NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 7

Our top-ranked rookie this week went through a circuitous route to success. Packers inside linebacker Blake Martinez led the Pac-12 with 140 total tackles in 2015 for the Stanford Cardinal. But at 6’2” and 237 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, he was thought by some to be too small to be anything but a rotational player in the NFL.

Those who missed the boat on Martinez, whom Green Bay drafted in the fourth round, may have also missed the memo on the league’s current paradigm for inside linebackers, regardless of scheme: Almost unilaterally, they’re a good 20-30 pounds lighter than they were 10 years ago.

In today’s NFL, inside linebackers must be quick enough to diagnose and cover screens and seam routes, because they’re the only inside linebackers on the field in a lot of base schemes. Then they must develop adaptive techniques to offset their size limitations when crashing down on the run.

Against the Bears in Week 7, Martinez showed all these skills. He was stout against the run, using his straight-line speed and gap-splitting ability to make several stops. And he was agile against the pass, barely missing one interception on a deflection and catching another later in the game.

The Packers had hoped to move Martinez into a major role in Dom Capers’ defense sooner than later so Clay Matthews could move back outside, and in 215 snaps this season, he’s amassed 21 solo tackles, 13 run stops and two passes defended. Both of those came against the Bears, and it’s clear Martinez is learning quickly on the fly.

Overall, this week’s Rookie Review fits the narrative of this week’s NFL1000, which is that defense is making a serious comeback. It’s been happening all season, and with young stars such as Martinez, Falcons safety Keanu Neal, Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce, Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Chargers pass-rusher Joey Bosa, Broncos safety Will Parks and Raiders safety Karl Joseph, the league is full of rising talent on the defensive side.

It was a great week for many of the NFL's first-year players. Here's how we saw their performances in Week 7.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. All cornerback statistics obtained through self-charting by Ian Wharton, Kyle Posey.

Biggest Movers Heading into Week 8

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

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

1. Blake Martinez, ILB, Green Bay Packers

2016 Draft Position: 131 (fourth round, 33rd pick)

Rank Last Week: 28

Rank This Week: 1

What Happened: Martinez has been a standout at times since the start of his rookie campaign, but his Week 7 performance against the Bears made him our highest-graded rookie this time around. The Stanford alum had one interception and could have had another, and he made several impressive run stops.

2. Joe Thuney, OG, New England Patriots

2016 Draft Position: 78 (third round, 15th pick)

Rank Last Week: 19

Rank This Week: 4

What Happened: Thuney has been a pleasant surprise through most of the season, though he was a favorite of many draftniks because of the strength, agility and awareness he showed at North Carolina State. Against the Steelers last Sunday, he did his part to keep Tom Brady clean by allowing marginal pressure. He also displayed good power in the run game. 

3. De'Vondre Campbell, OLB, Atlanta Falcons

2016 Draft Position: 115 (fourth round, 17th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 17

What Happened: Keanu Neal has been the spotlight kid of Atlanta's rookie class, but don't sleep on Campbell, who found himself back in the starting lineup after an ankle injury slowed his progress. He showed some vulnerability in coverage but helped his team pull out a close one against the Chargers with an impressive performance against the run.

4. Leonard Floyd, OLB, Chicago Bears

2016 Draft Position: 9 (first round, ninth pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 21

What Happened: Floyd started to put things together before missing two games with a calf injury, but he brought it against Green Bay's outstanding offensive line last Thursday. He had two sacks, could have had at least one more and was a monster in the overall pressure game. When he's on, Floyd presents a combination of quick-twitch speed and ability to end the edge that's hard to deal with. Early in the third quarter, he sacked Aaron Rodgers, forced the QB to fumble and recovered it for a touchdown.

5. Halapoulivaati Vaitai, RT, Philadelphia Eagles

2016 Draft Position: 164 (fifth round, 27th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 37

What Happened: Eagles head coach Doug Pederson called Vaitai's Sunday performance against the Vikings "calm[ing] the storm," per CSNPhilly's Dave Zangaro, and there's no question that he needed a strong rebound game after allowing two sacks and a few pressures against the Redskins in Week 6.

It's been a steep learning curve for Vaitai; he was pressed into service recently following the suspension of Lane Johnson, and facing Minnesota's pass rush last Sunday wasn't an obvious formula for success. But Vaitai stood his ground and refused to allow a sack against one of the more fearsome defensive fronts in the league.

