NFL Week 4 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class, Post-Week 3

The third week of the NFL season is in the books, and we’re almost one full month into the 17-week season. That’s still a small sample to gather strong conclusions on what 2015 will have in store for this class of rookies. Our weekly rookie rankings have undergone some changes after seeing these first-year players a few times, though.

Throughout the season here at Bleacher Report, I’ll be tracking which rookies stand out above their peers with weekly rankings of the NFL’s rookie class. Each week, the top five NFL newcomers at each position, and top 50 overall, will be highlighted.

Over the course of the season, rankings will be determined based upon which rookies have had the best performance and production for the regular season as a whole. High draft picks won’t make the rankings simply based upon their hype coming into the league—they’ll have to prove on the field that they belong.

For this week’s rankings, we take a look at which players performed best in Week 3 and showed they have the talent to survive in the NFL. Consideration has been given to where each rookie stands on his team’s depth chart, but the rankings aim to reflect how each player has performed thus far more so than what the expectations are.

Our rankings from even last week are now outdated, as Week 3 featured several eye-popping performances. The volatile nature of the NFL must be considered as well. The rookies listed in the following slides, nonetheless, are the ones who stood out the most during the first three weeks of football.

Top 50 Overall

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

As the season progresses, we will track which players are moving up or down the board after having good or bad games. For this week, the listed movement may be somewhat significant, based on playing time given to each rookie. The few rookies who really stood out will be catapulted higher on the top-50 overall list.

There are some high draft picks who have yet to make their presence felt, holding them out of the top 50. Conversely, some late-round picks and even undrafted rookies stood out enough this first week to be among the top first-year players.

The ebbs and flows of an NFL rookie season can be as dramatic as any in all of professional sports. Standout Week 3 performers such as linebacker Shaq Thompson and running back Karlos Williams are rising up the big board. Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper has continued to dominate, which boosts him into the top two. He’s been as electric as advertised.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	3	Up
2	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	1	Down
3	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	1.4	14	Up
4	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	8	Up
5	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	2	Down
6	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.19	36	Up
7	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	7	Same
8	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	18	Up
9	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	4	Down
10	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	25	Up
11	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	5	Down
12	Hau'oli Kikaha	LB	Saints	2.12	9	Down
13	Mitch Morse	OC	Chiefs	2.17	11	Down
14	DeVante Parker	WR	Dolphins	1.14	N/A	Up
15	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	15	Same
16	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	16	Same
17	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	21	Up
18	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	UDFA	N/A	Up
19	Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3.31	6	Down
20	Randy Gregory	DE	Cowboys	2.28	20	Same
21	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	7	Down
22	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Colts	1.29	31	Up
23	Ali Marpet	OG	Buccaneers	2.29	23	Same
24	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	17	Down
25	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	30	Up
26	Carl Davis	DT	Ravens	2.20	21	Down
27	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	N/A	Up
28	Shaquille Mason	OG	Patriots	4.34	28	Same
29	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	36	Up
30	David Johnson	RB	Cardinals	3.22	10	Down
31	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.6	22	Down
32	Danny Shelton	DT	Browns	1.12	32	Same
33	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	4.15	33	Same
34	Tevin Coleman	RB	Falcons	3.9	10	Down
35	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	22	Down
36	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	26	Down
37	Jordan Phillips	DT	Dolphins	2.20	26	Down
38	Michael Bennett	DT	Jaguars	6.4	39	Up
39	Jaquiski Tartt	SAF	49ers	2.14	27	Down
40	Ty Sambrailo	OT	Broncos	2.27	37	Down
41	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	N/A	Up
42	Kwon Alexander	LB	Buccaneers	4.25	42	Same
43	James Sample	SAF	Jaguars	5.4	N/A	Up
44	Arik Armstead	DE	49ers	1.17	N/A	Up
45	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	39	Down
46	Rashad Greene	WR	Jaguars	5.3	46	Same
47	Ereck Flowers	OT	Giants	1.9	34	Down
48	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	48	Same
49	Jeremiah Poutasi	OT	Titans	3.2	49	Same
50	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Lions	2.25	37	Down

Quarterbacks

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

The first two weeks of the season featured a good week and a bad week for our two starting rookie quarterbacks. While Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota shined in the first week, he dropped back down to earth in Week 2. On the other hand, Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston evened out his performance in Week 2, after a poor start to the season.

