NFL Week 10 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class Post Week 9

Now that every NFL team has played at least half of its regular-season games, races for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards have been narrowed down to the players who have already made consistently strong impacts for their teams.

Overall, however, the competition for recognition among rookies has become steeper than ever going into the final eight weeks of the season.

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.

In a week that a good number of the top-ranked rookies had bye weeks or quiet performances, players like St. Louis Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans had strong efforts to show that they shouldn't be forgotten for award consideration.

On the other hand, some of the biggest rookie performances of this past week—such as New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s 156-yard game against the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland's 18-tackle game against the St. Louis Rams—came from players who haven't even been included in the rookie rankings yet this season.

Rookies who had slow first halves of the season must be consistently great the rest of the way if they are to work their way into the upper regions of the rankings. Still, there's plenty of time for players like Beckham, Borland and many other rookies just starting to emerge to prove that they are among the league's budding stars.

Top 50 Overall

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Khalil Mack moved up again in the Rookie Rankings after another great performance versus the Seattle Seahawks.

The same six rookies (not in the same order) have held the top six spots in the Rookie Rankings for three consecutive weeks, in part because there was no reason for any of them to fall down the board this week.

Anthony Barr continued to stand out for the Minnesota Vikings defense, as he recorded multiple tackles for loss, including a sack, showing his skill as both a pass-rusher and run defender.

C.J. Mosley had a solid performance for the Baltimore Ravens against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night, in which he recorded nine total tackles, but he is leapfrogged this week by another linebacker, Oakland Raiders standout Khalil Mack. The University of Buffalo product had seven tackles but was also credited with a whopping eight quarterback pressures, including two quarterback hits, by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

In Week 9, the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns continued to get great play from their star rookie guards, Zack Martin and Joel Bitonio, respectively.

The St. Louis Rams pass rush came to life against the San Francisco 49ers, recording eight sacks after managing just six total sacks in the team's first seven games. The ability of rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald to bring pressure continues to stand out, as he has been St. Louis' best defensive lineman over the course of the season.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	1	Same
2	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	3	Up
3	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	2	Down
4	Zack Martin	RG	Cowboys	1.16	4	Same
5	Joel Bitonio	LG	Browns	2.3	5	Same
6	Aaron Donald	DT	Rams	1.13	6	Same
7	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	8	Up
8	Corey Linsley	C	Packers	5.21	9	Up
9	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	7	Down
10	Chandler Catanzaro	K	Cardinals	N/A	10	Same
11	Ja'Wuan James	RT	Dolphins	1.19	16	Up
12	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	12	Same
13	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	Packers	1.21	13	Same
14	Cody Parkey	K	Eagles	N/A	15	Up
15	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	20	Up
16	Preston Brown	LB	Bills	3.9	17	Up
17	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	11	Down
18	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	14	Down
19	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	18	Down
20	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	25	Up
21	Jack Mewhort	LG	Colts	2.27	21	Same
22	Brandon Linder	RG	Jaguars	3.29	22	Same
23	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	29	Up
24	Deone Bucannon	SS	Cardinals	1.27	32	Up
25	Gabe Jackson	LG	Raiders	3.17	26	Up
26	Russell Bodine	C	Bengals	4.11	27	Up
27	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	31	Up
28	Justin Ellis	NT	Raiders	4.7	36	Up
29	Jarvis Landry	WR	Dolphins	2.31	37	Up
30	Calvin Pryor	S	Jets	1.18	19	Down
31	Weston Richburg	LG	Giants	2.11	24	Down
32	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	46	Up
33	Telvin Smith	LB	Jaguars	5.4	34	Up
34	Jace Amaro	TE	Jets	2.17	28	Down
35	Jerick McKinnon	RB	Vikings	3.32	35	Same
36	Christian Kirksey	ILB	Browns	3.7	30	Down
37	Bashaud Breeland	CB	Redskins	4.2	42	Up
38	Derek Carr	QB	Raiders	2.4	33	Down
39	Teddy Bridgewater	QB	Vikings	1.32	43	Up
40	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	23	Down
41	Zach Kerr	DL	Colts	N/A	49	Up
42	Luke Bowanko	C	Jaguars	6.29	45	Up
43	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	NR	Up
44	Seantrel Henderson	RT	Bills	7.22	40	Down
45	Avery Williamson	ILB	Titans	5.11	41	Down
46	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	44	Down
47	T.J. Carrie	CB	Raiders	7.4	39	Down
48	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	Giants	1.12	NR	Up
49	John Brown	WR	Cardinals	3.27	38	Down
50	Martavis Bryant	WR	Steelers	4.18	NR	Up

