NFL Week 8 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class Post Week 7

With many teams just one game away from the halfway points of their seasons, it's starting to become clear who the top rookies are in the NFL this year.

Each week here at Bleacher Report, I rank the top 50 overall rookies and top five at each position based upon each player’s cumulative performance for the regular season.

While rookies are still breaking out with big games every week, it's becoming increasingly difficult for emerging players to move their way toward the top of the rankings, as the standouts positioned near the peak of the list have been consistently performing at a high level since the start of the season.

That said, the rankings have also proved to be a testament to the strength of this year's group of rookies. One great game is not enough to vault a player into the top 50 unless he has the body of work to back it up, while some players who had early success have slipped down and/or out of the rankings due to inactivity or struggles on the field.

Top 50 Overall

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Sammy Watkins moved up the rankings after a big game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio retains his ranking as the top rookie this week based on his highly impressive body of work for the entire season to date, but the gap between him and the rest of the top seven rookies closed this week, as each of the six players trailing him have made solid cases for the top spot.

Bitonio did not have one of his better performances of the year Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He picked up two penalties and did not have his usual success in pass protection and run blocking. That said, the entire Cleveland Browns offensive line struggled Sunday in its first game without injured center Alex Mack; Bitonio and his linemates should play better in Week 8 after another set of practices to become a more cohesive unit.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley and Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr continued to be linchpins of their team's defenses and had highly productive performances, which will be detailed more on the linebackers slide, in Week 7. Zack Martin continued to dominate, on what has arguably become the NFL's best offensive line, as the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants to extend their league-best winning streak to six games.

The only player to drop spots in the top seven, Green Bay Packers center Corey Linsley, had a solid performance and only moved down because of spectacular performances by Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack and St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Mack had 11 tackles against the Arizona Cardinals, including three tackles for loss, while Donald invaded the Seattle Seahawks' backfield all game in a surprise win Sunday by the St. Louis Rams.

Outside of the top seven, the big mover toward the top of the list was Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who climbed five spots after catching nine passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Joel Bitonio	LG	Browns	2.3	1	Same
2	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	2	Same
3	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	3	Same
4	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	4	Same
5	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	6	Up
6	Aaron Donald	DT	Rams	1.13	7	Up
7	Corey Linsley	C	Packers	5.21	5	Down
8	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	9	Up
9	Chandler Catanzaro	K	Cardinals	N/A	10	Up
10	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	8	Down
11	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	11	Same
12	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Packers	1.21	12	Same
13	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	18	Up
14	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	15	Up
15	Russell Bodine	C	Bengals	4.11	17	Up
16	Cody Parkey	K	Eagles	N/A	19	Up
17	Calvin Pryor	SS	Jets	1.18	20	Up
18	Ja'Wuan James	RT	Dolphins	1.19	21	Up
19	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	22	Up
20	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	24	Up
21	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	13	Down
22	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	16	Down
23	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	14	Down
24	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	23	Down
25	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	33	Up
26	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	25	Down
27	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	27	Same
28	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	34	Up
29	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	29	Same
30	Justin Ellis	NT	Raiders	4.7	37	Up
31	Jarvis Landry	WR	Dolphins	2.31	41	Up
32	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	28	Down
33	Brandon Linder	RG	Jaguars	3.29	44	Up
34	T.J. Carrie	CB	Raiders	7.4	35	Up
35	Christian Kirksey	ILB	Browns	3.7	49	Up
36	Jerick McKinnon	RB	Vikings	3.32	NR	Up
37	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	39	Up
38	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	26	Down
39	Deone Bucannon	SS	Cardinals	1.27	30	Down
40	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	45	Up
41	Zach Kerr	DL	Colts	N/A	47	Up
42	Telvin Smith	LB	Jaguars	5.4	NR	Up
43	Bishop Sankey	RB	Titans	2.22	NR	Up
44	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	31	Down
45	Isaiah Crowell	RB	Browns	N/A	32	Down
46	John Brown	WR	Cardinals	3.27	42	Down
47	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	38	Down
48	Jimmie Ward	CB	49ers	1.30	36	Down
49	Trai Turner	RG	Panthers	3.28	43	Down
50	Avery Williamson	ILB	Titans	5.11	NR	Up

Players to drop out from last week's top 50 were Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier (No. 40), Cleveland Browns running back Terrance West (No. 46), Chicago Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson (No. 48) and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews (No. 50).

