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

The eighth week of the NFL season is in the books, which leaves us halfway through the 17-week schedule. Rookies are becoming more established and making a weekly impact for their teams. Our weekly rookie rankings have undergone some changes after seeing these first-year players already develop.

What is happening in the midst of their first seasons 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 influences. That shouldn’t take away from those who need more time to develop into a solid player, though.

The season's first eight weeks have 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 classes must be brimming with excitement.

For this week’s rankings, we take a look at which players have performed the best to this point. 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 compared to what the expectations are.

Our rankings from even last week are now outdated, as Week 8 featured several eye-popping performances. The volatile nature of the NFL must be considered as well. The players listed in the following slides, nonetheless, stood out the most during the first eight weeks of football.

Top 50 Overall

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Markus Golden (No. 44)

As the season continues, we’ll track ascending and descending players. For each week, the listed movement may be somewhat significant, based on playing time given to each rookie. The few rookies who really stood out will rise higher on the top-50 overall list.

Some high draft picks have yet to make their presences felt, which is holding them out of the top 50. Conversely, some late-round picks and even undrafted rookies stood out enough this 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.

With eight weeks of the season in the books, watch for rookies to emerge with a strong second half. Building momentum into next season can change how a franchise will attack the offseason. Also, be on the lookout for struggling teams to start increasing rookie playing time.

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Todd Gurley	RB	Rams	1.10	5	Up
2	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	2	Same
3	Jameis Winston	QB	Buccaneers	1.1	3	Same
4	Marcus Peters	CB	Chiefs	1.18	6	Up
5	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	1	Down
6	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	3.29	4	Down
7	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	7	Same
8	Ronald Darby	CB	Bills	2.18	8	Same
9	Stefon Diggs	WR	Vikings	5.10	20	Up
10	Jordan Hicks	LB	Eagles	3.20	10	Same
11	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	11	Same
12	Duke Johnson	RB	Browns	3.13	17	Up
13	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	19	Up
14	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	9	Down
15	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	15	Same
16	Markus Golden	LB	Cardinals	2.26	N/A	Up
17	Jamison Crowder	WR	Redskins	4.6	25	Up
18	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	14	Down
19	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	26	Up
20	Arik Armstead	DE	49ers	1.17	18	Down
21	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	21	Same
22	Ali Marpet	OG	Buccaneers	2.29	22	Same
23	Shaq Thompson	LB	Panthers	1.25	12	Down
24	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	24	Same
25	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	34	Up
26	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	41	Up
27	Tre' Jackson	OG	Patriots	4.12	27	Same
28	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	28	Same
29	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	13	Down
30	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	23	Down
31	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.6	31	Same
32	Rob Havenstein	OT	Rams	2.25	32	Same
33	Brandon Scherff	OG	Redskins	1.5	33	Same
34	Hau'oli Kikaha	LB	Saints	2.12	16	Down
35	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.19	29	Down
36	Jamon Brown	OG	Rams	3.8	36	Same
37	Bobby Richardson	DE	Saints	UDFA	37	Same
38	David Johnson	RB	Cardinals	3.22	30	Down
39	Thomas Rawls	SAF	Seahawks	UDFA	42	Up
40	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	40	Same
41	Matt Jones	RB	Redskins	3.31	38	Down
42	James Sample	SAF	Jaguars	4.5	39	Down
43	Ryan Delaire	DE	Panthers	UDFA	43	Same
44	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	44	Same
45	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	45	Same
46	Kyshoen Jarrett	SAF	Redskins	6.5	35	Down
47	DeVante Parker	WR	Dolphins	1.14	47	Same
48	Jaquiski Tartt	SAF	49ers	2.14	48	Same
49	Jalen Collins	CB	Falcons	2.10	N/A	Up
50	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	50	Same

Quarterbacks

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Jameis Winston

As the weeks go by, this quarterback race is starting to see some spacing between the two top rookies. After a blistering debut from Marcus Mariota, both he and the Titans have staggered back down to Earth. Their 0-6 stretch just led to the firing of head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

That’s not Mariota’s fault, but it helps illustrate both his and the team's struggles. Once defenses adjusted to Tennessee’s simplified offense, Mariota’s impact lessened. He’s thrown five touchdowns and five interceptions since Week 1.

On the other hand is Jameis Winston. Winston again played well in Week 8, throwing for one touchdown and zero interceptions. He’s been cutting down the mistakes and still showing the ability to hit big plays. He’s firmly the top rookie quarterback at this time.

Quarterback Rankings

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

David Richard/Associated Press/Associated Press

Duke Johnson

The top rookie running back continues to be Todd Gurley, and it isn’t close. Gurley’s already the fifth-leading rusher in the NFL with 575 yards. His fit in St. Louis has been perfect for both team and player.

Gurley totaled another 100-plus-yard game in Week 8. His 133 yards on 20 carries was capped off with a 71-yard touchdown. He’s been as good as any back this year, and he just returned from an ACL injury less than two months ago. He’s incredible.