Players to drop out from last week's top 50 were Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos (No. 47), Tennessee Titans running back Bishop Sankey (No. 48) and Seattle Seahawks right tackle Justin Britt (No. 50).

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	2
3	Blake Bortles	QB	Jaguars	1.3	3
4	Zach Mettenberger	QB	Titans	6.2	4
5	Jimmy Garoppolo	QB	Patriots	2.30	5

A game against the tough defense of the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks made for a tough Week 9 for Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, as he threw two interceptions and averaged just 4.7 yards per passing attempt in his team's eighth consecutive loss to start the season. Still, Carr has the most passing touchdowns (11, including the two he threw Sunday) and best quarterback rating (79.8) of any NFL rookie signal-caller this season.

That said, a case could certainly be made for Teddy Bridgewater being the best rookie quarterback to this point. He pushed the Minnesota Vikings to their fourth win Sunday—his third as a starter—in a game against the Washington Redskins in which he struggled in the first half but led three second-half touchdown drives, as Minnesota came back from a 10-point first-half deficit.

Blake Bortles, the only other rookie quarterback to play in Week 9, continued to struggle. He threw two touchdown passes to Allen Hurns, but as Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey noted, both passes were underthrown, forcing the rookie wide receiver to make nice adjustments to secure the receptions.

Late in the game when the Jaguars needed to score to stay alive, Bortles drove the Jaguars into the red zone but was picked off by George Iloka for an interception, the 13th pick the first-year quarterback has thrown this year. 

Zach Mettenberger's Tennessee Titans had a bye, but he is set to start in Week 10 after seeing his first action of the season in Week 8.

Running Backs

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Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Jerick McKinnon	RB	Vikings	3.32	2
2	Branden Oliver	RB	Chargers	N/A	1
3	Jeremy Hill	RB	Bengals	2.23	4
4	Bishop Sankey	RB	Titans	2.22	3
5	Terrance West	RB	Browns	3.30	NR

 

Branden Oliver broke out with back-to-back 100-plus-yard rushing games in Weeks 5-6, but his performances have declined every week since.

He was consistently shut down against the Miami Dolphins this week, as he gained just 19 yards on 13 carries, and it's likely his carries will significantly decrease if a healthy Ryan Mathews returns following the San Diego Chargers' Week 10 bye.

The most consistent rookie running back has been Minnesota Vikings third-round pick Jerick McKinnon. He ran for 54 yards on 14 carries and caught three passes for 14 yards in Minnesota's win over the Washington Redskins in Week 9. McKinnon has struggled in pass protection, but he's been a solid playmaker as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill got his chance to have a breakout game in Week 9, as regular starter Giovani Bernard was sidelined with a hip injury. He took advantage of his opportunity as he rushed for 154 yards—the most by any rookie running back in a single game this year—and two touchdowns on 24 carries.

Bishop Sankey has been steady since becoming the Tennessee Titans' lead back, but he hasn't had a standout performance like Hill did this week and Oliver and McKinnon had previously.

Just three weeks removed from being a healthy scratch, Terrance West climbed his way back to the top of the Cleveland Browns' running back depth chart in Week 9. He gained only 48 yards on 15 carries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he did have a two-yard receiving touchdown.

