and the New York Giants clashing with Michael Thomas and the New Orleans Saints. Shepard had the better day, pulling in eight receptions for 117 yards, and was consistent on his routes throughout the afternoon. On the other side of the field, Thomas matched up against former teammate Eli Apple on a number of plays and was able to get separation on a few post routes. Thomas also flashed his ability after the catch on a reception in the second half, making the first defender miss the tackle before racing upfield.

Notably, Laquon Treadwell did not qualify for a grade this week, seeing only two snaps of offensive action for the Vikings. A pair of AFC rookies have already found steady work with their new employers, with Will Fuller in Houston and Corey Coleman in Cleveland coming up big as threats in the vertical passing game and opening up spots in the coverage for other receivers underneath.

Finally, part of the learning curve in the NFL is learning from your mistakes and mentally moving on to the following week. Tyler Boyd had a respectable day for the Bengals, but he fumbled on a potential game-tying drive for Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh's defense recovered. He will get better as the weeks go on, and hopefully he can learn from this mistake and turn it into a positive.

Grading Scale
Rte. — Route Running (Graded out of 25)
Hds. — Hands (Graded out of 25)
YAC — Run-after-catch ability (Graded Out of 20)
Blk. — Blocking (Graded Out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie WR Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Rte	Hds	YAC	Blk	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Sterling Shepard	NYG	20	19	15	12	8	74	3	↑
2	Corey Coleman	CLE	19	20	15	11	8	73	7	↑
3	Will Fuller	HOU	19	19	17	10	8	73	2	↓
4	Michael Thomas	NO	16	17	14	13	8	68	1	↓
5	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	18	19	13	10	8	68	4	↓
6	Tyler Boyd	CIN	17	17	10	11	8	63	12	↑
7	Braxton Miller	HOU	15	16	11	11	8	61	9	↑
8	Josh Doctson	WAS	14	14	12	11	8	59	5	↓
9	Chris Moore	BAL	15	12	11	12	8	58	8	↓
10	Tyreek Hill	KC	14	15	10	11	8	58	6	↓
11	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	14	14	11	10	8	57	10	↓
12	Aaron Burbridge	SF	12	12	11	12	8	55	NR	↑
13	Rashard Higgins	CLE	12	14	10	10	8	54	NR	↑

 

Notable Omissions
Leonte Carroo - Insufficient snaps
Ricardo Louis - Insufficient snaps
Demarcus Robinson - Insufficient snaps
Jordan Payton - Inactive
Jakeem Grant - Insufficient Snaps
Laquon Treadwell - Insufficient snaps
Kolby Listenbee - Injured
Pharoh Cooper - Injured

 

Notable Performances

Sterling Shepard

Week 2 Stats: 8 receptions, 117 yards, 0 TD

Shepard led all Giants receivers with 117 yards and gained consistent separation on many of his routes. He was also able to make a few tough receptions and picked up yards after the catch on a few of his receptions.

 

Michael Thomas

Week 2 Stats: 4 receptions, 56 yards, 0 TD

Thomas tallied four receptions against the Giants and showed his ability after the catch on a reception in the second half. He was matched up against fellow rookie Eli Apple on many routes, and he got the better of his former teammate on a few post patterns.

 

Will Fuller

Week 2 Stats: 4 receptions, 104 yards, 0 TD

It's clear Fuller is settling into his role as Houston's premier deep threat. Still raw at times, Fuller was able to stretch the defense and provide several sparks for the Texans offense in their tough win over the Chiefs.

 

Corey Coleman

Week 2 Stats: 5 receptions, 104 yards, 2 TD

In just his second game as a pro, Coleman put the undermanned Browns offense on his back, scoring two touchdowns. In doing so, he showed he can be every bit the vertical threat he was in college. His performance was one of the few bright spots in what was an otherwise disappointing loss to the Ravens.

Tight Ends

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Austin Hooper was the most impressive rookie tight end in the NFL this week. He contributed three big catches, including a 44-yard reception on a throwback design where he blocked down the line of scrimmage and then leaked out toward the sideline away from the flow of the play. He also ran a very nice seam route against single-high safety coverage, pulling in a well-placed throw from Matt Ryan. In addition, he had a solid game as a blocker, including a block on a six-yard Devonta Freeman run late in the first quarter where he drove Khalil Mack down the entire length of the offensive line from the outside edge.

Tyler Higbee was not targeted in the passing game but was a solid contributor blocking on the edges as the Rams notched their first victory back in Los Angeles since 1994.  