Quarterbacks

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Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	1
2	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	2
3	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Vikings	1.32	3
4	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	Patriots	2.30	4
5	Logan Thomas	QB	Cardinals	4.20	5

Statistically, Derek Carr, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater all had similar passing production in Week 7. Carr completed 16 of 28 passes for 173 yards, while Bortles went 17-of-31 for 159 yards. Bridgewater hit 15 of 26 attempts for 157 yards.

Bortles was the only rookie quarterback to win a game in Week 7, as his Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Cleveland Browns 24-6. However, he continued to struggle with turnovers, as he threw three interceptions to move his pick total on the season to 10, the highest in the league even though he has only played in five games.

Carr is the only one of the three currently starting rookie QBs to not yet have a win under his belt, but that has more to do with the rest of the team than it has to do with anything he is doing wrong. Despite having a weak group of offensive playmakers around him, Carr has displayed improvement and shows the potential to be the franchise signal-caller he was drafted to be.

Bridgewater, in his past two starts, has struggled the most of the trio. He hasn't gotten much help from his offensive line and was sacked five times by the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. He looked out of rhythm for just about the entire game this week. He threw interceptions to Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin on back-to-back Vikings offensive plays.

No other rookie quarterback saw playing time in Week 7.

Running Backs

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Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	1
2	Jerick McKinnon	RB	Vikings	3.32	5
3	Bishop Sankey	RB	Titans	2.22	NR
4	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	2
5	Isaiah Crowell	RB	Browns	N/A	3

 

While he didn't extend his streak of 100-yard rushing games past two, Branden Oliver continued to perform solidly in the lead back role for the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. He rushed for 67 yards on 15 carries and added 11 receiving yards on two catches in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

One rookie running back did reach a triple-digit rushing total this past week—Minnesota Vikings tailback Jerick McKinnon. Against a Buffalo Bills defense that came into the week allowing just 67.5 rushing yards per game, he ran for 103 yards on 19 carries. The explosive runner from Georgia Southern joins Oliver as the second rookie with two 100-yard rushing performances this season.

The first running back selected in this year's draft, Bishop Sankey hasn't had any spectacular performances yet for the Tennessee Titans, but the Washington product has run well enough that he should keep the lead back job even when Shonn Greene returns from a hamstring injury. Over the course of Tennessee's past five games, Sankey has rushed for 239 yards on 58 carries.

While the running back rankings were topped just two weeks ago by a trio of rookies playing their home games in the state of Ohio, none of those three runners were productive in Week 7. Jeremy Hill had just four carries for 15 yards in the Cincinnati Bengals' loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, while Isaiah Crowell gained just 18 yards on seven carries in the Cleveland Browns' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The other Cleveland rookie running back, Terrance West, has plummeted down the rankings much like he has fallen to the third-string spot on the depth chart. He ran for just eight yards on five carries Sunday. Also ahead of him on these rankings would be New York Giants back Andre Williams, who leads all rookies with 89 carries but has averaged only 3.1 yards per rushing attempt.

Wide Receivers

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Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	1
2	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	3
3	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	5
4	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	2
5	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	4

 

As discussed in Slide 1, Sammy Watkins had the standout performance among rookie wide receivers on Sunday when he had nine catches for 122 receiving yards—the most for any rookie in a single game this year—and two touchdowns, including a game-winning two-yard catch in the end zone with just one second remaining on the clock that gave the Buffalo Bills a 17-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Although his performance was outstanding, clutch and made him the rookie leader in receptions for the year, he hasn't had as consistent a body of work as Kelvin Benjamin. The Carolina rookie has been a constant source of offensive production as the Panthers' No. 1 receiver, while Watkins has traded spectacular games with quiet showings.

Benjamin, who caught three passes for 60 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, still leads all rookies with 477 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

Another rookie receiver who is quickly emerging as a consistently productive player is Jacksonville Jaguars second-round pick Allen Robinson. The Penn State product, who caught four passes for 60 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season on a 31-yard catch Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, has been the Jaguars' leading receiver in four of his team's last six games.

Tight Ends

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Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	1
2	Austin Seferian-Jenkins	TE	Buccaneers	2.6	2
3	Eric Ebron	TE	Lions	1.10	3
4	Richard Rodgers	TE	Packers	3.34	4
5	Crockett Gillmore	TE	Ravens	3.35	5

 

Jace Amaro's issues with drops continued Thursday against the New England Patriots when he let a pass go right off his hands, but even after only catching three passes for 22 yards, the New York Jets tight end continued to be the most productive rookie at his position by a wide margin.

