NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 4

The Dallas Cowboys have been rightly pilloried for their approach to the draft at certain times in Jerry Jones' ownership tenure, but it's undeniable that over the last few years Jones, his son Stephen and Dallas' personnel staff have built intelligently through the draft.

The league's best offensive line was built that way over the last few years, and in 2016 the Joneses added what looks to be a franchise running back in Ezekiel Elliott and the quarterback of the future, Dak Prescott.

In the Cowboys' 24-17 Week 4 win over the 49ers, Elliott ran 23 times for 138 yards and a touchdown. Prescott completed 23 of 32 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. More and more, Elliott is showing his special combination of power and agility, and Prescott is shedding the training wheels given to most rookie quarterbacks.

More and more, these are full-fledged players at key positions—not a bad haul in a single draft. In this week's NFL1000 rookie review, Elliott is our top-ranked player and Prescott is in the top five. We may want to get used to this.

Similarly, the Oakland Raiders had some disastrous drafts in the last few years of Al Davis' life, but there's no question that under general manager Reggie McKenzie, this team has a new, impressive knack with getting it right in the draft.

Many were surprised when the Raiders took West Virginia safety Karl Joseph with the 14th overall pick in the 2016 draft. But it was only a knee injury—which ended Joseph's final collegiate season early—that prevented him from becoming a more hyped pick. When he was lost for the 2015 collegiate season in October, he was tied for the FBS lead in interceptions with five.

This week, Joseph is our second-ranked rookie based on his exceptional performance against the Baltimore Ravens. Joseph excelled in coverage and run stopping and added two quarterback hurries in pressure packages. Joseph can play everywhere from the line of scrimmage to the deep third, and this appears to be the beginning of an impressive rookie campaign. Also, watch out for Raiders linebacker Cory James, who jumped in our rankings this week.

The breakout rookie performer for Week 4, though, was unquestionably Houston Texans receiver Will Fuller, who was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring a 67-yard touchdown on his first NFL punt return.

Fuller also led his team with seven receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown, becoming the fourth rookie in the past 15 years to score a receiving and return touchdown in the same game. The other three? Tavon Austin, T.Y. Hilton and Dez Bryant. Not bad company.

Fuller is also the first rookie in NFL history to amass more than 300 receiving yards and a punt return touchdown in his first four contests. It appears that after a long, long wait, DeAndre Hopkins may have legitimate long-term help.

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

Biggest Movers Heading into Week 5

Jake Roth-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 regardless of their draft position?

With the weekly NFL1000 rookie review, we'll look to do both while keeping track of the stars of the 2016 draft. 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 4 review reveals a number of players who have taken major steps forward in their professional development. 

1. Rashard Robinson, CB, San Francisco 49ers

2016 draft position: 133 (fourth round, 35th pick)

Rank last week: NR

Rank this week: 7

What happened: Robinson had played a total of 45 snaps in San Francisco's first three games, but against the Cowboys last Sunday he made a compelling case that it's time to get the kid more reps. He allowed three catches for 20 yards on six targets and 67 snaps, adding a handful of pass breakups and showing that he's a feisty competitor against the run. 

2. Sheldon Day, DT, Jacksonville Jaguars

2016 draft position: 103 (fourth round, fifth pick)

Rank last week: NR

Rank this week: 10

What happened: Speaking of guys who need more playing time...the former Notre Dame standout racked up three quarterback hurries in just 17 snaps against the Indianapolis Colts. Day struggled with injuries in his collegiate career, but he was also known for his dynamic ability to blow through blocking quickly off the snap. The NFL's level of competition has not affected Day's ability to do so.

3. Will Fuller, WR, Houston Texans

2016 draft position: 21 (first round, 21st pick)

Rank last week: NR

Rank this week: 17

What happened: What didn't? Fuller took his first NFL punt return to the house for a 67-yard game-winning score against the Titans, winning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, and he led the Texans with seven receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Fuller has had issues with focus drops at times, but when he's on, he provides a highly compelling level of breakaway speed that will put stress on any defense. 

4. Kendall Fuller, CB, Washington Redskins

2016 draft position: 84 (third round, 21st pick)

Rank last week: NR

Rank this week: 11

What happened: Fuller missed nearly the entire 2015 season at Virginia Tech due to a knee injury, and he didn't see regular-season NFL action until Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. Replacing Dashaun Phillips in Washington's secondary, Fuller was beaten early but rebounded nicely. If he's fully recovered from that injury, he has the physical potential to excel in the slot and help the Redskins in outside coverage. 

5. Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars

2016 draft position: 69 (third round, sixth pick)

Rank last week: 43

Rank this week: 36

What happened: Ngakoue wasn't a prime grade-mover this week, but it's past time that we talked about him. It could be argued that his grade should be higher based on his work against the Colts. The Maryland alum has a sack in each of his last three games, with a healthy number of quarterback pressures as well. At 6'2" and 252 pounds, he perfectly fits the profile of the 4-3 "Leo" rush end preferred by head coach Gus Bradley.

