NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 10

The Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo was lauded for his generous statements this week regarding rookie quarterback Dak Prescott's ascent and what that meant for Romo's future.

There's no question that when a veteran bows to a first-year player, citing the game's meritocracy, it is remarkable. But in the end, Prescott has earned this. Romo was exactly correct about that.

And Prescott continued to do so in Dallas' 35-30 Week 10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. At Heinz Field, one of the league's most hostile environments, Prescott impressed with his remarkable calm and poise, completing 22 of 32 passes for 319 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

His most recent positive development is his calmness in the pocket, and it's especially outstanding given his mobility. Most young quarterbacks with good wheels have to be taught to stand in the pocket and keep their eyes downfield for open receivers when they do run, but Prescott has had a preternatural feel for this over the last few weeks.

Still, he wasn't the best rookie from Week 10. Heck, he wasn't even the most impressive rookie in his own offense. That award goes to our top first-year player, Ezekiel Elliott.

Once again, Elliott was the centerpiece of Dallas' offense and a primary reason the Cowboys stand at 8-1. When his team most needed him, he scored two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead score with nine seconds remaining.

With the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson on the shelf, there's no back in the league who matches Elliott's combination of strength, speed, blocking and receiving ability. He has amazing speed to and through the hole.

Second place in this week's Rookie Review goes to Bears pass-rusher Leonard Floyd, who continued his tear against opposing quarterbacks in Chicago's 36-10 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach John Fox has all kinds of problems on offense, but Floyd has lived up to his draft position in the last few weeks.

Against Tampa Bay, Floyd had 1.5 sacks, one quarterback hit and four quarterback hurries. He would have had another sack against a less mobile quarterback than Jameis Winston. Floyd has become an estimable building block in Chicago's underrated front seven.

Two first-year defensive backs in need of more recognition get it here, as Steelers strong safety Sean Davis and Tennessee Titans free safety Kevin Byard hit our top five this week. Davis is better when he's playing at linebacker depth and in the slot (deep safety is where he allowed a touchdown pass to Dez Bryant), but he's strong against the run and will make slot receiver think twice before going over the middle.

Byard has been near the top of our Rookie Review before. He was lights-out against the Green Bay Packers, playing strong on run tackles and stopping gains after the catch. He allowed four catches on seven targets for just 19 yards and an opposing quarterback rating of 62.2. That's not bad against Aaron Rodgers, no matter how dysfunctional Green Bay's offense has become.

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

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Cornerback stats charted by B/R's scouts.

Biggest Movers Heading into Week 11

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

1. Joe Thuney, OG, New England Patriots

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

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 6

What Happened: Thuney has been up-and-down this season, but he was stellar against the stout Seattle Seahawks front seven Sunday night, refusing to allow a single quarterback pressure and rocking opponents back to free rushing gaps. When Thuney stays low off the snap, he has a combination of strength and technique that makes him hard to deal with.

2. C.J. Prosise, RB, Seattle Seahawks

2016 Draft Position: 90 (third round, 27th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 10

What Happened: During his time at Notre Dame, Prosise was renowned for his ability to line up all along the formation and make himself a receiving threat in addition to his rushing skills. He doubled down on all of that against the Patriots, catching seven passes for 87 yards (including a beautiful deep pass from Russell Wilson for 38 yards), and rushing for 66 yards on 17 carries. Prosise needs work as a goal-line back, but he can do just about anything else. With Thomas Rawls' impending return, Seattle may have its most versatile backfield in years. 

3. Vonn Bell, FS, New Orleans Saints

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

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 13

What Happened: The Saints suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Denver Broncos last Sunday, but Bell kept up his recent penchant for top-notch play. Week 10 saw his best overall performance, as the Ohio State alum notched six solo tackles, a pass defensed and just one catch allowed. He still needs to work on staying put against play action and other fakes, but he's a plus athlete and an excellent run defender, and he's improving in his coverage consistency. 

4. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

2016 Draft Position: 165 (fifth round, 28th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 18

What Happened: The Chiefs were raked over the coals following their selection of Hill in the fifth round, and for good reason—the former Oklahoma State star was kicked off the team and finished his collegiate career at West Alabama following a guilty plea for domestic violence in a worrisome incident.

And we're not excusing a bit of what Hill did. But based on performance alone, Hill played well against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday, catching a career-high 10 passes on 13 targets for 89 yards. He's become a valuable part of head coach Andy Reid's offense. The obvious hope is the young man learns from past transgressions.

5. Roberto Aguayo, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2016 Draft Position: 59 (second round, 28th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 17

What Happened: Well, this was unexpected. Aguayo has been a disaster relative to his draft position and the fact that the Bucs moved up to select him. But against the Chicago Bears, he made both of his field-goal tries and all four extra-point attempts. Yes, it's a bit of a low bar, but it might be a turning point for a kid whose struggles have been overblown at times and highly worrisome at others.