Grading Scale
Rte. — Route Running (Graded out of 25)
Hds. — Hands (Graded out of 25)
YAC — Run-after-catch ability (Graded out of 20)
Blk. — Blocking (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie TE Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Rte	Hds	YAC	Blk	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Austin Hooper	ATL	13	15	13	19	6	66	3	↑
2	Hunter Henry	SD	15	12	10	16	6	59	2	-
3	Tyler Higbee	LA	12	12	10	19	6	59	1	↓
4	David Morgan	MIN	10	11	10	19	6	56	4	-

 

Notable Omissions
Rico Gathers - Insufficient snaps
Nick Vannett - Injured
Jerell Adams - Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Austin Hooper

Week 2 Stats: 3 Receptions, 84 Yards, 0 TD

Hooper saw only 20 snaps in Atlanta's victory over the Oakland Raiders, but he made the most of them, catching three passes for 84 yards. He caught a very nice seam route and was schemed open on a beautiful throwback design.

Offensive Tackles

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Once again, Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens and Taylor Decker of the Detroit Lions were the two lone rookies who saw significant snaps at left tackle. Stanley had a good Week 1 showing, though he struggled more in Week 2 when it came to transitioning his anchor against speed-to-power moves. Taylor Decker was impressive in Week 2, and all signs point to him improving weekly.

Jack Conklin was the lone rookie right tackle to start and play significant snaps. In 134 total snaps through the first two weeks, Pro Football Focus gives Conklin positive grades in the run game and in pass protection.

Grading Scale
OT — Left or Right Tackle designation
Pass — Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
Pwr. — Power (Graded out of 20)
Agl. — Agility (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie OT Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Pwr	Agl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Taylor Decker	DET	LT	20	19	16	17	8	80	1	-
2	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	20	19	18	15	7	79	3	↑
3	Ronnie Stanley	BAL	LT	17	18	14	16	8	73	2	↓

 

Notable Omissions
Le'Raven Clark - Insufficient snaps
Jason Spriggs - Insufficient snaps
Spencer Drango - Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Taylor Decker

Week 2 Stats: 79 snaps, 1 sack, 1 pressure allowed

Despite being credited with a sack and a pressure, Taylor Decker looked comfortable in pass protection, showing the ability to keep even weight distribution and consistently anchor. He was able to finish in both the run game and in pass protection, which is no easy task considering he faced Brian Orakpo for a large portion of the game.

 

Jack Conklin

Week 2 Stats: 67 snaps, 0 sacks, 0 pressures allowed

Jack Conklin took a huge leap from Week 1 to Week 2. He was steady in pass protection, showing he could consistently anchor when he set, got to his spot and punched. Conklin was most impressive in the run game, demonstrating ability to re-leverage his hips and power through stalemates. He also did a nice job handling movement across his face at the snap of the ball, adding defenders to the wall. Conklin had about four or five snaps where he got movement across his face in the run game; most notably, he was able to add a spiking defensive end to the inside wall, which cleared a huge lane for DeMarco Murray in the second quarter. The play resulted in a 67-yard run.

Offensive Guards

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

While New England will continue to dominate the rookie guard discussion with half of the starter total, two other promising pass protectors showed off potential in Week 2 as well. While none of these rookies are particularly well-rounded yet, each showed impressive consistency in their area of strength this week. 

Grading Scale
Pass — Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
Pwr. — Power (Graded out of 20)
Agl. — Agility (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie OG Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Pwr	Agl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	20	16	15	17	7	75	3	↑
2	Joe Thuney	NE	16	15	14	18	7	70	1	↓
3	Alex Lewis	BAL	19	14	14	15	7	69	4	↑
4	Ted Karras	NE	15	17	17	13	7	69	2	↓

 

Notable Omissions
Cole Toner - Insufficient snaps
Joshua Garnett - Insufficient snaps
Connor McGovern - Insufficient snaps
Christian Westerman - Insufficient snaps
Germain Ifedi - Injured
Parker Ehinger - Injured

 

Notable Performances

Alex Lewis

Week 2 Stats: 75 snaps, 0 sacks, 2 QB hits, 1 QB hurry allowed

Lewis struggled in the run game last week, and while not much changed there in Week 2, he did show off why he is starting for the Ravens: his smooth feet in pass protection.

