5 Unheralded Rookies Every NFL Fan Needs to Know

Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota might have been perfect during his professional debut, but he wasn't necessarily the best rookie performer on the field in Week 1. His performance was simply the most noticeable. 

Multiple talented first-year players will vie for the honor of being the named the NFL's top rookie throughout the season. Not all of them are easily identifiable as former first-round picks or play offensive skill positions for the fantasy football inclined. 

Some will do the dirty work. Others will dominate at positions that receive far less notice. And there are even those who will even be overlooked due to the play of more heralded teammates. 

Despite these obstacles, a group of impressive rookies appeared during the NFL's opening weekend and should quickly gain acclaim for their level of play. None of them were first-round selections. All of them are instant-impact performers. Each should become a household name outside of his current market before it's all said and done. 

Henry Anderson, Indianapolis Colts

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

If anyone were to ask which defender was the most dominant during Week 1, the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt or the St. Louis Rams' Aaron Donald would almost certainly be the first two names mentioned. 

The performance of a recent third-round pick as a starter at 5-technique in the Indianapolis Colts' 3-4 defense quickly became overshadowed due to his team's embarrassing 27-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills. 

Unlike most of his teammates, Henry Anderson provided a spectacular debut. The defensive end tied for the team lead with nine total tackles. Three of those tackles were for a loss. 

His five run stops tied Watt as the weekend's best performance, according to Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke. 

"Guy made a ton of plays in the backfield," Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said Monday, per StampedeBlue.com's Josh Wilson. "I don't think we've had a defensive lineman around here since I've been here, an interior guy, a guy that plays the five, the nose or the three end up with eight, nine, 10 tackles on the stat sheet. Very, very active. He did a great job."

The Bills own one of the league's biggest and most physical offensive lines. Anderson completely overwhelmed the unit at times, as seen in the view provided below by Wilson:

Anderson isn't a standout athlete, but he can consistently win at the NFL level with his length and technique. Plus, he's an ideal fit for the Colts' defensive scheme. 

The former 93rd overall pick wasn't the only rookie 3-4 defensive end to provide a standout first appearance, though. 

Carl Davis, Baltimore Ravens

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

When the Baltimore Ravens chose Iowa's Carl Davis with the 90th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, his addition was meant to serve as depth along the defensive line after general manager Ozzie Newsome traded former All-Pro Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions. 

After all, veteran Chris Canty remained on the roster, and last year's second-round pick, Timmy Jernigan, flashed starting ability. Davis seemed destined to serve as depth. 

Jernigan, however, suffered a knee injury during the Ravens' third preseason game and missed the first regular-season contest as a result. Davis shined in his absence. 

The rookie didn't stuff the stat sheet, but his consistent presence in the backfield made life difficult for the Denver Broncos and quarterback Peyton Manning. 

Former All-Pro guard Evan Mathis couldn't adjust to Davis' quickness off the snap. TheFootballEducator.com's Brandon Thorn provided an example: 

While Jernigan is expected to return in Week 2, Davis realized his two primary goals during his debut performance. 

"I just want to put some good film out there and try to help my team win," Davis said, per the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec. "We came up short, and even me as a rookie, I have to do a little bit more to try to give us that edge."

Newsome once again found what appears to be another quality player in the middle rounds of the draft. NFL teams knocked Davis during the predraft process for his inconsistency. His motor ran hot and cold at Iowa, but he dominated at the Senior Bowl.

At 6'5" and 320 pounds, though, the collegiate defensive tackle was a load against the run and deceptively quickly off the snap when he gave 100 percent. 

So long as Davis is in the right environment, which he appears to be in Baltimore, he can live up to his prodigious talent.

Kyle Emanuel, San Diego Chargers

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Prior to the start of the 2015 regular season, Bleacher Report spoke with San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Kyle Emanuel about how he prepared for his rookie season.

Just days before his first game, Emanuel didn't know if he was actually going to start or not. He did. And the Chargers received one of the league's best defensive performances as a result. 

Despite only playing 29 snaps due to a shoulder injury that eventually took him out of the game, Emanuel registered a sack, interception and pass deflection. 

Not too bad for a fifth-round rookie who didn't even know if he was going to get the starting nod. 

The organization and his teammates are excited about the proposition of Emanuel at outside linebacker. Quarterback Philip Rivers summed up the enthusiasm quite well, per Marty Caswell of The Mighty 1090 Sports Radio: 

The ability to apply edge pressure proved to be problematic for the Chargers over the last few seasons. Emanuel's emergence is a massive step in the right direction for the team to legitimately compete in the AFC this season. 