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 4

Larry French/Getty Images

Our Week 4 Top 50 rookie rankings are based on game-tape evaluation, 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 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	NFL1000 Score	LW	Moving
1	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	4	81	3	↑
2	Karl Joseph	SS	OAK	14	79	17	↑
3	Deion Jones	ILB	ATL	52	78	4	↑
4	Jatavis Brown	ILB	SD	175	76	2	↓
5	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	135	75	1	↓
6	Su'a Cravens	ILB	WAS	53	75	7	↑
7	Rashard Robinson	CB	SF	133	75	NR	↑
8	Cory James	ILB	OAK	194	75	31	↑
9	Laremy Tunsil	LT	MIA	13	74	33	↑
10	Sheldon Day	DT	JAX	103	74	NR	↑
11	Kendall Fuller	CB	WAS	84	74	NR	↑
12	Andy Janovich	FB	DEN	176	74	14	↑
13	Riley Dixon	P	DEN	228	74	29	↑
14	Ryan Kelly	C	IND	18	73	16	↑
15	Michael Thomas	WR	NO	47	73	40	↑
16	Jordan Howard	RB	CHI	150	73	18	↑
17	Will Fuller	WR	HOU	21	72	NR	↑
18	Nick Kwiatkoski	ILB	CHI	113	72	10	↓
19	Taylor Decker	LT	DET	16	72	11	↓
20	Derek Watt	FB	SD	198	72	NR	↑
21	Keanu Neal	SS	ATL	17	71	23	↑
22	James Bradberry	CB	CAR	62	71	NR	↑
23	Vincent Valentine	DT	NE	96	71	34	↑
24	Will Parks	SS	DEN	219	71	28	↑
25	Wil Lutz	K	NO	UDFA	71	9	↓
26	Josh Ferguson	RB	IND	UDFA	70	NR	↑
27	Vadal Alexander	RT	OAK	234	70	30	↑
28	T.J. Green	FS	IND	57	70	NR	↑
29	Paul Perkins	RB	NYG	149	70	NR	↑
30	Antonio Morrison	ILB	IND	125	70	21	↓
31	Sterling Shepard	WR	NYG	40	69	25	↓
32	Joe Thuney	OG	NE	78	69	36	↑
33	Adam Gotsis	DT	DEN	63	69	NR	↑
34	Joshua Perry	ILB	SD	102	69	NR	↑
35	Derrick Henry	RB	TEN	45	69	19	↓
36	Yannick Ngakoue	4-3 DE	JAX	69	69	43	↑
37	Germain Ifedi	OG	SEA	31	69	NR	↑
38	Tyreek Hill	WR	KC	165	69	41	↑
39	Derrick Kindred	SS	CLE	129	69	45	↑
40	Roberto Aguayo	K	TB	59	69	NR	↑
41	Kevin Byard	FS	TEN	64	68	22	↓
42	Hunter Henry	TE	SD	35	68	42	↔
43	Andrew Adams	FS	NYG	UDFA	68	NR	↑
44	Cody Whitehair	C	CHI	56	68	5	↓
45	Devontae Booker	RB	DEN	136	68	NR	↑
46	Jack Conklin	RT	TEN	8	68	32	↓
47	D.J. Reader	DT	HOU	166	67	NR	↑
48	Jalen Ramsey	CB	JAX	5	67	8	↓
49	DeAndre Washington	RB	OAK	143	67	12	↓
50	Emmanuel Ogbah	3-4 OLB	CLE	32	66	26	↓

Quarterbacks

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Carson Wentz show went on hiatus as the Philadelphia Eagles were one of the first two teams to enjoy a bye week. Half of Prescott's offense also went missing this week. 

Prescott faced the 49ers without Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith and La'el Collins. Even against San Francisco, this put a lot of pressure on the 23-year-old quarterback to be effective. He struggled with his consistency throwing the ball early on, repeatedly missing intermediate routes down the right sideline.

The Cowboys quarterback threw two touchdowns where he showed precise ball placement and impressive arm talent. Brice Butler dropped a third touchdown later in the game when Prescott threw a perfect back-shoulder pass in the end zone. He also showed off his athleticism on a couple of occasions while reacting well to pressure and making good decisions to keep the offense moving.

Elliott's 17-yard run that led to his short touchdown run came when Prescott audibled to a perfect run play to take advantage of the defense's imbalanced alignment.

Paxton Lynch made his debut for the Denver Broncos in Week 4. Lynch threw a touchdown and should have been intercepted on a pass forced into coverage down the right sideline. He generally showed up well for a rookie forced into action, but you could also see why Trevor Siemian won the starting job.

Lynch's motion is deliberate and elongated. It takes away from his intermediate velocity and placement, forcing receivers to adjust more than they should have to. Regardless, head coach Gary Kubiak will be pleased with his rookie's performance while getting a look at him in a game in which the team had full control.

Cleveland's Cody Kessler has been somewhat inconsistent, showing off a slow process, and he is very much a dink-and-dunk passer. But he's surpassing expectations for a mid-round pick who wasn't expected to play. Kessler generally makes good decisions and has shown poise against pressure.

Jacoby Brissett's limitations were put on show against the Texans last week. They just didn't matter because the Texans were so thoroughly beaten. Brissett barely threw the ball in the first half this week against the Bills, though he did have one perfect deep pass to Martellus Bennett. A key fumble that came after a scramble in Buffalo Bills territory really hurt the New England Patriots' chances of winning.

Grading Scale

Acc: Accuracy (Graded out of 25)
Arm: Arm strength (Graded out of 25)
Press: Pressure/run threat (Graded out of 20) (Pressure weighted at 15, run threat at 5)
Dec: Decision-making (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie QB Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Dak Prescott	DAL	15	20	14	16	10	75	1	↔
2	Paxton Lynch	DEN	15	19	10	10	10	64	NR	↑
3	Cody Kessler	CLE	15	17	10	10	10	62	3	↔
4	Jacoby Brissett	NE	15	19	9	9	10	62	4	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Carson Wentz—bye
• Jared Goff—backup
• Trevone Boykin—backup

Notable Performances

Dak Prescott

Week 4 stats: 23-of-32, 245 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

With Wentz on a bye week, Prescott extended his interceptionless streak into Week 4. Prescott didn't throw a pick but did come close to doing so early in the game. He missed tight end Jason Witten over the middle of the field, but safety Eric Reid dropped the ball.

Paxton Lynch

Week 4 stats: 14-of-24, 170 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Lynch is unlikely to push Siemian out of the starting job over the coming weeks if Siemian is healthy. Siemian has been consistent and is showing signs of improvement, whereas Lynch's debut was passable but unspectacular.

Cody Kessler

Week 4 stats: 28-of-40, 223 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Kessler might belong in the NFL as a backup, but at least he's showing he belongs. A critical interception late against Washington might have cost the Browns a chance at winning this game, but his performances overall have been promising.

Running Backs

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Elliott had a dominant performance at Levi's Stadium on Sunday against the 49ers. He took over the game in the second half, essentially winning it for the Dallas Cowboys. Every week he becomes more confident on pressing the hole, working up to second-level defenders and finding daylight to create explosive plays.

Despite playing only four games in his young career, he already has established himself as one of the more violent, powerful runners in the league. If Prescott can continue to keep defensive coordinators honest and have them refrain from stacking the box, Elliott will consistently have 100-yard games. He is an absolute workhorse who is flexing his muscles early this season. 

Tennessee's Derrick Henry saw limited playing time Sunday, only seeing nine snaps and three carries. A lot of his limited playing time has to do with the outstanding performance of fellow back DeMarco Murray.

While he didn’t see much action the first several games, Jordan Howard finally got his shot to shine—and shine is exactly what he did. Howard had 111 yards rushing and was excellent in the Chicago Bears' first win of the season. He has quick feet, good vision and the ability to run through arm tackles. Because of his explosion he will quickly become a better player than injured starter Jeremy Langford (ankle), and his load should only increase as the season progresses. I like what I’ve seen out of Howard the last two weeks.

Paul Perkins put on football pads for the first time after being inactive the first three weeks and flashed some ability Monday night against an elite defense. He had a 67-yard reception that helped get the New York Giants back into the game.

But with the good comes the bad—he missed a pass protection in a crucial fourth-quarter moment that led to an Eli Manning incompletion on fourth down. But he showed enough to warrant more playing time this week against Green Bay.