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 10

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Our Week 10 Top 50 rookie rankings are based on game-tape evaluation. 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	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	4	83	1	↔
2	Leonard Floyd	3-4 OLB	CHI	9	80	NR	↑
3	Su'a Cravens	ILB	WAS	53	78	NR	↑
4	Sean Davis	SS	PIT	58	77	17	↑
5	Kevin Byard	FS	TEN	64	75	7	↑
6	Joe Thuney	OG	NE	78	75	NR	↑
7	Keanu Neal	SS	ATL	17	75	5	↓
8	DeForest Buckner	3-4 DE	SF	7	74	29	↑
9	Jack Conklin	RT	TEN	8	74	20	↑
10	C.J. Prosise	RB	SEA	90	74	NR	↑
11	Tavon Young	CB	BAL	104	73	9	↓
12	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	RT	PHI	164	73	15	↑
13	Vonn Bell	FS	NO	61	73	NR	↑
14	Devontae Booker	RB	DEN	136	73	NR	↑
15	Joshua Garnett	OG	SF	28	73	42	↑
16	Andy Janovich	FB	Den	176	73	34	↑
17	Roberto Aguayo	K	TB	59	73	NR	↑
18	Tyreek Hill	WR	KC	165	72	NR	↑
19	Jordan Howard	RB	CHI	150	72	NR	↑
20	Ronnie Stanley	LT	BAL	6	72	NR	↑
21	Kenneth Dixon	RB	BAL	134	72	NR	↑
22	Michael Pierce	DT	BAL	UDFA	71	18	↓
23	Andrew Adams	FS	NYG	UDFA	71	2	↓
24	Laremy Tunsil	OG	MIA	13	71	16	↓
25	Will Parks	SS	DEN	219	71	25	↔
26	Drew Kaser	P	SD	179	71	NR	↑
27	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	135	70	4	↓
28	Jason Spriggs	LT	GB	48	70	NR	↑
29	Noah Spence	4-3 DE	TB	39	70	22	↓
30	Wendell Smallwood	RB	PHI	153	70	38	↑
31	Derek Watt	FB	SD	198	70	14	↓
32	Germain Ifedi	OG	SEA	31	69	NR	↑
33	Kentrell Brice	FS	GB	UDFA	69	33	↔
34	Paul Perkins	RB	NYG	149	69	46	↑
35	Wil Lutz	K	NO	UDFA	69	39	↑
36	Derrick Kindred	SS	CLE	129	69	13	↓
37	Alex Lewis	OG	BAL	130	69	6	↓
38	De'Vondre Campbell	4-3 OLB	ATL	115	68	NR	↑
39	Carson Wentz	QB	PHI	2	68	NR	↑
40	Anthony Lanier	3-4 DE	WAS	UDFA	68	NR	↑
41	Sheldon Rankins	DT	NO	12	68	NR	↑
42	Blake Martinez	ILB	GB	131	68	19	↓
43	Lachlan Edwards	P	NYJ	235	68	NR	↑
44	Darron Lee	4-3 OLB	NYJ	20	68	NR	↑
45	Peyton Barber	RB	TB	UDFA	68	NR	↑
46	Derrick Henry	RB	TEN	45	68	NR	↑
47	Tajae Sharpe	WR	TEN	140	67	50	↑
48	Yannick Ngakoue	4-3 DE	JAX	69	67	30	↓
49	Cody Whitehair	C	CHI	56	67	NR	↑
50	Emmanuel Ogbah	3-4 DE	CLE	32	67	37	↓

Quarterbacks

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A victory over the Steelers will keep Dak Prescott in the starting lineup for the Cowboys. Prescott continues to outperform expectations as a fourth-rounder. The Cowboys should stay positive about his outlook.

However, this was another game where he kept the opponent alive. Prescott hit one huge throw to Dez Bryant but also missed him on another long touchdown throw when he went to his back shoulder. The quarterback's ball placement was problematic throughout the game, and he again fumbled when back-side pressure arrived. 

The Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz has largely been consistent. His ball placement remains erratic. He's capable of big throws, but he mostly checks down and relies on an overly cautious mentality.

Wentz is likely playing exactly the way head coach Doug Pederson wants him to play: as an Alex Smith clone in an offense that wants to run the ball and create yards-after-the-catch opportunities for its receivers. He will need new receivers, but running back Ryan Mathews showed his quality against the Atlanta Falcons.

Any thought that Cody Kessler could be the future for Hue Jackson's Cleveland Browns took a hit this week. Kessler lacked composure against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. He was benched for Josh McCown, who played even worse but stayed in the game until the end.

Now there is talk of Robert Griffin III's return to practice this week, per ESPN's Josina Anderson. Griffin will likely take the starting spot back unless Kessler gets back on the field this week and performs better than he has to this point of the season.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Dak Prescott	DAL	14	18	13	15	10	70	1	↔
2	Carson Wentz	PHI	15	18	13	12	10	68	3	↑
3	Cody Kessler	CLE	15	16	10	10	10	61	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Paxton Lynch—DNP
• Jared Goff—DNP

Notable Performances

Dak Prescott

Week 10 Stats: 22-of-32, 319 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

Prescott had an inconsistent outing against the Steelers. He made good plays and bad ones. The Cowboys as a whole did just enough to win. They were fortunate, though. Prescott made a bad throw on the final drive that was bailed out by a facemask penalty. Without that, one wonders where the narrative would be this week between him and Tony Romo.

Carson Wentz

Week 10 Stats: 25-of-36, 231 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Before Pederson can open up the offense more, he needs to see more consistent precision from Wentz. The quarterback can hit big throws and is athletic enough to scramble for long first downs when things break down, like he did once against the Falcons. What he needs to do is show off more nuance with his feet within the pocket and better ball placement when leading receivers to space at all levels.

Cody Kessler

Week 10 Stats: 11-of-18, 91 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

It was a quick, uninspiring first half for Kessler. Jackson's decision to pull him wasn't a bad one based on how Kessler played, although one could argue he should never be pulled for the clearly inferior McCown.

Running Backs

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ezekiel Elliott officially threw his hat into the MVP conversation Sunday against the Steelers. He was dynamic in every aspect of the game. His confidence rises by the week, and he is running with a much more violent nature.

His pass-blocking is elite, and he stops defenders in their tracks when they attempt to get to his quarterback. His open-field ability in the screen game is also special, as he has natural instinct and patience that translate to a Pro Bowl-type player. 

Seattle may have found a future star in C.J. Prosise, who was fantastic Sunday night against the Patriots. He was fast, explosive and showed the ability to run both inside and out. He is an excellent receiver with the versatility to line up all over the field. He was a nightmare matchup for New England and could help Seattle's offense to break out. Prosise was a treat to watch.

