NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 14

After watching Atlanta Falcons inside linebacker Deion Jones through his rookie season, I had to adjust my expectations on a weekly basis because Jones was developing so well in head coach Dan Quinn's defense.

A lighter, faster linebacker as opposed to a run-stopping bruiser, the 6'1", 222-pound Jones had a few issues with field-reading and recognition early in the season. There were times when he'd outrun his knowledge and have to recover.

But his learning curve has been impressive, especially over the last month. He's now been the NFL1000's top rookie in two of the last three weeks. Against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, it all came together.

He returned an interception of a Jared Goff pass 33 yards for a touchdown—but he is about more than splash and flash. Watch how he diagnoses the route concept and the coverage, and watch how his coverage abilities allow the Falcons staff to roll defensive backs around him and align in more versatile coverages, and you begin to see his overall value.

Whether it's sticking his nose in to stop the run, demolishing receivers on quick screens or dropping into coverage from the middle to the numbers, Jones has matched his athleticism with technique, and it's great to see. I wrote this week that he should be named the Defensive Rookie of the Year despite the high number of first-year defenders on other teams performing well.

While Atlanta's defensive rookie haul has been spectacular, the Chicago Bears have a few things to brag about as well. Not only have linebackers Leonard Floyd and Nick Kwiatkoski performed well (they're our second- and fifth-ranked rookies this week, respectively), cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc may be the best story. Undrafted out of Florida Atlantic, LeBlanc was originally picked up as a free agent by the New England Patriots but didn't make final cuts.

The Bears signed him because they were impressed by his work when the teams practiced against each other and how he played in the second preseason game.

"He's a guy that our college scouts liked coming out in the process and he's a guy obviously in the preseason that just jumped out," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said in September, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. 

"He's a bit undersized, but he's extremely sudden, he's very sticky in mirroring routes and he's got excellent ball skills," Pace continued. "He just has a knack for going and getting the ball. And that's been an emphasis on our defense right now. Something that we want to improve on is ball skills and he definitely has that and that's why he's here."

The Bears put LeBlanc to work right away with a heavy snap count in coordinator Vic Fangio's defense, and he's responded with outstanding play of late. In his last four games, LeBlanc has given up just eight catches on 17 targets for 56 yards, plucked an interception and allowed an opposing quarterback rating of 30.5—the lowest rating allowed by any cornerback over that period. He ranks third in this week's Rookie Review after his great work against the Detroit Lions.

It goes to show that if you're playing well, you'll eventually get your chance to shine…and it proves even the great Bill Belichick whiffs on player evaluation once in a while.

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

Advanced stats provided by Pro Football Focus. Cornerback stats compiled by B/R scouts.

Biggest Movers Heading into Week 15

Norm Hall/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 their draft position? With the weekly NFL1000 Rookie Review, we'll look to do both while keeping track of the stars of the 2016 draft. Part of that process is to align players with their draft positions relative to their on-field performance. 

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

Our Week 14 Rookie Review reveals a number of players who have taken major steps forward in their professional development. Here are five of the biggest movers and shakers.

1. Cre'Von LeBlanc, CB, Chicago Bears

2016 Draft Position: UDFA

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 3

What Happened: An undersized (5'10", 190 lbs), undrafted afterthought from Florida Atlantic, Cre'Von LeBlanc was a solid player for the Bears early in his rookie season, with unexpectedly high snap counts in the early going.

LeBlanc showed himself to be a fine slot defender in the first few weeks, but it's what he's doing in outside coverage of late that has people paying attention. Against the Lions on Sunday, he allowed three catches on eight targets for 24 yards. He had three passes defensed, came away with an interception and allowed a ridiculous opposing passer rating of 6.3. He's become a player to watch.

2. Vonn Bell, FS, New Orleans Saints

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

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 4

What Happened: Only the San Diego Chargers' Dwight Lowery had a higher grade among all free safeties than Vonn Bell's 77 in Week 14. Bell far and away had the best grade among rookies, with the Tennessee Titans' Kevin Byard coming in five points below.

New Orleans' defensive staff was cautious with Bell through his first few games, which is part of the reason he's had an up-and-down season. But against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bell had success as a pass-rusher with one sack and two quarterback hurries, and he allowed just half his six targets to be completed, for 44 yards and an opposing passer rating of 74.3.

3. Vadal Alexander, OG, Oakland Raiders

2016 Draft Position: 234 (seventh round, 13th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 14

What Happened: Vadal Alexander had a season-high snap count of 67 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he was facing one of the top teams of pass-rushers in the NFL. While he did allow a handful of pressures (pass-blocking is not yet a strong suit), he also displayed the kind of pure power that makes him a natural fit in Oakland's blocking scheme.

He seems to have transcended the concerns about his athleticism that dogged him predraft and caused him fall to the seventh round. Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie got himself a bargain because he runs a franchise that now believes in player development.

4. Robert Kelley, RB, Washington Redskins

2016 Draft Position: UDFA

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 22

What Happened: Robert Kelley has just 255 snaps this season, but with his combination of short-area speed and power, he'll start getting more reps in Washington's undefined backfield. He had an outstanding three-game stretch against the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers earlier in the year.

Though his stats against the Philadelphia Eagles' tough run defense didn't blow anyone's mind (63 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, plus two catches for 25 yards), he had a fabulous 22-yard touchdown in which he moved decisively through open gaps, took angles quickly and beat tackles near the goal line. Head coach Jay Gruden said he wants to get Kelley more involved, per JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic, and it's about time.

5. Maliek Collins, DT, Dallas Cowboys

2016 Draft Position: 67 (third round, fourth pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 27

What Happened: At 6'2" and 311 pounds, Maliek Collins doesn't fit the prototype of an interior gap-splitting pass-rusher. But with the help of Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli (one of the greatest line coaches of his generation), the former Nebraska star is starting to stand out. Both against the New York Giants on Sunday night and against the Vikings a week ago, Collins has shown several important attributes from the 5-technique end position, aligned between the guard and tackle to either side.

He can split double-teams with his impressive leverage and upper-body strength, and he's learning to jump gaps in zone and slide blocking. When strength meets speed and timing for defensive linemen, they become a problem for opposing offenses, and Collins is well on his way.