 

Connor McGovern

Week 2 Stats: 0 snaps

In a week where Denver had to dig into its offensive line depth, it was disappointing that McGovern wasn't active and able to capitalize on that opportunity. Unfortunately, he won't have much of a role until he can beat out guys such as Ty Sambrailo and Darrion Weems.

Centers

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Conventional wisdom dictates that it's very tough for centers to start in the NFL right away. They have to make line and protection calls, work in concert with their linemates in zone and slide protection and combo concepts, and take on 330-pound nose tackles immediately after repeated seamless shotgun snaps. There's a lot to process.

This year, however, two rookies are proving to be an exception to that rule. Ryan Kelly of the Indianapolis Colts and Cody Whitehair of the Chicago Bears look very much like veterans despite the fact that each have just two regular-season games under their respective belts.

Kelly's smooth transition is more easily explained—after all, he was a three-year starter for the Crimson Tide, which generally leads to NFL-readiness, at least in the run game. Kelly was very solid against Denver's aggressive defense, especially at the point of attack. But Whitehair's transition has been a revelation.

The former Kansas State left tackle and guard had a difficult challenge in his second pro game: deal with the Philadelphia Eagles' dominant front seven, which has been revitalized under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Whitehair accepted that challenge and eliminated the two bugaboos that marred his inaugural performance against the Texans—errant snaps and trouble picking up free blitzers.

The Eagles didn't show a ton of blitzes in their Monday night win over the Bears, but Whitehair snapped well and took on the great Fletcher Cox one-on-one over and over. Aside from one fourth-quarter pressure where Cox bulled him into backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, Whitehair surprised with his ability to match strength with strength. He took the best Cox had to offer and established himself as a force with power, foot movement and agility.

In the first quarter, he set a block at the third level, taking safety Rodney McLeod out on a short pass from Jay Cutler to Eddie Royal. It's one thing for any NFL center to successfully deal with a great defensive front. But for a rookie, changing positions, to take on one of the best defensive tackles in the league and win more than he loses? That's exceptional, which is why Whitehair is the second-highest-graded center in this week's NFL 1000 and right near the top of the Rookie Review rankings. 

Grading Scale
Pass — Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
Pwr. — Power (Graded out of 20)
Agl. — Agility (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie C Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Pwr	Agl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Cody Whitehair	CHI	17	20	17	18	6	78	2	↑
2	Ryan Kelly	IND	18	18	16	18	6	76	1	↓

 

Notable Omissions
Evan Boehm - Insufficient Snaps
Nick Martin - Inactive

 

Notable Performances

Cody Whitehair

Week 2 Stats: 52 snaps, 0 sacks, 0 hits, 1 hurry allowed

Whitehair had a phenomenal game against one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, taking on Fletcher Cox repeatedly while giving up just one pressure. Considering his transition from tackle and guard in college, Whitehair's play at center for the Bears is one of the league's best rookie stories this season.

 

Ryan Kelly

Week 2 Stats: 73 snaps, 0 sacks, 0 hits, 2 hurries allowed

It's never easy to face Denver's front, but Kelly continued his strong NFL work at the point of attack. He moved well to help Indy's guards against the Broncos' split-tackle pass-rush set and refused to give ground.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

Rookie 3-4 defensive ends had a very quiet Week 2 after showing up often in the opening weekend. DeForest Buckner was active again, and the 49ers are loading him up with snaps. The same can't be said for the rest of this group, as many of them are rotational players with minimal snaps.

Carl Nassib and Adolphus Washington are seeing quality snaps, but they were ghosts on tape and in the stat sheet.  Unfortunately Nassib broke his hand in week 2. Their time will come, but it wasn't last weekend. 

Grading Scale
Exp. — Snap Explosion (Graded out of 15)
Pass — Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Defense (Graded out of 30)
Tkl. — Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie 3-4 DE Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Exp	Pass	Run	Tkl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	DeForest Buckner	SF	12	12	17	15	6	62	1	-
2	Chris Jones	KC	10	12	17	11	6	56	NR	↑
3	Jihad Ward	OAK	8	13	18	11	6	56	NR	↑
4	Carl Nassib	CLE	9	13	15	10	6	53	2	↓
5	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	11	11	14	10	6	52	NR	↑
6	Adolphus Washington	BUF	7	12	13	10	6	48	NR	↑

 

Notable Omissions
Robert Nkemdiche - Inactive
Dean Lowry - Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

DeForest Buckner

Week 2 Stats: 5 Tackles

Buckner is just fun to watch. His size, strength and athleticism are evident, but when you see him chase down a wide receiver on a screen or jump into the quarterback's passing lane, you realize he's on another level as a rookie.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Rookie 4-3 defensive ends were again quiet in Week 2. Jaguars rookie Yannick Ngakoue is the only one who has played significant snaps. Ngakoue is a situational speed-rusher who has provided some athleticism and motor. 