The Bears' Jordan Howard was solid despite his team's terrible effort. With every week that passes, it becomes clear Chicago found its running back of the future.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	21	20	18	18	6	83	1	↔
2	C.J. Prosise	SEA	18	18	18	14	6	74	7	↑
3	Devontae Booker	DEN	18	17	16	16	6	73	9	↑
4	Jordan Howard	CHI	18	17	15	16	6	72	NR	↑
5	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	17	17	17	15	6	72	NR	↑
6	Wendell Smallwood	PHI	17	16	15	16	6	70	4	↓
7	Paul Perkins	NYG	18	16	15	14	6	69	6	↓
8	Peyton Barber	TB	16	15	16	15	6	68	NR	↑
9	Derrick Henry	TEN	17	15	15	15	6	68	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jalen Richard—bye
• DeAndre Washington—bye
• Kenyan Drake—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott

Week 10 Stats: 21 carries, 114 yards, 2 TD; 2 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD

This was his best, most complete game. Elliott had an 83-yard screen pass for a score and was relentless on the ground. His physical nature wore down the Steelers defense, and his home run-hitting speed, combined with a dominant offensive line, helped the Cowboys pull off the win.

C.J. Prosise

Week 10 Stats: 17 carries, 66 yards; 7 receptions, 87 yards

In his first start of the year, Prosise was dynamic against the best team in the NFL. He ran hard between the tackles, showed the outside speed to get on the edges and displayed the toughness needed to be a starter. His ability to make plays in the pass game is special and was a big mismatch in Seattle's favor against New England.

Fullbacks

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It was a quiet week for the two rookie fullbacks. Andy Janovich and Derek Watt had a combined 16 snaps but still helped their starting running backs have solid days. Janovich was physical against the Saints and had a nice catch. Watt did not get a carry or catch. 

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Andy Janovich	DEN	44	15	10	4	73	2	↑
2	Derek Watt	SD	43	15	8	4	70	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Andy Janovich

Week 10 Stats: 1 reception, 9 yards

Janovich continues to be a consistent blocker for the Broncos. He didn't play as much Sunday but was solid in limited time.

Wide Receivers

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill was not only the top-graded AFC rookie wide receiver, but he was near the top of the entire conference. Bolstering his grade this week was his ability after the catch.

Tajae Sharpe caught a touchdown for the Tennessee Titans and continued an impressive campaign. Braxton Miller's numbers slipped this week, but he showed the ability to get involved without the football, as the Houston Texans used him often as a blocker both on the wing and even as a lead blocker on an intriguing jet-sweep design. 

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Tyreek Hill	KC	18	18	15	12	9	72	NR	↑
2	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	17	18	11	12	9	67	3	↑
3	Corey Coleman	CLE	16	17	12	12	9	66	4	↑
4	Robby Anderson	NYJ	17	18	11	11	9	66	1	↓
5	Tyler Boyd	CIN	17	17	11	11	9	65	NR	↑
6	Braxton Miller	HOU	16	15	11	13	9	64	NR	↑
7	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	15	15	11	11	9	61	NR	↑
8	Charone Peake	NYJ	15	14	11	11	9	60	6	↓
9	Cody Core	CIN	15	14	11	11	9	60	NR	↑
10	Jalin Marshall	NYJ	14	14	11	11	9	59	2	↓
11	Trevor Davis	GB	15	14	10	10	9	58	8	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Will Fuller—injury
• Alex Erickson—insufficient snaps
• Cody Latimer—insufficient snaps
• Jakeem Grant—insufficient snaps
• Leonte Carroo—insufficient snaps
• Demarcus Robinson—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Tyreek Hill

Week 10 Stats: 10 receptions, 89 yards

While Hill did not crack the 100-yard mark, he was impressive after the catch, boosting his grade this week. A prime example was his 27-yard gain with 16 seconds left in the third quarter, where he showed good balance and strength after the reception to pick up yardage.

Robby Anderson

Week 10 Stats: 3 receptions, 69 yards

Robby Anderson is quietly becoming a go-to receiver for the Jets. On a 52-yard reception, Anderson showed great hands, adjusting to a throw behind him for the big gain.

Tajae Sharpe

Week 10 Stats: 3 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD

Sharpe caught a touchdown from Marcus Mariota in the Titans' victory over the Packers, and it was a catch-and-run play where he broke a tackle after the reception and raced the distance for the score.

Tight Ends

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Four rookie tight ends caught touchdowns this week. The Browns' Seth DeValve caught a score from Cody Kessler on a nice route, while Stephen Anderson caught a short touchdown pass from Brock Osweiler in the Texans' win over the Jaguars.

Hunter Henry returned to action for the Chargers. He caught a touchdown and was impressive both as a pass-catcher and a blocker. Finally, Week 10 ended just like it began, with another rookie tight end grabbing a score in prime time. 

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Jerell Adams	NYG	14	17	12	17	6	66	2	↑
2	Hunter Henry	SD	14	17	11	18	6	66	NR	↑
3	Stephen Anderson	HOU	13	15	11	17	6	62	NR	↑
4	Seth DeValve	CLE	12	16	11	16	6	61	5	↑
5	Austin Hooper	ATL	11	14	11	15	6	57	1	↓
6	Tyler Higbee	LA	11	14	10	16	6	57	3	↓
7	Nick Vannett	SEA	10	13	10	16	6	55	4	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Thomas Duarte—injury

Notable Performances

Seth DeValve

Week 10 Stats: 1 reception, 25 yards, 1 TD

DeValve caught a well-thrown pass from fellow rookie Kessler for a 25-yard touchdown. It was a well-executed route, as he came across the formation and gained separation on the defender.

Hunter Henry

Week 10 Stats: 2 receptions, 11 yards, 1 TD

Henry caught only two passes, but one went for a touchdown as he worked in the scramble drill to find space in the back of the end zone for the score.

Stephen Anderson

Week 10 Stats: 1 reception, 7 yards, 1 TD

On his touchdown, Anderson ran a nice flat route on a bootleg design. He was also solid as a blocker.

Jerell Adams

Week 10 Stats: 3 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD

Jerell Adams hauled in his first career touchdown on Monday night off an Eli Manning play-action fake in the red zone. Adams faked a lead block and then sneaked past the linebacker in front of him into the flat for the catch; he then turned up the field for the score.

Offensive Tackles

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Ronnie Stanley returned to action in Week 9 for the Baltimore Ravens after missing four games with a foot injury and was rusty against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Week 10 against Cleveland, however, Stanley looked as if he were getting back into his groove.