The Raiders' DeAndre Washington had an up-and-down game. He had a big run to get the Raiders into the red zone, but he also had a crucial fumble that could have cost his team the game. The rookie struggled to run between the tackles, where he had thrived as Ravens defenders were constantly filling gaps and limiting the Raiders' run game.

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)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie RB Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	22	19	17	17	6	81	1	↔
2	Jordan Howard	CHI	19	17	15	16	6	73	3	↑
3	Josh Ferguson	IND	14	15	17	18	6	70	7	↑
4	Paul Perkins	NYG	16	16	18	14	6	70	NR	↑
5	Derrick Henry	TEN	17	16	15	15	6	69	4	↓
6	Devontae Booker	DEN	17	15	14	16	6	68	8	↑
7	DeAndre Washington	OAK	15	17	15	14	6	67	2	↓
8	Kenyan Drake	MIA	14	17	14	14	6	65	10	↑
9	Daniel Lasco	NO	15	15	14	14	6	64	NR	↑
10	Dwayne Washington	DET	14	15	14	15	6	64	6	↓
11	Jalen Richard	OAK	13	15	14	14	6	62	9	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Wendell Smallwood—bye
• C.J. Prosise—inactive
• Kenneth Dixon—inactive

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott

Week 4 stats: 23 carries, 138 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 19 yards

This was Elliott's most dominant day as a pro. He builds on his confidence every week, running violently and powerfully. He carried the Cowboys offense in the second half, especially when linebacker NaVorro Bowman went out with an injury. He is becoming one of the better inside runners in the NFL and should compete for the rushing title if he can stay healthy.

Jordan Howard

Week 4 stats: 23 carries, 111 yards, 0 TD; 3 receptions, 21 yards

Just because starting running back Langford is out with an ankle injury doesn't mean his job is safe with the rookie running like this. Howard was awesome Sunday. He is running fast and physical from the first series. He has excellent play speed, feet and vision for a young back. He seemed to get stronger as the game went on. He also is a threat in the passing game. It is hard not to think he'll be the guy moving forward.

Paul Perkins

Week 4 stats: 2 carries, 8 yards, 0 TD; 2 receptions, 72 yards

He was active for the first time in his young career and made his impact felt. He had an explosive catch for 67 yards where he broke a tackle and made a guy miss to keep the Giants in the game. He also had a blown pass protection that might have cost them a chance, but he did flash enough playmaking ability in the pass game to continue to play.

Fullbacks

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

It was a quieter day for both rookie fullbacks.

Andy Janovich continues to be an excellent blocker but did not have a catch or carry in the game. Denver did not run the ball well, but Janovich was still solid at locating linebackers in space and playing physical on contact.

The San Diego Chargers were much more pass-heavy Sunday, so Derek Watt saw only five snaps. He did have a good goal-line block on a Melvin Gordon touchdown run. 

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)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie FB Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Andy Janovich	DEN	45	15	10	4	74	1	↔
2	Derek Watt	SD	43	15	10	4	72	2	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Andy Janovich

While he didn't have any carries or catches, he continues to play a lot and contribute in the run game. As physical a rookie fullback as I remember, he continued to play fast on the road in Tampa. He located linebackers with ease in space and is a natural at sticking on contact once engaged.

Wide Receivers

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

As has been the case in previous weeks, Sterling Shepard and Michael Thomas headline the NFC rookie wide receiver class.

Thomas caught four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown in the New Orleans Saints’ come-from-behind victory against the Chargers and was able to get separation on a number of his routes.

The Giants' Shepard struggled a bit against a talented Minnesota Vikings defense but managed four receptions and was a consistent blocker in the running game.

San Francisco’s Aaron Burbridge and the Los Angeles Rams’ Mike Thomas saw some action Sunday but had few passes thrown their way. Thomas struggled in the blocking game.

Meanwhile in Houston, Will Fuller continued his impressive rookie campaign and helped his team to a crucial division victory over the Titans by bringing in seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. 

Grading Scale

Route: Route running (Graded out of 25)
Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)
YAC: Yards after catch (Graded out of 20)
Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie WR Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Michael Thomas	NO	18	19	15	12	9	73	2	↑
2	Will Fuller	HOU	19	21	13	10	9	72	6	↑
3	Sterling Shepard	NYG	18	17	13	12	9	69	1	↓
4	Tyreek Hill	KC	19	18	11	12	9	69	3	↓
5	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	17	17	13	10	9	66	4	↓
6	Tyler Boyd	CIN	16	14	11	14	9	64	7	↑
7	Charone Peake	NYJ	16	17	13	9	9	64	NR	↑
8	Ricardo Louis	CLE	16	16	12	10	9	63	5	↓
9	Chris Moore	BAL	14	15	11	10	9	59	10	↑
10	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	14	14	11	10	9	58	8	↓
11	Rashard Higgins	CLE	13	14	11	10	9	57	9	↓
12	Aaron Burbridge	SF	13	14	10	10	9	56	12	↔
13	Mike Thomas	LA	13	13	10	9	9	54	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Pharoh Cooper—injury
• Kenny Lawler—injury
• Josh Doctson—injury
• Devin Fuller—injury
• Moritz Boehringer—inactive
• Daniel Braverman—inactive
• Laquon Treadwell—insufficient snaps
• Trevor Davis—bye

Notable Performances

Will Fuller

Week 4 stats: 7 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD

Fuller seems to be getting better every week, and this trend continued as he played a key role in Houston's win over the Titans. Expect to see head coach Bill O'Brien continue to use Fuller's speed to threaten defenses deep as the season goes on, especially as fellow starter Hopkins gets more and more attention from opposing defenses.

Michael Thomas

Week 4 stats: 4 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD

Thomas was targeted eight times by quarterback Drew Brees, pulling in four passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. He was able to get separation on a number of routes and was targeted on an interception, but the throw was well over his head. He seems to be drawing more and more targets in the New Orleans passing attack.

Sterling Shepard

Week 4 stats: 4 receptions, 30 yards

Shepard and the rest of the Giants offense struggled a bit on Monday night. The rookie wide receiver was targeted six times and had four receptions. Shepard was a willing blocker during the game.

Aaron Burbridge

Week 4 stats: 1 reception, 5 yards

Burbridge saw two targets against the Cowboys, pulling in one pass for a five-yard gain.

Mike Thomas

Week 4 stats: 10 snaps

Thomas was not targeted during the Rams' victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Tight Ends

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

In addition to the effort from the Atlanta Falcons' Austin Hooper, who caught a long touchdown pass on a well-designed throwback play, some other NFC rookie tight ends saw action this week.