And that performance might be enough for him to keep the team's lead-back duties going forward, because Ben Tate, who had been starting, gained just three yards on 10 carries against Tampa Bay.

Wide Receivers

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Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Sammy Watkins	WR	Bills	1.4	2
2	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Panthers	1.28	1
3	Brandin Cooks	WR	Saints	1.20	3
4	Allen Robinson	WR	Jaguars	2.29	4
5	Mike Evans	WR	Buccaneers	1.7	5
6	Jarvis Landry	WR	Dolphins	2.31	6
7	Allen Hurns	WR	Jaguars	N/A	8
8	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	Giants	1.12	NR
9	John Brown	WR	Cardinals	3.27	7
10	Martavis Bryant	WR	Steelers	4.18	NR

 

Sammy Watkins and the Buffalo Bills had a bye this past week, but he moved to the top of the wide receiver rankings—and concurrently became the favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year award—because of a very bad Week 9 performance for his top competition to win that award (assuming precedent is followed and the honor goes to a skill-position player), Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.

Benjamin has been highly productive this year, but drops have been a problem. He was targeted 10 times in Carolina's loss to the New Orleans Saints, yet caught just two passes for 18 yards and had a second-half throw that would have been a touchdown pass go right off his hands.

Despite having played one more game and been targeted 11 more times than Watkins, Benjamin has one fewer receiving yard.

While Week 9 was a quiet one for the wideouts who had been the most consistent producers at the position this year—Brandin Cooks and Allen Robinson had unspectacular games as well—there were plenty of other players who had big games this past week.

In hauling in seven passes for 124 yards, including two 24-yard touchdowns, Mike Evans showed the ability to catch contested passes that enticed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to draft him with the No. 7 overall pick. He has seemingly found a rhythm with Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon over the past few weeks; he will have to try to keep that rhythm going as Tampa Bay is set to switch back to Josh McCown at quarterback, according to Glennon himself (via 620 WDAE).

Allen Hurns has been inconsistent and had issues of his own with dropped passes, but he enjoyed a big day for the Jacksonville Jaguars Week 9, pulling in two touchdown passes as part of a seven-catch, 112-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Odell Beckham Jr. has only played in four games this year for the New York Giants, but he's vaulted into the top 10 among rookie receivers, after leading all first-year wideouts with 156 receiving yards this week. Martavis Bryant has played in only three games for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he's already established himself as a big-play guy by catching five touchdowns, which ties him with Watkins, Benjamin and Hurns for the most among rookie pass-catchers.

Even with the wide receiver rankings extended out to 10, there's still not enough room to recognize all the first-year wideouts who are already producing at a high level. The toughest player to leave off this week was Taylor Gabriel, who caught five passes for 87 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown, in the Cleveland Browns' win over Tampa Bay.

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	3
4	Crockett Gillmore	TE	Ravens	3.35	4
5	Eric Ebron	TE	Lions	1.10	5

 

While there has been production aplenty by the wide receiver rookie class, the same cannot be said for the first-year tight ends.

Despite not being targeted even once in his team's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9, the New York Jets' Jace Amaro still has a significant lead among rookie tight ends with 32 receptions for 285 yards.

In total, there were only three passes caught for just 18 yards by rookie tight ends in Week 9. Austin Seferian-Jenkins had a three-yard catch, Crockett Gillmore had a one-yard touchdown reception and Harold Hoskins, a Miami Dolphins undrafted rookie who had one just reception in the team's first seven games, had the longest catch among first-year tight ends at 14 yards.

Seferian-Jenkins and Gillmore have also been solid for their teams as run blockers but hold their spots in the rankings largely because of the lack of production from other rookies at their position.

Richard Rodgers' Green Bay Packers and Eric Ebron's Detroit Lions had Week 9 byes.