The Green Bay Packers' Jason Spriggs was thrust into action after stellar left tackle David Bakhtiari left his team's matchup with the Titans with an apparent knee injury. Spriggs registered 24 snaps.

Seattle's George Fant picked up his third straight start as the Seahawks battled the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. Fant is a former tight end and basketball player who went undrafted out of Western Kentucky and is still learning the nuances of one of the most difficult positions in football: left tackle. 

Tennessee's Jack Conklin notched his 10th start, and as we've highlighted in previous weeks, he is a difference-maker in the run game but still needs to continue to develop in the finer nuances of pass protection. That was evident in many situations against Green Bay.

Philadelphia's Halapoulivaati Vaitai registered his fifth consecutive start in place of the suspended Lane Johnson. Vaitai held his own against the Atlanta Falcons and continues to show improvement in all aspects of his game.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	19	19	16	13	7	74	3	↑
2	H. Vaitai	PHI	RT	18	19	16	13	7	73	2	↑
3	Ronnie Stanley	BAL	LT	18	19	13	14	8	72	5	↑
4	Jason Spriggs	GB	LT	16	17	14	15	8	70	NR	↑
5	George Fant	SEA	LT	15	16	13	12	8	64	6	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Taylor Decker—bye

Notable Performances

Jason Spriggs

Week 10 Stats: 24 snaps (22 pass), 2 sacks allowed, 1 pressure

It is difficult for an offensive lineman to come off the bench in the late stages of a game that dictates obvious pass situations. But that was the scenario for Spriggs, who surrendered two sacks in 24 plays.

Offensive Guards

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The extent to which Joe Thuney has been trusted in Bill Belichick's offense is remarkable.

The third-rounder from North Carolina State has helped to solidify an offensive line that has underperformed at times due to personnel inefficiencies, and his Sunday night performance against the Seahawks may have been his best to date. Against a Seattle defensive line loaded for bear, Thuney didn't give any ground—not a single sack, hit or hurry allowed.

Germain Ifedi, Seattle's rookie right guard, has had a rougher go of it. A right tackle his last two seasons at Texas A&M, the first-rounder has experienced growing pains in his transition back to his original college position.

At 6'6" and 324 pounds, he has all the power and base athleticism required to be dominant at the position, and occasionally he is. But he struggles with letting defenders cross his face and control the game, and there are agility issues to be sorted out.

He allowed just one quarterback hurry against the Patriots, and he's part of a line that has allowed Russell Wilson a bit more time in the pocket of late. Still, at this point, he's yet another project player for Seattle's line.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Joe Thuney	NE	16	19	16	17	7	75	NR	↑
2	Joshua Garnett	SF	18	16	17	15	7	73	6	↑
3	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	17	16	15	16	7	71	3	↔
4	Germain Ifedi	SEA	14	17	17	14	7	69	7	↑
5	Alex Lewis	BAL	15	16	16	15	7	69	1	↓
6	Spencer Drango	CLE	15	15	16	13	7	66	4	↓
7	Caleb Benenoch	TB	15	14	12	14	7	62	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Isaac Seumalo—insufficient snaps
• Rees Odhiambo—inactive

Notable Performances

Joshua Garnett

Week 10 was Joshua Garnett's best performance for the San Francisco 49ers, as he finally had some semblance of success in pass protection. While he gave up a pressure and still has footwork issues to clean up, he did show off nice upper-body strength when engaged in pass protection and was able to wash defenders from the pocket a couple of times.

The dominance factor is there, and we are starting to see it.

Germain Ifedi

The Seahawks are starting to scheme around their offensive line, which has resulted in Germain Ifedi's being exposed in pass protection more often. They had some baffling usage (pulling him across formations) before but have transitioned to a more quick-hit-focused passing attack.

With changes coming in the running game, it will be interesting to see how Ifedi performs in a slashing one-cut running attack that fits Thomas Rawls.

Caleb Benenoch

Who would have thought a college tackle who lacked functional strength would not fair well against NFL interior defensive linemen? I'll never understand drafting raw, "toolsy" developmental offensive linemen who don't have special measurables, which was the case with Caleb Benenoch.

His size (6'5", 305 lbs), length and athleticism only came in the 50th percentile among offensive tackles since 1999, according to my Slaytic composite work. And with flaws he displayed on tape at UCLA, there's no justification in taking a "toolsy" guy with league-average tools.

Centers

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Bye weeks make overarching center analysis brutal, especially when it means half of our group is gone. That said, there was at least a little to see in rookie center play. 

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Cody Whitehair	CHI	15	16	14	16	6	67	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Ryan Kelly—bye

Notable Performances

Cody Whitehair

It looked like the Bears finally were healthy at guard this week, but Kyle Long was only able to last a couple of drives before leaving with another injury. Josh Sitton still looks banged up as well, so Whitehair isn't getting the dominant support he saw early in the year.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

This is an impressive group with a couple of future Pro Bowlers in Joey Bosa and DeForest Buckner, and a few others making splashes in the first half of the year in Chris Jones, Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib. The influx of athleticism, length and pass-rush ability at this position through these rookies has changed the way I view 3-4 defensive ends.

Some will ask why Bosa has a lower grade than usual. It's been a quiet couple of weeks for him as he learns how to deal with extra attention from opposing offenses. They're starting to play games with him with trap blocks and chipping him with tight ends and running backs. He's also seen full-on double-teams much more. It looks like his final year at Ohio State again. Let's see how he adjusts. 