With Austin Seferian-Jenkins' Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a bye and Detroit Lions first-round pick Eric Ebron sidelined with a hamstring injury, Amaro was the only rookie tight end to have multiple receptions in Week 7.

While he wasn't much of a factor in the Jets' loss to New England, Amaro has emerged as one of the team's go-to receiving options—he leads New York in receptions—and will likely continue to be, even with the Jets' acquisition of wide receiver Percy Harvin from the Seattle Seahawks on Friday.

Richard Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Crockett Gillmore of the Baltimore Ravens haven't done enough as either receivers or blockers to make names for themselves yet, but each rookie caught his third pass of the season to date during Week 7.

Offensive Tackles

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Offensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Ja'Wuan James	RT	Dolphins	1.19	1
2	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	3
3	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	2
4	Taylor Lewan	LT	Titans	1.11	NR
5	James Hurst	LT	Ravens	N/A	4

 

Among the rookie offensive tackles who have been starting for their teams all season, Miami Dolphins right tackle Ja'Wuan James has been by far the steadiest first-year player at the position. Although he's had his blemishes in pass protection and is not an excellent run-blocker, he's been a clear upgrade and a consistent presence for an offensive line that badly needed one.

Buffalo Bills right tackle Seantrel Henderson looked overmatched out of the gates against Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison on Sunday, but the mostly impressive seventh-round pick was able to stabilize and improve his play over the course of the game.

The same cannot be said of Week 7 performances from the three offensive tackles who dropped down the list this week.

Against a St. Louis Rams defense that came into Week 7 with just one sack on the year, Seattle Seahawks right tackle Justin Britt gave up seven quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). One of those was a sack where Rams defensive end Eugene Sims ran straight by Britt to bury Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

In a game against each other, Baltimore Ravens left tackle James Hurst and Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews both performed abysmally. Hurst, an undrafted rookie filling in for injured Eugene Monroe, committed three separate holding penalties on Sunday. Matthews played so badly that the No. 6 overall pick is now cumulatively rated by PFF as the league's worst offensive tackle this season.

Taylor Lewan has only started two games to date for the Tennessee Titans, but he's been solid so far at left tackle and looks primed to hold and succeed in that role for years to come.

Offensive Guards

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Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Joel Bitonio	LG	Browns	2.3	1
2	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	2
3	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	3
4	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	4
5	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	5

 

Providing solid play for their teams week in and week out, Joel Bitonio and Zack Martin are both ranked among the NFL's top six guards by Pro Football Focus.

Bitonio has made a greater individual impact through seven weeks, but as noted earlier in the slideshow, he faced more adversity than Martin in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That is likely to continue the rest of the year with Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack, one of the NFL's best players at the position sandwiched between the guards, out for the year with a broken fibula.

Weston Richburg and Gabe Jackson have proved to be solid starters for their teams at left guard, but neither has been nearly as impactful or consistent as Bitonio and Martin have been.

Jack Mewhort, in his first game back in the Indianapolis Colts lineup after missing two weeks with an ankle injury, had a decent return to the field but was flagged for a false start and gave up his first sack of the season, according to PFF.

While the group of top five guards in these rankings has been the same throughout the season due to their consistently steady play on a week-to-week basis, another player who is making a strong case to be among the top five rookie guards is Jacksonville Jaguars right guard Brandon Linder. He has shown an ability to adapt quickly, as his play has gradually improved.

Centers

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Center Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Corey Linsley	C	Packers	5.21	1
2	Russell Bodine	C	Bengals	4.11	2
3	Luke Bowanko	C	Jaguars	6.29	3
4	Jonotthan Harrison	C	Colts	N/A	4
5	Bryan Stork	C	Patriots	4.5	5

 

Although he was not even slated to start for the Green Packers until JC Tretter went down with an injury prior to the season, Corey Linsley has been rock-solid in the middle of the offensive line this year. Ranked as the league's sixth-best center by Pro Football Focus, the starting center job should be Linsley's for the rest of the season and potentially for many years to come.

Russell Bodine was drafted to be a Year 1 starter for the Cincinnati Bengals, and he has also not disappointed. He has not allowed a single hit on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton all year, according to PFF, while his all-around game has steadily improved over the first half of the season.

Neither Luke Bowanko nor Jonotthan Harrison was a starter when the year began, but both have turned in solid outings since entering the lineup.