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	Taylor Lewan	LT	Titans	1.11	4
4	Justin Britt	RT	Seahawks	2.32	3
5	Greg Robinson	LT	Rams	1.2	NR

 

Among the three rookie offensive tackles who have started all of their teams' games thus far, Ja'Wuan James has been the best performer by a vast margin. The Miami Dolphins rookie right tackle continued to play well in Week 9, and even got a chance to take some fourth-quarter reps at left tackle, in the Dolphins' 37-0 rout of the San Diego Chargers.

Justin Britt has had some significant struggles in pass protection; those continued in Week 9, as the Seattle Seahawks right tackle gave up five quarterback pressures to the Oakland Raiders, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He drew a tough matchup on Sunday against Raiders star rookie Khalil Mack, but his problems against the pass-rush have become a weekly occurrence.

Greg Robinson's first start at left tackle wasn't spectacular, but between his time at left tackle and as the St. Louis Rams starting left guard, he's played better than the other offensive lineman drafted in the top 10, Atlanta's Jake Matthews, who has been a serious liability at left tackle for the Falcons.

Seantrel Henderson's Buffalo Bills and Taylor Lewan's Tennessee Titans had Week 9 byes.

Offensive Guards

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Offensive Guard Rankings

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

 

The Dallas Cowboys have an ailing starting quarterback and have lost two consecutive games, but Zack Martin has continued to play fantastically on their offensive line. He's made a natural transition to right guard and has been a huge upgrade as both a run blocker and pass-protector.

The play of the Cleveland Browns offensive line has dropped off significantly since losing center Alex Mack to a season-ending injury. The entire unit—including Bitonio—has been struggling to keep the team's running game going. That said, Bitonio did not allow any pressure nor commit any penalties in Cleveland's Week 9 win over Tampa Bay, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and the unit would be in far more dire straits without him.

Jack Mewhort has played very well well in his rookie season for the Indianapolis Colts but had one of his worst games of the year against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. He gave up three quarterback pressures, according to PFF, and was penalized for being an ineligible receiver downfield on one play.

Week 9 was also rough to Brandon Linder, Gabe Jackson and Weston Richburg, who each were forced out of their games early with injuries. The health of each remains unclear as of Wednesday morning, but Richburg, who had to be carted off with an ankle injury suffered Monday night against the Colts, appeared to be the most seriously injured of the trio.

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	Bryan Stork	C	Patriots	4.5	5
5	Jonotthan Harrison	C	Colts	N/A	4

Corey Linsley, who has not just been the best rookie centers, but one of the most consistent performers at the position in the entire NFL, had a bye with the Green Bay Packers in Week 9. He'll have to continue to play well in the second half of the season just to keep his job, now that JC Tretter has been activated from injured reserve with a return designation. But Linsley has proven himself so far this season to be worthy of the starting center spot.

Russell Bodine and Luke Bowanko have had more ups and downs in their play than Linsley, but both have established themselves as solid starters for their teams. Neither center allowed a quarterback pressure or incurred a penalty in Week 9, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Bryan Stork hasn't been great but the fourth-round pick has been an upgrade over Ryan Wendell on a New England Patriots offensive line that has stabilized in recent weeks, allowing and the Tom Brady-led offense to reemerge as one of the NFL's best units.

Among the rookie centers who have started multiple games for their teams this year, Jonotthan Harrison has been the worst. He struggled mightily in pass protection on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants, leaving some analysts to question why the Colts have continued to start Harrison over veteran A.Q. Shipley, who played well early in the year before being benched for the undrafted rookie.

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	2
3	Timmy Jernigan	DE	Ravens	2.16	NR
4	Dominique Easley	DE	Patriots	1.29	3
5	Kony Ealy	DE	Panthers	2.28	5

Undrafted rookie Zach Kerr has impressed in a rotational role all season on the Indianapolis Colts' defensive line but never more so than Monday night against the New York Giants. A highly disruptive presence when he was in the game, Kerr forced a fumble on a strip sack of Eli Manning while he also had two run stops around the line of scrimmage.