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	DeForest Buckner	SF	12	19	21	15	7	74	1	↔
2	Anthony Lanier	WAS	11	16	20	14	7	68	NR	↑
3	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	13	17	19	11	7	67	2	↓
4	Chris Jones	KC	12	17	18	13	7	67	NR	↑
5	Ronald Blair	SF	10	16	19	14	7	66	NR	↑
6	Carl Nassib	CLE	12	15	18	13	7	65	NR	↑
7	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	10	15	19	14	7	65	NR	↑
8	Joey Bosa	SD	12	15	17	12	7	63	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Adolphus Washington—bye

Notable Performances

DeForest Buckner

Week 10 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack

Without Arik Armstead (shoulder), many assumed the San Francisco 49ers' run defense would take a large hit, but Bucker has proved he can fill in when needed. In many ways, he's the 49ers' best defender, even though he's just a rookie. Mainly playing a run-first role in their 3-4 defense, Buckner is already a top-10 3-4 defensive end in the league as it stands.

Anthony Lanier

Week 10 Stats: 0 tackles

Anthony Lanier, an undrafted player from Alabama A&M, has been active in only two games, but he flashed some potential for Washington against the Minnesota Vikings this week. Lanier didn't have any direct tackles, but he influenced quicker passes and redirected running paths for running backs. It's hard for 3-4 defensive ends to show up on the stat sheet, but Lanier has the upside to be a week-to-week influencer.

Ronald Blair

Week 10 Stats: 1 tackle

Ronald Blair started the year as a nickel nose tackle, a situational pass-rusher. He's since played more of a true defensive end role now that San Francisco has placed Armstead on the injured reserve list. Blair is getting in a real rotation on an NFL defensive line, which is more than you can say about most draft picks.

Chris Jones

Week 10 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack

Kansas City's Jones has been asked to play more as the season goes on because of injuries, but he's also responded nicely. His sack was against a pretty good guard in Trai Turner.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

It's always interesting how the positional balance of power shifts for rookies throughout the season. New levels of coaching and increased playing time can help some first-year players see the light come on later in the season. And some players who come out of the gate quickly can find their efforts somewhat negated by opponent adjustments and team ineffectiveness. 

Tampa Bay end Noah Spence is a fine personification of the first example. He had one sack in his first five games, though the hits and hurries he was picking up seemed to predict a brighter future.

That future is now.

Spence has three sacks in his last four games, including a strip-sack of Jay Cutler in Tampa Bay's Sunday win over the Bears. His strength to bull-rush and speed around the edge give him the ability to mess with opposing passing games in limited snaps—just 32 against the Bears—and Spence has the look of a full-time starter.

Yannick Ngakoue, Jacksonville's third-rounder out of Maryland, has seen his numbers fall a bit following a torrid start to his NFL career. Ngakoue had four sacks and a ton of quarterback pressures in his first five games, but has had no sacks since, though his pressure numbers are holding up.

Both guys are playing well, but the stats can tell different stories.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Noah Spence	TB	20	13	15	14	8	70	1	↔
2	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	20	12	16	11	8	67	2	↔
3	Davonte Lambert	TB	18	13	13	14	8	66	4	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Noah Spence

Week 10 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack

Noah Spence still isn't technically a starting defensive end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but you'd never guess that if you watched their defense after the first drives of games. Spence is by far the team's best pass-rusher, even if he is undersized in the ground game (6'2", 251 lbs).

His strip-sack of quarterback Jay Cutler is one reason Tampa Bay beat the Chicago Bears 36-10.

Defensive Tackles

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Michael Pierce, Sheldon Rankins and Maliek Collins had strong weeks. Pierce continues to be a golden find for the Baltimore Ravens. Once again, he had an excellent performance versus the Cleveland Browns' run game.

Rankins recorded the first sack of his career against the Broncos and played the run well. Dallas' Collins took on a tough Steelers interior featuring Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro and wasn't a complete liability. Le'Veon Bell had some nice runs where Collins was supposed to be, but overall it was a decent showing for the rookie. 

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Michael Pierce	BAL	16	15	20	13	7	71	1	↔
2	Sheldon Rankins	NO	16	16	17	12	7	68	5	↑
3	Maliek Collins	DAL	17	15	15	12	7	66	2	↓
4	Jarran Reed	SEA	16	15	17	11	7	66	6	↑
5	D.J. Reader	HOU	14	15	17	12	7	65	NR	↑
6	Destiny Vaeao	PHI	16	15	17	10	7	65	13	↑
7	Vernon Butler	CAR	14	13	16	11	7	61	NR	↑
8	Kenny Clark	GB	14	13	15	11	7	60	7	↓
9	Vincent Valentine	NE	16	12	12	11	7	58	NR	↑
10	Adam Gotsis	DEN	14	13	14	10	7	58	14	↑
11	Javon Hargrave	PIT	12	12	11	10	7	52	4	↓
12	Austin Johnson	TEN	12	9	12	10	7	50	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Hassan Ridgeway—bye
• A'Shawn Robinson—bye
• Jihad Ward—bye
• Darius Latham—bye
• Sheldon Day—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Michael Pierce

Week 10 Stats: 1 TFL

Baltimore's Pierce has already turned into one of the better run-defending defensive tackles in the NFL. He had a nice tackle for loss against the Browns where he made Cameron Erving whiff and fall on his face.

Sheldon Rankins

Week 10 Stats: 2 tackles, 1 sack

Rankins showed off some of the ability that made him a coveted player in the top half of the first round. His athleticism is noticeable, and he already uses his hands well to gain separation from offensive linemen.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Week 10 was the Leonard Floyd show for rookie 3-4 outside linebackers. While his fellow first-year edge players did little, Floyd was a dominant force for the Bears against the Buccaneers. The ninth overall pick terrorized Jameis Winston, tallying 1.5 sacks and a pass deflection for a Bears defense that played better than the final score indicated. With 4.5 sacks in his last three games, Floyd's slow start to 2016 seems like a distant memory. 

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Leonard Floyd	CHI	27	14	12	19	8	80	NR	↑
2	Matt Judon	BAL	21	12	9	15	8	65	2	↔
3	Kyler Fackrell	GB	19	11	9	17	8	64	4	↑
4	Chris Landrum	SD	17	14	9	15	8	63	7	↑
5	Kevin Dodd	TEN	17	12	9	15	8	61	6	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Shaq Lawson—bye
• Curt Maggitt—bye
• Joe Schobert—insufficient snaps
• Dadi Nicolas—insufficient snaps
• Aaron Wallace—inactive

Notable Performances

Leonard Floyd

Week 10 Stats: 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks

The light appears to have come on for Floyd, who looks like a different player compared to the start of the season. He's always in attack mode. The return of Pernell McPhee from injury has helped him, but Floyd has been good in his own right.

