NFL Week 9 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class Post-Week 8

Through the first half of the season, it's been the year of the linebacker for the 2014 class of NFL rookies.

This was especially true in Week 8.

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr forced, recovered and returned a fumble 27 yards for a game-winning defensive touchdown in overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After the Oakland Raiders' loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Browns players unanimously agreed that Raiders rookie linebacker Khalil Mack is the "best defensive player they've faced all year," according to ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler.

Not to be outdone, Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley had 13 total tackles and an interception against the Cincinnati Bengals, while Buffalo Bills linebacker Preston Brown recorded nine tackles and an interception.

Each week here at Bleacher Report, I rank the top 50 overall rookies, and top first-year players at each position, based upon each player’s cumulative performance this season.

Barr, Mack and Mosley have all been immediate stars for their teams, Brown has been a surprisingly great addition to the Bills defense and a number of other linebackers have made that position the strongest for the 2014 draft class thus far.

See how all the top rookies stack up in the slides to follow.

Top 50 Overall

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While Anthony Barr moved up to the spot, Khalil Mack also climbed the rankings this week.

After a five-week run in the top spot, Cleveland Browns left guard Joel Bitonio dropped four spots to the bottom of the top five this week. The individual play of Bitonio and the overall play of the Browns offensive line have both declined in the past two weeks with center Alex Mack out of the lineup after suffering a season-ending injury.

The aforementioned linebackers—Anthony Barr, C.J. Mosley and Khalil Mack—could really be ranked in any order. All three have been every-down players for their defenses and handled their new roles with barely a hitch while making big plays.

What is evident through half of the season is that all three of those linebackers belong at the top of the rookie rankings. Each member of the trio is a candidate to be this season's Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Although the Dallas Cowboys' winning streak was snapped against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, rookie right guard Zack Martin continued to stand out as both a run-blocker and pass-protector, and he stays at No. 4 while moving ahead of Bitonio as a result.

Making a five-spot leap in the rankings for a second consecutive week: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who has emerged as his team's clear No. 1 pass-catcher and had a combined 279 receiving yards in three touchdowns in Buffalo's past two games, both victories.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	3	Up
2	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	2	Same
3	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	5	Up
4	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	4	Same
5	Joel Bitonio	LG	Browns	2.3	1	Down
6	Aaron Donald	DT	Rams	1.13	6	Same
7	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	8	Up
8	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	13	Up
9	Corey Linsley	C	Packers	5.21	7	Down
10	Chandler Catanzaro	K	Cardinals	N/A	9	Down
11	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	10	Down
12	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	11	Down
13	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Packers	1.21	12	Down
14	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	21	Up
15	Cody Parkey	K	Eagles	N/A	15	Up
16	Ja'Wuan James	RT	Dolphins	1.19	18	Up
17	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	25	Up
18	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	20	Up
19	Calvin Pryor	S	Jets	1.18	17	Down
20	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	14	Down
21	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	29	Up
22	Brandon Linder	RG	Jaguars	3.29	33	Up
23	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	19	Down
24	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	23	Down
25	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	24	Down
26	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	26	Same
27	Russell Bodine	C	Bengals	4.11	15	Down
28	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	28	Up
29	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	22	Down
30	Christian Kirksey	ILB	Browns	3.7	35	Up
31	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	27	Down
32	Deone Bucannon	SS	Cardinals	1.27	39	Up
33	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	28	Down
34	Telvin Smith	LB	Jaguars	5.4	42	Up
35	Jerick McKinnon	RB	Vikings	3.32	36	Up
36	Justin Ellis	NT	Raiders	4.7	30	Down
37	Jarvis Landry	WR	Dolphins	2.31	31	Down
38	John Brown	WR	Cardinals	3.27	46	Up
39	T.J. Carrie	CB	Raiders	7.4	34	Down
40	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	40	Same
41	Avery Williamson	ILB	Titans	5.11	50	Up
42	Bashaud Breeland	CB	Redskins	4.2	NR	Up
43	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Vikings	1.32	NR	Up
44	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	37	Down
45	Luke Bowanko	C	Jaguars	6.29	NR	Up
46	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	38	Down
47	Cairo Santos	K	Chiefs	N/A	NR	Up
48	Bishop Sankey	RB	Titans	2.22	43	Down
49	Zach Kerr	DE	Colts	N/A	41	Down
50	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	47	Down

Players to drop out from last week's top 50 were Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (No. 44), Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell (No. 45), San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jimmie Ward (No. 48) and Carolina Panthers right guard Trai Turner (No. 49).