This past week was a positive development for both signal-callers. Both of their teams lost, but their individual performances are building blocks. Neither has seemed overwhelmed despite a limited supporting cast.

We’re giving Mariota the nod at No. 1 this week because his play was a little more consistent and impactful than Winston’s. These two may continue to tug back and forth all season long if the first three weeks are any indication. Neither has done enough to really gain separation from the other in the last two weeks.

Mariota threw for more yards (367) at a higher completion percentage (61.4) than Winston did. Winston’s accuracy waned somewhat this week, as he completed less than half of his 36 passing attempts. That efficiency from Mariota is that little boost he needed to hop into the top spot this week.

Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	2	Up
2	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	1	Down
3	Brett Hundley	QB	Packers	5.11	3	Same
4	Garrett Grayson	QB	Saints	3.11	4	Same
5	Bryce Petty	QB	Jets	4.4	5	Same

Running Backs

Associated Press

Thomas Rawls ran all over Chicago in Week 3.

It didn’t take too long for the rookie running backs to make an impact. After Matt Jones broke out for the Washington Redskins in Week 2, two other backs emerged as legitimate threats this week. Buffalo running back Karlos Williams claimed the top spot after a dominant performance against the Dolphins.

Williams was a super-recruit in high school and played safety for the first two years of his career at Florida State. He moved to running back as a junior, backing up current Falcons’ running back Devonta Freeman. His excellent athleticism instantly stood out.

But Williams failed to live up to high expectations as a senior. He seemed heavier than he is now, and his overall fit at running back was murky. Buffalo capitalized by drafting him in the fifth round, and he seems to be in the best shape of his life.

One outcome that will affect this week’s rankings is the injury Tevin Coleman suffered in Week 2. He fractured a rib, which could keep him out several weeks. That’s a tough loss since Coleman was playing very well for the Atlanta Falcons early on.

Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.19	5	Up
2	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	2	Same
3	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	1.15	N/A	Up
4	Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3.31	1	Down
5	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	4	Down

Wide Receivers

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The best of the receiver class to this point is clearly Amari Cooper. The Raiders receiver dominated Browns cornerback Joe Haden in Week 3 en route to 134 yards on eight catches. His instant impact on the Raiders offense has also helped transform quarterback Derek Carr.

The rest of the field did not do overly well in Week 3. DeVante Parker earned more playing time, and he responded with the second-most yards of all the rookies. With his role growing and impact ability, he jumps to second on our list.

One newcomer to the top five is Titans receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. He has two touchdowns this season, including one on his first career reception in Week 2. Tennessee is slowly working him into the receiver rotation. 

Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	1	Same
2	DeVante Parker	WR	Dolphins	1.14	N/A	Up
3	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Colts	1.29	3	Same
4	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	N/A	Up
5	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	2	Down

Tight Ends

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Similar to most of the rookie wide receivers, we haven’t seen anything impressive from the rookie tight ends. The group wasn’t highly lauded in the draft process, and that is proving true so far on Sundays. We did finally see a solid overall game from one tight end: Maxx Williams of the Ravens.

Williams now leads all rookie tight ends in receiving yards, with 67 on five receptions. He hasn’t had many opportunities as a pass-catcher, but no other tight end is producing. That makes it easy to put him back as the top tight end in the class.

One week after moving to first with two catches for 54 yards, James O’Shaughnessy was shut out. The Chiefs’ backup tight end doesn’t figure to be a consistent producer right now. Until someone else jumps up, he’ll remain in the top two.

Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	2	Up
2	James O'Shaughnessy	TE	Chiefs	5.37	1	Down
3	Clive Walford	TE	Raiders	3.4	3	Same
4	Blake Bell	TE	49ers	4.18	4	Same
5	Tyler Kroft	TE	Bengals	3.21	5	Same

Offensive Tackles

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

The rookie offensive tackle class has had a tough time adjusting to the NFL. The first three weeks haven’t been consistent, but the positive is that Week 3 was by far the best overall week for our top five. Our three top tackles have been starting at right tackle this year.

The new addition to the group is Rob Havenstein of the St. Louis Rams. He doesn’t look pretty when he plays, as he looks like the prototypical lineman of the 1970s, but he has been somewhat effective. He didn’t allow a sack or pressure in Week 3, per Pro Football Focus.

Overall, T.J. Clemmings continues to look like the best rookie tackle right now. He’s been a good run-blocker, creating lanes for Adrian Peterson to barrel through. His pass protection isn’t always pretty, but he’s been effective.

Offensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	1	Same
2	Rob Havenstein	OT	Rams	2.25	N/A	Up
3	Kendall Lamm	OT	Texans	UDFA	2	Down
4	Donovan Smith	OT	Buccaneers	2.2	5	Up
5	Ty Sambrailo	OT	Broncos	2.27	3	Down

Offensive Guards

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

The offensive guards have arguably been the most productive and effective group of all the rookies. We have some fluctuation in the top five, as two newcomers have burst into the top spots. This comes as one of our higher-rated rookies plummeted last week.

Miami Dolphins right guard Jamil Douglas had a horrible showing against the Buffalo Bills. He allowed five quarterback hurries and three quarterback hits, per PFF. He is trending in the wrong direction.

On the flip side, St. Louis Rams left guard Jamon Brown had a solid showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers defensive line is poor, but Brown has earned his spot through improved technique. The Rams need that to continue.

The most notable entry is La’el Collins of the Dallas Cowboys. Per PFF, he played 54 snaps at left guard, and his only negative play was a holding call. He was otherwise unnoticed, which is a great complement for any interior offensive lineman.

Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Ali Marpet	G	Buccaneers	2.29	1	Same
2	Jamon Brown	G	Rams	3.8	5	Up
3	La'el Collins	G	Cowboys	UDFA	N/A	Up
4	Brandon Scherff	G	Redskins	1.5	N/A	Up
5	Shaquille Mason	G	Patriots	4.32	2	Down

Centers

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

One of the more nondescript positions in the NFL is the offensive center. Rarely do centers have to do the brunt work that a guard or tackle does, but the center is usually the brain of the unit. He must identify blitzers and the "Mike" linebacker. He is incredibly important.

But the NFL has a lot of quality centers, and the rookie pool suggests that not many starters were needed. The only starting rookie centers in Week 3 were the Kansas City Chiefs’ Mitch Morse and the Patriots’ David Andrews.

Morse, a second-round pick, unsurprisingly earned his spot quickly with the team. Both Morse and Andrews have played well thus far. Andrews is proving to be quite the value for the Patriots. His presence has helped solidify New England’s pass protection.

Center Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Mitch Morse	OC	Chiefs	2.17	1	Same
2	David Andrews	OC	Patriots	UDFA	2	Same
3	Hroniss Grasu	OC	Bears	3.7	3	Same
4	Andy Gallik	OC	Titans	6.32	4	Same
5	Kristjan Sokoli	OC	Seahawks	6.38	5	Same

Defensive Ends

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Arguably the most talented and deepest position from the rookie class is the defensive end position. Whether in a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive front, you can find the top ends right here. The difficult part is actually ranking this talented group.

The Indianapolis Colts' Henry Anderson jumps two talented ends to become No. 1 on our list. He was constantly in the Titans backfield last week, tallying five quarterback hurries and one hit. The competition level was low, but Anderson has consistently demonstrated a high motor and great hand usage.

Falcons defensive end Vic Beasley got the best of Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith a few times, and that keeps him high on our rankings. Beasley earned a sack and was generally good as a run defender. He’s quite impressive, despite falling this week.

The newest name on the list is San Francisco defensive end Arik Armstead. He hasn’t played much to this point, but he had one sack and two quarterback hurries in just 18 snaps. His arrow is pointing upward.

Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	3.29	3	Up
2	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	1	Down
3	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	2	Down
4	Carl Davis	DE	Ravens	3.26	4	Same
5	Arik Armstead	DE	49ers	1.17	N/A	Up

Defensive Tackles

Norm Hall/Getty Images

Looking at the defensive tackle position in its entirety, the third week of the season was not overly productive. There were positives, though. It all starts with Colts defensive tackle David Parry. He has been the best run-stuffing tackle among all rookies, and it’s really not close. He eats blocks well for a rookie.

Behind Parry is Eddie Goldman. He was our top tackle after Week 1, and he’s still playing well. His early success is proving Chicago right on its Day 2 gamble on him. He could develop into a key cog for the defense for the foreseeable future.

A new entrant on the top five is Cardinals nose tackle Rodney Gunter. He has been stout as the man in the middle of the defense, racking up four tackles last week. He’s providing exactly what his team needed after injuries ravaged the nose guard position.

Defensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	1	Same
2	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	2	Same
3	Rodney Gunter	DT	Cardinals	4.17	N/A	Up
4	Danny Shelton	DT	Browns	1.12	4	Same
5	Michael Bennett	DT	Jaguars	6.4	5	Same

Linebackers

Associated Press

Markus Golden logged a sack on Sunday.

Whether you’re looking for a 3-4 or 4-3 outside linebacker, you’ll find the top five right here. Luckily for this group, opportunity started to show itself. Three 4-3 outside linebackers played significant snaps, while four 3-4 rush linebackers were able to see the field often. Teams that needed impactful play from these rookies continue to wait, though.

The 3-4 linebackers have disappointed to a certain extent. Linebackers such a Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith just haven’t been noticeable unless looking right at them. This may improve as they gain strength and improve their technique. There’s no reason to be overly concerned at this point, but it is something to mention.

4-3 linebackers Hau’oli Kikaha, Shaq Thompson and Eric Kendricks continue to lead the pack after Week 3. Each has assumed a major role and hasn’t struggled too much. Don’t expect them to leave the top-five spots anytime soon if they continue to play well.

Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Hau'oli Kikaha	LB	Saints	2.12	1	Same
2	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	2	Same
3	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	3	Same
4	Shaq Thompson	LB	Panthers	1.25	4	Same
5	Jordan Hicks	LB	Eagles	3.20	N/A	Up

Cornerbacks

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

This rookie cornerback group is a lot of fun to watch. It’s hard to find quality rookie cornerbacks because of the sheer difficulty of the position, but we have a few standouts thus far. Their early success should have teams kicking themselves for passing over instant starters at such a valuable spot.

Trying to decide who is the best rookie cornerback is difficult. The Chiefs’ Marcus Peters has consistently played well against elite quarterbacks and wide receivers. The Bills’ Ronald Darby has showed great ball skills and true coverage talent. Houston’s Kevin Johnson has quietly been a solid starter as well.

We’re going to slightly change our rankings from last week. Darby moves back up to No. 2 after getting an interception in Week 3. All three candidates have greatly impressed.

Vikings’ rookie Trae Waynes got his first extended run in Week 3 and played well too. He had a rocky preseason but played confidently against Keenan Allen and Malcom Floyd. Minnesota’s slow-bake approach with him seems to be paying off.  

Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	1	Same
2	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	3	Up
3	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	2	Down
4	Trae Waynes	CB	Vikings	1.11	N/A	Up
5	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	4	Down

Safeties

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The safety class dropped back off in Week 3 after a fairly decent second week. There’s not much consistency in snap counts right now, except for two safeties. The Bears' Adrian Amos and the Giants’ Landon Collins have played full time but not overly well.

The only major change this week is Amos’ ascent into No. 1. This is mostly because he has looked competent, while the other safeties around the NFL haven’t been good. Expect to see Amos continue to get a large volume of snaps as the Bears trudge through the season.

There’s really no other position like safety in the NFL. The disparity between bad starters and even starter-quality is steep, making the elites even that more obvious. Unfortunately for this rookie class, every safety simply struggled to make any type of impact. That’s why we see some slight changes this week.

Safety Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	2	Up
2	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	1	Down
3	James Sample	SAF	Jaguars	4.5	N/A	Up
4	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	4	Same
5	Jaquiski Tartt	SAF	49ers	2.14	3	Down

Specialists

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

We have some changes with the specialists this week, as two rookie return men got a chance to make an impact. Also, Tampa Bay kicker Kyle Brindza missed two field goals, dropping him out of our top five. The movement in this list features some of the biggest changes of all rookie positions.

New to the group are return men Marcus Murphy of the New Orleans Saints and DeAndrew White of the San Francisco 49ers. Murphy led all rookie return men with 82 punt return yards on just two returns. His long was a 74-yard touchdown.

White was second among all rookie kick returners with 95 yards on four returns. He wasn’t as dynamic as Murphy but still provided a solid option for the 49ers. The battle between them may become a fun one to watch throughout the season.

Specialist Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Bradley Pinion	P	49ers	5.29	1	Same
2	Marcus Murphy	PR	Saints	7.13	N/A	Up
3	Jason Myers	K	Jaguars	UDFA	3	Same
4	Andrew Franks	K	Dolphins	UDFA	4	Same
5	DeAndrew White	KR	49ers	UDFA	N/A	Up

Stats used are from Pro-Football-Reference.com. Advanced stats are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

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