The rest of the rookie backs again had a down week. The lack of consistency from this group is surprising, considering where some of these backs were drafted. Outside of Gurley, the most electric back has been the Browns' Duke Johnson.

Johnson hasn’t received consistent carries, but he’s been a terrific receiver. His versatility has boosted Cleveland’s offense in a unique way. He’s another home run threat whom opponents must carefully defend.

Running Back Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Todd Gurley	RB	Rams	1.10	1	Same
2	Duke Johnson	RB	Browns	3.13	3	Up
3	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	2	Down
4	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.19	4	Same
5	Thomas Rawls	RB	Seahawks	UDFA	5	Same

Wide Receivers

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press/Associated Press

Tyler Lockett

After shaking up the receiver rankings quite a bit last week, we have zero movement in the top five this week aside from Dorial Green-Beckham entering. Several mid-round picks have emerged as legitimate threats within their offenses. On the other hand, some highly drafted receivers have struggled breaking into lineups due to injuries or deeper rosters.

The one area where this rookie group is dominating as a whole is yards after catch. According to SportingCharts.com, Amari Cooper has 309 of his 565 yards after the catch, and Jamison Crowder has 137 of 292 yards after the catch. These are special players with the ball in their hands.

Stefon Diggs continues to play especially well, too. The former Maryland receiver has been Teddy Bridgewater’s top target this season. There’s little doubt those two can be a dynamic tandem for the next half-decade or longer.

Wide Receiver Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Amari Cooper	WR	Raiders	1.4	1	Same
2	Stefon Diggs	WR	Vikings	5.10	2	Same
3	Jamison Crowder	WR	Redskins	4.6	3	Same
4	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	4	Same
5	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	N/A	Up

Tight Ends

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press/Associated Press

Clive Walford

One of the least impressive rookie groups of all from the 2015 class is the tight end unit. There’s just one tight end with 100 yards total receiving in the first eight games. That is a ghastly figure for a prominent position league-wide.

We’ve shuffled the names on the top five after several rookies had minor production last week. With such little production separating each player, there is room for major movement every week. The most interesting part of this list is where some of the players were found compared to others.

Blocking ability is a difficult one to account for since it is subjective. But it does seem to me that Maxx Williams is not only the best receiver, but he's also the top blocker. The Ravens have often featured him as an inline blocker.

Tight End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	1	Same
2	Nick Boyle	TE	Ravens	5.35	N/A	Up
3	Clive Walford	TE	Raiders	3.4	3	Same
4	Will Tye	TE	Giants	UDFA	N/A	Up
5	James O'Shaughnessy	TE	Chiefs	5.37	2	Down

Offensive Tackles

Billy Hurst/Associated Press/Associated Press

Rob Havenstein

The rookie offensive tackle class has had a tough time adjusting to the NFL. The first eight weeks haven’t been consistent at all. The same can be said for this ranking,

We’re now down to just five rookie tackles who are starting. A season-ending injury to Ty Sambrailo moves him out of the top five. He wasn’t having a good season prior to the injury, but that will hurt the Broncos moving forward.

Teams must be concerned with their respective rookie tackle. As the Rams have consistently run the ball, their right tackle, Rob Havenstein, has been the best of this group. Every other tackle continues to be a pass-blocking sieve.

Offensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Rob Havenstein	OT	Rams	2.25	1	Same
2	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	2	Same
3	Ereck Flowers	OT	Giants	1.9	3	Same
4	Donovan Smith	OT	Buccaneers	2.2	5	Up
5	Jeremiah Poutasi	OT	Titans	3.2	N/A	Up

Offensive Guards

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

La'el Collins (No. 71)

We saw some big-time performances from the rookie guard group in Week 8. Of all the offensive positions, this is the best overall rookie unit. We’ve seen quality play from seven rookies this season.

The Dallas Cowboys unleashed left guard La’el Collins last week with great success. Collins was dominant for the Cowboys, opening run lanes and protecting his quarterback. He did not allow one single pressure or hit on the quarterback, per Pro Football Focus.

The best rookie guard has been Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson started the season as a backup, but once he was inserted into the lineup, he laid claim to the job. He’s been a solid pass- and run-blocker. He has easily transitioned his combination of power and technique into the NFL.

Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Laken Tomlinson	G	Lions	1.28	1	Same
2	La'el Collins	G	Cowboys	UDFA	N/A	Up
3	Tre' Jackson	G	Patriots	4.12	2	Down
4	Ali Marpet	G	Buccaneers	2.29	4	Same
5	Brandon Scherff	G	Redskins	1.5	5	Same

Centers

Charles Krupa/Associated Press/Associated Press

Tom Brady (left) and David Andrews

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. Centers 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. Two players have started every week: Mitch Morse and David Andrews. The Chiefs and Patriots must be happy with their play thus far, respectively.