Another rookie 3-4 defensive end who has started to stand out in a rotational capacity is Arizona Cardinals fifth-round pick Ed Stinson. Having moved firmly ahead of previously ranked third-round pick Kareem Martin in the team's defensive-line rotation, Stinson has been a solid presence against the run, while he also recorded a hit on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden in Arizona's Week 9 win. 

Like Kerr, Timmy Jernigan also stood out as a reserve player during the Ravens prime-time loss in Week 9 to the Steelers. The Baltimore defensive end missed some time this year with a knee injury but has played well when he has been on the field, especially on Sunday night against Pittsburgh, when he recorded two run stops.

Defensive Tackle

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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	3
4	Ego Ferguson	DT	Bears	2.19	4
5	Shamar Stephen	DT	Vikings	7.5	5

 

Ranked as the fourth-best defensive tackle in the NFL this season by Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Aaron Donald and his quickness to shoot gaps at the line of scrimmage continued to impress in Week 9.

He blew up one play for a sack and his constant presence in the middle of the St. Louis Rams defensive line enabled the unit to finally break through for its best game of the year in a win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Another rookie who has been a consistent presence in the middle of his team's defensive line since earning a starting role is Oakland Raiders nose tackle Justin Ellis. A big-bodied lineman who occupies blockers in run defense and provides good push up the middle when rushing the passer, Ellis had two tackles and, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), two quarterback hurries in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks.

With the Chicago Bears on a bye this past week, the only other rookies classified as defensive tackles to see action were Shamar Stephen of the Minnesota Vikings and Beau Allen of the Philadelphia Eagles. Neither seventh-round pick made a significant impact but between them, Stephen has been the more productive player as a rotational player this year.

 

Linebackers

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Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Anthony Barr	OLB	Vikings	1.9	1
2	Khalil Mack	OLB	Raiders	1.5	3
3	C.J. Mosley	ILB	Ravens	1.17	2
4	Preston Brown	SLB	Bills	3.9	4
5	Aaron Lynch	OLB	49ers	5.10	6
6	Telvin Smith	LB	Jaguars	5.4	7
7	Christian Kirksey	ILB	Browns	3.7	5
8	Avery Williamson	ILB	Titans	5.11	8
9	Trent Murphy	OLB	Redskins	2.15	10
10	Jonathan Newsome	OLB	Colts	5.26	NR

As previously mentioned in the Top 50 Overall slide, the rookie linebacker trio of Anthony Barr, Khalil Mack and C.J. Mosley has been outstanding. Each first-round pick has delivered strong play week in and week out; all three of them are playing at a Pro Bowl level, and the case could be made for any one of them to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Aaron Lynch is being used almost entirely as a situational pass-rusher, but he's performing very well in that capacity. He recorded his second sack of the season Week 9 against the St. Louis Rams while also recording four total quarterback pressures and a pass deflection, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Telvin Smith continued to put together solid play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as he recorded eight tackles against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. While Preston Brown and Avery Williamson had bye weeks, the most disappointing Week 9 performer among the rookies who have been regular contributors at linebacker this season was Cleveland's Christian Kirksey, who played a limited role and had just two total tackles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past week.

Like the wide receivers, the rookie class of linebackers is deep, with a number of players who have had impressive performances this season, meaning that some players who stood out in Week 9 remain outside the rankings even as they were extended to 10 players for this positional group.

Jonathan Newsome, who had seen some playing time for the Indianapolis Colts but had not made many plays in his first eight games, moves into the rankings after a breakout effort against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. He notched seven total tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

The toughest player to leave outside the linebacker rankings this week was San Francisco 49ers third-round pick Chris Borland, whose 18 total tackles tied for the most in the NFL in Week 9. Dallas Cowboys fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens also made a strong case to move into the rankings, as he recorded eight tackles, including one for loss, in a strong all-around performance against the Arizona Cardinals.