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 7

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Our Week 7 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 this week.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	NFL1000 Score	LW	Moving
1	Blake Martinez	ILB	GB	131	78	28	↑
2	Keanu Neal	SS	ATL	17	78	4	↑
3	Taylor Decker	LT	DET	16	76	9	↑
4	Joe Thuney	OG	NE	78	76	19	↑
5	Andy Janovich	FB	DEN	176	76	12	↑
6	Michael Pierce	DT	BAL	UDFA	75	17	↑
7	Laremy Tunsil	OG	MIA	13	75	11	↑
8	Joey Bosa	3-4 DE	SD	3	74	15	↑
9	Devontae Booker	RB	DEN	136	74	18	↑
10	Jalen Ramsey	CB	JAX	5	74	5	↓
11	Su'a Cravens	ILB	WAS	53	74	NR	↑
12	Jack Conklin	RT	TEN	8	74	16	↑
13	Will Parks	SS	DEN	219	73	3	↓
14	Cody Whitehair	C	CHI	56	73	NR	↑
15	Kenny Clark	DT	GB	27	73	NR	↑
16	Karl Joseph	SS	OAK	14	73	24	↑
17	De'Vondre Campbell	4-3 OLB	ATL	115	72	NR	↑
18	Ryan Kelly	C	IND	18	72	8	↓
19	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	TB	11	71	NR	↑
20	DeForest Buckner	3-4 DE	SF	7	71	NR	↑
21	Leonard Floyd	3-4 OLB	CHI	9	71	NR	↑
22	Brian Poole	CB	ATL	UDFA	71	NR	↑
23	Kentrell Brice	FS	GB	UDFA	71	10	↓
24	Deion Jones	ILB	ATL	52	71	30	↑
25	Derek Watt	FB	SD	198	71	6	↓
26	Michael Thomas	WR	NO	47	70	39	↑
27	Jayron Kearse	SS	MIN	244	70	NR	↑
28	Tajae Sharpe	WR	TEN	140	70	NR	↑
29	Graham Glasgow	OG	DET	95	69	14	↓
30	Vonn Bell	FS	NO	61	69	NR	↑
31	Alex Lewis	LT	BAL	130	69	NR	↑
32	Jatavis Brown	ILB	SD	175	69	2	↓
33	Parker Ehinger	OG	KC	105	69	21	↓
34	Kevin Byard	FS	TEN	64	69	35	↑
35	Noah Spence	4-3 DE	TB	39	68	NR	↑
36	Matt Judon	3-4 OLB	BAL	146	68	NR	↑
37	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	RT	PHI	164	68	NR	↑
38	Derrick Kindred	SS	CLE	129	68	NR	↑
39	Wil Lutz	K	NO	UDFA	68	46	↑
40	Emmanuel Ogbah	3-4 OLB	CLE	32	67	NR	↑
41	Joe Haeg	OG	IND	155	67	38	↓
42	Kamalei Correa	3-4 OLB	BAL	42	67	NR	↑
43	Spencer Drango	OG	CLE	168	67	NR	↑
44	Cody Kessler	QB	CLE	93	66	22	↓
45	Jordan Howard	RB	CHI	150	66	27	↓
46	Tyreek Hill	WR	KC	165	66	NR	↑
47	Jarran Reed	DT	SEA	49	66	40	↓
48	Jalen Richard	RB	OAK	UDFA	66	48	↔
49	Rashard Higgins	WR	CLE	172	66	NR	↑
50	T.J. Green	FS	IND	57	66	13	↓

Quarterbacks

John Grieshop/Getty Images

Cody Kessler was having another solid game before he was sidelined against the Cincinnati Bengals. Kessler suffered a concussion and could miss Week 8's game. Kevin Hogan replaced Kessler against the Bengals and showed off his athleticism as a runner but also his inability to run an NFL passing game. 

It wasn't a surprise to see Carson Wentz struggle against the Minnesota Vikings. What was surprising was how little the Vikings had to do with it. His first interception was a wild overthrow over the middle of the field that was nowhere near his intended target. His fumble came on a running play where the ball came out of his hands before it got near the running back. He threw his second interception from a clean pocket and straight to one of four defenders around his intended receiver.

The Eagles were fortunate they scored on special teams and that their defense was able to overwhelm the Vikings offensive line.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Cody Kessler	CLE	15	17	14	10	10	66	1	↔
2	Carson Wentz	PHI	13	16	11	9	10	59	2	↔
3	Kevin Hogan	CLE	11	16	10	8	10	55	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Dak Prescott—bye

Notable Performances

Cody Kessler

Week 7 Stats: 9-of-11, 82 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

The biggest surprise from Kessler's play so far has been how comfortable he has been playing against pressure. He doesn't panic or immediately look to escape when it arrives. That also may be part of the reason for his injuries.

Carson Wentz

Week 7 Stats: 16-of-28, 138 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

Wentz repeatedly missed receivers high in Week 6, and he was finally punished for it in Week 7. Missing high over the middle of the field isn't something any quarterback can afford to do. If he wants to be an effective starter for the length of his career, he needs to get rid of the habit.

Kevin Hogan

Week 7 Stats: 12-of-24, 100 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT

In his debut, Hogan didn't look like a professional quarterback. Maybe he will be better with time to prepare as the starter, but his reliance on running the ball (seven carries, 104 yards) will likely remain a problem.

Running Backs

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It was a quiet week for the rookie running backs because Ezekiel Elliott, the headliner, had a bye. A borderline lock for Rookie of the Year got a much-needed week off.

Meanwhile, Derrick Henry continues to struggle to get on the field because of DeMarco Murray’s revitalization as a star back. Also, with Latavius Murray's return in Oakland, rookies Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington combined for six carries. It's clear neither will start if Murray is healthy.

While I have been impressed with Jordan Howard the last several weeks, he struggled Thursday night, averaging 3.1 yards per carry and doing basically nothing. 

Devontae Booker has had a slow start to the year but exploded Monday night behind C.J. Anderson, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and rushing for 83 yards. Before the game, head coach Gary Kubiak said the rookie's touches should only continue to rise, per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Devontae Booker	DEN	19	18	16	15	6	74	2	↑
2	Jordan Howard	CHI	17	14	14	15	6	66	4	↑
3	Jalen Richard	OAK	16	15	14	15	6	66	11	↑
4	Alex Collins	SEA	16	14	15	14	6	65	8	↑
5	Paul Perkins	NYG	14	15	15	14	6	64	7	↑
6	DeAndre Washington	OAK	15	15	14	14	6	64	5	↓
7	Wendell Smallwood	PHI	15	14	14	14	6	63	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Ezekiel Elliott—bye
• Derrick Henry—insufficient snaps
• Kenyan Drake—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Devontae Booker

Week 7 Stats: 17 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD; 1 reception, 4 yards

This was Booker's best game as a pro. He was excellent between the tackles, pressing the hole, making guys miss in space and running through arm tackles. He's a natural inside runner who is becoming more confident by the game. Booker ran hard against a good defensive front in Houston.