The Rams primarily used Tyler Higbee as a blocker, and he saw only one target. He generally struggled to get separation when sent out on pass routes. On his only target, he ran an out-and-up route and failed to get sufficient separation. Higbee was generally effective blocking in the run game.

The Giants' Jerell Adams was pressed into action when Larry Donnell suffered a concussion on Monday night against the Vikings. Adams was used mainly as a blocker and was solid in this role.

Hunter Henry stepped in for an injured Antonio Gates (hamstring) and continued to impress in another opportunity to start for the Chargers offense. His skill as a route-runner and awareness of where he is on the field came in handy as he hauled in a touchdown against the Saints defense. 

Grading Scale

Route: Route running (Graded out of 20)
Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)
YAC: Yards after catch (Graded out of 20)
Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 25)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie TE Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Hunter Henry	SD	14	19	12	17	6	68	1	↔
2	Austin Hooper	ATL	14	15	13	17	6	65	2	↔
3	Jerell Adams	NYG	11	13	10	16	6	56	NR	↑
4	Tyler Higbee	LA	10	13	10	15	6	54	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• David Morgan II—injury
• Nick Vannett—injury
• Rico Gathers—insufficient snaps
• Temarrick Hemingway—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Austin Hooper

Week 4 stats: 1 reception, 42 yards, 1 TD

The Falcons primarily used Hooper as a blocker, but he did catch a long touchdown on a well-designed throwback play, the same design that Atlanta used for a long play against the Raiders a few weeks ago.

Hunter Henry

Week 4 stats: 4 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD

Henry is getting used to rolling with the 1s as the season goes on. With the veteran Gates still sidelined, he got another chance to show the Chargers they made the right choice in drafting him in the second round.

Offensive Tackles

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Laremy Tunsil and Taylor Decker were the only rookie left tackles who saw significant action in Week 4. Baltimore's Ronnie Stanley was inactive with a foot injury. Jack Conklin (Titans), Vadal Alexander (Raiders) and Joe Haeg (Colts) all got starting nods at right tackle. 

Tunsil has started every game through Week 4 (the previous three weeks at left guard), but he saw his first starting action at left tackle for the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. From the start of the game, it was clear to see some of the intriguing physical traits and skill set that led many to believe, during this past draft evaluation process, that Tunsil was a rare once-in-a-while-type talent.

We all know the storyline surrounding his fall on draft night, but the Dolphins took a chance, and it may pay off big in the long run. After a good first showing at left tackle, and with Branden Albert just not looking the same after a few back-to-back seasons dealing with injuries, you've got to wonder if Tunsil will be the left tackle from this point forward.

The Detroit Lions' Decker played a clean all-around game. There were no glaring mistakes in pass protection, which cost him big-time in the fourth quarter in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, and his run blocking was above-average.

Grading Scale

OT: Left or right tackle designation
Pass: Pass protection (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run-blocking (Graded out of 25)
Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie OT Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	LT	17	17	15	17	8	74	NR	↑
2	Taylor Decker	DET	LT	17	17	14	16	8	72	2	↔
3	Vadal Alexander	OAK	RT	17	16	15	15	7	70	3	↔
4	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	15	17	16	13	7	68	4	↔
5	Joe Haeg	IND	RT	14	14	14	14	7	63	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Ronnie Stanley—injury

Notable Performances

Laremy Tunsil

Week 4 stats: 45 snaps, 2 hits, 1 sack allowed

Tunsil showed an explosive pass set and was able to smoothly recover when he was moved off his spot. Tunsil had a few snaps where he looked as if he missed an assignment. Two ended in QB hits and one ended in a sack in which he was late to react.

In the run game, Tunsil was dynamic, showing he could win the edge consistently and showing outstanding agility working up on the second level and when needing to cut off the back side.

Joe Haeg

Week 4 stats: 78 snaps, 5 pressures

Haeg saw his first right tackle starting action in an up-and-down performance. There were times where it looked as if the game was moving just a step faster than Haeg was processing, especially in blitz pickup. Haeg flashed in the run game and showed good physicality. He is still a work in progress coming from North Dakota State University, but he did show some intriguing upside.

Offensive Guards

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Between injuries and several rookie guards having to kick to tackle this week, many of the rookie review guard mainstays are missing in action.

The Patriots' Joe Thuney is the only player who has started at guard every week. Two new faces join him on our list. 

Grading Scale

Pass: Pass protection (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run blocking (Graded out of 25)
Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie OG Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Joe Thuney	NE	17	14	14	17	7	69	3	↑
2	Germain Ifedi	SEA	14	17	17	14	7	69	NR	↑
3	Austin Blythe	IND	10	15	15	11	7	58	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Alex Lewis—injury
• Parker Ehinger—injury
• Ted Karras—insufficient snaps
• Joshua Garnett—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Germain Ifedi

Ifedi is finally healthy for Seattle, but he had a tough matchup against the New York Jets' front in his debut. His play was mixed, but late in the game he started to show off some of the power he flashed in the preseason.

Austin Blythe

Blythe struggled in his first start at guard, continually allowing pressures and getting beat out his stance.

Spencer Drango

Cleveland's Drango saw his first NFL action this week, but he only played a few snaps at right guard after John Greco was forced to center due to several injuries on the line. With Greco likely staying at center for the foreseeable future, Alvin Bailey is the only thing standing between Drango and a starting role.

Centers

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Only Ryan Kelly and Cody Whitehair have played regular-season snaps among rookie centers, and each has shown the wisdom of their teams' decisions with performances that belie their level of experience.

Over the last two weeks, the Bears' Whitehair had the advantage, but the Colts' Kelly graded up top among rookie centers this week with his performance in London against the Jaguars. The Colts started three rookie linemen against Jacksonville (right guard Austin Blythe and right tackle Joe Haeg were the others), and Kelly was the solid one, as he has been all season.

He did give up a quarterback hit and three hurries, but he was strong in the run game and has as much technical proficiency as you could want from any first-year lineman. At times, he physically dominated his opposition, attacking the Jags as if he was the defensive lineman. Still, Kelly can be too tentative at times, and you wonder if he’s still overthinking the NFL game. 

Whitehair was also good against the Lions, especially when asked to block in the run game. He’s excellent at walling off defenders, and he’s got the right temperament for the position—ask Lions linebacker Tahir Whitehead, who saw the rookie get chippy with him from time to time.

He needs to work on his second-level accuracy—particularly when blocking back to the cutback lane—but, as I’ve been saying all season, the Kansas State alum shows a shocking level of proficiency considering that he played tackle and guard in college.

