NFL Week 5 Rookie Rankings: Surveying Rookie Class, Post-Week 4

The fourth 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 really make 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.

What is happening in the midst of their first season is still a potential indicator of how the next half-decade or so will play out. Players who impact their teams right away generally stick around and continue their positive influence. That shouldn’t take away from those who need more time to develop into solid players.

The first month of the season has featured peaks and valleys for this rookie class. Regardless of draft position, we’ve seen impactful play around the league. Teams already benefiting from their draft class must be brimming with excitement.

For this week’s rankings, we take a look at which players performed best in Week 4 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Our rankings from even last week are now outdated, as Week 4 featured several eye-popping performances. The volatile nature of the NFL must be considered as well. The players listed in the following slides, nonetheless, are the ones who stood out the most during the first four weeks of football.

Top 50 Overall

Bill Wippert/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, there are some late-round picks and even undrafted rookies who stood out enough these first four weeks 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 4 performers such as running back Todd Gurley and edge-rusher Ryan Delaire are rising up the big board. Indianapolis Colts defensive end Henry Anderson continues to be a force in the trenches, so he maintains his high standing. He’s been even more disruptive than advertised.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	1	Same
2	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	4	Up
3	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	1.4	3	Same
4	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	8	Up
5	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	5	Same
6	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	2	Down
7	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	9	Up
8	Hau'oli Kikaha	LB	Saints	2.12	12	Up
9	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	4	Down
10	Todd Gurley	RB	Rams	1.10	N/A	Up
11	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	11	Same
12	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	9	Up
13	Mitch Morse	OC	Chiefs	2.17	13	Same
14	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	15	Up
15	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	10	Down
16	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	29	Up
17	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	17	Same
18	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	UDFA	18	Same
19	Jamon Brown	OG	Rams	3.8	N/A	Up
20	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	25	Up
21	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	21	Same
22	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Colts	1.29	31	Up
23	Brandon Scherff	OG	Redskins	1.5	43	Up
24	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	24	Same
25	Ali Marpet	OG	Buccaneers	2.29	23	Down
26	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	36	Up
27	Kyshoen Jarrett	SAF	Redskins	6.5	N/A	Up
28	Shaquille Mason	OG	Patriots	4.34	28	Same
29	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.29	8	Down
30	David Johnson	RB	Cardinals	3.22	30	Same
31	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.6	31	Same
32	Bobby Richardson	DE	Saints	UDFA	N/A	Up
33	Carl Davis	DT	Ravens	2.20	26	Down
34	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	27	Down
35	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	35	Same
36	DeVante Parker	WR	Dolphins	1.14	14	Down
37	Arik Armstead	DE	49ers	1.17	44	Up
38	Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3.31	19	Down
39	James Sample	SAF	Jaguars	5.4	27	Up
40	Rob Havenstein	OT	Rams	2.25	N/A	Up
41	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	N/A	Down
42	Duke Johnson	RB	Browns	3.13	N/A	Up
43	Ryan Delaire	DE	Panthers	UDFA	N/A	Up
44	Danny Shelton	DT	Browns	1.12	N/A	Down
45	Tevin Coleman	RB	Falcons	3.9	39	Down
46	Michael Bennett	DT	Jaguars	6.4	38	Down
47	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	41	Down
48	Jaquiski Tartt	SAF	49ers	2.14	39	Down
49	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	48	Down
50	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	45	Down

Quarterbacks

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Our quarterback ranking again changes this week. Despite having a bye week in Week 4, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota stays in the top spot. Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston’s reckless play led to four interceptions against the Carolina Panthers, which is why he stays at No. 2.   

The raw numbers between the two would suggest that this race isn’t close. I don’t agree, since the two have greatly differing situations and playing styles. Mariota has always been more conservative than Winston, which affects the plays he makes and what the Titans run for him. That’s not to say Mariota isn’t better right now, but we have to at least acknowledge that aspect.

What Winston must improve on is his quickness getting the ball out. He shows great anticipation at times, but when he is late, the play goes awry quickly. His elongated motion creates a limited window for him to get the pass out. This also comes at a time when his offensive line is as leaky as any across the NFL, so that combination is not ideal.

Quarterback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	1	Same
2	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	2	Same
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

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Week 4 was the Todd Gurley show in St. Louis. After just two yards on four carries at halftime, it was looking like Gurley would have another nondescript performance this season. But the Rams refused to quit on the running game, and Gurley rewarded them handsomely.