Jordan Howard

Week 7 Stats: 7 carries, 22 yards

Howard struggled against a good Green Bay front. He could not make guys miss and was often taken out in the backfield. He did not look as quick as he had in previous games and struggled to make plays. Look for him to bounce back after a long break.

Fullbacks

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It was a solid week for the rookie fullbacks. Denver's Andy Janovich was dominant Monday against the Texans, clearing holes all night for C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker. San Diego fullback Derek Watt was also solid against the Falcons. He continues to improve. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Andy Janovich	DEN	46	16	10	4	76	2	↑
2	Derek Watt	SD	44	15	8	4	71	1	↓

Notable Performances

Andy Janovich

Week 7 Stats: 1 reception, 12 yards

Janovich was excellent against the Texans. He blocked middle linebackers consistently and played as physical as any fullback in the league. He continues to lay the wood like he is a five-year veteran, and I would not be shocked to see him in the Pro Bowl.

Wide Receivers

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Michael Thomas continued his impressive rookie season with a 10-reception effort for the Saints in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Thomas ran some nice routes and displayed athleticism after the catch on a number of plays.

Over in London, Sterling Shepard and Roger Lewis saw action for the Giants, while Mike Thomas saw some playing time for the Rams, but all had limited production. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Michael Thomas	NO	18	17	14	12	9	70	1	↔
2	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	20	19	12	10	9	70	6	↑
3	Tyreek Hill	KC	16	17	14	10	9	66	8	↑
4	Rashard Higgins	CLE	17	18	12	10	9	66	15	↑
5	Will Fuller	HOU	17	16	11	10	9	63	12	↑
6	Sterling Shepard	NYG	16	15	11	11	9	62	10	↑
7	Tyler Boyd	CIN	16	16	11	10	9	62	2	↓
8	Chris Moore	BAL	15	15	11	12	9	62	13	↑
9	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	15	14	12	11	9	61	9	↔
10	Ricardo Louis	CLE	16	15	11	10	9	61	3	↓
11	Mike Thomas	LA	14	14	11	12	9	60	18	↑
12	Aaron Burbridge	SF	14	14	11	12	9	60	20	↑
13	Charone Peake	NYJ	15	14	12	10	9	60	5	↓
14	Trevor Davis	GB	14	14	11	11	9	59	19	↑
15	Roger Lewis	NYG	14	14	11	11	9	59	4	↓
16	Braxton Miller	HOU	15	14	11	10	9	59	11	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Josh Doctson—injury
• Corey Coleman—injury
• Pharoh Cooper—inactive
• Laquon Treadwell—inactive
• Cody Core—inactive
• Tanner McEvoy—insufficient snaps
• Leonte Carroo—insufficient snaps
• Demarcus Robinson—insufficient snaps
• Jakeem Grant—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Michael Thomas

Week 7 Stats: 10 receptions, 130 yards

Thomas was impressive for the Saints, running good routes and continuing to show ability after the catch.

Sterling Shepard

Week 7 Stats: 5 receptions, 32 yards

Shepard seems to have cooled off from his hot start and was limited to only five receptions on seven targets.

Tajae Sharpe

Week 7 Stats: 4 receptions, 59 yards

Sharpe found open looks against a depleted Colts secondary in a close loss last Sunday, especially near the sidelines. His connection with quarterback Marcus Mariota seems to grow stronger each week.

Tyreek Hill

Week 7 Stats: 1 reception, 38 yards, 1 TD; 2 carries, 23 yards

Hill has become a valuable role player for the Chiefs the past few weeks, but it hadn't shown up on the stat sheet so dramatically until last Sunday. Hill hauled in a 38-yard touchdown catch against the Saints by speeding down the left sideline and getting underneath a long bomb from Alex Smith.

Tight Ends

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Hunter Henry was the highest-rated tight end in the draft this past year, and it was mostly for his excellent route-running and receiving skills. In Week 7, he showed he can also contribute in the run game, helping move the pile up front against Atlanta’s defense. Even though he recorded just a single reception Sunday, he was still a major contributor in the win over the Falcons. 

None of the NFC rookie tight ends stood out this week. Austin Hooper saw action as part of Atlanta's three-tight end package but did not see a target. Tyler Higbee saw a good workload for the Rams in London against the Giants and had one reception. On the other sideline, Jerell Adams saw a few snaps for New York.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Hunter Henry	SD	14	15	11	18	6	64	1	↔
2	Tyler Higbee	LA	12	15	11	18	6	62	2	↔
3	Austin Hooper	ATL	11	14	11	17	6	59	3	↔
4	Jerell Adams	NYG	11	14	11	16	6	58	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Nick Vannett—insufficient snaps
• David Morgan II—insufficient snaps
• Temarrick Hemingway—insufficient snaps
• Cole Wick—insufficient snaps
• Rico Gathers—bye

Notable Performances

Hunter Henry

Week 7 Stats: 1 reception, 16 yards

Henry's numbers came back down to earth this week, as veteran tight end Antonio Gates grabbed five passes against Atlanta's defense. Nevertheless, the rookie was a factor up front, helping plow the road for the Chargers' rushing attack and hauling in a 16-yard catch in an overtime win at Atlanta.