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 14

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Our Week 14 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 this week:

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos	Team	Pick	NFL1000 Score	LW	Moving
1	Deion Jones	ILB	ATL	52	80	NR	↑
2	Leonard Floyd	3-4 OLB	CHI	9	79	19	↑
3	Cre'Von LeBlanc	CB	CHI	UDFA	77	NR	↑
4	Vonn Bell	FS	NO	61	77	NR	↑
5	Nick Kwiatkoski	ILB	CHI	113	77	10	↑
6	Ronnie Stanley	LT	BAL	6	76	9	↑
7	Noah Spence	4-3 DE	TB	39	75	22	↑
8	Kenneth Dixon	RB	BAL	134	75	12	↑
9	Keanu Neal	SS	ATL	17	75	NR	↑
10	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	4	75	1	↓
11	Taylor Decker	LT	DET	16	74	8	↓
12	Jack Conklin	RT	TEN	8	74	NR	↑
13	Ryan Kelly	C	IND	18	73	26	↑
14	Jordan Howard	RB	CHI	150	73	6	↓
15	Vadal Alexander	OG	OAK	234	72	NR	↑
16	Kevin Byard	FS	TEN	64	72	NR	↑
17	Cody Whitehair	C	CHI	56	72	18	↑
18	Wil Lutz	K	NO	UDFA	71	29	↑
19	Roberto Aguayo	K	TB	59	71	NR	↑
20	DeForest Buckner	3-4 DE	SF	7	71	7	↓
21	Graham Glasgow	C	DET	95	71	14	↓
22	Robert Kelley	RB	WAS	UDFA	71	NR	↑
23	Tyreek Hill	WR	KC	165	70	35	↑
24	Jalen Richard	RB	OAK	UDFA	70	16	↓
25	Isaac Seumalo	OG	PHI	79	70	46	↑
26	Derrick Henry	RB	TEN	45	70	NR	↑
27	Maliek Collins	DT	DAL	67	69	NR	↑
28	Dean Lowry	3-4 DE	GB	137	69	31	↑
29	Wendell Smallwood	RB	PHI	153	69	NR	↑
30	Sterling Shepard	WR	NYG	40	69	NR	↑
31	Dwayne Washington	RB	DET	236	69	NR	↑
32	Chris Jones	3-4 DE	KC	37	69	48	↑
33	LeShaun Sims	CB	TEN	157	69	NR	↑
34	Tyler Boyd	WR	CIN	55	69	33	↓
35	George Fant	LT	SEA	UDFA	69	36	↑
36	Joshua Garnett	OG	SF	28	69	NR	↑
37	Alex Collins	RB	SEA	171	69	NR	↑
38	Emmanuel Ogbah	3-4 DE	CLE	32	69	NR	↑
39	Carson Wentz	QB	PHI	2	68	NR	↑
40	Spencer Drango	OG	CLE	168	68	NR	↑
41	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CB	CLE	UDFA	68	NR	↑
42	Matt Judon	3-4 OLB	BAL	146	68	32	↓
43	Paul Perkins	RB	NYG	149	68	30	↓
44	Robby Anderson	WR	NYJ	UDFA	68	43	↓
45	Deon Bush	SS	CHI	124	68	28	↓
46	Laremy Tunsil	OG	MIA	13	68	45	↓
47	Joey Bosa	3-4 DE	SD	3	68	47	↔
48	Myles Jack	4-3 OLB	JAX	36	67	NR	↑
49	Yannick Ngakoue	4-3 DE	JAX	69	67	NR	↑
50	Jordan Jenkins	4-3 OLB	NYJ	83	67	NR	↑

Quarterbacks

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The Eagles' Carson Wentz showed off his ability to escape pressure with decisive movements on a regular basis against Washington on Sunday. He made a number of impressive athletic plays but displayed the same inconsistencies as a passer that have plagued his season.

His accuracy was again problematic, but his two turnovers weren't a result of inaccuracy. He forced a pass to his tight end in the red zone even when the defensive back was sitting on the route, resulting in an interception. The fumble at the end of the game came because Wentz didn't feel the pressure and showed off a slow process in the pocket. 

Dak Prescott's play for the Cowboys is under more scrutiny now than it has been all season. He had a long touchdown throw that was relatively easy because his receiver was wide-open after a hard play fake. His first interception came on a good throw, but Dez Bryant slipped in his route, leaving Janoris Jenkins waiting in place for an easy catch. Prescott needs to show more to justify the Cowboys' faith in him. The passing game has been too limited as of late, and he's been a big reason why.

It's hard to argue that the Rams' Jared Goff helped keep head coach Jeff Fisher employed. Goff's performance against the Falcons had its positives, but he again showed major issues. The interception to Deion Jones was particularly problematic as he stared down his intended target and never even considered that Jones could run underneath for the comfortable interception.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Carson Wentz	PHI	15	18	13	12	10	68	5	↑
2	Dak Prescott	DAL	14	18	11	11	10	64	1	↓
3	Jared Goff	LA	12	18	10	10	10	60	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Carson Wentz

Week 14 stats: 32-of-46, 314 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Wentz's rookie season has been underwhelming. The Washington game gave you reason to be optimistic because he had a lot of good plays escaping pressure, but he continues to be limited throwing the ball downfield and was responsible for two turnovers that cost the Eagles a tight game.

Dak Prescott

Week 14 stats: 17-of-37, 165 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

One of Prescott's interceptions against the Giants wasn't his fault, but the second was. Prescott misread the coverage and threw into the heart of Cover 3 deep downfield. The play summed up Prescott's day as the Cowboys quarterback struggled to move the ball downfield with any consistency.

Jared Goff

Week 14 stats: 24-of-41, 235 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT

Goff had two interceptions against the Falcons, but the first of the two wasn't his fault. He hit a perfect throw on a slant to Kenny Britt and the ball bounced off his hands and into the waiting arms of Ricardo Allen. The second interception was completely Goff's fault as he stared down his receiver and allowed Jones to undercut the ball.