Grading Scale

Pass: Pass protection (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run blocking (Graded out of 25)
Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie C Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ryan Kelly	IND	16	19	17	15	6	73	2	↑
2	Cody Whitehair	CHI	17	16	15	14	6	68	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Ryan Kelly

Week 4 stats: 78 snaps, 3 hurries, 1 hit, 0 sacks allowed

Kelly is starting to show the power at the NFL level that made him such a standout for the University of Alabama. As soon as he further trusts his instincts and lets it fly, he'll be a major problem for any defender he faces.

Cody Whitehair

Week 4 stats: 69 snaps, 1 hurry, 0 hits, 0 sacks allowed

Whitehair is still getting the hang of the nuances of the center position—particularly at the linebacker level —but he has few peers when it comes to displaying consistent effective power in short areas. Weaker defensive tackles can find themselves embarrassed against him.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

While the rookie quarterback pool is as deep as it ever has been in the NFL, the league is lacking in top 3-4 defensive end talent in terms of first-year players.

Arizona's first-round pick, Robert Nkemdiche, was inactive this week, joining Cleveland's Carl Nassib and Buffalo's Adolphus Washington among high draft picks who saw little to no snaps in Week 4.

Chicago's Jonathan Bullard, who typically does well on the relative scale of rookies, also didn't participate on the defensive side of the ball for the Bears this week. With Green Bay on its bye, Dean Lowry was also out of the mix.

That left only San Francisco 49er DeForest Buckner to carry the load for the rookie class, as Oakland's Jihad Ward and Kansas City's Chris Jones try to work their raw skills up from rotational players to every-down defensive linemen. Buckner isn't a star by any means, but he's playing a full-time role in San Francisco that asks him to play everything from nose tackle to a standing edge-rusher position.

If he continues to get reps at the clip he is, it will be hard to keep him off the trajectory to being one of the NFL's better true 3-4 defensive ends. 

Grading Scale

Snap: Snap explosion (Graded out of 15)
Rush: 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)
Ovr: Top possible Score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie 3-4 DE Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	DeForest Buckner	SF	9	16	19	14	6	64	1	↔
2	Chris Jones	KC	9	12	17	11	6	55	3	↑
3	Jihad Ward	OAK	6	12	12	12	6	48	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Dean Lowry—bye
• Robert Nkemdiche—inactive
• Carl Nassib—inactive
• Jonathan Bullard—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

DeForest Buckner

Week 4 stats: 5 tackles (3 solo)

Buckner left his Week 4 game against the Cowboys with a lower-leg injury late in the fourth quarter, but not before he made his impact for the day. Lining up everywhere from 1-technique to a standing edge defender, Buckner rarely left the field, as the first-round pick has already made himself a staple of the 49ers defense.

He may be somewhat of a liability as a pass-rusher. But it's clear that he's the foundational part of the defensive line in the eyes of the coaching staff, as former college teammate Arik Armstead and Quinton Dial were rotated situationally.

Despite going against backups on the left side of Dallas' offensive line, Buckner was one of the better run-defending 3-4 defensive ends in the NFC in Week 4, looking like the young Calais Campbell many tabbed him as coming out of the University of Oregon.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Again, we're left with one player standing above the rest of this rookie pass-rushing class—and that's Jacksonville's Yannick Ngakoue.

He has recorded a sack and forced fumble in each of his last three games. This week saw Ngakoue intercept a pass from Andrew Luck. Ngakoue is an effective speed rusher, and as he gets stronger he could become an elite NFL pass-rusher.

The only other AFC rookie to play was Oakland's Shilique Calhoun. This was his most action on the year. While he didn't record a tackle, he disrupted and rerouted a few plays in an impressive win in Baltimore.

In the NFC, three of the four rookies to see significant snaps this week came from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the best performance coming from Noah Spence, who didn't get a single tackle in his first career start. The other rookie NFC edge defender to see time this week was Romeo Okwara, who made little impact as a rotational player for the Giants. 

Grading Scale

Rush: Pass rush (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run defense (Graded out of 25)
Snap: Snap explosion (Graded out of 20)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie 4-3 DE Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	17	14	15	16	7	69	1	↔
2	Noah Spence	TB	18	15	14	12	7	66	NR	↑
3	Davonte Lambert	TB	15	16	12	12	7	62	2	↓
4	Shilique Calhoun	OAK	16	11	13	13	7	60	NR	↑
5	Romeo Okwara	NYG	14	15	11	12	7	59	NR	↑
6	Channing Ward	TB	14	13	11	11	7	56	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Charles Tapper—injury
• Shaq Lawson—injury

Notable Performances

Yannick Ngakoue

Week 4 stats: 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 FF

Ngakoue once again looked like an impressive speed rusher with veteran awareness. This is his third straight game with a sack, and he's now on pace for a double-digit season.

Noah Spence

With Robert Ayers out (ankle), Spence, who typically would be considered a nickel pass-rusher, made the first start of his NFL career. The second-round pick didn't so much as register a tackle against the Denver Broncos, but he was able to win several one-on-one matchups that could have led to sacks if the Broncos didn't go to a quick passing game with the lead and Lynch under center.

Spence flashed the potential to develop into a solid pass-rusher in Tampa, but he isn't quite there yet.

Defensive Tackles

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

There weren't many standout performances in Week 4 among the rookie defensive tackles. Sheldon Day had a fantastic game and showed off his penetration ability and quickness for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He can be a nightmare on the back side of run plays where his athleticism can shine.

Adam Gotsis and D.J. Reader had decent games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans, respectively. They both shined against the run and showed solid technique with their hands and leverage. Vernon Butler and Jarran Reed were out with injuries this week, and Kenny Clark was on a bye, so a few of the standout names will have to make their impact felt next week. 

New England's Vincent Valentine left the game against the Buffalo Bills with a back injury, but he was playing well before he departed.

Grading Scale

Snap: Snap explosion (Graded out of 25)
Rush: Pass rush (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run defense (Graded out of 25)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie DT Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Sheldon Day	JAX	19	17	18	14	6	74	NR	↑
2	Vincent Valentine	NE	18	16	17	14	6	71	2	↔
3	Adam Gotsis	DEN	15	16	19	13	6	69	NR	↑
4	D.J. Reader	HOU	16	15	18	12	6	67	10	↑
5	Maliek Collins	DAL	17	14	15	11	6	63	3	↓
6	Javon Hargrave	PIT	14	16	15	12	6	63	12	↑
7	David Onyemata	NO	16	14	13	14	6	63	13	↑
8	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	15	14	17	11	6	63	8	↔
9	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	14	16	13	14	6	63	9	↔
10	Adolphus Washington	BUF	14	13	16	11	6	60	11	↑
11	Michael Pierce	BAL	15	11	16	10	6	58	7	↓
12	Darius Latham	OAK	14	13	10	10	6	53	6	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Robert Nkemdiche—inactive
• Austin Johnson—inactive
• Vernon Butler —injury
• Jarran Reed—injury
• Quinton Jefferson—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Sheldon Day

Week 4 Stats: 1 Tackle

Sheldon Day only had one tackle against the Indianapolis Colts, but he was extremely disruptive throughout the game. He showed off the quickness and explosion that made him highly touted in the draft community leading up to the 2016 NFL draft.