Tyler Higbee

Week 7 Stats: 1 reception, 4 yards

Higbee saw 29 snaps Sunday against the Giants and was used more in the passing game. He had one reception on his only target of the game.

Offensive Tackles

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Detroit's Taylor Decker notched his seventh straight start and continues to show consistency in anchoring the left side of the Lions offensive line.

The Baltimore Ravens' Alex Lewis filled in for Ronnie Stanley for the third consecutive week. Lewis didn't struggle as much as he did in Week 6 against the Giants pass-rushers, which is a positive sign, especially if Stanley is going to miss more time. 

Jack Conklin notched his seventh start and continues to be solid for the Titans. He is a difference-maker in the run game but still needs work in one-on-one pass-protection situations. The Titans are doing a great job scheming help for Conklin.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai saw his second start in place of the suspended Lane Johnson, and it was not as rough as his debut start versus the Washington Redskins in Week 6. Rookie Shon Coleman of the Cleveland Browns saw his second glimpse of regular-season action, playing 10 snaps versus the Bengals.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Taylor Decker	DET	LT	19	18	15	16	8	76	1	↔
2	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	18	20	16	13	7	74	2	↔
3	Alex Lewis	BAL	LT	17	16	14	14	8	69	5	↑
4	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	PHI	RT	16	17	15	13	7	68	6	↑
5	Shon Coleman	CLE	RT	14	17	13	12	7	63	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Ronnie Stanley—injury
• Vadal Alexander—injury

Notable Performances

Taylor Decker

Week 7 Stats: 53 plays (35 pass), 1 pressure, 0 sacks

Decker continues to be stout in both pass protection and the run game. He had some challenges versus the Washington Redskins but overcame them and turned in a solid performance. Decker is efficient with his movement, which allows him to be in position to make a stand or to recover. You can see him building his game weekly and digging more and more into his tool box to find ways to win.

Jack Conklin

Week 7 Stats: 74 plays (48 pass), 1 pressure, 1 quarterback hurry

Conklin continues to be solid at right tackle for the Titans, specifically in the run game. There are times where they will send him over to the left side for "tackle over" and double-team with him and the left guard, or him and the left tackle—which is a sign of how much they value his presence in the run-game.

Tennessee has done an excellent job of scheming help for Conklin and not leaving him constantly exposed on an island. He gets slide protection to him, has a chip by the running back or a right wing/tight end or is responsible for the B-gap on a significant number of pass plays. This isn't a knock on Conklin; rather, it's a great job by the Titans to keep him in successful situations that play into his strengths.

Shon Coleman

Week 7 Stats: 10 plays (6 pass), 1 sack

Coleman saw limited action and was adequate as a run-blocker. He looked smooth in his pass set but gave up a sack after punching and recoiling his hands, which allowed the defender into his chest to bull-rush him right into the quarterback.

Offensive Guards

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

The rookie guard explosion we have been waiting for finally hit. Eight different rookies started during Week 7, and that doesn't even count Alex Lewis, who is still at tackle while playing for the injured Ronnie Stanley. There was a lot to see this week, so let's get into the grades. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Joe Thuney	NE	17	19	15	18	7	76	3	↑
2	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	17	19	15	17	7	75	1	↓
3	Graham Glasgow	DET	17	15	16	14	7	69	2	↓
4	Parker Ehinger	KC	16	16	17	13	7	69	4	↔
5	Joe Haeg	IND	14	15	15	16	7	67	NR	↑
6	Spencer Drango	CLE	15	15	16	14	7	67	NR	↑
7	Joshua Garnett	SF	14	15	16	13	7	65	5	↓
8	Germain Ifedi	SEA	12	14	16	13	7	62	6	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Isaac Seumalo—DNP
• Rees Odhiambo—DNP

Notable Performances

Joe Thuney

Thuney has been a solid pass protector up to this point, but this week he showed off impressive work in the ground game. His excellent radar illustrates the game is not too fast for him, which is a big thing for any rookie to overcome.

Laremy Tunsil

It appears Tunsil is getting healthy and buying in to being a guard. He's not the only reason Jay Ajayi is running well, but his work on the second level has sprung some major opportunities for the second-year running back.

Joshua Garnett

Garnett is lucky he was a first-round pick, because he is playing much worse than opening-day starter Andrew Tiller was earlier in the year. I wouldn't be surprised if the 49ers made another move soon. Garnett is struggling with his footwork, and it's resulting in a lot of pressure on QB Colin Kaepernick.

Centers

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Our two rookie centers are back again. While the lack of new blood makes this group seem limited, the fact that two rookies are routinely near the top of the total center grades is impressive. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Cody Whitehair	CHI	17	18	14	18	6	73	2	↑
2	Ryan Kelly	IND	17	15	17	17	6	72	1	↓

Notable Performances

Cody Whitehair

While Chicago sort of had an offensive implosion Thursday, Whitehair showed off impressive power in the running game, opening up holes for Ka'Deem Carey against a good Packers run defense.

Ryan Kelly

While this wasn't Kelly's most dominant week, his consistency was better than it has been. That's something I had mentioned wanting to see in previous weeks, and I'm excited to see progress from him so quickly.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Remember reading the predraft analysis on Joey Bosa? Everyone mentioned how good a prospect he was but that if you were expecting to draft J.J. Watt, you'd be disappointed. Is it too early to tear up those statements? Bosa, No. 99 and all, looks like a young Watt.