Chicago was starting Hroniss Grasu prior to Week 8, but he was inactive due to a neck injury this past week. He maintains his third-place spot, but he’s also unchallenged. Once again, this list stays the same.

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

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Frank Clark (left) and Cliff Avril

Defensive end is arguably the rookie class' most talented and deepest 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.

The new face to the top five was a personal favorite of mine when he was in college. New Orleans Saints rookie defensive end Bobby Richardson has been solid as a rotational player thus far. Week 8 was his strongest game tape yet.

If the draft were redone tomorrow, you can be sure Henry Anderson and Vic Beasley would be top-10 picks. Beasley went eighth overall and has been a solid speed pass-rusher. Anderson has been a disruptive end with his power and great hands.

Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	1	Same
2	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	3.29	2	Same
3	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	3	Same
4	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	5	Up
5	Bobby Richardson	DE	Saints	UDFA	N/A	Up

Defensive Tackles

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Grady Jarrett

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 stats. But the film for several of them 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 while eating double-teams. We can say the same 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.

The biggest movement we see this week comes from Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. The fifth-round steal has shown real playmaker potential as a pass-rusher. Atlanta definitely could use another rotational pass-rusher, and Jarrett could fill the void nicely.

Defensive Tackle Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	1	Same
2	Rodney Gunter	DT	Cardinals	4.17	3	Up
3	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	2	Down
4	Grady Jarrett	DT	Falcons	5.1	N/A	Up
5	Michael Bennett	DT	Jaguars	6.4	5	Same

Linebackers

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Eric Kendricks (No. 54)

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, three 4-3 outside linebackers played significant snaps, while four 3-4 rush linebackers often saw the field. Teams that needed impactful play from these rookies continue to wait, though.

It’s hard to find linebackers who can impact the game in all three phases of a drive. But we’ve consistently seen Jordan Hicks, Shaq Thompson and Eric Kendricks show this ability. Each can play the run, can blitz and can drop into coverage.

Breaking into the top five this week is Markus Golden. The Arizona Cardinals rookie has been using his quickness off the snap to force pressure on quarterbacks. He’s been the best 3-4 pass-rushing rookie thus far in 2015.

Linebacker Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Jordan Hicks	LB	Eagles	3.20	1	Same
2	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	3	Up
3	Markus Golden	LB	Cardinals	2.26	N/A	Up
4	Shaq Thompson	LB	Panthers	1.25	2	Down
5	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	5	Same

Cornerbacks

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press/Associated Press

Jalen Collins

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 successes should have teams kicking themselves for passing over instant starters at such a valuable spot.

A new face has entered the top-five list this week. Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins has seen an uptick in snaps the last two weeks. The results have been encouraging. He’s allowed just five completions on 13 targets, per Pro Football Focus.

Teams that are needing cornerback help should be regretting the decision to pass on all of these talented players. You can be sure the Chiefs, Bills, Packers, Texans and Falcons are quite pleased with their rookie cornerbacks thus far.

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	2	Same
3	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	3	Same
4	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	4	Same
5	Jalen Collins	CB	Falcons	2.10	N/A	Up

Safeties

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press/Associated Press

Byron Jones (No. 31)

After deeply digging into the rookie safety class, there’s some movement in our top-five ranking. Although Adrian Amos is safely in the top spot, we have two big risers based off playing time and overall impact. Byron Jones and Ibraheim Campbell each had solid performances last week, which is enough to propel both rookies up in the rankings.

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 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. Jones and Amos are the only two safeties showing much promise right now.

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	5	Up
3	Ibraheim Campbell	SAF	Browns	4.16	N/A	Up
4	James Sample	SAF	Jaguars	4.5	4	Same
5	Kyshoen Jarrett	SAF	Redskins	6.5	1	Down

Specialists

Dave Reginek/Getty Images

Ameer Abdullah

Our specialist rankings feature four return men and one punter. The number of running backs who are getting offensive snaps is down, but they’re making an impact on special teams.

Although players such as David Johnson and Ameer Abdullah have shown some offensive promise, they’ve been primarily playing special teams. That earns a ranking here. Those two have flashed special abilities with the ball in their hands.

Marcus Murphy is a scatback who has specialized on returns. He’s second among all rookies in terms of total return yards, which includes both punt and kick returns. The diminutive playmaker is becoming a must-watch return man every Sunday.

The lone punter now on the list is Miami’s Matt Darr. He leads all rookie punters in net yards and average punt distance. His consistency has been notable, and he’s locked down that spot in Miami for the foreseeable future.

Specialist Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Marcus Murphy	KR	Saints	7.13	1	Same
2	David Johnson	KR	Cardinals	3.22	2	Same
3	Matt Darr	P	Dolphins	UDFA	5	Up
4	Corey Grant	KR	Jaguars	UDFA	4	Same
5	Ameer Abdullah	KR	Lions	2.22	3	Down

All stats used are from Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Ian Wharton is an NFL Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

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