D.J. Reader

Week 4 Stats: 1 Tackle

DeMarco Murray had a strong day running the ball against the Houston Texans, but Reader had a solid day defending the run. He was strong at the point of attack and used his hands well to keep his body in position to defend inside runs.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

There's nothing easy about being thrown into the fire and learning how to rush the quarterback on the fly as a rookie. Just ask the 2016 class.

Washington's Trent Williams stonewalled Emmanuel Ogbah, Leonard Floyd failed to register a tackle before leaving Chicago's win with an injury, and Kevin Dodd, Curt Maggitt, Dadi Nicolas and Joe Schobert did next to nothing in reserve roles on the edge. Without a transcendent talent in the group, these rookie outside linebackers will have up-and-down weeks.

Week 4 was certainly a down week. 

Grading Scale

Rush: Pass rush (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run defense (Graded out of 25)
Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 15)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie 3-4 OLB Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	14	17	10	18	7	66	1	↔
2	Leonard Floyd	CHI	14	17	11	16	7	65	6	↑
3	Kevin Dodd	TEN	15	15	9	18	7	64	4	↑
4	Curt Maggitt	IND	13	16	9	16	7	61	NR	↑
5	Dadi Nicolas	KC	14	14	10	15	7	60	NR	↑
6	Joe Schobert	CLE	13	13	10	15	7	58	5	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Kyler Fackrell—bye
• Matt Judon—inactive
• Aaron Wallace—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Emmanuel Ogbah

Week 4 Stats: 7 Tackles

Not many rookies are going to get the best of veteran left tackle Williams, and Ogbah was no exception. He struggled to get any kind of pressure on Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. Credit the rookie, as he still kept himself in the game by always rallying to the football.

Ogbah finished with seven tackles. He lacked impact stops but looked comfortable dropping into coverage and making a tackle on a short dump-off pass. Ogbah will have days like this as he learns how to beat NFL tackles who have faced every move and countermove in the book.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Rookie linebackers had, at best, neutral impacts this week. The Jacksonville Jaguars gave linebacker Myles Jack his first start, but it came at the linebacker spot that least fits his skill set. The team threw Jack into Dan Skuta's role as the strong-side linebacker who plays down on the line in Jacksonville's "under" defense.

While Jack is a much better athlete than Skuta and a better option, he was out of position. Instead of being down on the line, Jack needs to be allowed to make plays in space and see plays through in more of a traditional linebacker spot.

After a solid first few outings, New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee put up a miserable performance this week. He was overmatched by most every offensive lineman who got a hand on him, missed a handful of run keys and got abused by Seattle's Jimmy Graham in coverage. Graham is an elite player at his peak, and that is a tough match up for any linebacker, but Graham beat Lee on the same route twice.

It was a rough day for Lee. In fairness, every rookie is bound to have a few poor games throughout a season, especially when facing offenses like Seattle's. Lee should be able to rebound just fine, but this was not his week. 

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run defense (Graded out of 25)
Rush: Pass rush (Graded out of 15)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie 4-3 OLB Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	15	17	7	15	6	60	2	↑
2	Myles Jack	JAX	16	13	7	15	6	57	NR	↑
3	Antwione Williams	DET	13	14	7	15	6	55	NR	↑
4	Darron Lee	NYJ	12	10	7	15	6	50	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jaylon Smith—injury
• De'Vondre Campbell—injury

Notable Performances

Jordan Jenkins

Week 4 Stats: 1 Solo Tackle

As per usual, Jenkins only played in base sets, but he did his job. Jenkins did not make any stunning plays. He kept true to his assignments, protected the edge when he needed to and forced Seattle to keep runs inside.

Myles Jack

Week 4 Stats: 4 Tackles (3 Solo), 1 Pass Defended

Jack was out of his comfort zone as the strong-side linebacker. He still had a decent game but did not look like he trusted himself in run defense from that position. It will be interesting to see if the Jaguars relocate him.

Antwione Williams

Week 4 Stats: 2 Solo Tackles

Williams returned from a hamstring injury this week. He looked a tad slower than usual, which is not good for an already sluggish linebacker. Nevertheless, Williams had essentially a neutral impact for the Detroit Lions defense. He should return to form next week.

Darron Lee

Week 4 Stats: 7 Tackles (5 Solo)

Despite his tackle stats, Lee was rough. He was constantly whipped in coverage, and his run fits were a mess. Lee made a handful of cleanup tackles, but those do not make up for the many plays he blew that do not show up in his stat line.

Inside Linebackers

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Another rookie managed to see significant snaps in Week 4, as the San Diego Chargers' Joshua Perry filled in for Denzel Perryman. Perry played well enough to assuage the worries of fans and the team, although he’s clearly still catching up to the pace of the NFL.

Many rookies have earned themselves playing time because of their willingness to hustle at all times, often chasing down plays from behind. Perry, however, spent multiple plays watching others. If he’s interested in being the first man up, he’ll have to show a willingness to go full-tilt the entire game.

The development of Deion Jones and Su’a Cravens continues to impress, with both players looking more and more comfortable each week.

Cravens exited Washington’s game against the Cleveland Browns after suffering a concussion and will have to work through the protocol before returning to the field.

Jones has effortlessly become the front-runner among the inside linebackers, posting grades at the top of the group every week. He wins with his athleticism and aggressiveness in run support despite being traditionally undersized. 

The shuffling of injured players often leads to more playing time for rookies, and most of these first-year guys are impressing. With continued snaps and live repetitions, they’ll only distance themselves from marginal starters even further.

Grading Scale

Pass: Pass defense (Graded out of 25)
Run: Run defense (Graded out of 35)
Rush: Pass rush (Graded out of 15)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie ILB Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Deion Jones	ATL	19	31	10	12	6	78	2	↑
2	Jatavis Brown	SD	20	28	10	12	6	76	1	↓
3	Su'a Cravens	WAS	21	26	10	12	6	75	3	↔
4	Cory James	OAK	18	28	11	12	6	75	7	↑
5	Nick Kwiatkoski	CHI	18	28	10	10	6	72	4	↓
6	Antonio Morrison	IND	18	26	8	12	6	70	5	↓
7	Joshua Perry	SD	17	26	9	11	6	69	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Blake Martinez—bye
• Tyler Matakevich—insufficient snaps
• B.J. Goodson—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Cory James

Week 4 Stats: 12 Tackles, 1 FF

Cory James is continuing to develop in the middle of the Oakland Raiders defense, and his athleticism is already starting to shine. He tallied 12 tackles in his second start of the season after replacing Ben Heeney.