Grading Scale
Pass — Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
Exp — Snap Explosion (Graded out of 20)
Tkl — Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW - Rank last Week

Rookie 4-3 DE Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Exp	Tkl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	17	14	13	12	7	63	1	-

 

Notable Omissions
Alex McCalister - IR
Shaq Lawson - Injured
Shilique Calhoun - Insufficient snaps
Charles Tapper - Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Yannick Ngakoue

Week 2 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

Ngakoue showed athleticism on his rushes as usual, but his savvy on the forced fumble hinted at the type of cerebral player he can become.

Defensive Tackles

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Four rookie defensive tackles played well in Week 2: Seattle's Jarran Reed, New England's Vincent Valentine, Carolina's Vernon Butler and New Orleans' David Onyemata. Onyemata was a key cog in shutting down the Giants rushing attack. Butler and Valentine built off strong debuts and played well against the 49ers and Dolphins, respectively. Reed bullied the Rams offensive line and routinely clogged rushing lanes.  

Grading Scale
Exp — Snap Explosion (Graded out of 15)
Pass — Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Defense (Graded out of 30)
Tkl — Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie DT Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Exp	Pass	Run	Tkl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Jarran Reed	SEA	16	17	19	14	6	72	2	↑
2	Vincent Valentine	NE	16	17	18	14	6	71	8	↑
3	Vernon Butler	CAR	16	15	17	14	6	68	1	↓
4	David Onyemata	NO	15	15	17	11	6	64	12	↑
5	Adam Gotsis	DEN	14	13	16	9	6	58	NR	↑
6	Javon Hargrave	PIT	14	12	15	10	6	57	4	↓
7	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	14	11	12	9	6	52	5	↓

Notable Omissions
Matt Ioannidis - Insufficient snaps
D.J. Reader - Insufficient snaps
Austin Johnson - Inactive
Sheldon Rankins - Injured

 

Notable Performances

Vincent Valentine

Week 2 Stats: 1 tackle

Valentine followed up his strong debut with another solid showing against Miami's offensive line. He only finished the game with one tackle, but he was routinely pushing the pocket and plugging holes against the run.

 

Vernon Butler

Week 2 Stats: 1 tackle

Butler increased his workload from 23 defensive snaps against Denver to 30 snaps against the 49ers, and he continues to impress when called upon. He hasn't been as flashy in the NFL as he was at Louisiana Tech, but he's shown sound gap discipline and flashed the ability to defeat blocks in tight quarters.

 

Jarran Reed

Week 2 Stats: 2 tackles

Along with the rest of Seattle's defensive line, Jarran Reed played very well against Los Angeles' offensive line. His stat line wasn't stellar, but he made life difficult for Todd Gurley and company by getting penetration and squeezing gaps against the Rams interior offensive line.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Week 2 for rookie outside linebackers was highlighted by Titans second-round pick Kevin Dodd, who started in place of Derrick Morgan (injured) and provided the Tennessee defense with a handful of splash plays—including a tackle for loss and his first career sack.

While this still isn't a dominant group of rookie 3-4 outside linebackers, roles are starting to come together for a few of the top picks. Dodd has earned snaps regardless of Morgan's injury status moving forward. While still raw in some areas, he is long, quick and powerful, and players with those attributes need to be on the field.

Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah and Leonard Floyd of the Chicago Bears have already cemented starting roles on defenses lacking talent, putting pressure on both the young players to produce right away. Neither is probably ready to provide the kind of snap-to-snap impact the position demands, but there's nothing wrong with learning on the job.

Others such as Baltimore's Matt Judon, Cleveland's Joe Schobert and Green Bay's Kyler Fackrell have carved out situational roles for the time being. Despite limited snaps, Judon and Fackrell both flashed playmaking ability in Week 2. Schobert, however, has struggled to make an impact in his first two NFL games, but he isn't alone: Fellow rookies Aaron Wallace of Tennessee and Curt Maggitt of Indianapolis haven't been major factors either.  