Bryan Stork has missed the New England Patriots' last two games with a concussion, but he started the two previous games and played well, at least in relation to New England's other uninspiring options on its offensive line. By virtue of there being no other rookie starting centers in the NFL, Stork continues to hold the fifth spot in these rankings.

Defensive Ends

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Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Zach Kerr	DE/NT	Colts	N/A	1
2	Kareem Martin	DE	Cardinals	3.20	2
3	Mike Pennel	DE	Packers	N/A	NR
4	Ed Stinson	DE	Cardinals	5.20	NR
5	Dominique Easley	DE	Patriots	1.29	4

Despite playing only sparingly as a rotational defensive end and nose tackle off the Colts bench, Zach Kerr has made his fair share of impact plays already this rookie season. In Indianapolis' rout of the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Kerr recorded his second sack of the year and also batted a pass at the line of scrimmage.

With no current starting defensive ends from this year's rookie class, Kerr's limited but notable contributions have been enough for him to keep the top spot in the defensive end rankings.

Kareem Martin also had a solid outing off the bench for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, as he recorded two tackles and multiple quarterback pressures. However, he saw less playing time for the second consecutive week than fellow rookie defensive linemen Ed Stinson, who has started to emerge in the past few weeks with some playmaking off the bench of his own.

Mike Pennel has flown nearly as far under the radar this season as he did when he was playing his college football at Colorado State-Pueblo, but he's emerged as a significant player in the Green Bay Packers defensive line rotation over the past four weeks.

Stinson had two tackles and was credited by Pro Football Focus with two quarterback hurries on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, while Pennel had three tackles and one quarterback pressure against the Carolina Panthers. Those numbers might not seem like much, but they're enough for those two players, who are actually making a difference in the defensive line rotation, to vault ahead in the defensive end rankings.

Defensive Tackles

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Defensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Aaron Donald	DT	Rams	1.13	1
2	Justin Ellis	NT	Raiders	4.8	2
3	Ego Ferguson	DT	Bears	2.19	3
4	Will Sutton	DT	Bears	3.18	4
5	Ryan Carrethers	NT	Chargers	5.25	NR

 

In just his second start of his rookie season, Aaron Donald made it clear how spectacular of a player he could be. An explosive penetrating defensive tackle, Donald wreaked havoc on the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks by recording five total tackles, three of which went for losses, and his second sack of the year.

The Rams defensive line as a whole has been underperforming all season, but Donald has been an instant impact player in the middle as a gap-shooter who has brought frequent pressure on passing plays and already blown up a number of running plays. Donald's Pro Football Focus grade for the year is already the second-best among all NFL defensive tackles, behind only 2013 first-team All-Pro Gerald McCoy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

No other defensive tackle has made an impact close to that of Donald, but Justin Ellis has been solid as the nose tackle in the middle of the Oakland Raiders' defensive front. A big body with some quickness, Ellis recorded one tackle and two quarterback pressures in his team's loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, per PFF, but his presence extends beyond the box score, as he is able to take on double-teams and free up the players around him to make plays.

A breakout performer in the rookie defensive tackle class this week was San Diego Chargers nose tackle Ryan Carrethers. Despite playing just 13 snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, according to PFF, he recorded five total tackles, including one stop for loss. He's only played 44 defensive snaps for the Chargers this year, but he's already done more than any rookie defensive tackle who is not Donald, Ellis or a backup for the Chicago Bears.

Linebackers

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Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	1
2	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	2
3	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	3
4	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	5
5	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	4

 

Seasons of greatness continued in Week 7 for C.J. Mosley, Anthony Barr and Khalil Mack. Each is off to a fantastic start and making a strong case for being Defensive Rookie of the Year and to move to the top of the rookie rankings at his position.

The statistics favor Mosley, who has 63 total tackles and five passes defensed on the year, while his tape has shown a well-rounded, instinctively sound player. He had six tackles against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, including one for a loss, and was also credited with four quarterback hurries in pressure by Pro Football Focus.

While Barr has had some issues in pass coverage, the Minnesota Vikings are asking him to do as much on the field as any rookie in the league, as Bleacher Report's Darren Page demonstrated earlier this week. He has responded by consistently demonstrating a well-rounded game. Against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Barr recorded 10 tackles, including one for loss, while he also recovered two fumbles, deflected a pass and had three quarterback hurries.