He's long (6'5"), strong and athletic, plays extremely hard and is disrupting plays consistently. The fact that he's winning around the arc and beating offensive tackles on the outside means he's better than we expected. That's something Bosa didn't do in college, and now we're seeing it every week. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Joey Bosa	SD	14	21	19	14	6	74	NR	↑
2	DeForest Buckner	SF	13	16	22	14	6	71	1	↓
3	Chris Jones	KC	12	16	19	12	6	65	NR	↑
4	Dean Lowry	GB	10	16	16	14	6	62	4	↔
5	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	9	15	16	14	6	60	5	↔
6	Adolphus Washington	BUF	9	15	14	13	6	57	2	↓
7	Carl Nassib	CLE	10	16	12	13	6	57	NR	↑

Notable Performances

DeForest Buckner

Week 7 Stats: 6 tackles

Despite the horrible combined effort of the 49ers defense to stop the run against Tampa Bay (249 yards), Buckner once again proved why he was a first-round pick. He forced runs outside of his assignment and attempted to pressure quarterback Jameis Winston.

Joey Bosa

Week 7 Stats: 5 tackles, 2 sacks

Bosa continued his dominant start to his career. He looked better than ever in Atlanta this week and continued to impress.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The rookie 4-3 defensive end group looks more full this week with first-round pick Shaq Lawson's appearance in his first NFL game. The inconsistencies in rookie pass-rushers is evident, though.

Jacksonville's Yannick Ngakoue, who has spent much of the season on top of this list, looked pedestrian, while Shilique Calhoun, who typically is the AFC's worst rookie 4-3 defensive end, rose. Noah Spence's ability to generate pressure puts him at the top of this list, despite undrafted player Davonte Lambert's registering another start over him.

Anthony Zettel, a part of Detroit's rotation as Ezekiel Ansah works his way back into more snaps, may be the worst run-defending lineman in the league, as he's constantly logged on man plays. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Noah Spence	TB	16	15	16	14	7	68	NR	↑
2	Shilique Calhoun	OAK	17	15	14	12	7	65	NR	↑
3	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	13	14	14	13	7	61	1	↓
4	Shaq Lawson	BUF	16	14	12	12	7	61	NR	↑
5	Davonte Lambert	TB	13	13	14	13	7	60	NR	↑
6	Anthony Zettel	DET	13	12	14	14	7	60	4	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Charles Tapper—bye/injury

Notable Performances

Noah Spence

Week 7 Stats: 1 tackle, 1 sack

While the Buccaneers were down 14-0 early against San Francisco, their defense locked down in a 34-3 run for the win. A lot of that had to do with the pressure the defense generated, and Spence led the effort. He also ended the game with a walk-off sack.

Defensive Tackles

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Michael Pierce played well this week for the Baltimore Ravens. He's developing into one of the better run-defending defensive tackles in the league—highly impressive for an undrafted rookie from Samford. And Kenny Clark showed why he was worth a first-round pick with a strong game defending the run against the Chicago Bears. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Michael Pierce	BAL	18	17	20	14	6	75	1	↔
2	Kenny Clark	GB	18	15	20	14	6	73	4	↑
3	Jarran Reed	SEA	15	14	19	12	6	66	2	↓
4	Javon Hargrave	PIT	14	16	13	11	6	60	12	↑
5	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	16	13	13	11	6	59	7	↑
6	Jihad Ward	OAK	13	14	16	10	6	59	11	↑
7	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	15	14	13	11	6	59	6	↓
8	D.J. Reader	HOU	14	15	12	10	6	57	9	↑
9	Darius Latham	OAK	14	11	13	12	6	56	13	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Vincent Valentine—injury
• Sheldon Rankins—injury
• Austin Johnson—inactive
• Adam Gotsis—insufficient snaps
• Vernon Butler—bye
• Maliek Collins—bye

Notable Performances

Michael Pierce

Week 7 Stats: 5 tackles, 1 sack

Pierce continues to be a force next to Brandon Williams on the Ravens defensive line. He stuffed a couple of runs within one or two yards of the line of the scrimmage and had a sack with a nice inside rip move.

Kenny Clark

Week 7 Stats: 2 tackles, 1 TFL

Clark has been a key piece of the Packers' stifling run defense. He played well against rookie center Cody Whitehair and flashed impressive athleticism to make sideline-to-sideline plays and in the backfield.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Leonard Floyd (No. 94)

NFL1000 moved Joey Bosa to 3-4 defensive end, where he played the majority of his snaps in Week 7. Even with Bosa gone, the rest of the rookie outside linebackers enjoyed the most productive week as a group this season.

Leonard Floyd, Matt Judon and Emmanuel Ogbah each had two sacks. None of the three were dominant, but the flashes of pass-rushing ability were encouraging. Ravens hybrid linebacker Kamalei Correa filled in on the edge, where Baltimore was dealing with injuries to Terrell Suggs (biceps) and Elvis Dumervil (foot). He had a strong game against the run. Green Bay's Kyler Fackrell and Tennessee's Kevin Dodd did little in situational roles. 