Grading Scale
Pass — Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
Cov — Coverage (Graded out of 15)
Tkl — Tackling (Graded out of 25)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie 3-4 OLB Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Cov	Tkl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Kevin Dodd	TEN	18	18	11	19	7	73	5	↑
2	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	18	16	11	18	7	70	4	↑
3	Matt Judon	BAL	17	16	10	17	7	67	NR	↑
4	Kyler Fackrell	GB	15	18	10	17	7	67	6	↑
5	Leonard Floyd	CHI	15	14	10	17	7	63	1	↓
6	Joe Schobert	CLE	12	14	9	16	7	58	2	↓
7	Aaron Wallace	TEN	13	13	9	15	7	57	NR	↑
8	Curt Maggitt	IND	9	10	8	16	7	50	NR	↑

 

Notable Omissions
Jordan Jenkins - Inactive

 

Notable Performances

Kevin Dodd

Week 2 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL

Making his first NFL start in place of Derrick Morgan against the Detroit Lions, Dodd delivered impact plays and flashed the combination of traits teams are looking for in an edge player. He's earned a consistent role for the Titans defense.

The second-round pick played over 50 percent of the team's snaps Sunday and used his powerful hands and acceleration around the edge to notch his sack. His combo of power and quickness was too much for Detroit tight end Eric Ebron on a run stop for no gain.

Dodd also read a bubble screen and forced a throwaway. His pressure on Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford helped create Tennessee's game-sealing interception.  

 

Emmanuel Ogbah

Week 2 Stats: 2 tackles

Ogbah didn't blow up the stat sheet, but he made an impact with pressure.

He hurried or hit Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco multiple times, and his read of a designed tight end screen forced a Flacco throwaway. Ogbah is still finding his way when Cleveland asks him to line up opposite NFL offensive tackles, but he looked quick and slippery when the Browns started moving him around, especially in hybrid fronts where he lined up inside.

On one snap, Ogbah lined up over the guard and beat the block easily with a quick swim move inside. He could be a force as a freelancing rusher on obvious passing downs.

 

Kyler Fackrell

Week 2 Stats: 1 tackle

Fackrell's one official tackle was significant. His takedown of Adrian Peterson in the second half resulted in the torn meniscus the Vikings running back suffered. But Fackrell provided a few other quality snaps, including another assisted run stop after crashing back inside, a strong edge hold against a jet sweep to Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and a quarterback pressure after beating tight end Kyle Rudolph's block to the inside. It was encouraging to see some power in Fackrell's game.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Al Pereira/Getty Images

Darron Lee of the New York Jets was far and away the best rookie linebacker this week. He looks like a commanding presence at the second level of the Jets defense just two weeks into the season. He plays aggressively, fast and aware of his surroundings. It will take a few more weeks for Lee to get acclimated, but his performance against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday encouraging.

The rest of the rookie linebackers played well, but none of them could touch Lee. Myles Jack was a force in the running game for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he only played for one quarter and looked shaky when playing in space. 

Antwione Williams didn't play much for Detroit. He made plays all over the field and kept opposing gains to a minimum, but an injury forced him to leave the game early on.

Lastly, Josh Forrest stepped into Akeem Ayers' old role as the strong-side linebacker in the Rams defense and looked up to the task. He did not record any stats but held the point of attack with force and closed off his perimeter gaps.  

Grading Scale
Cov — Coverage (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
Pass — Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)
Tkl — Tackling (Graded out of 25)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW - Rank Last Week

Rookie 4-3 OLB Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Cov	Run	Pass	Tkl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Darron Lee	NYJ	18	21	9	21	6	75	NR	↑
2	Josh Forrest	LA	14	18	7	18	6	63	NR	↑
3	Antwione Williams	DET	15	17	7	18	6	63	NR	↑
4	Myles Jack	JAX	14	19	7	16	6	62	NR	↑

 

Notable Omissions
Jaylon Smith - Injury
De'Vondre Campbell - Injury

 

Notable Performances

Darron Lee

Week 2 Stats: 5 tackles, 4 solo, 1 TFL

Lee already looks like a stud in the Jets' new 4-3 defense. He came downhill as a force in the running game and made his presence known with a few tough hits. He had a lot of confidence and aggression. The Jets may have scored by selecting Lee at No. 20 overall.

 

Myles Jack

Week 2 Stats: 2 solo tackles

Jack would've racked up more stats and scored higher if he had played more than the fourth quarter against the Chargers, though he put in a solid performance. He was explosive against the run and filled his gaps well.