Running Backs

Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott basically wrapped up Rookie of the Year honors Sunday night against a good Giants front. He continues to maintain his high level of play and his physical nature as the season heads down the homestretch. While he has massive holes to hit because of the Cowboys' elite offensive linemen, Elliott's ability to get vertical and punish defenders on contact was evident all night. He has a chance to be a star for years. 

Jordan Howard has established himself as one of the Bears' building blocks. He made big plays all game against the Lions and is productive as a pass-catcher. The Baltimore Ravens' Kenneth Dixon and Redskins' Robert Kelley have both established themselves as the starters on their respective teams. They are excellent inside runners and have the power to break tackles on every effort.

The Titans' Derrick Henry had a productive game, but it's clear that despite being the second running back off the board in the draft, he is not as good as some of the other first-year players.

Fullbacks: The Denver Broncos' Andy Janovich was placed on IR Nov. 30, and Derek Watt played only one snap because San Diego fell behind by such a big margin early at Carolina.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	17	17	18	17	6	75	3	↑
2	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	19	18	15	17	6	75	1	↓
3	Jordan Howard	CHI	18	17	16	16	6	73	2	↓
4	Robert Kelley	WAS	19	15	15	16	6	71	NR	↑
5	Jalen Richard	OAK	18	16	15	15	6	70	4	↓
6	Derrick Henry	TEN	17	16	15	16	6	70	NR	↑
7	Wendell Smallwood	PHI	17	16	15	15	6	69	9	↑
8	Dwayne Washington	DET	17	15	15	16	6	69	NR	↑
9	Alex Collins	SEA	15	15	17	16	6	69	NR	↑
10	Paul Perkins	NYG	16	16	15	15	6	68	5	↓
11	Devontae Booker	DEN	15	14	15	14	6	64	6	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• C.J. Prosise—injury
• Andy Janovich—injury
• DeAndre Washington—insufficient snaps
• Kenyan Drake—insufficient snaps
• Derek Watt—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott

Week 14 stats: 24 carries, 107 yards

Elliott had a solid effort against the Giants. He helped the Cowboys control most of the game with his inside running and physical nature on contact against a solid defense. He did not contribute in the passing game, the one area in which he can improve.

Jordan Howard

Week 14 stats: 13 carries, 86 yards; 2 receptions, 24 yards

Howard was good against the Lions, a divisional opponent. He continues to run hard, make big plays and give the Bears an explosive option on offense. He had a big effort in the passing game on a 19-yard gain.

Kenneth Dixon

Week 14 stats: 11 carries, 39 yards; 8 receptions, 42 yards

Dixon was the only consistent offensive player for Baltimore against New England. He is becoming the full-time running back, showing the ability to run inside and out. He was productive in the passing game, breaking tackles all night.

Wide Receivers

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Another week, another game without a catch for Vikings first-round pick Laquon Treadwell. He played only 11 snaps on offense and didn't receive a target. At this point, it's a lost season for him.

Sterling Shepard continues to make big plays for the Giants. Out of the slot, he beat the Cowboys' Orlando Scandrick on 4th-and-short to keep a drive going. Shepard finished with the second-most snaps for the Giants at receiver and figures to be the long-term option opposite of Odell Beckham Jr.

In the AFC, the Chiefs' Tyreek Hill continues to impress. The speedster from West Alabama caught all six of his targets for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders, with the score coming on a well-executed post route against a Cover 4 look from Oakland.

The Bengals' Tyler Boyd might have turned in his best game as a pro, catching all six of his targets for 49 yards. He shows a near mastery of the pivot or whip route. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Tyreek Hill	KC	18	18	13	12	9	70	3	↑
2	Sterling Shepard	NYG	18	18	13	11	9	69	9	↑
3	Tyler Boyd	CIN	18	18	12	12	9	69	1	↓
4	Robby Anderson	NYJ	16	20	12	11	9	68	6	↑
5	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	17	16	11	12	9	65	5	↔
6	Will Fuller	HOU	16	16	11	13	9	65	4	↓
7	Mike Thomas	LA	16	16	13	10	9	64	NR	↑
8	Corey Coleman	CLE	16	15	12	12	9	64	NR	↑
9	Pharoh Cooper	LA	16	17	12	10	9	64	NR	↑
10	Alex Erickson	CIN	15	14	12	12	9	62	12	↑
11	Chester Rogers	IND	15	15	11	11	9	61	NR	↑
12	Charone Peake	NYJ	15	15	11	11	9	61	13	↑
13	Cody Core	CIN	15	14	11	12	9	61	8	↓
14	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	14	14	11	11	9	59	NR	↑
15	Rashard Higgins	CLE	14	14	11	11	9	59	NR	↑
16	Laquon Treadwell	MIN	12	12	10	11	9	54	15	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Michael Thomas—injury
• Braxton Miller—injury
• Johnny Holton—insufficient snaps
• Demarcus Robinson—insufficient snaps
• Chris Moore—insufficient snaps
• Kalif Raymond—insufficient snaps
• Ricardo Louis—insufficient snaps
• Jakeem Grant—insufficient snaps
• Leonte Carroo—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Sterling Shepard

Week 14 stats: 3 receptions, 39 yards

Shepard has established himself as the No. 2 target for Eli Manning, who trusts the rookie in big moments. Shepard caught a key fourth-down pass that allowed the Giants to get a field goal in the third quarter against Dallas.

Pharoh Cooper

Week 14 stats: 3 receptions, 22 yards

The Rams' Pharoh Cooper caught all three of his passes late in the fourth quarter, but he was able to take one short pass for 19 yards. He's a slot receiver who is buried on the depth chart.

Mike Thomas

Week 14 stats: 1 reception, 16 yards

Mike Thomas is primarily a kick returner for the Rams. His only catch came in garbage time against the Falcons.

Tyler Boyd

Week 14 stats: 6 receptions, 49 yards

Boyd continues to see the bulk of action in the slot for the Bengals, catching all six of his targets against the Cleveland Browns. He is adept at running the pivot or whip route, which he showed again in the snow Sunday.

Tyreek Hill

Week 14 stats: 6 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD

Hill caught a big score against the Raiders on Thursday night on a well-executed post route against a Cover 4 look. His speed gives the Chiefs the ability to change the course of a game on any given play.