Quarterbacks

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Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	1
2	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Vikings	1.32	3
3	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	2
4	Zach Mettenberger	QB	Titans	6.2	NR
5	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	Patriots	2.30	4

Derek Carr had some struggles in Week 8, looking a bit out of control in the pocket and fumbling twice, including one play on which he ran into the back of his own offensive lineman. He and the Oakland Raiders struggled to the team's seventh consecutive loss. But while Carr remains winless, he still has the best quarterback rating (82.0) and overall body of work among this year's rookie quarterbacks.

Teddy Bridgewater became this year's first rookie quarterback with multiple victories in the Minnesota Vikings' overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. He wasn't spectacular—he averaged less than six yards per passing attempt—but he played well enough for his team to finish with a W.

Blake Bortles has displayed the tools that enticed the Jacksonville Jaguars to select him with the No. 3 overall pick, but he's been giving the ball away to the other team with far too much frequency. He threw his 11th and 12th interceptions of the year, while he also lost a fumble, in Jacksonville's loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

A fourth rookie quarterback, Zach Mettenberger, made the first start of his career Sunday. The Tennessee Titans lost to the Houston Texans, and Mettenberger both threw an interception and lost a fumble, but he had some impressive moments as he completed 27 of his 41 passing attempts for 299 yards and two touchdowns.

Jimmy Garoppolo also saw playing time on Sunday, but only in mop-up duty in the New England Patriots' blowout win over the Chicago Bears. He completed all three of his passing attempts for a combined 22 yards, while he took one sack.

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	2
3	Bishop Sankey	RB	Titans	2.22	3
4	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	4
5	Lorenzo Taliaferro	RB	Ravens	4.38	NR

 

After starting his tenure as the San Diego Chargers' lead running back with two 100-yard rushing games, Branden Oliver hasn't been as productive the past two weeks. He was hold mostly in check by the Denver Broncos on Thursday night—while he had one 23-yard run and a 22-yard reception, he gained just 15 net yards between his other 18 touches in San Diego's loss.

If Oliver's snaps are cut significantly in Week 9 by the expected return of Ryan Mathews, his top spot in the running back rankings could be seized by Jerick McKinnon. Continuing to play well as the Minnesota Vikings' new starting tailback, McKinnon led all rookies in Week 8 with 83 rushing yards on 16 attempts.

Bishop Sankey has been solid since taking over as Tennessee's lead back, but he hasn't yet had a breakout game; he finished Sunday's game against the Houston Texans with 60 yards on 13 total touches. Jeremy Hill, who was selected one pick after Sankey in May's draft, has made some plays off the bench as a runner and receiver but had just 53 yards on 14 touches against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Lorenzo Taliaferro's opportunities have fluctuated for the Ravens in his rookie year, but he cemented himself ahead of Bernard Pierce as the team's No. 2 running back by rushing for two touchdowns on Sunday. He moves into the top five in place of Cleveland Browns undrafted rookie Isaiah Crowell, who had just one carry for one yard against the Oakland Raiders in Week 8.

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	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	4
4	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	3
5	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	5
6	Jarvis Landry	WR	Dolphins	2.31	6
7	John Brown	WR	Cardinals	3.27	8
8	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	7
9	Davante Adams	WR	Packers	2.21	NR
10	Jordan Matthews	WR	Eagles	2.10	NR

 

Going up against Richard Sherman, arguably the NFL's best cornerback and one of the only players at the position with comparable size to Kelvin Benjamin, didn't stop the Carolina Panthers' No. 1 receiver from continuing his great rookie season on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

In catching four passes for 94 yards—more yards than Sherman had given up in any previous game this year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required)—Benjamin proved that he can put even the game's best receivers to the test with his length and playmaking ability.