 

Antwione Williams

Week 2 Stats: 4 tackles, 2 solo, 1 TFL

Williams played far better this week than he did in the preseason, when he looked slow in space and tended to be a half-second behind most plays. He was much quicker to react this week, allowing himself to be in position to make a handful of plays before having to leave the game with an injury.  

Inside Linebackers

Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Rookie linebackers played well in Week 2. Washington’s Su’a Cravens remains the only rookie linebacker playing significant snaps who has yet to enjoy a win. Nonetheless, he earns the top grade this week for excelling in coverage against a difficult Dallas team with multiple offensive weapons.

Cravens held his own against wide receiver Cole Beasley in the slot, as well as tight end Jason Witten. Additionally, Cravens displayed the aggression and speed that make him so valuable as a hybrid defender. Call it instincts, preparation or luck, Cravens is always near the ball and has routinely made plays for Washington’s defense.

The strengths and weaknesses of each rookie are becoming apparent with more film. Respective teams will have to continue self-evaluation and try to minimize the opportunity for offenses to exploit those weaknesses.

While Green Bay’s Blake Martinez is improving in coverage, he still shows a lack of route recognition and awareness. Conversely, Atlanta’s Deion Jones looks excellent in coverage but struggles in diagnosing running plays and filling in against top offensive linemen.

The difficulty for teams—and their fans—is recognizing the season is young and the strides the rookies made this week were encouraging. If they can continue to build on their starts, the experience is worth the early risk.  

Grading Scale
Cov — Coverage (Graded out of 25)
Run — Run Defense (Graded out of 35)
Pass —Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)
Tkl — Tackling (Graded out of 15)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie ILB Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Cov	Run	Pass	Tkl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Su'a Cravens	WAS	23	27	8	12	6	76	1	-
2	Deion Jones	ATL	19	27	10	11	6	73	2	-
3	Jatavis Brown	SD	21	25	8	12	6	72	NR	↑
4	Blake Martinez	GB	16	28	8	12	6	70	5	↑

 

Notable Omissions
B.J. Goodson - Insufficient snaps
Elandon Roberts - Insufficient snaps
Tyler Matakevich - Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Su'a Cravens

Week 2 Stats: 4 tackles, 3 solo

Cravens' efforts don't light up the stat sheet, but his versatility gives Washington a major advantage. He plays with speed and passion on the edge and up the middle. That makes it difficult to keep him on the sidelines.

Washington has done well to insert him into the game when he can have the most success early on. Continuing to give Cravens confidence will go a long way in maintaining his aggressive play to open the year.

 

Jatavis Brown

Week 2 Stats: 6 tackles, 4 solo, 1 TFL

Brown is primarily a coverage linebacker for now, and San Diego's 38-14 win over Jacksonville on Sunday gave the rookie plenty of time on the field. He shows impressive range and athleticism and could soon push Manti Te'o for more playing time.

 

Blake Martinez

Week 2 Stats: 5 tackles, 4 solo, 1 TFL

Martinez looked much more comfortable in his second game. He's still learning to recognize route combinations in underneath zone coverage, but his willingness to play the run was apparent. Green Bay's defense did well to limit Minnesota's rushing attack, and Martinez's experience only helps that defense solidify the linebacker position.

Cornerbacks

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

For the second straight week, second-round pick Sean Davis played more than first-rounder Artie Burns for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Davis logged all 26 coverage snaps in the slot, allowing one reception on two targets. His pass breakup and run presence helped the Steelers secure an important victory over the division rival Cincinnati Bengals.

Burns joined Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tavon Young as another rookie who's worked his way into the secondary rotation for his team. Burns played all 23 coverage snaps off the line of scrimmage, leading to one completion on two targets. Young also had a decent showing, seeing zero targets in 13 slot snaps.
 

