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

The ninth week of the NFL season is in the books, which leaves us more than 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 half 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Our rankings from even last week are now outdated, as Week 9 featured several eye-popping performances. The NFL's volatile nature must be considered as well. The players listed in the following slides, nonetheless, stood out the most during the first nine weeks of football.

Top 50 Overall

Ben Margot/Associated Press

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 nine 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	1	Same
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	4	Same
5	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	5	Same
6	Marcus Mariota	QB	Titans	1.2	14	Up
7	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	7	Same
8	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	3.6	6	Down
9	Stefon Diggs	WR	Vikings	5.10	9	Same
10	Jordan Hicks	LB	Eagles	3.20	10	Same
11	Damarious Randall	CB	Packers	1.30	11	Same
12	Karlos Williams	RB	Bills	5.19	35	Up
13	Ronald Darby	DT	Bills	2.18	8	Up
14	Duke Johnson	RB	Browns	3.13	12	Down
15	Kevin Johnson	CB	Texans	1.16	15	Same
16	Markus Golden	LB	Cardinals	2.26	16	Same
17	Jamison Crowder	WR	Redskins	4.6	17	Same
18	Eddie Goldman	DT	Bears	2.7	13	Down
19	Adrian Amos	SAF	Bears	5.6	19	Same
20	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	44	Up
21	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	26	Up
22	Tre' Jackson	OG	Patriots	4.12	27	Up
23	Shaq Thompson	LB	Panthers	1.25	23	Same
24	T.J. Yeldon	RB	Jaguars	2.4	18	Down
25	Eric Kendricks	LB	Vikings	2.13	25	Same
26	Rob Havenstein	OT	Rams	2.25	31	Up
27	Shaquille Mason	OG	Patriots	4.32	N/A	Same
28	Ali Marpet	OG	Buccaneers	2.29	22	Down
29	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	21	Down
30	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	30	Same
31	Justin Coleman	CB	Patriots	UDFA	N/A	Up
32	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	28	Down
33	Brandon Scherff	OG	Redskins	1.5	33	Same
34	Hau'oli Kikaha	LB	Saints	2.12	34	Same
35	Frank Clark	DE	Seahawks	2.31	24	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	38	Same
39	Thomas Rawls	SAF	Seahawks	UDFA	39	Same
40	Maxx Williams	TE	Ravens	2.23	40	Same
41	Arik Armstead	DE	49ers	1.17	20	Down
42	David Parry	DT	Colts	5.15	29	Down
43	Ryan Delaire	DE	Panthers	UDFA	43	Same
44	Preston Smith	LB	Redskins	2.6	31	Down
45	Melvin Gordon	RB	Chargers	1.15	45	Same
46	Kyshoen Jarrett	SAF	Redskins	6.5	46	Same
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	49	Same
50	Landon Collins	SAF	Giants	2.1	50	Same

Quarterbacks

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

This rookie quarterback competition has been incredible to watch unfold. The moment it seems one of the quarterbacks creates some separation from the other, the next week features a reversal. Once again, it was Marcus Mariota with a monstrous four-touchdown performance.

Mariota’s destruction of the New Orleans Saints’ defense in Week 9 came at an odd time. The Tennessee Titans clearly responded after firing Ken Wisenhunt, showing their best execution this season. Mariota was nearly flawless as he completed 71.8 percent of his passes for 371 yards.

If we were just ranking who played the best the previous week, then Mariota would be No. 1. But we’re looking at the complete picture, and Winston holds the slight lead overall. Although he wasn’t great in Week 9, he wasn’t bad, either. He continues to show a higher floor and improved consistency as the season progresses.

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

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

After several weeks of a two-headed monster at the top of our rankings, the rookie backs had a much-stronger showing in Week 9. The depth of the class was in doubt for a few weeks as injuries struck, but several rookies' bigger roles led to more production.

Once our top back before injuries struck, Karlos Williams, had a dominant 100-yard performance against the Miami Dolphins. Williams’ re-emergence isn’t surprising. His impact for the Buffalo Bills has been one of the this NFL season's best storylines, and it’s helping this team keep its playoff hopes alive. Even if he can’t keep his 12.2 yard-per-carry average, Williams has been the best back on the Bills’ roster.

In a down week, Todd Gurley still had a respectable performance. His 89 yards yielded just a 3.7-yard average, but for his worst game yet, you’ll take that type of production. Gurley is establishing himself as a top-five back, rookie or not, quickly with his level of play.

Running Back Rankings

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

Wide Receivers

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

We have some movement in the top part of our rankings this week. Dorial Green-Beckham continues to ascend upward after his best game yet. His 77 yards on five receptions ranked second among rookies this week. Only Amari Cooper had more yards, with 88.

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.

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	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Titans	2.8	5	Up
4	Jamison Crowder	WR	Redskins	4.6	3	Down
5	Tyler Lockett	WR	Seahawks	3.5	4	Down

Tight Ends

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

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 in-line 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	2	Same
3	Clive Walford	TE	Raiders	3.4	3	Same
4	Will Tye	TE	Giants	UDFA	4	Same
5	James O'Shaughnessy	TE	Chiefs	5.37	5	Same

Offensive Tackles

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

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

We had just three rookie tackles starting last week due to bye weeks and injuries. Ty Sambrailo's season-ending injury moved him out of the top five last week. He wasn’t having a good season prior to the injury, but that hurts the Denver Broncos nonetheless.