That performance keeps Benjamin as favorite 1A to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, considering that the award typically goes to the best skill-position player, but Sammy Watkins has emerged as favorite 1B.

Watkins had an infamous moment in Week 8, when a premature celebration enabled New York Jets cornerback Saalim Hakim to catch him from behind five yards short of what would have been an 89-yard touchdown. That gaffe, however, shouldn't take away from the play itself, on which Watkins demonstrated the ability to burn defenses deep that convinced the Bills to select him with the No. 4 overall pick.

Redemption came in the form of another big play later in the game, when he burned the Jets secondary once again for a 61-yard touchdown. In total, Watkins' 157 yards—on just three catches—gave him his second consecutive triple-digit receiving game and third of the year.

Watkins actually has 19 more receiving yards than Benjamin this year (590 to 571), but Benjamin has been the more consistent player over the course of the season. Both players have exactly 38 receptions and five receiving touchdowns, while Benjamin has been targeted just one more time than Watkins.

Benjamin and Watkins weren't the only standouts among wide receivers this week, among a rookie class of pass-catchers that looks better and better by the week. 

Brandin Cooks shone on Sunday Night Football, scoring one touchdown on a four-yard jet sweep and another on a 50-yard reception in the New Orleans Saints' win over the Green Bay Packers. Allen Robinson led the Jaguars in receiving for the fifth time this season, catching five passes for 82 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown, against the Miami Dolphins.

John Brown made perhaps the biggest play of the week when he showed his sprinter speed in running away from the Philadelphia Eagles, excellently tracking down a deep ball and scoring a 75-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown that proved to be the game-winner for the Arizona Cardinals.

The class of rookie receivers is so rich with talent that some players who had exceptional performances in Week 8, like Donte Moncrief of the Indianapolis Colts and Martavis Bryant of the Pittsburgh Steelers, haven't even been able to crack the top 10 yet.

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	Richard Rodgers	TE	Packers	3.34	4
4	Crockett Gillmore	TE	Ravens	3.35	5
5	Eric Ebron	TE	Lions	1.10	3

 

Despite the abysmal play of New York Jets quarterbacks Geno Smith and Michael Vick against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, rookie tight end Jace Amaro still managed to catch five passes for 51 yards. The Jets' leading receiver for the second time in the past three weeks, Amaro should continue to be a key weapon for the New York offense going forward, even as Vick takes over the starting role for the second half of the season.

Amaro's production has been head and shoulders above the rest of the rookie tight end class.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins made one of the biggest plays of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' game Sunday when he caught a seven-yard touchdown pass that gave his team a 13-10 lead with just 2:02 left to play. The biggest play of the game, however, occurred in overtime when he was stripped by Anthony Barr and Barr returned his fumble to the end zone for the game-winning score.

Richard Rodgers had his most productive game to date as he caught four passes for 58 yards against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. He hasn't played well enough as a blocker to earn a consistent role in the Green Bay Packers offense, but glimpses of his playmaking potential were visible on Sunday night.

Crockett Gillmore, selected with the third-round compensatory pick directly following Green Bay's selection of Rodgers, also had a solid Week 8 outing as he caught two passes for 23 yards.

Dropping down the list is Eric Ebron, whose season got off to an underwhelming start for the Detroit Lions while he has since missed the team's past two games with a hamstring injury.

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	2
3	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	3
4	Taylor Lewan	LT	Titans	1.11	4
5	Jake Matthews	LT	Falcons	1.6	NR

 

Ja'Wuan James is not yet a dominant right tackle, but he's been a steadying presence for the Miami Dolphins offensive line. He had a false start and was beaten for a sack Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still received a positive overall grade for the game from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Seantrel Henderson was steadier for the Bills in Week 8 than he had been in other recent games, but it helped his cause that Bills quarterback Kyle Orton only took 23 total dropbacks on Sunday, meaning that Henderson didn't have to take on as many battles in pass protection.

Justin Britt has been a starter all year for the Seattle Seahawks, but he has been shaky in pass protection in recent weeks. He allowed five quarterback pressures against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, according to PFF.