His first sack of Winston came when he cleaned up the play with the quarterback attempting to scramble. Later, he beat the left tackle clean and helped finish off Winston in the pocket for a half-sack. Floyd probably should have finished the game with three or more sacks, but Winston evaded him in the pocket on a couple of plays where he applied immediate pressure.

The rookie also batted down a pass on third down and tipped a second pass that was intercepted (although it was negated by penalty). The Bears are now 2-7, but they have to be excited about the progression of their first-round pass-rusher.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This week featured much-needed rebounds from Darron Lee of the Jets and Myles Jack of the Jaguars. As of late, neither Lee nor Jack has played well, even by rookie standards. Both of them have hopefully made the first step toward progress, though. 

Lee made an impact on passing downs this week, which is normally not how he makes his presence felt. He is more of a boom-or-bust run defender who makes his money with tackles for loss and the like, but this week, Lee held his own in coverage and was a weapon as a blitzer. He still has a long way to go, especially in terms of trusting himself in run defense, but this was an encouraging performance.

For the first time, Jack had a noticeably positive impact on the game. He did not make any overtly impressive plays, but he played more fundamentally sound football than he has all year and was able to hit home as a blitzer. If Jack can continue to build on this outing versus Houston and finish the season strong, the Jaguars can have peace of mind with him.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	17	18	9	18	6	68	1	↔
2	Darron Lee	NYJ	18	16	10	18	6	68	NR	↑
3	Myles Jack	JAX	16	16	9	18	6	65	3	↔
4	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	15	16	7	16	6	60	NR	↑
5	Josh Forrest	LA	15	14	7	15	6	57	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jaylon Smith—injury
• Antwione Williams—bye

Notable Performances

De'Vondre Campbell

Week 10 Stats: 2 tackles, 1 pass defended

De'Vondre Campbell continues to be the most consistent rookie linebacker. After a number of quality performances, it's time to starting believing the Falcons made a good choice in the fourth-rounder.

Darron Lee

Week 10 Stats: 1 tackle, 1 pass defended

After a few rough weeks, Lee needed this revival. He still is not playing up to his draft slot (20th overall), but hopefully this was the start of a good second half.

Myles Jack

Week 10 Stats: 3 tackles

Much like Lee, Jack needed to have an encouraging performance. Even while playing out of position, he did just that.

Jordan Jenkins

Week 10 Stats: 3 tackles

Jordan Jenkins played slightly worse than usual, but he was still not a liability. He remains an effective role player.

Josh Forrest

Week 10 Stats: 2 tackles

The Rams' Josh Forrest has been hit-or-miss. This week was a miss for him, despite playing against a middling Jets offense.

Inside Linebackers

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

There isn’t a lot to say about the play of rookies Sunday that the grades and scores won’t tell you. Deion Jones and the Atlanta Falcons were beaten inside on power runs easily on the Eagles' first possession, and it remained a theme for the game. The Falcons will likely make the playoffs, but if Jones and the run defense continue to look as weak as it did Sunday, Atlanta won’t last long. 

Blake Martinez played better than teammate Joe Thomas at inside linebacker, but the entire Green Bay Packers defense looked lost against a Tennessee Titans offense that did whatever it wanted. Martinez is a solid piece to build around, but he is an average linebacker at best right now, unable to make up for a team that seems to be imploding on both sides of the ball.

New England's Elandon Roberts tried to do too much in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football—perhaps anxious to erase the memories of former starter Jamie Collins. Roberts has top-end athleticism and effort, but he will have to rein in some of his recklessness that becomes mistakes against better teams.

Washington's Su'a Cravens continues to dominate the rankings, primarily because of what he can do in coverage. Many linebackers are comfortable dropping to a zone, but playing in the slot against high-caliber receivers is where Cravens separates himself from almost any linebacker in the league. If he can keep up this level, it won't be long before we start talking about him as the best defensive selection in the draft.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Su'a Cravens	WAS	21	29	11	11	6	78	NR	↑
2	Blake Martinez	GB	17	24	10	11	6	68	2	↔
3	Deion Jones	ATL	16	20	9	11	6	62	1	↓
4	Elandon Roberts	NE	14	20	9	9	6	58	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Antonio Morrison—bye
• Cory James—bye
• Jatavis Brown—injury
• Nick Kwiatkoski—insufficient snaps
• Tyler Matakevich—insufficient snaps
• Joshua Perry—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Su'a Cravens

Week 10 Stats: 5 tackles

Cravens saw the most snaps of his career Sunday (37) against the Vikings and more than the starter at inside linebacker, Mason Foster (34). He has continually shown an ability to attack the interior run, leading to more playing time. His flexibility in alignment and responsibility kept Minnesota from ever getting into an offensive rhythm.

Deion Jones

Week 10 Stats: 11 tackles

Jones has been perhaps the most consistent rookie inside linebacker this season, but his performance Sunday took a nose dive. Against a creative Philadelphia offense, Jones was exploited early and often with power runs that forced him to take on offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage.

Elandon Roberts

Week 10 Stats: 4 tackles

Roberts struggled in his first start since the trade that sent Collins to Cleveland. Against a weak Seattle offensive line, he often looked out of place and unsure of his responsibilities in the run game. Additionally, he had a tough matchup with C.J. Prosise out of the backfield in coverage. Roberts is progressing, but Sunday night against Seattle was his worst showing this year.

Cornerbacks

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The rookie cornerbacks had plenty of participation in Week 10, since most bye weeks have passed. Though only one was a stud, these rookies must continue to get snaps to see improvement over time. 