James plays with the hustle and aggressiveness needed to secure a long-term starting job. He's still learning to recognize common route concepts and actively disrupt underneath crosses, but his willingness to take on offensive linemen with his eyes up is a welcome change from Heeney.

Deion Jones

Week 4 Stats: 4 Tackles

Deion Jones wasn't the tackling machine that Cory James was, but what he's done for this Atlanta defense can't be overstated. For a team that struggles to rush the passer, Jones' ability to cover in the middle of the field and efficiently end plays has been crucial to keeping Atlanta in games.

If he can keep up his steady incline, Jones could be a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Joshua Perry

Week 4 Stats: 2 Tackles

Joshua Perry stepped in after Perryman suffered an injury, and it was obvious he'll need time to acclimate to the speed of the NFL. It didn't help that the Chargers were facing the Saints, who love to spread the field and throw underneath to speedy receivers.

Perry looked hesitant in everything he did but got better as the game went on. Once he trusted his instincts, Perry looked engaged in running to the edges. Perryman's injury will be worth watching to see if San Diego will play this season with two rookie inside linebackers.

Cornerbacks

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

In his first action of the season, rookie Kendall Fuller from Washington fared well. Notching 45 snaps, all in the slot, Fuller's day got off to a rough start. He was beat on the first play. However, after that, he only gave up one catch the rest of the game and looked comfortable and aware in coverage.

Though he wasn't tested much, his coverage where he wasn't targeted looked good. If not for a missed tackle, Fuller would've graded higher than a 74 overall. He played better than the previous slot corner, DaShaun Phillips, and made a strong case for this being his job the rest of the season. 

It’s taken injury to get Rashard Robinson extended looks this year. For the second time, he looked great in action. This time he was the starter on the outside. Dallas challenged him—as you'd expect—by targeting him six times. He allowed two catches for 12 yards and was able to break up three passes as well as contribute a stop in the run.

Robinson is small in stature but feisty when the ball comes his way. He has a chance to be a good one for San Francisco.

The worst rookie of Week 4 was D.J. White from Kansas City. The Chiefs decided to keep White over KeiVarae Russell two weeks ago, but so far the move hasn’t paid off. White struggled mightily last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving up four completions on as many targets and one touchdown in just 16 coverage snaps. He was completely out of position on two of the receptions.

New York Jets rookie Juston Burris has played well despite seeing a small handful of snaps due to a deep depth chart in front of him. The 6’0” corner was a fourth-round pick last season, and it’s easy to see why. He’s physical and smooth in coverage, showing upside as a future starter for the Jets defense.

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)
React: Reaction/recovery (Graded out of 30)
Slot: Slot (Graded out of 20)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 10)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie CB Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Rashard Robinson	SF	21	23	16	6	9	75	8	↑
2	Kendall Fuller	WAS	21	21	18	5	9	74	NR	↑
3	James Bradberry	CAR	21	20	16	5	9	71	4	↑
4	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	18	17	17	6	9	67	1	↓
5	Artie Burns	PIT	17	18	16	5	9	65	7	↑
6	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	16	18	15	6	9	64	3	↓
7	Cre'Von LeBlanc	CHI	16	14	14	5	9	58	6	↓
8	Xavien Howard	MIA	15	13	13	7	9	57	9	↑
9	Juston Burris	NYJ	14	15	14	5	9	57	NR	↑
10	Cyrus Jones	NE	14	13	15	5	9	56	11	↑
11	Tavon Young	BAL	13	12	15	5	9	54	10	↓
12	Daryl Worley	CAR	14	12	13	4	9	52	5	↓
13	D.J. White	KC	11	10	11	5	9	46	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• William Jackson—injury
• Eli Apple—injury
• Jalen Mills—bye

Notable Performances

Xavien Howard

Week 4 Stats: 6 Tackles

Miami Dolphins rookie Xavien Howard continues to struggle in off-coverage situations despite defensive coordinator Vance Joseph giving him as much support as he can. Howard's physicality and ability to finish plays in the open field have stood out, but he allowed four completions in five targets against the Bengals.

He must improve his ability to break on the ball and force more contested catches to continue his development.

Artie Burns

Week 4 Stats: 2 Tackles

Artie Burns continues to be worked into the Steelers lineup and earn more snaps on a weekly basis. He played in 33 coverage snaps last week, allowing three receptions on six targets and getting two passes defended.

He's seeing the ball well and fits nicely into the Steelers' off-coverage tendencies. His arrow is pointed upward.

Free Safeties

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The Saints placed Vonn Bell in a bigger role this week, with the team relegating Jairus Byrd to the bench. In the second quarter, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen assigned Bell with the deep half of the field. He followed a tight end down the middle of the field, leaving a receiver wide-open down the sideline.

Philip Rivers found him for an easy completion, but that wasn't the end of the play. Bell recovered to get back in position to make a tackle, but then missed the tackle and allowed the receiver to take it all the way for a 57-yard touchdown.

Later in the quarter, he was slow to react to a corner route from the slot in the end zone. Bell failed to get over to cover it but was bailed out by a poor throw on what should have been a touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, Bell covered the slot receiver on the goal line. He ran right into the receiver after falling for a double move, then held onto him to stop him getting past, incurring a pass interference penalty in the process. 

Titans rookie Kevin Byard was anonymous for large parts of the game against the Texans, despite seeing extended snaps in the absence of Da'Norris Searcy. Byard had a chance to stand out and earn some more reps, but he failed to make his mark. He only made one tackle in the game, which came on a good read, breaking quickly on a spot route underneath, but he couldn't quit save the first down.

Outside of that, he contributed little to the Titans defense. On Will Fuller's five-yard touchdown, he cheated to the far side, neglecting to check Fuller or even look into the backfield. He broke to the left of the offense, vacating space in the middle of the field, which Fuller ran into for a touchdown.

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)
Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 30)
Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 10)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie FS Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	T.J. Green	IND	21	20	5	16	8	70	4	↑
2	Kevin Byard	TEN	19	20	6	15	8	68	1	↓
3	Andrew Adams	NYG	19	21	4	16	8	68	NR	↑
4	Vonn Bell	NO	17	16	6	14	8	61	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Darian Thompson—inactive
• Justin Simmons—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Vonn Bell

Week 4 Stats: 6 Tackles, 1 FF

Poor day in coverage, not staying disciplined in deep zone coverages and drifting off assignments too often. Bell missed a few tackles, too—one critical one after recovering to a deep ball down the sideline. He did the hard job of getting back in position to make the tackle after giving up the catch; all he had to do was push the receiver out of bounds.