Teams must be concerned with their respective rookie tackle. As the St. Louis 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	Ereck Flowers	OT	Giants	1.9	3	Up
3	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Vikings	4.11	2	Down
4	Donovan Smith	OT	Buccaneers	2.2	4	Same
5	Jeremiah Poutasi	OT	Titans	3.2	5	Same

Offensive Guards

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

As a whole, this group played rather well in Week 9. We saw guards such as Jamon Brown and Shaquille Mason impress in pass protection. Each has had his fair share of issues on a week-to-week basis, but they were much more consistent with technique and positioning.

Week 9's most surprising result was La’el Collins' poor play. Collins was credited with six pass pressures allowed by Pro Football Focus. That’s as bad of a performance as any rookie guard has had all season long.

An injury to Ali Marpet of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the door for some movement. He's been solid, but Shaquille Mason is coming off a good week as well. Mason and his teammate Tre' Jackson look like draft hits for the Patriots early on. 

Offensive Guard Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Laken Tomlinson	G	Lions	1.28	1	Same
2	Tre' Jackson	G	Patriots	4.12	3	Up
3	Shaquille Mason	G	Patriots	4.32	N/A	Up
4	La'el Collins	G	Cowboys	UDFA	2	Down
5	Brandon Scherff	G	Redskins	1.5	5	Same

Centers

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

One of the NFL's more nondescript positions is the offensive center. Rarely do centers have to do the brunt work a guard or tackle does, but the center is usually the unit's brain. 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 Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots must be happy with their play thus far, respectively.

Andy Gallik is a first-time starter and new addition to this list. Gallik did not play well, but he’s just the fourth rookie center to earn playing time. At least he has some tape to refer to and work on improving for next week.

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

John Cordes/Associated Press

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.

We have some movement as Henry Anderson's torn ACL prematurely ended his season. Anderson had been great this season, and the Indianapolis Colts won’t be able to replace him. Anderson will stay in the top five this week, but he may drop out moving forward.

One highly drafted end makes his debut in our list this week. Mario Edwards Jr. hasn’t made much of an impact this year, but his run presence is starting to be felt. He had a strong Week 9 performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Defensive End Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	LW	Moving
1	Leonard Williams	DE	Jets	1.6	1	Same
2	Vic Beasley	DE	Falcons	1.8	3	Up
3	Henry Anderson	DE	Colts	3.29	2	Down
4	Mario Edwards Jr.	DE	Raiders	2.3	N/A	Up
5	Bobby Richardson	DE	Saints	UDFA	5	Same

Defensive Tackles

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Not much has changed for the rookie defensive tackle class. None of the rookies have shown much overall production in terms of stats. But several rookies' film 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 Arizona Cardinals rookie Rodney Gunter. Especially in multiple-front defenses or purely 3-4 fronts, these nose tackles make everything else possible for their teammates.

We do have a new face in the top five. Dallas Cowboys’ rookie David Irving had a solid Week 9, where he also saw the field more than in previous weeks. He was constantly pressuring Sam Bradford and causing disruption.

Defensive Tackle Rankings

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

Linebackers

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Whether you’re looking for a 3-4 or 4-3 linebacker, you’ll find the top five right here. Overall, this has been a solid group despite limited playing time for 3-4 rushers. The inside linebackers have fared much better, and numerous players' upside is clearly visible.

Jordan Hicks' season-ending injury dampens the overall feel of this ranking. He stays at the top spot because he again played well before the injury occurred. But he’ll likely drop if anyone behind him can step up in the near future.

With the six teams on bye, we’re not going to see any movement this week. The 4-3 and 3-4 outside linebacker group was basically nonexistent with its impact. Hopefully Hau’oli Kikaha gets back from his ankle injury in a timely manner for the New Orleans Saints.

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	2	Same
3	Markus Golden	LB	Cardinals	2.26	3	Same
4	Shaq Thompson	LB	Panthers	1.25	4	Same
5	Stephone Anthony	LB	Saints	1.31	5	Same

Cornerbacks

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

This rookie cornerback group is a lot of fun to watch. It’s hard to find quality rookie cornerbacks because of the position's sheer difficulty, 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. New England Patriots’ cornerback Justin Coleman was shunned by other teams prior to his arrival with the Patriots, but he’s fitting in well now. His quickness and ability to close on the ball has vaulted him over several other good young cornerbacks.

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, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and Atlanta 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	Justin Coleman	CB	Patriots	UDFA	N/A	Up

Safeties

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

We’re starting to see some solid safety play from our two top safeties. Adrian Amos and Byron Jones continue to impress with plays near the line of scrimmage. The next step for each is to become more impactful coverage players.

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 NFL position like safety. 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	1	Same
2	Byron Jones	SAF	Cowboys	1.27	2	Same
3	Ibraheim Campbell	SAF	Browns	4.16	3	Same
4	James Sample	SAF	Jaguars	4.5	4	Same
5	Kyshoen Jarrett	SAF	Redskins	6.5	5	Same

Specialists

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Our specialist rankings feature three return men, one kicker and one punter. After early-season production, this rookie return group has seen diminishing results. Maybe this will change in the final stretch of the season, but the last few weeks have been underwhelming.

Josh Lambo is re-entering the top five. The San Diego kicker has been solid, making 17 of 19 kicks on the season. His 89.5 kicking percentage leads all rookie kickers.

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	Josh Lambo	K	Chargers	UDFA	N/A	Up
2	Matt Darr	P	Dolphins	UDFA	3	Up
3	Marcus Murphy	KR	Saints	7.13	1	Down
4	David Johnson	KR	Cardinals	3.22	2	Down
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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