Baltimore’s Tavon Young likely fell in the draft due to his smallish frame, but he is strong and plays as if he weren't 5'9" and 177 pounds. Since the Ravens began starting him in Week 6, their defense has benefited from his consistent proper positioning and awareness. This past week can be considered a major building block for Young to finish the season strong and put a vice grip on the starting job opposite star Jimmy Smith.

The Eagles' Jalen Mills has been up-and-down at times, but he had a positive impact this past Sunday against Atlanta. Though he allowed five of seven passes to be completed, his process and coverage were never liabilities for the unit. He did not log a blown assignment in 37 coverage snaps and was the victim of two receptions where the offense simply made a difficult play. A good process will lead to success long-term, even if sometimes the defender loses at times, and Mills had good technique throughout this game.

In the other boat was Carolina Panthers rookie Daryl Worley. Worley allowed just one of seven targets to be completed, but he benefited greatly from several being dropped. He was charged with three blown coverages for being out of position to challenge the catch. The one completion allowed was a first down as well. Worley's play must improve, or offenses won't take long to take advantage of his sloppiness.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Tavon Young	BAL	22	21	16	5	9	73	1	↔
2	Jalen Mills	PHI	16	18	16	6	9	65	6	↑
3	Artie Burns	PIT	17	18	15	5	9	64	9	↑
4	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	16	15	17	6	9	63	10	↑
5	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	17	17	15	5	9	63	2	↓
6	Eli Apple	NYG	16	15	16	6	9	62	5	↓
7	James Bradberry	CAR	15	16	14	5	9	59	3	↓
8	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CLE	15	15	15	5	9	59	NR	↑
9	Daryl Worley	CAR	13	13	15	5	9	55	NR	↑
10	Kendall Fuller	WAS	13	14	13	5	9	54	NR	↑
11	Mackensie Alexander	MIN	12	12	14	5	9	52	8	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Rashard Robinson—injury

Notable Performances

Vernon Hargreaves

Week 10 featured a better performance than the previous one for Tampa's Vernon Hargreaves. In 21 coverage snaps, Hargreaves allowed two of seven targets to be completed. Typically that would lead to a higher grade, as he was in good position for four of the targets. But he blew two others. His consistency leaves plenty of room for improvement before he can be considered a standout starter.

James Bradberry

Though the raw coverage numbers were stronger for Worley, his teammate, James Bradberry was the best Panthers cornerback this week. He played a majority of snaps in off-coverage, with only nine snaps in press. The 6'1" corner disrupted two of the five targets thrown his way and allowed only two first downs.

Mackensie Alexander

Minnesota's Mackensie Alexander had a rough showing in just seven coverage snaps, earning our lowest rookie cornerback grade of the week. The Eagles picked on him, and he blew three coverages on four targets. He allowed a first down on each completion, which is unacceptable. He was benched in the second half.

Jalen Ramsey

Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey shadowed DeAndre Hopkins for the majority of the game and held his own. He gave up three catches, but none of those went for double digits. Ramsey also broke up a pass. However, he was flagged for two penalties. If not for those, this grade would've been higher.

Free Safeties

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Titans safety Kevin Byard made plenty of flash plays that earned him a lot of praise. He also registered the first sack of his career. He came free on a well-designed safety blitz, but taking down Aaron Rodgers, even when unblocked, is no small feat.

He also flashed on a screen play in the third quarter. Byard was the first defender to react and worked through traffic to make a tackle to limit the play to a minimal gain. Byard had a similar effort on a draw play in the fourth quarter. 

But he still had negative plays that weren't obvious on first look. On Rodgers' long touchdown run, Byard had a chance to make a tackle as the quarterback began to scramble. As Rodgers passed the line of scrimmage, Byard approached him but was fooled by a fake pitch to the outside. Byard couldn't recover, allowing Rodgers to run for a 20-yard touchdown.

He also had a chance to save James Starks' touchdown, which came on a screen pass. Byard read the screen and broke down from his deep-half assignment to attempt a tackle. But Starks made a simple cut inside, and Byard couldn't adjust.

New Orleans' Vonn Bell continues to battle the ups and downs of being a rookie and adjusting to life in the NFL. In the first quarter against Denver, he bit heavily on a play-action fake, vacating his zone. That allowed a receiver to run behind him and make an easy first-down catch. But he negated that play a few series later with a good read on a tight end crossing route, breaking down quickly on it from his deep-half position to make a tackle just after the ball arrived.

Similarly in the third quarter, Bell reacted quickly to a spot route underneath and broke it. He managed to get there in time to break up the pass.

However, that positive play was canceled out later when he attempted to fill from deep on a run play. He made up the ground in time to engage with the runner before the first-down marker but dropped his head and went for the big hit. The back bounced off it, but fortunately for Bell, other teammates arrived and made the tackle to save the first down.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Kevin Byard	TEN	24	22	6	15	8	75	2	↑
2	Vonn Bell	NO	22	21	6	16	8	73	5	↑
3	Andrew Adams	NYG	21	21	5	16	8	71	1	↓
4	Kentrell Brice	GB	22	21	4	14	8	69	4	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• T.J. Green—bye
• Cody Davis—insufficient snaps
• Justin Simmons—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Kevin Byard

Week 10 Stats: 7 tackles, 1 sack

Byard is making more flash plays and improving in coverage each week. He matched up well against the Packers tight ends. He stuck close to two different out routes by tight ends and gave Rodgers no throwing window.

In the fourth quarter, Byard sat in zone coverage on two plays in a row and broke down quickly on stick routes, making tackles immediately after the ball arrived on both occasions. His tackling is also getting better. But he still needs to be careful with biting on play-action fakes and misdirection, which caught him off guard a couple of times against Green Bay.

Vonn Bell

Week 10 Stats: 6 tackles, 1 PBU

Bell still has issues with consistency. When he flashes, he can do so in a big way. He broke up a pass on an underneath spot route thanks to an excellent read and quick break on the throw. He also made a smart play in zone coverage, peeling off the outside receiver and working inside to the tight end stick route. The ball was poorly thrown, but Bell nearly managed to get an interception.