Robby Anderson

Week 14 stats: 6 receptions, 99 yards

Robby Anderson might have turned in a bigger game Sunday were it not for a few passes he failed to catch. But his relationship with New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty shows, as he saw a team-high 11 targets. Anderson also shows a knack for winning at the catch point, and his two biggest plays came in contested situations.

Tight Ends

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

The Chargers' Hunter Henry had only two catches against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, but one of them went for a touchdown, his sixth overall. His best work this week came as a blocker, as the rookie from Arkansas is developing that aspect of his game nicely.

Austin Hooper saw three targets Sunday but only secured one for five yards. The good news is he is becoming the Falcons' most-used tight end, so bigger days are coming. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Hunter Henry	SD	12	16	12	19	6	65	2	↑
2	Alex Ellis	JAX	11	14	11	18	6	60	4	↑
3	Austin Hooper	ATL	11	14	12	17	6	60	6	↑
4	Nick Vannett	SEA	13	13	11	16	6	59	1	↓
5	Stephen Anderson	HOU	11	14	11	14	6	56	5	↑
6	Temarrick Hemingway	LA	11	12	10	16	6	55	NR	↑
7	Jerell Adams	NYG	15	15	12	16	6	64	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Seth DeValve—insufficient snaps
• Thomas Duarte—inactive

Notable Performances

Austin Hooper

Week 14 stats: 1 reception, 5 yards

Hooper out-snapped Levine Toilolo in this contest, 42-25, but was limited to three targets.

Hunter Henry

Week 14 stats: 2 receptions, 13 yards, 1 TD

Henry saw five targets from Philip Rivers this week, catching two of them, including one for his sixth NFL touchdown. He also is developing well as a blocker and looks to be the tight end of the future in San Diego.

Jerell Adams

Week 14 stats: 2 receptions, 11 yards

Clearly behind Will Tye, the Giants' Jerell Adams is creating a role as an average blocker who has receiving ability.

Offensive Tackles

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Taylor Decker of the Lions notched his 13th straight start, this one coming against NFC North rival Chicago. Decker had a pair of holding penalties and ran into struggles against Leonard Floyd, but for the most part played well.

The Ravens' Ronnie Stanley started his sixth consecutive game since returning from injury and was outstanding against New England on Monday Night Football.

Jack Conklin and the Titans returned from a Week 13 bye to take on the Broncos. The game signified Conklin's 13th start as a pro, and it wasn't easy. He went against Von Miller most of the contest, and Tennessee made sure Conklin had help. In the running game, Conklin was solid. Usually, he is above-average or even dominant, but the Broncos defenders did a good job of getting off blocks and locating the ball.

The Seattle Seahawks' George Fant started against Green Bay, his seventh straight. Fant continues to show weekly improvement, but he has a lot of work to do to build his pass-protection skill set. That was evident against the Packers, as his opponent beat him a couple of times at the snap.

Philadelphia's Halapoulivaati Vaitai was inactive with a knee injury. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ronnie Stanley	BAL	LT	20	18	14	16	8	76	2	↑
2	Taylor Decker	DET	LT	18	19	14	15	8	74	1	↓
3	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	17	21	16	13	7	74	NR	↑
4	George Fant	SEA	LT	16	17	13	15	8	69	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Ronnie Stanley

Week 14 stats: 70 plays (55 pass), 2 pressures, 0 sacks

Stanley continues to show great range in pass protection and an above-average skill set overall. Stanley's strength is that he is technically sound and can always rely on being in the right position with his feet, which allows him to effectively use his hands.

There are not many holes in his game, which is rare for a rookie. The Ravens have turned into a team that airs out the ball, and Stanley is asked to protect on an island without help often, at which he has excelled.

Offensive Guards

Norm Hall/Getty Images

Guard may be one of healthiest positions in the league in terms of pure rookie quantity. We routinely see a sturdy amount of first-year players in the rankings, both as regular starters and at key depth options. This week saw the introduction of one new player, with seven of our regulars. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Vadal Alexander	OAK	17	18	18	12	7	72	NR	↑
2	Isaac Seumalo	PHI	15	18	16	14	7	70	6	↑
3	Joshua Garnett	SF	13	18	17	14	7	69	7	↑
4	Spencer Drango	CLE	15	16	16	14	7	68	NR	↑
5	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	16	14	16	15	7	68	5	↔
6	Germain Ifedi	SEA	12	17	16	13	7	65	1	↓
7	Joe Thuney	NE	12	14	12	16	7	61	8	↑
8	Joe Haeg	IND	12	13	13	15	7	60	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Vadal Alexander

Many joked about how Vadal Alexander would hold up in a start against a tough division rival in a key game, and even I admit I was skeptical given the issues I saw on his tape at LSU. But Alexander looked like a natural fit in Oakland's power scheme, showing off impressive punch and leg drive against Kansas City's physical front.

Joshua Garnett

Joshua Garnett continues to be maddeningly inconsistent for the 49ers. He flashes dominance as a run-blocker, but his footwork puts him in bad positions in pass protection.

Joe Thuney

The Patriots' Joe Thuney has had a rough couple of weeks after a promising start to his career, struggling with the raw strength and power of the Ravens' front Monday night.

Centers

Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Graham Glasgow of the Lions has performed well at left guard through the last two months, but he moved inside to center last Sunday against the Bears after starter Travis Swanson's concussion put him out of the action. The rookie had perhaps the best game of his NFL career.

In 72 snaps, Glasgow refused to allow a single pressure (the first time this year he's done that) and he performed well in the run game. The Michigan alum did play some center in college and was thought to be a potential replacement for Swanson before the incumbent embarked on the bounce-back year he's currently enjoying. 

Neither Austin Blythe nor Joey Hunt (the only other rookies besides Glasgow, Cody Whitehair and Ryan Kelly to see substantive snaps at center) got on the field this week. But our consistent rookies had good outings, coming in at fifth and sixth overall at the position in Week 14. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ryan Kelly	IND	19	16	16	16	6	73	2	↑
2	Cody Whitehair	CHI	16	18	16	16	6	72	1	↓
3	Graham Glasgow	DET	18	15	17	15	6	71	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Ryan Kelly

The Colts were awful up front this week, but Kelly managed to hold his own with almost no help.