Grading Scale
Cov — Coverage (Graded out of 30)
Rec — Reaction/Recovery (Graded out of 30)
Slot — Slot performance (Graded Out of 20)
Tkl — Tackling (Graded Out of 10)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie CB Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Cov	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	20	21	17	8	9	75	4	↑
2	James Bradberry	CAR	22	22	15	7	9	75	10	↑
3	Sean Davis	PIT	18	17	15	8	9	67	12	↑
4	Jalen Mills	PHI	19	17	16	6	9	67	3	↓
5	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	17	16	15	7	9	64	2	↓
6	Daryl Worley	CAR	17	15	15	6	9	62	NR	↑
7	Brandon Williams	ARI	17	15	15	6	9	62	8	↑
8	Artie Burns	PIT	16	16	13	5	9	59	NR	↑
9	Deiondre' Hall	CHI	16	14	15	5	9	59	NR	↑
10	Xavien Howard	MIA	16	13	11	8	9	57	5	↓
11	Eli Apple	NYG	13	15	14	4	9	55	6	↓
12	Rashard Robinson	SF	15	13	14	4	9	55	1	↓
13	Tavon Young	BAL	14	14	12	5	9	54	7	↓

 

Notable Omissions
William Jackson III - Injured 

 

Notable Performances

James Bradberry

Week 2 Stats: 2 tackles, 2 solo, 1 TFL

After a rough Week 1 outing, things got quite a bit better for Josh Norman's replacement. The Carolina Panthers rookie was targeted a ridiculous 10 times and surrendered two catches. He had a nice pass breakup, a tackle for loss and an interception toward the end of the game. Aside from a coverage bust, Bradberry played well in Week 2.

 

Sean Davis

Week 2 Stats: 1 tackle, 1 solo

The versatile Sean Davis split slot cornerback reps with veteran William Gay, showing he's worthy of the opportunity the Steelers continue to give him. Though not targeted often, Davis showed off his ball skills and zone awareness by allowing a single reception on two targets.

 

Vernon Hargreaves

Week 2 Stats: 5 tackles, 5 solo, 1 TFL

The Buccaneers rookie from Florida had a solid outing against a team full of weapons in Arizona. Hargreaves was targeted four times, surrendered two catches and only was beaten once all game. He had a nice pass breakup and continues to show why Tampa selected him at No. 11 overall. Not only is he playing well in coverage, but he had three stops against the run, showing his versatility as a player.

 

All advanced stats in this slide are from cornerback scouts Ian Wharton and Kyle Posey's self-charting from games.

Free Safeties

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Simmons was the top performer from the rookie free safety group. He's starting to settle in well with the Broncos' safety pair of Darian Stewart and T.J. Ward. Saints rookie Vonn Bell had an impressive debut after not seeing the field last week. He should have earned himself more playing time and might push Kenny Vaccaro to a nickel corner/dime linebacker role if he continues on this trend.

Kevin Byard struggled this week for the Titans after a solid game in Week 1. He'll need to bounce back next week if he is to keep his reps in a four-safety rotation in Tennessee.

Grading Scale
Cov. — Coverage (Graded out of 30)
Rec. — Reaction/Recovery (Graded out of 30)
Slot — Slot performance (Graded out of 10)
Tkl. — Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie FS Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Cov.	Rec.	Slot	Tkl.	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Justin Simmons	DEN	21	24	6	17	8	76	4	↑
2	Vonn Bell	NO	21	21	7	17	8	74	NR	↑
3	Darian Thompson	NYG	18	20	5	17	8	68	1	↓
4	Kevin Byard	TEN	16	18	6	14	8	62	2	↓

 

Notable Omissions
T.J. Green - Injured
Kavon Frazier - Inactive
DeAndre Houston-Carson - Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Justin Simmons

Week 2 Stats: 4 Tackles

He did an excellent job on a deep over route, staying over the top and taking it away from Andrew Luck, who was forced to scramble. As Luck scrambled, the receiver reversed direction, but Simmons didn't skip a beat and stuck tight to him, taking him out of the play completely. Later, Simmons rotated down over the tight end in man coverage and stuck tight to him on a spot route. He undercut the route well and was marginally beaten by a perfectly placed throw from Luck.

 

Vonn Bell

Week 2 Stats: 9 Tackles

Bell was solid in run support, at times having to work through or around traffic to get to the ball-carrier yet still managing to make the tackle. He did particularly well in underneath zone coverage. On one play, he buzzed down into the hook zone from a two-deep safety look, taking away a hook route from the Giants and forcing the checkdown to the flat. Bell then quickly rallied to the flat and made the tackle to keep the gain to a minimum.

 

Kevin Byard

Week 2 Stats: 7 Tackles

Byard missed two tackles on what ended up being long runs for the Lions. He'll have to work on taking better angles to the runner to give himself a better chance to make the tackle. In coverage, he was up and down. Early on, he covered Eric Ebron on a deep over route well but later turned his hips to the sideline as Ebron faked outside and cut inside. Ebron was open over the middle and made the catch for the first down.