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Leonard Floyd	CHI	20	15	10	19	7	71	NR	↑
2	Matt Judon	BAL	19	15	9	18	7	68	3	↑
3	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	19	14	10	17	7	67	2	↓
4	Kamalei Correa	BAL	14	18	10	18	7	67	NR	↑
5	Kyler Fackrell	GB	16	16	9	16	7	64	7	↑
6	Kevin Dodd	TEN	15	14	9	15	7	60	4	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Curt Maggitt—injury
• Aaron Wallace—inactive
• Joe Schobert—insufficient snaps
• Dadi Nicolas—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Leonard Floyd

Week 7 Stats: 3 tackles, 2 sacks

The ninth overall pick had two sacks Thursday night, and he could have had a third. In the first half, Floyd read an Aaron Rodgers bootleg to his side and nearly took down the Packers quarterback. Later, he got to Rodgers for a sack after beating left tackle David Bakhtiari with a speed move to the inside.

His finest moment came early in the second half, when he sacked Rodgers, stripped the ball and recovered the fumble in the end zone for a score. Floyd needed a standout performance after a quiet start to his NFL career, and he provided one in Week 7.

Matt Judon

Week 7 Stats: 3 tackles, 2 sacks

The Ravens were without Suggs and Dumervil on Sunday, which gave Judon his first real opportunity. A fifth-round pick who had 20 sacks during his final collegiate campaign, Judon used the extensive playing time to notch the first two sacks of his NFL career.

On the first, Judon won around the edge and chased down Jets quarterback Geno Smith, who tore his ACL on the play. Later, he stunted inside and sacked Ryan Fitzpatrick on third down to force a Jets punt. Judon wasn't great against the run, but his two sacks—and the uncertain availability of Dumervil and Suggs—should mean more opportunities.

Emmanuel Ogbah

Week 7 Stats: 6 tackles, 2 sacks

Ogbah's overall grade would have been higher if not for Cleveland's inability to stop the run against the Bengals. Still, he flashed encouraging signs for the Browns. His first sack of Andy Dalton came after he won around the edge and finished at the quarterback.

His second came on a crucial play in the second half, when he overpowered the Bengals' right tackle and took down Dalton on third down. The Browns still haven't received a complete game from Ogbah, but he's starting to come on as a pass-rusher.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta rookie De'Vondre Campbell returned to full participation this week. He had bouts of poor play in coverage and missed a tackle or two, but he played a good game. In the run game, Campbell was quick to react to plays and wasted little time in shooting through the open gaps. Considering it was his first real performance since his ankle injury, he played about as well as you could ask of a rookie linebacker. 

Aside from Campbell's return, there was not much of note with the rookies. The New York Jets' Darron Lee missed this week with an ankle injury, though fellow rookie teammate Jordan Jenkins played his usual solid game.

Jacksonville's Myles Jack is still learning the ropes. His physical ability is obvious, but he's struggling with some of the finer parts of the position, some of which have to do with his being miscast as a strong-side linebacker. Detroit's Antwione Williams returned from a thigh injury, too, but his performance was nothing to get excited about.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	16	21	8	21	6	72	4	↑
2	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	15	15	8	15	6	59	2	↔
3	Myles Jack	JAX	14	14	7	16	6	57	3	↔
4	Antwione Williams	DET	13	15	7	14	6	55	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jaylon Smith—injury
• Darron Lee—injury

Notable Performances

De'Vondre Campbell

Week 7 Stats: 10 tackles (6 solo), 1.5 TFL

Campbell played well for his first real game back from injury. He was all over the field, even in the backfield. He could stand to do better in coverage, but he was so good elsewhere that he gets a pass.

Jordan Jenkins

Week 7 Stats: None

Jenkins did not make any statistical impact. He was not on the field much, though he did well and executed his assignment when he did see time.

Myles Jack

Week 7 Stats: 1 solo tackle

The Jaguars keep forcing Jack into a position he wasn't comfortable with. To no surprise, it wasn't working. The light hasn't turned on for Jack yet, and at this strong-side position, it might never happen. It's not for him.

Antwione Williams

Week 7 Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo)

Williams hadn't been great before his injury, but he looked worse this week. He appeared slow and less responsive than he's proved he is capable of. Hopefully he can recover.

Inside Linebackers

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Su’a Cravens was back on the field following a concussion in Week 4, and he continued to show that, when healthy, he brings a dynamic ability in coverage to the Washington defense. After a scary injury, the team should be cautiously optimistic about how often it trots out Cravens for the next few weeks.

Two rookies had an opportunity to play against one another, with Jatavis Brown’s San Diego Chargers edging Deion Jones’ Atlanta Falcons in Georgia on Sunday. Both players showed glimpses of what has made them starters, and their teams rely on the two as captains in the middle of their defense.

Green Bay Packers rookie Blake Martinez earns this week’s highest grade for an impressive performance on Thursday Night Football. Martinez appears to be fully healthy, and for the first time in his career, he looked comfortable and aware in coverage. Martinez has tremendous physical ability and power at the point of attack, and he looks as though he’s starting to pair that with route recognition and field awareness. If so, the Packers defense should improve rapidly.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Blake Martinez	GB	22	30	8	12	6	78	3	↑
2	Su'a Cravens	WAS	21	25	10	12	6	74	NR	↑
3	Deion Jones	ATL	21	26	8	10	6	71	4	↑
4	Jatavis Brown	SD	22	24	8	9	6	69	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Nick Kwiatkoski—insufficient snaps
• Antonio Morrison—insufficient snaps
• Josh Forrest—insufficient snaps
• Cory James—insufficient snaps
• Josh Perry—insufficient snaps
• Tyler Matakevich—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Blake Martinez

Week 7 Stats: 5 tackles, 1 INT

Martinez played his best game against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. Sure, the Bears don't have a dangerous offense, but Martinez was comfortable in coverage at all levels of the field and showed the strength at the line of scrimmage that made him an ideal run-stopping linebacker.

