2022 NFL Rookies Who Are Earning More Playing Time
Three games into the 2022 NFL season it's clear that some rookies are starting to get comfortable with life in the league.
Coaching staffs and teams might be hesitant to put too much on a rookie too early in the season, but as we approach the first quarter of the season, young players always begin to demand playing time with their performance.
Obviously, some rookies are pressed into action right away. Players like Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson and Derek Stingley Jr. were starters from Day 1.
There are others who are proving they aren't far from that kind of status right now. We'll focus on players playing less than 60 percent of their team's offensive or defensive snaps.
Whether they are proving to be better than the veteran in front of them or are shining in a small sample size, these rookies are forcing their way into a bigger role.
RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills
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NFL coaches can be an unforgiving bunch so it should come as no surprise that James Cook fumbling his first carry in the league got his career off on the wrong foot.
Cook coughed up the ball on his first touch in Week 1 and didn't see another carry.
The good news for him—and the Bills who drafted him in the second round of the draft—is that he's been involved in the offense in each of the last two weeks.
Cook is not getting a huge share of the snaps. He's played just 15 percent thus far. But when he's on the field they are looking to get him the ball.
In Week 2, he was on the field for 18 snaps and saw 11 carries with one target in the passing game. So they gave him the ball or looked his way on 66 percent of the plays he was on the field. He saw another ridiculous share of touches in Week 3 when he was targeted five times with one carry on 11 snaps.
He's making the most of his limited opportunities right now with 4.5 yards per carry and 7.5 yards per target. His role should only increase as he gets more comfortable in pass protection and the nuances of the NFL game.
DT Jordan Davis, Philadelphia Eagles
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Just how much of a workload Jordan Davis could handle was a lightning-rod discussion during the pre-draft process.
The 6'6", 336-pound defensive tackle is a unique prospect in his enormous stature and athleticism, but it was fair to question how many snaps he can play while remaining effective. He was a part-time player at Georgia, playing just 38 percent of the snaps on their national championship team.
So the question isn't whether Davis should be playing more, it's if he can handle it.
He's certainly proven that he needs to be on the field as much as possible. He's playing just 32 percent of the snaps but registered three hurries and a batted pass against the Washington Commanders in Week 3.
That's on top of his phenomenal play against the run. Davis is the anchor in the run game that he was expected to be based on his film. In Week 1, the Eagles allowed just 2.9 yards per carry when he was on the field and 10 yards per rush when he was off it.
The Eagles have a talented defensive line so it's fine that Davis continues to rotate. But right now he's fifth in that rotation. That needs to change.
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets
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Despite leading all running backs in targets, Breece Hall has only played in 42 percent of the New York Jets offensive snaps.
That's a number that can't continue for the rest of the season.
Hall has been every bit as dynamic as advertised coming out of Iowa State. His abilities as a pass-catcher out of the backfield are clear. He has the ability to run real routes that get him open against linebackers.
But all of his work in the passing game shouldn't discount what he can do as a runner. He's only had 21 carries on the season but he's averaging 5.3 yards on those touches. According to Player Profiler, Hall is ninth in the league in breakaway run rate and seventh in yards created per touch.
The problem is that he's still stuck in a timeshare with Michael Carter II who has been fine in his own right. He's 19th in yards created per touch but seventh in breakaway run rate.
Still, it's Hall with the higher upside and as long as he continues to show it, he needs to see an increasing share of the backfield action.
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S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
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Kyle Hamilton's draft day slide to the 14th overall selection was a bit surprising. He was the No. 7 player on the B/R final big board. Then there were reports that Hamilton had some rough days in training camp.
So when Hamilton only played 50 percent of the defensive snaps in the season opener and was forced to wait behind Chuck Clark, it looked like the league might have been right to wait on drafting him.
However, Hamilton has started to show why he was so highly ranked coming out of Notre Dame. He's PFF's seventh-highest-graded safety in the league which includes a coverage grade over 90 against the Patriots in Week 3.
He also forced his first turnover, punching the ball out of Nelson Agholor's hands.
Hamilton has showcased the range and play-making ability that made him a first-round pick. Now it's time for the Ravens to reward that with more runs.
A more even split with Chuck Clark, who has played every snap, is a logical starting point.
Edge Boye Mafe, Seattle Seahawks
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Sitting at 1-2 with a defense that just gave up 179 yards on the ground to the Atlanta Falcons, it's clear the Seattle Seahawks need to make some changes on defense.
One of those changes should be to get rookie Boye Mafe on the field more.
The Minnesota product has logged 31 percent of the defensive snaps, registering seven tackles and a sack with a tackle for loss and three hurries thrown in for good measure. In other words, he hasn't seen the field a ton but when he does, he's making his presence known.
As Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic noted, Mafe was the only player to make a tackle for no gain on a designed running play for a running back against the Falcons.
Head coach Pete Carroll has liked what he's seen so far. He told the media, “You’re going to see more Boye. He did well again in the spots we’re playing him in," per Dugar.
The Seahawks used a second-round pick on Mafe and clearly have issues with their run defense. It makes sense to utilize him more heavily in the rotation given what he's shown so far.
WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
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Alec Pierce's rookie season got off to a rough start, but there's still plenty of time for him to turn out a solid debut campaign.
Pierce was a ghost in Week 1. He started the game and saw just two targets, failing to bring down either of them. Then he missed Week 2 entirely with a concussion.
The rookie experienced a mini-breakout game in Week 3, though. He still only saw 45 percent of the offensive snaps, but he brought in three of his five targets for 61 yards, including a nice go route along the sideline in which he showcased his ability to win at the catch point.
Pierce admitted logging his first NFL reception relieved a lot of pressure.
"Yeah, it felt good for sure," Pierce said, per Andrew Walker of Colts.com. "That's kind of what I was focused on, was just going out there and just trying not to be in my head and thinking as much, and just go out there and play ball. It's the same thing I've been doing all my life."
The Colts desperately need a second option to emerge in the passing game alongside Michael Pittman Jr. With Pierce offering a spark, Matt Ryan threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a win over the Chiefs.
That should be enough to get the Colts season back on track after starting 0-1-1 against the Texans and Jaguars. Pierce could play a big role in that moving forward.
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