Cody Whitehair

The Bears' Whitehair plays a lot better with Josh Sitton next to him. With Sitton back healthy, Whitehair had a consistent week. The tackles are nothing to write home about, but this could be a special interior group, especially when Kyle Long returns.

Graham Glasgow

Glasgow moved inside for the first time in the regular season, replacing Swanson. The rookie adapted well to the position he also played in college, allowing no sacks, hits or hurries in 72 snaps.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

This might have been the best overall week from the rookie 3-4 defensive end class, from a pure numbers and functional talent perspective.

We had standouts like the 49ers' DeForest Buckner, Packers' Dean Lowry, Chiefs' Chris Jones, Browns' Emmanuel Ogbah and Chargers' Joey Bosa, while the likes of the Bears' Jonathan Bullard and 49ers' Ronald Blair played significantly more reps this week than in previous games. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	DeForest Buckner	SF	12	16	21	15	7	71	1	↔
2	Dean Lowry	GB	12	16	21	13	7	69	2	↔
3	Chris Jones	KC	13	17	19	13	7	69	4	↑
4	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	12	16	18	16	7	69	NR	↑
5	Joey Bosa	SD	13	16	19	13	7	68	3	↓
6	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	11	15	19	14	7	66	NR	↑
7	Ronald Blair	SF	11	15	20	13	7	66	5	↓
8	Carl Nassib	CLE	11	12	16	13	7	59	NR	↑
9	Adolphus Washington	BUF	9	12	16	12	7	56	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

DeForest Buckner

Week 14 stats: 11 tackles, 2 sacks

Buckner has established himself as the best true 3-4 defensive end in this rookie class, and his performance this weekend against the Jets furthered that notion. Buckner, who was rarely rotated off the field, compiled double-digit tackles and posted two sacks for San Francisco's struggling defense.

Dean Lowry

Week 14 stats: 2 tackles, 1 sack

Lowry has been a rotational player for the majority of the Packers' season, but as a big end in their mostly one-gapping scheme, the 6'6", 296-pounder took advantage of Seattle's lack of talent up front and disrupted both the run and pass. He even registered a sack, his second in two weeks—an impressive feat for a rookie non-pass-rusher.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Two rookies make up this entire class, as they're the ones making consistent impact.

Jacksonville's Yannick Ngakoue is one of the only bright spots on a bad Jaguars team, but his flashes have been in just a couple of plays each week. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Noah Spence	TB	21	15	17	14	8	75	1	↔
2	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	20	12	14	13	8	67	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Yannick Ngakoue

Week 14 stats: Forced fumble

This was the typical game for Ngakoue. He usually has a handful of good speed rushes around the arc and has six sacks on the year. Outside of that, he disappears for stretches as he's still not an every-down defensive end.

Noah Spence

Week 14 Stats: None

In another game that Noah Spence didn't register a statistic, he was able to make an impact as a pressure player. As a third-down defender, he's one major reason the Buccaneers have allowed just 64 points in their last five games combined.

Defensive Tackles

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

The Cowboys' Maliek Collins and Panthers' Vernon Butler led the way this week among rookie defensive tackles.

Collins had a great game against the Giants as his speed and quickness was too much for their interior offensive line. Butler had a solid game as well, showing nice power and technique against the Chargers.

Oakland's Jihad Ward had a rough outing Thursday night against the Chiefs. He was routinely late off the ball, showed poor hand placement and was easily moved off the line of scrimmage on a handful of occasions. Ward has a lot of work to do before he can be a viable starter. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Maliek Collins	DAL	16	16	18	12	7	69	7	↑
2	Vernon Butler	CAR	16	16	17	11	7	67	4	↑
3	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	16	16	15	11	7	65	6	↑
4	Vincent Valentine	NE	16	15	17	10	7	65	3	↓
5	Jarran Reed	SEA	15	14	17	11	7	64	2	↓
6	Austin Johnson	TEN	14	13	17	12	7	63	NR	↑
7	Kenny Clark	GB	16	14	16	10	7	63	NR	↑
8	Sheldon Rankins	NO	15	13	15	11	7	61	1	↓
9	Michael Pierce	BAL	15	13	16	10	7	61	8	↓
10	Sheldon Day	JAX	13	14	14	10	7	58	NR	↑
11	David Onyemata	NO	14	12	15	10	7	58	NR	↑
12	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	14	13	13	10	7	57	11	↓
13	Destiny Vaeao	PHI	13	12	13	10	7	55	10	↓
14	Jihad Ward	OAK	11	12	11	9	7	50	12	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Darius Latham—injury
• Javon Hargrave—injury

Notable Performances

Maliek Collins

Week 14 stats: 2 tackles

Collins showed off his athleticism this week, running circles around the Giants offensive line at times. He looks like the future at 3-technique in Dallas.

Vernon Butler

Week 14 stats: 2 tackles (1 assisted)

Butler flashed power and technique against San Diego's heavy guard duo of D.J. Fluker and Orlando Franklin. The first-round pick has played well since being a healthy scratch a few weeks ago.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Leon Halip/Getty Images

The league's next great pass-rusher could be Leonard Floyd, who has played as well as any 3-4 outside linebacker over the last two months.

He was dominant again in Week 14, finishing with the position's second-highest score as he terrorized Matthew Stafford and the Lions. Detroit couldn't block him for long stretches. His case for Defensive Rookie of the Year grows every week.

The rest of the class lacked a definitive standout. Matt Judon makes a play or two every week for the Ravens, while the Chargers' Chris Landrum and Titans' Aaron Wallace both recorded their first career sacks in Week 14.

Shaq Lawson was disappointing during the Buffalo Bills' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Colts' Curt Maggitt has consistently graded as the worst rookie 3-4 outside linebacker. 