For a third consecutive week, the best rookie offensive tackle was Taylor Lewan of the Tennessee Titans. Although he was flagged for two penalties, NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah felt the No. 11 overall pick, making his third start of the year, "played like a franchise LT" as he kept talented Texans pass-rushers J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney in check. If Lewan continues to play as well as he has in his first three starts, he'll start moving up the rankings quickly.

Jake Matthews checks back into the top five this week, but only by default, as James Hurst, who had also been struggling mightily, moved back to the bench as Baltimore Ravens left tackle Eugene Monroe returned to the lineup.

Matthews continued to look overwhelmed for the Atlanta Falcons, as he was beaten for a strip sack (to his credit, he was able to fall on the fumble) and was flagged for two penalties. If he continues to play poorly, he could soon be displaced on this list by the only offensive lineman drafted ahead of him, Greg Robinson, who is taking over as the St. Louis Rams' left tackle following a season-ending injury to Jake Long.

Offensive Guards

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Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	2
2	Joel Bitonio	LG	Browns	2.3	1
3	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	5
4	Brandon Linder	RG	Jaguars	3.29	6
5	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	3
6	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	4

 

Zack Martin and Joel Bitonio have each had fantastic rookie seasons thus far, but Martin has been the better player in the second quadrant of their seasons. Effective as a pass-protector all year, Martin has seemingly improved by the week as a run-blocker, forming one-fifth of a dominant Dallas Cowboys offensive line that enabled DeMarco Murray to run for a whopping 1,054 yards in the first eight games of the year.

After missing two games with an ankle injury, Jack Mewhort has been back in the Indianapolis Colts' lineup and playing well each of the past two weeks. In a game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers in which Andrew Luck had 45 passing attempts, Mewhort did not give up a single quarterback pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

No rookie guard has improved more over the course of the season than Brandon Linder, who has quickly emerged as a very good interior lineman on the right side of the Jacksonville Jaguars line. He had his best game yet in Week 8; PFF gave him a 4.8 overall grade for his performance against the Miami Dolphins in which he allowed no quarterback pressures and was not tagged with any penalties.

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

Corey Linsley has been a steady presence in the middle of the Green Bay Packers offensive line since the beginning of the season. Ranked as the NFL's fourth-best center this year by Pro Football Focus, Linsley has been a pleasant surprise who has had few issues, aside from a couple of notable miscommunications with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and provided a strong anchor for the middle of Green Bay's blocking unit.

Russell Bodine has also started every game at center for his team this season, but his play has been much more up and down. He struggled mightily against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, as he was flagged for a hold and also allowed four quarterback pressures, according to PFF.

Luke Bowanko and Jonotthan Harrison have each played solidly since taking over their respective teams' starting center jobs.

Bryan Stork has looked like an upgrade at times for the New England Patriots since he moved into the starting lineup, but in his first game back after missing two weeks with a concussion, he played poorly against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. He was flagged for multiple penalties and received an abysmal game grade of minus-5.4 overall from PFF.

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	Ed Stinson	DE	Cardinals	5.20	4
3	Dominique Easley	DE	Patriots	1.29	5
4	Kareem Martin	DE	Cardinals	3.20	2
5	Kony Ealy	DE	Panthers	2.28	NR

Despite playing a limited number of snaps off the bench each week, Zach Kerr of the Indianapolis Colts continues to hold the top spot among defensive ends due to a lack of impactful rookies playing that position this year. An interior lineman who can also play nose tackle in Indianapolis' 3-4 defensive front, Kerr has been the most disruptive rookie DE on a per-snap basis, despite having meager statistics including just one tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8.

A player who could make a push for the top spot is Ed Stinson. The fifth-round pick supplanted fellow rookie Kareem Martin in the Arizona Cardinals' defensive end rotation and has performed well as a run-stopper on Arizona's three-man front. He recorded three tackles in Arizona's win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Dominique Easley's production has been underwhelming to this point, but he moved into a starting role for the New England Patriots defense on Sunday with Chandler Jones sidelined due to a hip injury. He took advantage of the opportunity by recording three assisted tackles, one of which came on a sack.

As Jones will be out at least four weeks, according to CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, Easley should see considerable playing time in the third quadrant of the season and have more chances to make plays.