Gurley finished with 146 yards on 19 carries against one of the more talented defenses in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals had that defeated look in their body expressions after Gurley tore through them. The burst and athleticism that we saw from Gurley in college is what was on full display last week.

Talent was never the issue when talking about Gurley. We’ll see whether he can string together multiple healthy seasons, but he is truly an impact player when he’s on the field. The Rams just got much more dangerous with his arrival.

The second-best running back this week was clearly T.J. Yeldon. Yeldon averaged 4.7 yards a carry to finish with 105 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars rookie back is starting to really look comfortable in the NFL.

Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Todd Gurley	RB	Rams	1.10	N/A	Up
2	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	2	Same
3	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	1.15	3	Same
4	Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3.31	4	Same
5	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	5	Same

Wide Receivers

Al Bello/Getty Images

Not too much has changed in the rookie receiver rankings. Amari Cooper continues to be the cream of the crop, and the rest of the class is still struggling to be consistent. We saw some increased production from Jamison Crowder and Stefon Diggs, who are both in our top five.

Crowder’s role is especially interesting. He’s seemingly passed Andre Roberts on the depth chart, as Crowder played 61 offensive snaps. His shiftiness has added a new dimension to the Redskins offense, and he has 117 yards on the year now.

Diggs was another rookie to improve. The Minnesota Vikings lack receiver talent in a major way, which has led the door to open for Diggs. The former Maryland Terrapin has been able to ascend past Cordarrelle Patterson with ease. He had 14 more snaps this past Sunday.

Diggs’ 87-yard performance is a good sign for the Vikings. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t had a ton of help outside of Adrian Peterson’s return, but Diggs could provide a significant boost to the passing game. He offers explosiveness on short routes that the Vikings simply lack outside of Diggs.

Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	1	Same
2	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Colts	1.29	5	Up
3	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	5	Same
4	Jamison Crowder	WR	Redskins	4.6	N/A	Up
5	Stefon Diggs	WR	Vikings	5.10	N/A	Down

Tight Ends

Don Wright/Associated Press

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 bearing true so far on Sundays. Maxx Williams stays No. 1 after padding his numbers a little in Week 4.

Williams now leads all rookie tight ends in receiving yards, with 84 on seven 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.

Two weeks after moving to first with two catches for 54 yards, James O’Shaughnessy has only had eight yards the last two weeks. 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

Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The rookie offensive tackle class has had a tough time adjusting to the NFL. The first three weeks haven’t been consistent at all. We’ve seen significant movement on this list each week.

Some of these struggles should be expected. Mid-round picks such as Minnesota’s T.J. Clemmings wasn’t even supposed to start, until an injury occurred. It often takes a year or two to see good play from young tackles as they transform their body and technique.

We do have a new No. 1 tackle after some slight shuffling around. A big reason why Todd Gurley catapulted to No. 1 in our running back ranking is his offensive line. Right tackle Rob Havenstein did a great job creating running lanes and hitting his second-level landmarks.

It was a rough week for every other rookie starter. Quite simply, there are too many instances where every rookie tackle looks incompetent as a pass protector. We’ll be keeping a close eye on these performances moving forward.

Offensive Tackle Rankings

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

Offensive Guards

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

The rookie offensive guards have arguably been the most productive and effective group of any. 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.

The positive play continued for three highly touted guards. Washington’s first-round pick, Brandon Scherff, held his own against a talented Philadelphia Eagles front seven. He’s still struggling with pass-protection technique, but there has been progress since the preseason.

Other studs include St. Louis’ Jamon Brown and Ali Marpet of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Again, you’re looking at better run-blockers at this time, but each has been respectable in the passing game as well. The Patriots’ Tre’ Jackson and Shaquille Mason have been another notable duo who earned their place here.

Offensive Guard Rankings

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

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. The center is usually the brain of the unit. They must identify blitzers and the "Mike" linebacker. They’re 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 4 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

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Arguably the most talented and deepest position from the rookie class is the defensive end position. Whether playing 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.

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Henry Anderson jumps two talented ends to enter No. 1 on our list. He’s consistently showing advanced pass-rush moves en route to the backfield, which is a huge boon for the Colts’ woeful defense. He was again solid this past week against the Jaguars.

The new addition to the group is Ryan Delaire of the Carolina Panthers. Carolina needed a boost of pass-rush prowess, and Delaire quickly filled the hole. He showed good speed and athleticism in both of his sacks in Week 4.