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Leonard Floyd	CHI	26	16	9	20	8	79	1	↔
2	Matt Judon	BAL	20	13	9	18	8	68	3	↑
3	Chris Landrum	SD	21	12	9	16	8	66	5	↑
4	Aaron Wallace	TEN	21	10	9	17	8	65	NR	↑
5	Shaq Lawson	BUF	17	12	8	16	8	61	2	↓
6	Curt Maggitt	IND	19	10	9	15	8	61	6	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Joe Schobert—insufficient snaps
• Kyler Fackrell—injury
• Dadi Nicolas—inactive
• Kevin Dodd—injury

Notable Performances

Leonard Floyd

Week 14 stats: 3 tackles, 1 pass defended

Floyd's transformation has been nothing short of incredible. Lost and lacking a plan for the first month-and-a-half of his NFL career, Floyd has since developed into one of the NFL's most consistent pass-rushers at the position.

The discovery of a counterattack and a building confidence in his natural ability appear responsible for the steady progression. Floyd didn't have a sack against the Lions, but he consistently pressured Stafford, using outside rushes and inside stunts to collapse the pocket and disrupt the passing game.

Any fears about Floyd's future have been erased. He looks like a blossoming star and a core building block for the Bears.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Myles Jack of the Jaguars has hit his stride. He's not shocking the world, but Jack has finally gotten to a point where he can consistently fulfill his assignment and minimize offensive efforts. It has been encouraging to see him round out the season as well as he has. 

Conversely, Jets linebacker Darron Lee continues to be mediocre. Throughout the year, Lee has had games where his run fits are ugly, and he had one of those efforts this week. He was constantly out of his assignment gap and tended to be too late getting over to make tackles. The Jets better hope he makes a leap next season.

The Falcons' De'Vondre Campbell had a decent rebound effort. Last week, Campbell was at a season low against the Chiefs. He bounced back a little against the Rams and re-established himself as a functional rookie linebacker.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Myles Jack	JAX	18	17	8	18	6	67	1	↔
2	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	16	17	10	18	6	67	5	↑
3	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	18	17	7	18	6	66	2	↓
4	Darron Lee	NYJ	16	14	9	18	6	63	6	↑
5	Cory Littleton	LA	15	14	7	15	6	57	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jaylon Smith—injury
• Josh Forrest—injury

Notable Performances

Myles Jack

Week 14 stats: 1 tackle

It took him a while, but Jack is taking to his position well. He's properly carrying out assignments and making sure to avoid egregious mistakes.

Jordan Jenkins

Week 14 stats: 3 tackles, 0.5 sack

As per usual, the Jets' Jordan Jenkins did a little of everything. He had the half-sack and even looked solid in coverage. It was another quality performance.

De'Vondre Campbell

Week 14 stats: 1 tackle, 1 TFL, 1 pass defended

Campbell's peaks as a pass defender are nice. He has issues with being aware of picks and rubs, but when he gets to just cover his guy, Campbell often wins. He had his sixth pass deflection of the season.

Darron Lee

Week 14 stats: 5 tackles

Lee needed to do more than just tackle. He finished some plays and helped the defense avoid giving up major gains, but he failed on a number of routine reads that led to decent chunks of yardage.

Cory Littleton

Week 14 stats: 1 tackle

Along with Rams teammate Mark Barron, Littleton was a liability in the run game. He was late to react and make plays, often allowing the Falcons to gain more yards than they should have on a given play.

Inside Linebackers

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Falcons' Deion Jones was highlighted in the NFL1000 scouting notebook this week—and for good reason. Jones had one of the best performances in coverage that I've seen all year. He recorded one interception that he returned for a touchdown and nearly added another two. 

The Rams don't possess an elite offense, but Jones was running on crossing routes with Tavon Austin and carried wheel routes from Todd Gurley up the sideline. He continues to impress as a do-it-all rookie who earned the top grade of the group this week.

Just behind Jones is another first-year player who has grown into a starter. Chicago's Nick Kwiatkoski started in place of the suspended Jerrell Freeman, and he's made quite a case to enter next season as a starter inside. He had no trouble against the 49ers last week but showed tremendous patience and mental processing skills against the Lions' talented offense.

The Chargers' Jatavis Brown saw a handful of snaps Sunday and looked every bit as comfortable in coverage as he was pre-knee injury. San Diego won't make the playoffs, but it has an exciting young defender to build around.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Deion Jones	ATL	23	29	11	11	6	80	4	↑
2	Nick Kwiatkoski	CHI	19	30	11	11	6	77	1	↓
3	Jatavis Brown	SD	18	24	9	10	6	67	NR	↑
4	Antonio Morrison	IND	17	23	9	10	6	65	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Cory James—insufficient snaps
• Tyler Matakevich—insufficient snaps
• Joshua Perry—insufficient snaps
• Su'a Cravens—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Deion Jones

Week 14 stats: 5 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD

Jones was all over the field against the Rams. He was active in coverage and nearly added another two interceptions to the one he returned for a touchdown. He continues to stand out as the best rookie inside linebacker.

Nick Kwiatkoski

Week 14 stats: 8 tackles, 1 sack

Kwiatkoski played well for the second game in a row. After beating up on the 49ers last week, Kwiatkoski proved his performance wasn't a fluke. He is relentless in pursuit of the ball and doesn't shy away from contact, which is a requirement in the NFC North.

Antonio Morrison

Week 14 stats: 9 tackles

In his first extended playing time of the season, Antonio Morrison was active but failed to show an ability to cleanly diagnose the interior run game. Morrison's continued development is crucial as the Colts try to fix an unimpressive defense.

Cornerbacks

Frederick Breedon/Getty Images

Week 14 featured the most rookie cornerback participation we've seen in 2016. Twenty first-year players saw five or more snaps, which qualified them to be graded. Most surprisingly, five of the top six cornerbacks were drafted no earlier than the fourth round.

Titans corner LeShaun Sims, Browns corner Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Jets corner Juston Burris and Cowboys corner Anthony Brown have shown upside that would have vaulted them up draft boards if teams had known their potential. Most rookies have settled in as average or lower players in our grades, but this group had several top-50 corners. 

One week doesn't determine a career or even characterize what one full season can entail, but it is interesting to see Day 2 picks like Arizona's Brandon Williams, New England's Cyrus Jones and Carolina's James Bradberry and Daryl Worley struggling consistently while later picks have played better in their opportunities. Sims was the beneficiary of the Titans' cutting Perrish Cox, and he looked like he belonged against a pair of talented Broncos receivers last week.