Mack, whom PFF ranks as the third-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, has been an excellent edge-setting run defender all year but perhaps had his best game, with three tackles for loss, against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. While he hasn't yet been able to record a sack this season, he had two quarterback hurries this week, according to PFF.

Preston Brown was pushed into starting duty immediately for the Bills due to a suspension to Nigel Bradham and an injury to Keith Rivers, and he played well enough that the Bills decided to put him back in the starting lineup on Sunday, ahead of a healthy Rivers, against the Vikings. Brown took advantage and showed he belonged in the lineup by recording six tackles, including one tackle for loss on a screen pass that he blew up in the backfield. He also had his best game of the year so far in pass coverage.

After weeks of bringing a great deal of pressure but not actually notching a sack, San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch blew by Denver Broncos right tackle Paul Cornick to record the first of his pro career on Sunday Night Football. He did not make any other significant impact in Sunday's 49ers loss but has made his potential as a pass-rusher clear over the past few weeks.

Cornerbacks

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Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	2
2	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	1
3	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	3
4	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	4
5	T.J. Carrie	CB	Raiders	7.4	NR

 

Jason Verrett and Kyle Fuller have each had fantastic starts to their rookie seasons, but Week 7 was a rough week for both of them.

Verrett missed the San Diego Chargers' game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a shoulder injury.

Fuller suffered a broken hand Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, briefly returned to the game but then left the game for good with a hip pointer. The injuries might not force him to miss time, as his broken hand will not require surgery, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, but they limited him to 37 snaps on Sunday, per PFF.

Bradley Roby has been a playmaking slot cornerback for the Denver Broncos this season, but he was picked on during their Sunday Night Football showcase against the San Francisco 49ers. He was targeted 10 times in the game and allowed six receptions for 75 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. He was also flagged for a defensive pass-interference penalty.

The best rookie cornerback in Week 7 was E.J. Gaines, who continued to provide consistent coverage for the St. Louis Rams on the outside in their win over the Seattle Seahawks. He recorded six tackles, a pass deflection and a quarterback hit on Sunday, while PFF credited him with allowing just four receptions for 38 yards in coverage.

Safeties

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Safety Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Packers	1.21	1
2	Calvin Pryor	S	Jets	1.18	2
3	Deone Bucannon	SS	Cardinals	1.27	3
4	Terrence Brooks	FS	Ravens	3.15	4
5	Brock Vereen	FS	Bears	4.31	NR

 

For a second consecutive week, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix led the Green Bay Packers in tackles on Sunday, recording nine takedowns against the Carolina Panthers. He has been active all over the field as a tackler while providing solid coverage of the back end.

Calvin Pryor also led his team in tackles, with seven, in the New York Jets' loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday. He has been an inconsistent performer, as he does not seem to always know where he should be on each play, but he has been an active run defender and, for the most part, has avoided bad beats in coverage.

Deone Bucannon did not see as much playing time as usual for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, and he only recorded two tackles.

Terrence Brooks, on the other hand, continued to see his role increase for the Baltimore Ravens, as he led the team in safety snaps for a second consecutive week, according to Pro Football Focus. He recorded six tackles and allowed three receptions for 43 yards in coverage.

Brock Vereen played well against the Miami Dolphins in his first start for the Chicago Bears on Sunday. He recorded five tackles and was not responsible for allowing any completions in coverage, according to PFF.

Dropping out of the top five safeties this week was Dezmen Southward, who had two tackles for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, but both came on special teams.

Specialists

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Specialist Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Chandler Catanzaro	K	Cardinals	N/A	1
2	Cody Parkey	K	Eagles	N/A	2
3	Cairo Santos	K	Chiefs	N/A	4
4	Pat O'Donnell	P	Bears	6.15	3

 

Chandler Catanzaro remains perfect on the year as a field-goal kicker after making his 15th attempt in a row, a 41-yard boot, for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Cody Parkey, whose Philadelphia Eagles had a bye in Week 7, has missed just one of 13 field-goal attempts this year.

The real special teams star of this past weekend, however, was Cairo Santos. The Kansas City Chiefs place-kicker made all three of his field-goal attempts Sunday, including a game-winning 48-yarder with just 21 seconds remaining that gave the Chiefs a 23-20 win over the San Diego Chargers.

While Pat O'Donnell drops on the list thanks to Santos' big moment, he also had a good Week 7 performance in the Chicago Bears' loss to the Miami Dolphins. O'Donnell's three punts traveled an average of 53 yards and were all caught inside the 17-yard line.

 

Dan Hope is an NFL/NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

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