But instead, he failed to wrap up and allowed the receiver to cut back inside on his way to a 57-yard TD.

Kevin Byard

Week 4 Stats: 1 Tackle

Byard has to be more disciplined with his eyes. He never even looked to Fuller's side of the field or in the backfield on Fuller's five-yard touchdown pass. He looked to other side and cheated that way, vacating huge space in the middle.

Strong Safeties

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The first safety taken in the 2016 draft had a breakout game Sunday. Karl Joseph took the starting job from Keith McGill and had a fantastic game for the Raiders against the Ravens. He was particularly impressive in coverage, performing well in multiple assignments.

Most safeties prefer to stay deep or play more in the box, but wherever Joseph played, he covered well. When playing deep, he did a great job getting over the top of one side of a four-verticals concept. By getting in position early, Joseph allowed himself to have a clean sight on the ball, locating it and playing it in the air, nearly getting an interception.

At other times, coaches asked him to play underneath zone coverage, where he consistently sniffed out checkdowns and one spot route, which he broke on quickly to make a tackle for a minimal gain. 

It wasn't just coverage Joseph excelled in, however. On one blitz, he rushed Joe Flacco into tossing up a throw that was nearly intercepted. He also played the run very well. He caused a fumble when filling in from deep, coming in at the end of the play to knock the ball loose from the grasp of the running back.

Atlanta trusted Keanu Neal with a tough assignment, asking him to match up against Panthers tight end Greg Olsen in man coverage for large portions of the game. Olsen had his moments, but he is one of the better players in the league at his position.

The ball placement on Olsen's touchdown took Neal out of the play; he didn't have the size to contest the catch. He made a few good plays, breaking quickly on one hitch route to Olsen and making the tackle to keep the gain to a minimum.

But there were also times where he was a step or two behind Olsen, once getting caught in traffic on a crossing route. Another time, Olsen created separation as he cut inside, but the quarterback hesitated and went elsewhere with the throw.

Derrick Kindred did some nice things in coverage, reading a bootleg pass to Jordan Reed and making a tackle just after the ball arrived on one play. Later, he broke well on an arrow route from Washington running back Chris Thompson. The ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage, but Kindred would have contested and potentially intercepted the throw.

Where he struggled was in run support, missing multiple tackles. He missed four on running back Matt Jones in the fourth quarter alone. Run support is a big part of the grade for strong safeties, so Kindred must clean up that part of his game.

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)
Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 25)
Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 20)
Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
Pos: Positional value (Graded out of 10)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie SS Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Karl Joseph	OAK	21	21	16	15	6	79	1	↔
2	Keanu Neal	ATL	17	18	14	16	6	71	2	↔
3	Will Parks	DEN	18	17	14	16	6	71	3	↔
4	Derrick Kindred	CLE	18	18	14	13	6	69	5	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Sean Davis—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Karl Joseph

Week 4 Stats: 8 Tackles, 1 PBU

Great instincts in coverage. Joseph consistently recognizes route combinations and what receiver is the biggest threat. He wasn't fooled by play action, taking away a deep curl route and forcing Flacco to scramble. He also did an excellent job staying over the top of routes and taking away deep threats.

Keanu Neal

Week 4 Stats: 9 Tackles

Neal had a tough assignment in man coverage against Olsen for much of the game. He performed admirably against one of the better tight ends in the game, running well down the seam on one play and sticking tight to a crossing route on another. But he was just a step or two slow on occasion, which is still to be expected given Neal is a rookie and missed time with a knee injury.

Derrick Kindred

Week 4 Stats: 5 Tackles

Kindred needs to do a better job keeping his head up when tackling. He had a few nice run fits but lowered his head to tackle and missed his targets too often. That was part of the reason he missed four tackles in the fourth quarter. His coverage was overall not too bad, though he needs to make sure he stays disciplined with his eyes to not get fooled on play action.

Special Teams

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Kickers

Wil Lutz leads the rookie kickers once more with a perfect performance on five extra points. The rookie has been strong on extra points, making all 13 of his attempts this season but is just 5-of-8 on field-goal attempts. Lutz may still be a year or two away in terms of the consistency required to be an NFL kicker, but he has shown a strong leg and needs to continue getting chances. 

Roberto Aguayo made his only extra-point attempt of the day and was largely untested a week after some significant struggles. He continues to display inconsistent results from week to week, and it would be good to see him string together three or four strong performances to build confidence.

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)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100
LW: Rank last week

Rookie Kicker Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Wil Lutz	NO	33	30	5	3	71	1	↔
2	Roberto Aguayo	TB	32	29	5	3	69	2	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Wil Lutz

Week 4 Stats: 5-5 XP

Strong leg, not tested at all.

Roberto Aguayo

Week 4 Stats: 1-1 XP

No real tests for Aguayo.

Punters

Riley Dixon takes his turn atop the rookie punter class, showing improved directional ability and slightly above-average distance, though his hang time was not up to par.

He has struggled with consistency this year, which is not unusual for a rookie, and the hang and distance he has been showing are in line with what I had expected from him before the season. If his directional ability turns out to be this strong on a regular basis, he will be a slightly above-average punter. However, he has a ways to go to prove this skill is for real.

Lachlan Edwards has fallen back to reality, with a tough week that showed below-average distance and little distance control or accuracy. He had consistency question marks throughout his college career and has not yet shown he is able to compete at an NFL level every week, though he has had flashes of strong play.

Drew Kaser showed improvement in Week 4, but only because the first three weeks of the season had gone significantly worse than I anticipated for him. He still struggles with creating the distance and hang required of an NFL punter, though he displayed every trait necessary in the preseason.

His directional control was strong in this game, but he needs to make better contact with the ball and is capable of so much more than what he has done in the first quarter of the season. Rookie punters take time to develop, so there is a learning curve, but Kaser needs to be more consistent with his mechanics and execution.

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)
Ovr: Top possible score of 100

Rookie Punter Rankings Week 4

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Riley Dixon	DEN	16	14	38	3	3	74	1	↔
2	Drew Kaser	SD	11	10	38	3	3	65	3	↑
3	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	13	15	28	3	3	62	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Riley Dixon

He was great directionally in this game and had good distance, but his hang time was not up to par on a consistent basis.

Drew Kaser

He still has issues with focus and consistency but is showing directional ability finally.

Lechlan Edwards

Edwards appeared to have little idea where the ball was going sometimes and showed poor distance.