Strong Safeties

Jason Miller/Getty Images

We still haven't seen first-round safeties Karl Joseph and Keanu Neal on the field. Neal is working back from an injury suffered during preseason and hopes to return soon, while Joseph could and perhaps should get some game time next week after the Raiders safeties graded out poorly this week. They needed a spark in the secondary, and Joseph could be the man to supply it.

Derrick Kindred was the only rookie strong safety to see the field again this week. He put in another solid performance for the Browns despite the rest of the defense around him falling to pieces in the second half. Jordan Poyer has flashed a couple times but has been otherwise average. If Kindred keeps performing well, he should start to see an increased role in the Browns secondary.

Grading Scale
Cov. — Coverage (Graded out of 25)
Rec. — Reaction/Recovery (Graded out of 25)
Slot — Slot performance (Graded out of 20)
Tkl. — Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie SS Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Cov.	Rec.	Slot	Tkl.	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Derrick Kindred	CLE	18	18	15	16	6	73	1	-

 

Notable Omissions
Keanu Neal - Injured
Deon Bush - Inactive
Karl Joseph - Insufficient snaps
Miles Killebrew - Insufficient snaps
Jayron Kearse - Insufficient snaps

 

Notable Performances

Derrick Kindred

Week 2 Stats: 5 Tackles, 2 Pass breakups

Kindred had some ups and downs, as expected from any rookie. He was fooled a couple of times on play-action passes and misdirection but was never punished greatly for those mistakes. He made up for it with a couple of pass breakups. One in particular stood out on third down as he read the route and broke on the throw perfectly, which enabled him to get his hand in front of the receiver to knock the ball loose.

Special Teams

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Roberto Aguayo typically creates a hooking trajectory that will cause him to miss left if his technique is off. In his Week 2 game, Aguayo simply did not strike through the ball properly, pushing the ball wide right. Aguayo does not typically err in this fashion, so for now, it is safe to chalk it up to a one-time issue rather than the start of a new problem.

Wil Lutz had his first kick of the week blocked due to some penetration through the left of the Saints line,but also featured a low trajectory on another kick that is something to watch for going forward. Lutz has never displayed the type of consistency required of an NFL kicker, so the next month will be key to evaluating where he stands today and if his college struggles were due to his own inconsistency or a lack of trust in his battery.

Kicker Grading Scale
Pwr. — Kick Power (Graded out of 40)
Acc. — Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 40)
Tkl. — Tackling (Graded out of 10)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
Overall — Top Possible Score of 100
LW — Rank Last Week

Rookie Kicker Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr.	Acc.	Tkl.	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Wil Lutz	NO	30	27	5	3	65	2	↑
2	Roberto Aguayo	TB	29	21	5	3	58	1	↓

 

It was a poor week for rookie punters as well, as Week 1 standout Lachlan Edwards saw a large dip, probably closer to his true talent level. Edwards outkicked expectations in Week 1, but he had not displayed that leg strength previously, and this is much more indicative of where he is expected to be over the course of this season.

Riley Dixon showed marginal improvement from Week 1 with a stronger leg but still failed to generate adequate hang time or place the ball properly. Drew Kaser turned in a nearly identical performance to Week 1 but did display two strong kicks, suggesting he is finding his footing slowly. Kaser has to begin making weekly improvements, as his talent level is too high to be down this far in the rankings.

 

Punter Grading Scale
Dist. — Kick Distance (Graded out of 20)
Hang — Kick Hang Time (Graded out of 20)
Acc. — Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 45)
Tkl. — Tackling (Graded out of 5)
Pos. — Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Overall — Top Possible Score of 100

 

Rookie Punter Rankings Week 2

Rank	Player	Team	Dist.	Hang	Acc.	Tkl.	Pos.	OVR	LW	Trend
1	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	13	14	31	3	3	64	1	-
2	Riley Dixon	DEN	16	12	28	3	3	62	3	↑
3	Drew Kaser	SD	9	15	29	3	3	59	2	↓

 

Notable Performances

Wil Lutz

Week 2 Stats: 2-3 FG, 1-1 XP

He had a kick blocked due to slippage with offensive line, but his low trajectory is something to watch for. He really needs to develop consistency.

 

Roberto Aguayo

Week 2 Stats: 0-1 FG, 1-1 XP

Aguayo pushed a ball to the right, which was an unusual miss for him, but he did make his extra-point attempt. He looks to build confidence in the coming weeks.

 

All advanced statistics via Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.