Sims gave up two catches on five targets for a whopping 20 yards. He also broke up a pass and was aggressive against the run, adding a tackle for loss. Sims will be important for the Titans and their playoff push.

Jones, a second-rounder from Alabama, had a rough go for the Patriots on Monday Night Football. He had special teams blunders and wasn't much better in coverage. He was caught peaking in the backfield multiple times and looked out of his element. He only played because of injuries, but it seems like it'll be the last time we see him on the field this year in New England.

Juston Burris wasn't challenged much, but the Jets rookie looked comfortable and confident in coverage. Yes, the 49ers receivers don't strike fear in the hearts of many corners, but Burris allowed eight yards in coverage on four targets. The Jets will take his giving up one catch a game.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Cre'von LeBlanc	CHI	21	23	19	5	9	77	NR	↑
2	LeShaun Sims	TEN	20	19	15	6	9	69	NR	↑
3	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CLE	19	20	15	5	9	68	NR	↑
4	Juston Burris	NYJ	18	19	16	5	9	67	NR	↑
5	Anthony Brown	DAL	18	17	17	5	9	66	NR	↑
6	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	16	17	17	6	9	65	6	↔
7	Tavon Young	BAL	17	17	15	5	9	63	2	↓
8	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	16	17	15	6	9	63	1	↓
9	Javien Elliott	TB	14	16	16	6	9	61	NR	↑
10	Rashard Robinson	SF	16	16	15	5	9	61	10	↔
11	Artie Burns	PIT	16	15	15	5	9	60	4	↓
12	Eli Apple	NYG	16	14	15	6	9	60	3	↓
13	Adairius Barnes	DET	14	15	15	5	9	58	NR	↑
14	Mike Jordan	LA	15	14	15	5	9	58	12	↓
15	Jalen Mills	PHI	13	15	15	5	9	57	14	↓
16	James Bradberry	CAR	13	14	14	5	9	55	9	↓
17	Deiondre' Hall	CHI	14	13	13	5	9	54	NR	↑
18	Daryl Worley	CAR	13	13	13	6	9	54	8	↓
19	Cyrus Jones	NE	12	12	14	5	9	52	5	↓
20	Brandon Williams	ARI	12	11	13	5	9	50	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• MacKensie Alexander—insufficient snaps
• Kendall Fuller—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Anthony Brown

A sixth-round pick of the Cowboys, Brown has stood out as an off-man corner across from Brandon Carr. Brown allowed just two of five targets to be completed and notched an interception this past week, showing a growing confidence and comfort within the defense to continue improving.

Deiondre' Hall

Deiondre' Hall saw only 10 passing snaps, but he flashed both good and bad in his limited time. The 6'2" corner is stiff and was beaten badly off the line in press coverage on the only target he saw. That'll need improvement. But his length and physicality were also a positive, as the Bears won several jams with Hall pressing.

Free Safeties

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Saints safety Vonn Bell stood out this week against Tampa Bay, showing up all over the field. He was given multiple assignments in the absence of Kenny Vaccaro, who will miss the rest of the season because of suspension.

Bell performed well in man coverage against a tight end on a curl route in the first quarter, sticking close and giving him no room as the ball sailed past incomplete. He also played well in underneath zone coverage, reacting quickly to any routes underneath and breaking down on them to make the tackle and prevent extra yards after the catch. 

Bell made an impressive play in the first quarter. He worked out to the flat as part of his zone-coverage responsibility but felt a slant route being run behind him from the outside receiver. He kept his eyes in the backfield on the quarterback and adjusted his position, sinking back inside, giving him a chance to dive and break up the pass to the slant route.

Bell was an effective blitzer, forcing Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston to scramble on one occasion while taking away his lane on a play-action bootleg. That forced Winston to step up in the pocket and quickly get rid of the ball before Bell closed on him. He finally registered a half-sack after working around a running back to meet a teammate at the quarterback.

Kevin Byard had a solid week for the Titans, though it was less eventful than Bell's. He played a lot further off the line of scrimmage than he normally would. While he has played deep, Tennessee moves him around and uses him in the box, too. This week, however, he spent a lot of time staying over the top of routes and trying to take away deep shots.

A good example of that came in the third quarter. He got himself over the top of a deep shot to Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and made the tackle after the ball had been completed. A few plays later, he made up a lot of ground to make another tackle on Thomas just short of the goal line to save a touchdown.

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)
• Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 30)
• Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 10)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie FS Rankings Week 14

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Vonn Bell	NO	24	24	6	15	8	77	4	↑
2	Kevin Byard	TEN	21	22	6	15	8	72	NR	↑
3	Kentrell Brice	GB	19	20	5	15	8	67	NR	↑
4	Justin Simmons	DEN	19	18	5	15	8	65	3	↓
5	T.J. Green	IND	18	18	5	15	8	64	1	↓
6	Andrew Adams	NYG	18	17	5	15	8	63	5	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Vonn Bell

Week 14 stats: 7 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup

Bell had a bigger role this week, and he appeared to thrive. He showed versatility, matching up well in man coverage against tight ends while also showing good zone awareness. He got a pass breakup in zone coverage, working out to the flat while feeling a slant route run behind him. Bell sunk back and closed the throwing window, diving to break up the pass before it could reach the receiver.

He was an effective blitzer, registering a few pressures and half a sack. He also blew up a screen pass, working around a block to get in position to make a tackle. The quarterback spotted him and wisely threw the ball away.

T.J. Green

Week 14 stats: 2 tackles, 1 pass breakup

T.J. Green had a rough week against the Texans at times but made a couple of solid plays in between. He gave up separation to a tight end stick route on 3rd-and-long but did well to keep the play in front of him and made the tackle to save the first down.

A few series later, Green had the same problem, giving up a catch to a tight end, but he made a tackle shortly after to protect the first down and get his defense off the field. He also managed to break up a pass, again giving up separation. This time, he managed to close quickly on the tight end and break up the pass as it arrived to save the first down again.

Strong Safeties

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Keanu Neal continued to impress in his rookie campaign. He had a few struggles early on, though. In the first quarter, he got pinned inside on an end around and couldn't get off the block. In the second quarter, Neal was fooled by a play-action bootleg. But despite biting on the run fake, he was aware of where the Rams would look to attack off the bootleg. He recovered and got back in position.