The rest of this group are familiar names. Vic Beasley continues to be a nightmare for tackles to account for. It’s only a matter of time before he ascends higher into the group of better overall pass-rushers in the NFL.

Defensive End Rankings

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

Defensive Tackles

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Not much has changed for the rookie defensive tackle class. We haven’t seen much overall production from any of the rookies in terms of stat sheets. But the film for several has been encouraging.

The pure nose tackles have been the best of the bunch so far. Colts tackle David Parry has been a helpful presence eating double-teams. The same can be said for Cardinals rookie Rodney Gunter. Especially in multiple-front defenses or purely 3-4 fronts, these nose tackles make everything else possible for their teammates.

Possibly the biggest disappointment thus far at the position is Danny Shelton of the Browns. Despite an impressive senior season at Washington, where he was basically unguardable, Shelton hasn’t been a factor for Cleveland. Its front continues to be washed out of plays with ease, which is really why the team has stumbled out of the gate.

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	3	Same
4	Danny Shelton	DT	Browns	1.12	4	Same
5	Michael Bennett	DT	Jaguars	6.4	5	Same

Linebackers

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

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 newcomer to this group is Za’Darius Smith. Smith was unblocked on two sacks this week, but he was able to step into a role that the Ravens desperately needed. He played only 19 snaps but helped finish in a fashion that the Ravens hadn’t had yet this season. He enters our top five with his impactful play.

After Week 4, 4-3 linebackers Hau’oli Kikaha, Shaq Thompson and Eric Kendricks continue to lead the pack. Each has assumed a major role in his respective defense and hasn’t struggled too much. Don’t expect them to let go from the top three 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	Za’Darius Smith	LB	Raven	4.23	N/A	Up

Cornerbacks

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

This rookie cornerback group is a lot of fun to watch. It’s hard to find quality rookie cornerbacks because of the shear 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. Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters has consistently played well against elite quarterbacks and wide receivers. Bills cornerback 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 into the top spot with his stellar showing against the Giants. All three candidates have greatly impressed, but Darby has continued to keep his assignment out of the end zone.

Eagles rookie Eric Rowe got his first extended run in Week 4 and had his share of struggles. He is a talented player who had a difficult first task for his debut. He takes Trae Waynes’ fifth spot because Waynes only played one snap last week.

Cornerback Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	2	Up
2	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	1	Down
3	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	3	Same
4	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	4	Up
5	Eric Rowe	CB	Eagles	2.15	N/A	Up

Safeties

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

We have a new No. 1 in our safety rankings after Week 4. As Washington defensive back Kyshoen Jarrett has continued to receive more snaps, he’s gotten better. Last week, he may have saved the Redskins’ win against Philadelphia when he deflected a pass going to Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews late in the game.

The rest of the safety class continues to be mediocre at best. Without impact pass defenders at the position, the rookie safeties have just been treading water. That’s not to say one of these young defenders won’t break out, but the early returns haven’t been notable.

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 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	Kyshoen Jarrett	SAF	Redskins	6.5	N/A	Up
2	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	1	Down
3	James Sample	SAF	Jaguars	4.5	3	Same
4	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	4	Same
5	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	2	Down

Specialists

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Even the best rookie specialists will see week-to-week changes. Kickers and punters aren’t guaranteed many opportunities to make an impact. When they don’t execute, their job security can disappear in a heartbeat. Just ask Kyle Brindza, whom Tampa Bay released this week.

The first change in our rankings is that DeAndrew White drops out of the top five for Dolphins punter Matt Darr. Darr has been excellent in terms of net yards, leading all rookies with 42.4 net yards a punt. He eclipsed incumbent No. 1, Bradley Pinion, for his punting effectiveness.

The other change is moving Jaguars kicker Jason Myers out of the top five after missing two kicks. He is replaced by Chargers kicker Josh Lambo. Lambo has hit 87.5 percent of his kicks this season.

Specialist Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Matt Darr	P	Dolphins	UDFA	N/A	Up
2	Bradley Pinion	P	49ers	5.29	1	Down
3	Marcus Murphy	PR	Saints	7.13	2	Down
4	Andrew Franks	K	Dolphins	UDFA	4	Same
5	Josh Lambo	K	Chargers	UDFA	N/A	Up

All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com and Football Outsiders.

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

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