During his time at North Dakota State, Emanuel won four national titles. More importantly for the Chargers, he displayed a relentless motor off the edge when he registered 19.5 sacks and 32.5 tackles for loss during his senior campaign.

Emanuel can get after quarterbacks whether it's at outside linebacker or nickel defensive end. And San Diego plans to use him to create as much pressure as possible on opposing quarterbacks. 

Ronald Darby, Buffalo Bills

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

One player who might benefit the most from pressure applied by his team's defensive front is Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Ronald Darby. 

Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes are the catalysts up front, but Darby and his fellow defensive backs will be even better due to the play of the Bills defensive front. 

Darby was viewed as the weak link to Buffalo's secondary entering the season, though. With Stephon Gilmore lined up on the opposite side, the rookie became an obvious target. During preseason, opposing offenses picked on the Florida State product. 

But the recent second-round pick didn't hang his head. Instead, Darby was confident as ever against the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck and the myriad offensive weapons at the quarterback's disposal. 

"I want my young guys to have that kind of attitude," Bills safety Aaron Williams said, per the Buffalo News' Tyler Dunne. "Even if he gets beat, still have an attitude. We don’t ever want our opponents to see us down in a drought. Once they see that, it’s a wrap. I said, 'Hey, be fired up.'"

The Colts tested Darby deep Sunday, but they didn't have much luck. The cornerback's speed and athleticism allow him to run with any receiver in the league. When a ball is underthrown, Darby can and will make the quarterback pay. 

Prime Xample's Stephon Morris provided video of Darby's interception against the Colts: 

"

Congrats to lil bro @realronalddarby on getting his 1st NFL career start as well as 1st interception. #PX #TheProcess pic.twitter.com/W2aqLgimBl

— Stephon Morris (@S_Morr12) September 13, 2015"

Darby also deflected two passes. 

Not only was the cornerback solid in coverage, but he also came up and defended the run well with six total tackles. 

The rookie cover corner will certainly have ups and downs this season. Darby will need a short memory. But he has all of the necessary tools to exceed in Rex Ryan's aggressive defensive scheme. If Darby plays up to expectations, the Bills defense might prove to be unbeatable. 

Mitch Morse, Kansas City Chiefs

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

As the NFL's opening weekend came to a close, the Kansas City Chiefs' Mitch Morse established himself as one of the league's best interior blockers.

Pro Football Focus graded the league's 32 centers during opening weekend, and only the New York Giants' Weston Richburg received a better overall assessment than Morse. 

This is especially impressive on two fronts. 

First, Morse never played center in college. He lined up at left and right tackle for the Missouri Tigers. 

Second, his performance came against the Texans, who feature Watt and veteran nose tackle Vince Wilfork. 

Morse's overall athleticism really stood out. Very few centers can effectively get out in space on the edges to make blocks. Even fewer can climb the pocket to provide edge help against Watt. Morse did, as the Kansas City Star's Sam Mellinger captured: 

The rookie's performance Thursday night against the Denver Broncos wasn't nearly as impressive, but Morse's skills are obvious. 

The Chiefs originally allowed Rodney Hudson to leave via free agency, and he became the game's highest-paid center once he signed with the Oakland Raiders. 

Kansas City appears to have found a more-than-capable replacement for one-tenth of the price. 

Bright Futures

For any NFL organization to be successful, it must build its core around solid, young and cheap players acquired through the draft. This extends beyond the popular first round. The best-run franchises find talent everywhere. Some are fortunate enough to get instant production from players who aren't expected to do so at the onset of their careers. 

Each of the aforementioned rookies has already exceeded expectations. Even after only one game, they'll now be expected to serve as core components to their team's success (or lack thereof). 

These rookies won't be the only ones. The Seattle Seahawks' Frank Clark, Atlanta Falcons' Grady Jarrett, Washington Redskins' Preston Smith, New Orleans Saints' Bobby Richardson, San Francisco 49ers' Jaquiski Tartt, Tennessee Titans' Deiontrez Mount and Jeremiah Poutasi and Colts' David Parry all impressed as well. 

Competition will be stiff, but Anderson, Davis, Emanuel, Darby and Morse present enough ability to develop into elite performers at their respective positions. 

These rookies don't need to be perfect. Each simply needs to live up to the standards he's already set and continue to build on them in future games. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.