A raw talent coming out of Missouri, Kony Ealy has not been much of a factor for the Carolina Panthers so far this year but has been starting to come along in recent weeks. He recorded his first career sack against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

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	Will Sutton	DT	Bears	3.18	4
4	Ego Ferguson	DT	Bears	2.19	3
5	Shamar Stephen	DT	Vikings	7.5	NR

 

Aaron Donald continued to showcase his exceptional quickness against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Including a play on which he forced a Jamaal Charles fumble and another explosive tackle for loss on Knile Davis, Donald disrupted a number of plays in the Chiefs backfield. 

Ranked as the third-best defensive tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, the penetrator has emerged as an impact player on an otherwise struggling St. Louis Rams defensive line.

Justin Ellis has not made many big plays for the Oakland Raiders, but he has done a solid job generating push and occupying double-teams in the middle of their defensive line since taking over the starting nose tackle job.

Will Sutton and Ego Ferguson continued to work as rotational backups for the Chicago Bears against the New England Patriots in Week 8. In a game in which the Bears defense proved no match for Tom Brady's side, Sutton had two tackles, including one for loss, while Ferguson had three assisted tackles.

Shamar Stephen has not made a big impact but has been a steady rotational piece for the Minnesota Vikings defensive line this year. He recorded two solo tackles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Linebackers

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Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	2
2	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	1
3	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	3
4	Preston Brown	SLB	Bills	3.9	4
5	Christian Kirksey	ILB	Browns	3.7	6
6	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	5
7	Telvin Smith	LB	Jaguars	5.4	7
8	Avery Williamson	ILB	Titans	5.11	8
9	Ryan Shazier	ILB	Steelers	1.15	NR
10	Trent Murphy	OLB	Redskins	2.15	NR

 

Anthony Barr, C.J. Mosley and Khalil Mack have all lived up to the expectations bestowed on them as first-round picks. 

While Barr's game-winning play Sunday is the highlight of his rookie season to date, he's looked fantastic all year. Asked to play a multifaceted role in which he sometimes pass-rushes off the edge, other times drops back into coverage and is all over the field as a run defender, Barr has looked comfortable and polished. He had eight total tackles and a sack in addition to his fumble force, recovery and return in Week 8.

Mosley has been a natural fit in the middle of Baltimore's defense as a tackler, coverage linebacker and blitzer. A highly active player, Mosley ranks fourth in the NFL with 76 total tackles, while he leads all linebackers with six passes defensed and is tied for the lead with two interceptions.

Mack's statistics haven't been as impressive as those of Mosley and Barr, but he has also made a huge impact on games. Playing both around the line of scrimmage and at the second level, Mack is already a star as an edge-setting run defender, while his production as a pass-rusher has increased by the week. He had his best game yet against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, recording six total tackles, two tackles for loss and, according to Pro Football Focus, six quarterback pressures.

Beyond the top three, many other linebackers have also impressed.

Preston Brown has replaced Keith Rivers in the Bills' starting lineup at strong-side linebacker for good reason. He is a strong downhill run defender who made a number of stops around the line of scrimmage on Sunday against the New York Jets, while he is improving as a coverage linebacker every week, as evidenced by his interception Sunday.

Christian Kirksey, Telvin Smith and Avery Williamson have all played well as their playing time has increased on each of their respective teams' defenses, while Aaron Lynch has been impactful as a situational pass-rusher for the San Francisco 49ers.

After missing four games with an ankle injury, Ryan Shazier returned for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. He only played 30 snaps, and for now, the plan is for him to be used in a rotation rather than as an every-down linebacker, according to Dave Bryan of Steelers Depot. Nonetheless, he has been impressive when he has been on the field and was able to record four tackles in his return game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Trent Murphy had a breakout night on Monday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. The second-round pick had four quarterback pressures, batted down a pass and recovered a fumble.

Cornerbacks

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Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	1
2	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	2
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	5
6	Bashaud Breeland	CB	Redskins	4.2	NR
7	Jimmie Ward	CB	49ers	1.30	6
8	Lamarcus Joyner	CB	Rams	2.9	NR

 

It was a rough week for the top cornerbacks in the rookie class.