Deion Jones

Week 7 Stats: 7 Tackles, 1 INT

Jones had a tipped interception that highlighted his athleticism after the catch. San Diego managed to win in overtime, but Jones continues to improve against the run and seems to have earned back his spot as a full-time starter.

Su'a Cravens

Week 7 Stats: 1 Tackle

Cravens played only 11 snaps but was effective and showed the same anticipation and athleticism in coverage that had him rising before a concussion in Week 4. Washington doesn't need to rush him onto the field, but his play Sunday was a positive step in his getting back up to speed.

Cornerbacks

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In a performance that may be forgotten because of an ejection late in the fourth quarter, Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey had yet another solid outing in Week 7. In 35 coverage snaps, Ramsey avoided being targeted once, in part due to his solid positioning throughout a variety of routes. His ability to play both press-man and off-man coverage is a major positive for the Jaguars, and opponents have responded by attacking other secondary members instead of Ramsey. 

Meanwhile, in Kansas City, D.J. White continues to struggle. With Phillip Gaines out with a knee injury and Marcus Peters dominating as the left cornerback, White has been targeted often. The trend continued in Week 7, as he allowed connections on five of seven targets, including four of five in only 14 press-coverage snaps. His lack of consistent footwork and route recognition has been a major issue, and he looks more like a project than a reliable contributor for the rest of this season.

In his first extended action since Week 2, Giants rookie Eli Apple had to shake off some rust. He missed a tackle, dropped an interception and had a penalty. He was lucky not to have been targeted on a few coverages where he was beaten. Apple ended up being targeted only twice and gave up one catch that went for a first down. The first-rounder will be targeted a lot down the stretch, so he’ll have to get back into the swing of things quickly.

Atlanta's Brian Poole, an undrafted free agent out of Florida, continues to have a surprisingly strong season. He was targeted four times and gave up only one catch out of the slot. He was aggressive in the run and had a huge stop on third down against the Chargers. Poole has more than proved his worth for the Falcons.

After a couple of solid starts, Washington’s Kendall Fuller had a rough day in coverage. He gave up all three of his targets and let two of them go for plays over 20 yards. He also gave up a touchdown and was beaten on another non-targeted coverage. Let’s hope it was just an off day for Fuller.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	20	21	18	6	9	74	1	↔
2	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	19	21	16	6	9	71	NR	↑
3	Brian Poole	ATL	20	21	16	5	9	71	6	↑
4	Tavon Young	BAL	15	16	15	4	9	59	NR	↑
5	Eli Apple	NYG	16	15	14	5	9	59	NR	↑
6	Rashard Robinson	SF	14	15	15	5	9	58	3	↓
7	Trevor Williams	SD	15	15	14	5	9	58	NR	↑
8	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CLE	15	13	15	6	9	58	9	↑
9	Artie Burns	PIT	14	14	15	3	9	55	10	↑
10	Kendall Fuller	WAS	13	14	14	5	9	55	5	↓
11	D.J. White	KC	12	14	12	6	9	53	11	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Cyrus Jones—inactive
• Xavien Howard—injury

Notable Performances

Trevor Williams

After being picked up as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State, Williams had a major uphill battle to see playing time on a loaded San Diego Chargers secondary unit. But injuries led to his getting an opportunity to play nine coverage snaps in Week 7, and he responded well for his first action. He showed versatility by playing in press, off man and in the slot.

Artie Burns

There were encouraging signs of Burns' ability to earn his first-round draft status in previous weeks, but Week 7 continued a slide for him. While run defense isn't the most important facet of playing cornerback, Burns has consistently given up the edge in the run game. When that's paired with his lack of big plays on the ball, such as interceptions or pass breakups, he's been a liability for the Steelers.

His 22 coverage snaps featured one blown coverage on the only direct target of the week. He must make the most of his opportunities to play the ball more often.

Free Safeties

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants' Andrew Adams struggled to stay over the top of deep shots this week. He was late to do so on one deep shot to Rams wide receiver Brian Quick in the first quarter and then failed to stay over the top of a play-action deep shot in the third quarter. He also failed to stay over a deep ball in the fourth quarter.

Adams was fortunate the Rams couldn't take advantage of it. He was also at fault for Tavon Austin's touchdown catch in the first quarter, as he failed to react quickly enough to the cut inside in the end zone. 

Vonn Bell had inconsistencies in his performance for the Saints. In the third quarter, he filled in excellently on a run play, filtering through traffic to make the tackle and save the first down on 3rd-and-2. But a few series later, Bell read a run poorly and took himself out of position. As he attempted to adjust from his initial mistake, he was kicked out by a blocker and allowed the running back to burst past him.

The Packers are slowly easing Kentrell Brice into more reps—perhaps because of injuries in the secondary. He's learning with every snap, making flash plays but also having struggles like every rookie. One flash play came on a screen pass. Brice was playing as a deep-half safety, but he read the screen quickly and found his way to the ball-carrier to make a tackle with a big hit.