But when Bell makes mistakes, they can be costly, which is often the case given the nature of the position. He has struggled with play action all season and fell victim to it early in the game, vacating his zone and allowing a receiver to make an uncontested catch for a first down.

Strong Safeties

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta's Keanu Neal had a solid performance despite being taken out of his normal in-the-box role. The Falcons have done a great job creating a role for him in a similar fashion to that of Seattle's Kam Chancellor. He's thrived closer to the line of scrimmage and in underneath zones, but this week, the Falcons asked him to fill a different role. 

He played deeper, often as part of two-deep safety looks and coverages. He was solid there but wasn't able to have the same impact he usually does when he plays closer to the line.

He played his part, staying on top of deeper routes and forcing Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz to look underneath for checkdown options. He still displayed the traits typically seen from him: quick breaks on throws and big hits, but he could have been used better in his normal role.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Sean Davis has split time between corner and safety. His performances have been inconsistent as he adapts to the switch, but this week, the Steelers found a nice balance between the slot corner and safety roles that he had been filling and combined them almost as a hybrid.

They took advantage of his versatility and used him at times to cover Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. One particular play stood out in the first quarter as Davis was isolated against Witten on a hitch route. Davis played the route well and was in position to contest a better throw, but the ball was overthrown.

Davis also displayed a good alertness to run plays, especially when lined up outside in the slot. A number of times, he was able to peel off his assignment to get back inside and fill in on run plays and make tackles.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Sean Davis	PIT	20	20	15	16	6	77	3	↑
2	Keanu Neal	ATL	19	19	15	16	6	75	1	↓
3	Will Parks	DEN	17	17	15	16	6	71	5	↑
4	Derrick Kindred	CLE	17	17	14	15	6	69	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Karl Joseph—bye

Notable Performances

Keanu Neal

Week 10 Stats: 9 tackles, 1 PBU

Neal was misused this week. He played well and still had good stats, but he didn't have quite the same impact he normally does when he's allowed to play closer to the line of scrimmage. He still filled in on runs well and made tackles, despite often having to come from deep to do so.

He also landed a huge hit on a Jordan Matthews dig route that separated the ball from the receiver to break up the pass. But the Falcons would be better suited to shifting Neal back to his in-the-box role and allow him to have a bigger impact on the game.

Sean Davis

Week 10 Stats: 6 tackles

Davis had his best performance this week. He appeared to thrive in a hybrid safety-slot corner role. His awareness was good, particularly against screen passes. In the first quarter, he was the first to react to a screen and made sure to take outside leverage on his blocker, forcing the ball-carrier to cut back inside toward the rest of the defense.

Later in the fourth quarter, he read a bubble screen to Cole Beasley in the slot and quickly broke on it, making a tackle at the line of scrimmage for no gain.

He needs to work on his eye discipline, though. On Dez Bryant's touchdown in the third quarter, Davis was the single deep safety. Initially, he followed the quarterback's eyes to the seam route on the right of the formation. But Davis took his eyes off the quarterback before he threw the ball, assuming it was going to that seam route, and broke on it.

Instead, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott felt pressure and scrambled to his left before delivering a pass down the sideline to Bryant. Davis was late to realize what had happened and had no chance to get back over to save the touchdown.

Special Teams

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Kickers

It was a perfect week for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Roberto Aguayo, who made two short field goals and all four extra points en route to a top-10 finish. Aguayo's stats are still below average for an NFL kicker, but this is the kind of performance he needs to start turning in on a regular basis. There are still concerns regarding his follow-through, but for now, he appears to have his timing down and seems to be in a better place mentally regarding his kicking. 

New Orleans' Wil Lutz saw an extra point blocked this week, but it was through no fault of his own, as a hurdling defender leaped over the offensive line. Other than that, he had an uneventful day, making a 30-yard field goal and two extra points. While the blocked PAT will show up in the stats as a miss for Lutz, it is not something that should concern him, and he is likely to continue with minimal disruption.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Roberto Aguayo	TB	31	34	5	3	73	2	↑
2	Wil Lutz	NO	31	30	5	3	69	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Roberto Aguayo

Week 10 Stats: 2-of-2 FG, 4-of-4 PAT

Aguayo wasn't challenged, but he made every kick he was supposed to. He needs to show he can do it multiple weeks in a row, though, and on more difficult kicks.

Wil Lutz

Week 10 Stats: 1-of-1 FG, 2-of-3 PAT

The blocked extra point was due to a phenomenal defensive effort, but Lutz did everything necessary on all of his kicks.

Punters

San Diego's Drew Kaser showed his leg strength and hang time, posting one of the top scores of the week, primarily because of his distance. While Kaser played well during the preseason, his rookie campaign has been marred by inconsistency and mental lapses.

None of those were present this week, and this could be a springboard game for him into the second half. Kaser needs to continue to improve his ball placement, but the power he displayed was impressive.

The New York Jets' Lachlan Edwards and Denver Broncos' Riley Dixon continue their topsy-turvy campaigns, with Dixon posting one of the weaker scores of the week, one game after being just outside the top 10. He showed poor hang time and directional control, and his ball placement has come and gone from week to week. He is likely a league-average punter in the long run, but there are more of these games to come before he gets there.

Edwards, on the other hand, bounced back from a terrible effort in Week 9 to show a slightly above-average performance this week, but he is more likely to regress than build on this, as he has never demonstrated leg strength of this caliber over an extended period of time.

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 10

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Drew Kaser	SD	19	16	30	3	3	71	3	↑
2	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	15	15	32	3	3	68	2	↔
3	Riley Dixon	DEN	13	10	27	3	3	56	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Drew Kaser

This was a performance that showed Kaser's true talent level, though his ball placement still needs improvement. It was a step forward, but it must be cemented with another strong showing.

Lachlan Edwards

Edwards was much improved from Week 9, but the question with him has always been whether he can string two strong weeks together. He's still raw.

Riley Dixon

Dixon was subpar in all phases of grading, but this is to be expected from rookies from time to time. He's a technically sound punter, but if his technique is off, he does not have the athleticism to make up for it.