Continuing to battle a shoulder injury that sidelined him in Week 7, Jason Verrett was beaten three times for catches by Denver Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders on a drive that spanned from late in the first quarter to early in the second quarter, when Sanders caught a two-yard touchdown pass against him. Verrett left the game after that series and did not return.

Kyle Fuller's Week 8 game was also cut short due to a lingering injury, as a hip injury he suffered in Week 7 forced him to leave Sunday's game against the New England Patriots. He struggled before exiting the game, giving up three catches on just nine snaps in pass coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Although both had bad weeks, it remained apparent just how important each of them has been to their teams' defenses early this year, as their respective replacements—Richard Marshall in San Diego, Al Louis-Jean in Chicago—proved to be complete liabilities in the secondary as each team lost its game.

In spite of playing opposite an undrafted rookie, Marcus Roberson, the Kansas City Chiefs picked on the St. Louis Rams' relatively more experienced first-year cornerback, E.J. Gaines, on Sunday. He gave up six receptions for 66 yards, according to PFF, and was flagged for two penalties.

Bradley Roby has made some nice plays for the Denver Broncos defense this year, but he's also been a frequent target for opposing passers. He gave up five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown on Thursday night.

By far the most impressive performance of Week 8 for a rookie cornerback came from a player who had struggled significantly in pass coverage early in the season.

Bashaud Breeland, in Washington's Monday Night Football win over the Dallas Cowboys, made a name for himself in the national spotlight by proving he could go toe-to-toe with Dez Bryant in man coverage. He recorded four pass deflections, including one in overtime on the final play of the game, and forced a fumble. He will ascend the rankings quickly if he continues to play at such a high level.

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

 

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix continued to be one of the most active players on the Green Bay Packers defense on Sunday night as he tied for his team's lead with eight total tackles, but his play in a losing effort to the New Orleans Saints was not his best. Pro Football Focus tagged him with missing three tackles in the game.

Calvin Pryor has been a frequent target of criticism, even from his own head coach, in his rookie season. Truly, he has been better than perceived—being used (some say misused) primarily as a deep free safety, he has been mostly effective in coverage, but he has not had many opportunities to make big hits in the box like he made his name on at Louisville.

That said, Pryor has been largely untested in coverage because of the other weaknesses in the secondary opponents can exploit. That was the case on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, a game in which Pryor only made two tackles and had a missed tackle, while the Bills went with a run-heavy game plan.

Deone Bucannon has been used in the opposite fashion of Pryor, as an in-the-box strong safety/nickel linebacker who has had some issues in coverage, but he made a crucial play in pass defense Sunday when he broke up what would have been a game-winning touchdown pass to Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz on the second-to-last play of the game.

Bucannon also recorded eight tackles and recovered a fumble in an all-around strong performance that gains him ground in the rankings on the other first-round safeties.

After back-to-back weeks of leading Baltimore Ravens safeties in snaps, Brooks' role decreased against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. He struggled when he was on the field, allowing three receptions for 72 yards in just 21 coverage snaps, according to PFF.

Brock Vereen's Chicago Bears were blown out by his brother Shane's New England Patriots on Sunday, but Vereen played decently off the bench, recording three total tackles.

Specialists

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

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	3
4	Pat O'Donnell	P	Bears	6.15	4

 

Chandler Catanzaro rewrote the record books Sunday when he made his 16th consecutive field goal to start his career. Still perfect on the season, Catanzaro has immediately given the Arizona Cardinals one of the NFL's best placekickers.

In the same game Sunday, Cody Parkey made two field goals for the Philadelphia Eagles, including one from 54 yards out. Parkey is 14-of-15 on the season and, like Catanzaro, he has also exhibited a strong leg on kickoffs.

Cairo Santos hasn't done as well as the other two rookie kickers on kickoffs, but he's bounced back excellently from a slow start on field goals. He hit two field goals Sunday, including a 53-yarder for his longest of the season to date, and has made each of his last eight attempts.

The only other active rookie kicking specialist, Chicago Bears punter Pat O'Donnell, has been underwhelming thus far. None of his four punts against the New England Patriots on Sunday stayed inside the 20-yard line, and he ranks just 31st in the NFL in net punting average (35.7 yards) with only eight of 30 punts downed inside the 20.

 

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

Follow @Dan_Hope