But in the fourth quarter, he got himself turned around while backpedaling to Cover 2's deep-half landmark. He was dropping to the top of the numbers but noticed a seam route from the slot receiver. Instead of flipping his hips and staying over the top, he turned his back to the quarterback and took extra steps to turn around and get back to where he needed to be.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Kentrell Brice	GB	19	22	6	16	8	71	1	↔
2	Vonn Bell	NO	21	21	4	15	8	69	NR	↑
3	Kevin Byard	TEN	19	20	6	16	8	69	4	↑
4	T.J. Green	IND	19	19	5	15	8	66	2	↓
5	Andrew Adams	NYG	16	17	5	16	8	62	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Justin Simmons—insufficient snaps
• Darian Thompson—inactive

Notable Performances

Kentrell Brice

Week 7 Stats: 1 tackle

Brice made an excellent read on a screen pass, breaking down from his deep-zone landmark quickly and landing a huge hit to secure the tackle. He needs to improve his feet when backpedaling, as he turned the wrong way, showing his back to the quarterback when trying to adjust to a seam route from the slot.

Vonn Bell

Week 7 Stats: 4 tackles

Bell was better in coverage than against the run. He ran well with a tight end on a corner route in the first quarter. There was a slight hint of defensive pass interference, but it wasn't called, and the pass was incomplete. Bell had a good read in the fourth quarter, breaking on an underneath checkdown and knocking the ball-carrier out of bounds for a minimal gain.

Andrew Adams

Week 7 Stats: 4 tackles

Adams failed in his primary responsibility to stay over the top of deep shots on three different occasions. He was also at fault for Austin's touchdown, reacting late to the receiver's post route and giving up the touchdown pass.

Strong Safeties

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Keanu Neal was again the standout strong safety of the rookie class. His zone instincts impress every week as an underneath zone defender. He's good at sinking in his zone to close throwing lanes on intermediate routes behind him and is quick to break on anything dumped off underneath.

He's also becoming a force in the run game, flashing in the first quarter by bursting through the line of scrimmage and landing a huge hit on the running back to make a tackle for loss. 

Raiders safety Karl Joseph flashed with a strong play in coverage early. He kept close to a tight end stick route and got his hand in the catch point to break up the pass. He learned about the small margin of error in the NFL on Chris Ivory's 42-yard run. He did well to quickly read run and get down to the line of scrimmage, but he attacked the wrong shoulder of his blocker.

Joseph hit the inside shoulder of the blocker, which allowed Ivory to bounce outside and into the open field. Had he taken the outside shoulder, Ivory would have been forced to cut back inside to the rest of the defense. It's a small detail, but every movement is incredibly important in the NFL, and Joseph will have learned from that.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Keanu Neal	ATL	20	20	16	16	6	78	2	↑
2	Will Parks	DEN	18	18	15	16	6	73	1	↓
3	Karl Joseph	OAK	19	17	15	16	6	73	3	↔
4	Jayron Kearse	MIN	19	16	14	15	6	70	NR	↑
5	Derrick Kindred	CLE	14	16	16	16	6	68	4	↓
6	Miles Killebrew	DET	15	16	14	14	6	65	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Sean Davis—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Keanu Neal

Week 7 Stats: 9 Tackles

Neal made up ground a couple of times on underneath routes, coming from the far side of the field to make tackles before his teammates could react. He made two good plays on underneath checkdowns to his zone. On both occasions, Neal sank in his zone but kept his eyes on the quarterback. As soon as the QB began his release, Neal jumped on the underneath routes and arrived just after the ball, making tackles instantly to stop any potential yards after the catch.

Karl Joseph

Week 7 Stats: 3 Tackles, 1 PBU

Joesph had a few inconsistencies but mostly positive plays. He attacked the wrong shoulder of the lead blocker, allowing Ivory to bounce his run outside for 42 yards. He also took two false steps on an out route from the tight end and gave up a catch. But Joseph mostly did a good job in coverage, staying over the top of routes, not biting on play-action fakes and taking away deep shots.

Special Teams

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Kickers

Both rookies were in action after alternating byes the previous two weeks. Wil Lutz had a quiet game, making three extra points. He was perfect on the day and continues to show good leg strength, despite not being challenged this week. 

Roberto Aguayo was far more active, going 2-of-3 on field goals but missing a 50-yard attempt after makes from 37 and 38 yards. He did make all four of his extra points but continues to show too much draw on his ball. While his miss was to the right because he attempted to generate extra power and pulled off the ball, he has imprecise timing in his motion, so the inconsistent results are likely to continue.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Wil Lutz	NO	31	29	5	3	68	1	↔
2	Roberto Aguayo	TB	28	28	5	3	64	NR	↑

Notable Performances

Wil Lutz

Week 7 Stats: 3-3 XP

Lutz wasn't tested but made everything he was supposed to. Big, big leg.

Roberto Aguayo

Week 7 Stats: 4-4 XP, 2-3 FG

Aguayo made his short field goals and extra points but seemed a little overmatched on the 50-yarder. He's still working on calming down.

Punters

All three rookies were in action, though it was not the strongest week for them. Riley Dixon takes home the top honors for the young guns, though some massive hang-time numbers covered up below-average distance and average accuracy scores.

Drew Kaser made it two weeks in a row without any shanks or gaffes, and while his directional ability and distance were below-average, he is showing signs of rounding into form and at least displaying more consistency. He still has a ways to go to tap into his immense talent, but boring is better than awful.

As for Lachlan Edwards, you cannot drop a snap as an NFL punter. Beyond that, Edwards showed decent directional ability, but catching the ball is a question of focus more than anything else. He can't drop another snap, especially given the inconsistency he has shown the last several weeks.

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 7

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Riley Dixon	DEN	10	18	30	3	3	64	3	↑
2	Drew Kaser	SD	12	16	26	3	3	60	1	↓
3	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	3	5	31	3	3	45	2	↓