In the third quarter, he was also caught on a tight end block and struggled to get off it as the running back ran past him. 

But outside of those few plays, Neal performed well. He made his presence felt around the line of scrimmage in the run game, filling in where needed and cleaning up after runs spilled to him.

Neal was in his element in the fourth quarter, playing underneath zone coverage and quickly breaking down to underneath checkdowns. The Rams attempted to dink and dunk down the field, but every time Jared Goff looked to dump it off to an underneath spot or flat route, Neal was consistently the first to react and break on it, making the tackle almost instantly and limiting yards after the catch.

Steelers rookie Sean Davis had an up-and-down week. He flashed early in the first quarter, registering two sacks within the first few series. Both came on similar plays, with Davis lining up on the line of scrimmage outside of the right tackle. The running back worked out to Davis to pick up the blitz, but on both occasions, Davis skipped past him by working inside. The only difference between the plays was that a teammate got there first on one of them, meaning Davis split that sack.

But as the game progressed, Davis struggled. In the second quarter, he was poorly matched up against Bills receiver Sammy Watkins in the slot. Watkins would be expected to win that matchup the vast majority of the time, but Davis allowed him to cross his face far too easily in the end zone, giving up an easy touchdown.

Later, Davis was on top of a route to Bills tight end Charles Clay down the sideline. He came down to help his teammate secure the tackle but went for a big hit instead of wrapping up. He missed and took out his teammate, leaving Clay free to run into the end zone.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Keanu Neal	ATL	19	19	16	15	6	75	3	↑
2	Deon Bush	CHI	16	17	14	15	6	68	NR	↑
3	Sean Davis	PIT	15	17	15	14	6	67	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Karl Joseph—inactive
• Will Parks—insufficient snaps
• Miles Killebrew—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Keanu Neal

Week 14 stats: 8 tackles, 1 pass breakup

Neal had another solid week, albeit against weak opposition in the Rams. While he got caught on a few blocks early on, Neal found his groove and made a number of tackles in the run game. He did a good job of mopping up after the rest of the defense stuffed the run and forced a cutback to the rookie safety.

He also made a number of tackles in the fourth quarter as the Rams looked to use a short passing game to work their way down the field. He was consistently the first to react to underneath routes while in zone coverage and broke on them quickly to ensure minimal yards after the catch.

Sean Davis

Week 14 stats: 6 tackles, 2 sacks

Davis showed potential as a blitzer but struggled in coverage and with his tackling this week. As a blitzer, he beat Bills running backs in protection with inside moves twice in the first quarter, leading to two sacks. He also came free on a blitz late in the game. While Davis couldn't prevent the throw, he landed a big hit on bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, which forced his attempt to fall well short of its intended target.

Davis, however, was beaten in coverage by Sammy Watkins in the end zone, allowing him to cross his face too easily en route to a touchdown. He also missed a couple of tackles, one taking out a teammate and leading to Clay running free into the end zone for another touchdown.

Special Teams

Jason O. Watson/Getty Images

Kickers

Mark the tape and stop the presses. Both rookie kickers had strong weeks for the first time all season. Wil Lutz and Roberto Aguayo both put up grades of 71, as both were perfect.

For Lutz, this is a continuation of the strong showing he has had since Week 1, as he continues to display a strong leg with developing consistency.

For Aguayo, this reverses a trend of two weeks with one miss in each. He has now made nine of his last eleven field goals and appears to be finding tighter mechanics but still has a long way to go. 

With just three weeks left in the regular season, Lutz is likely to wind up as the top rookie kicker of 2016, as he has shown a stronger leg and better accuracy than the more heralded Aguayo. The lesson, in this case, is not that kicker evaluations shouldn't be trusted but rather that there is a surplus of kicking talent.

That means teams do not have to go through the draft to find quality specialists. The draft capital is better used in other places, and Lutz has been allowed to develop in relative obscurity rather than the bright spotlight that has been on Aguayo.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Wil Lutz	NO	32	33	3	3	71	1	↔
2	Roberto Aguayo	TB	31	34	3	3	71	2	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Wil Lutz

Week 14 stats: 3-3 FG

Lutz continues to show improvement and should be close to locking up the job for next year, barring any major problems over the last few weeks.

Roberto Aguayo

Week 14 stats: 3-3 FG, 1-1 XP

It was a bounce-back week for Aguayo, but consistency has always been the issue. He can't simply do this for one or two weeks in a row. He must prove he is capable of stringing together several accurate performances without any misses.

Punters

The Jets' Lachlan Edwards takes home the top rookie award for Week 14, though it was more due to a lack of competition than anything. Edwards showed good hang time but struggled in terms of distance. He was also average in ball placement. He possesses a capable leg that shows flashes of good power, but until he can get more consistent with his contact point, he'll continue to be in this range.

Riley Dixon continues to show a rapidly developing directional game in Denver, with above-average marks in that area this week. Unfortunately, he was significantly below average in his power stats, knocking him down from his typical spot atop the rookie rankings. This appears to be a rare down week for Dixon, as he has quietly shown that he can be a capable NFL punter with a strong directional game.

San Diego's Drew Kaser took another step back in what has been a disappointing rookie season. His struggles change from game to game, with this week's issue being poor distance and hang time, though he did show slightly improved directional ability. If I sound like a broken record, it's because Kaser has so much natural ability but has been unable to tap into it. With only three weeks to go until the offseason, time is running out for him to provide a springboard into 2017.

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 14

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	12	15	29	3	3	62	3	↑
2	Riley Dixon	DEN	9	10	36	3	3	61	1	↓
3	Drew Kaser	SD	7	10	33	3	3	56	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Lachlan Edwards

Edwards had good hang time but was pedestrian in distance and directional ability. The leg strength is there, but he needs several years of seasoning to see if he can tap into it.

Riley Dixon

Dixon's directional ability plays well even when the rest of his game is not working, which is a good sign. The arrow is pointing up even with a below-average performance for him.

Drew Kaser

Kaser is so talented but just can't avoid one or two critical mistakes per game. This week was no different, with a 30-yard punt from his own 5-yard line being the culprit.