Cornerbacks

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Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW
1	Kyle Fuller	CB	Bears	1.14	2
2	E.J. Gaines	CB	Rams	6.12	3
3	Jason Verrett	CB	Chargers	1.25	1
4	Bradley Roby	CB	Broncos	1.31	4
5	Bashaud Breeland	CB	Redskins	4.2	6
6	T.J. Carrie	CB	Raiders	7.4	5

 

With Kyle Fuller's Chicago Bears on a bye week and San Diego Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett sidelined by a torn labrum, E.J. Gaines was the standout among the rookie class of cornerbacks in Week 9.

Gaines allowed just three receptions for 31 yards on 43 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, while he had an impressive pass deflection working against San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Stevie Johnson. He also was credited with six total tackles in St. Louis' NFC West division win. A consistent starter on the outside of the Rams secondary, Gaines has quietly been one of the NFL's best rookies this year.

Bradley Roby was known for making both big plays and big mistakes during his collegiate career at Ohio State; the start of his NFL career with the Denver Broncos has been much of the same. He got burned by New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell on a deep throw in Week 9, but fortunately for Roby the pass fell incomplete. while he was flagged for a defensive pass interference penalty, but he only gave up three receptions for 22 yards and had two passes defensed, including an interception off a tip by teammate Malik Jackson.

Bashaud Breeland gave up five receptions for 68 yards in the Washington Redskins' loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but he also deflected two passes, bringing the playmaking fourth-round pick's total of passes defensed to seven in the last three weeks alone.

T.J. Carrie has been a dynamic threat as both a cornerback and kickoff/punt returner for the Oakland Raiders this season, but he had a tough game in Week 9. While the Seattle Seahawks completed only 17 passes for 179 yards on Sunday, seven of those receptions for 95 yards came against Carrie, according to PFF. He also had a fumble on one of his kickoff returns.

 

Safeties

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Safety Rankings

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

 

While he has had an up-and-down year especially in pass coverage, Deone Bucannon seems to have found his groove in the past couple of games. He had a strong showing against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, when he recorded four tackles, including one stop off the edge on a 4th-and-1 rushing attempt, and had a pass deflection.

On the contrary, Calvin Pryor's rookie season has gotten worse by the week. Pryor played just 19 snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus, as he was benched in favor of Jaiquawn Jarrett.

As Jarrett's career to date shows that he does not belong in an NFL starting lineup, it's clear that Pryor is falling well short of expectations, and he'll continue to fall in these rankings if he continues to lose playing time.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix's Green Bay Packers and Brock Vereen's Chicago Bears were both on bye weeks, while the Baltimore Ravens deactivated Terrence Brooks. Therefore, the only other rookie safety to see significant playing time in Week 9 was Tre Boston, who received his first start at strong safety for the Carolina Panthers. Should he continue to start, Boston will push Brooks, Vereen and perhaps even Pryor for a spot in these rankings.

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	3
4	Pat O'Donnell	P	Bears	6.15	4

 

None of the three active rookie kickers in the NFL have missed a field goal attempt since Week 2.

Chandler Catanzaro did not have any field goal attempts against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday but is a perfect 16-of-16 on the year.

Cody Parkey, who made a 45-yard kick against the Houston Texans on Sunday, has made his last 12 field goal attempts in a row and is 15-of-16 for the season.

Cairo Santos' only field goal attempt of Week 9 was a glorified extra point from just 19 yards out, but the Kansas City Chiefs has made nine in a row and is 11-of-13 for the year.

Pat O'Donnell, the NFL's only rookie punter this season, has been a disappointment as he ranks just 30th out of 32 players at his position with an average of 35.7 net yards per punt. O'Donnell's Chicago Bears had a Week 9 bye.

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

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