NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 5

The San Diego Chargers have suffered through three blown fourth-quarter leads already this season, but there’s one second-quarter story worth telling. First-round pick Joey Bosa, whose NFL ascent was delayed by a holdout and a hamstring injury, started the second quarter of the 2016 season with a dominant performance against the Oakland Raiders last Sunday.

In his first NFL action of any sort, Bosa racked up two sacks, seven total quarterback pressures and five total stops, and he generally made Derek Carr’s life miserable…all in just 27 snaps. The Chargers are 1-4, but as detailed earlier this week, Bosa appears to be the real deal and could help this team turn its fortunes around over time.

The Atlanta Falcons have no issues with blown leads this season; they’re one of the NFL’s best teams, and while their offense is the talk of the league, Dan Quinn’s defense is coming around as well. First-round safety Keanu Neal is a big reason for that resurgence.

Atlanta raised some eyebrows when it took the Florida alum 17th overall—he wasn’t a household name—but he’s been stellar this season, and he’s our top-graded rookie this week. Against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Neal was a one-man wrecking crew, displaying outstanding coverage instincts and showing a real edge in run support.  

And while Tom Brady’s return was the big story for the Patriots last Sunday in New England’s win over the Cleveland Browns, rookie inside linebacker Elandon Roberts garnered his share of praise as well. The sixth-rounder from Houston picked up seven tackles and five stops in 31 snaps, and he seems to be the kind of versatile rotational weapon who can excel in Bill Belichick's defense.

The Dallas Cowboys got great performances from their two marquee rookies once again—quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott were great against the Cincinnati Bengals in a 28-14 win.

Elliott, who now leads the NFL in rushing with 546 yards, picked up 134 of those yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries, while Prescott stayed within himself in an efficient game. He wasn’t spectacular (18-of-24 for 227 yards and a touchdown), but he’s doing what the Cowboys need him to do, which is to take what the defense gives him and make the occasional big play.

That there’s a debate over whether Tony Romo should start again when he’s healthy tells you all you need to know about how well Prescott has done this season.

It was another great week for many of the NFL's first-year players. Here's how we rated their performances.

Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

Biggest Movers Heading into Week 6

Associated Press

How do you quantify the effect of the low-drafted or undrafted star? How do you chart the progress of those rookies who are struggling to make their way regardless of draft position? With the weekly NFL1000 rookie review, we'll look to do both while keeping track of the stars of the 2016 draft. Part of that process is to align players with their draft positions relative to their on-field performance.

It's what NFL teams do, and it's what we'll do.

Our Week 5 rookie review reveals a number of players who have taken major steps forward in their professional development. We'll start this week with the rookie whose NFL development curve was curtailed at first, but Joey Bosa showed in Week 5 what he's capable of.

1. Joey Bosa, OLB, San Diego Chargers

2016 Draft Position: 3 (First round, third pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 3

What Happened: Bosa showed effort in all phases of the game and even displayed some attributes he didn't show at Ohio State. Bosa tended to be a bit too upright in his pass rush in college, but he showed a nice inside counter against the Raiders and made a lot of plays on sheer effort alone. His two sacks were impressive, but the way he blew up running back Jalen Richard for a two-yard loss and recovered from a Derek Carr pressure to stop receiver Amari Cooper made it clear that he's more than just a sack artist. 

2. Andrew Adams, FS, New York Giants

2016 Draft Position: UDFA

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 4

What Happened: Adams has climbed the depth chart due to injuries, but against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday night, he proved he deserved his spot. He was good in coverage on a deep pass to Jordy Nelson and kept up with Randall Cobb on crossing routes—no mean feat. The undersized Adams (5'11") isn't stout against the run just yet, but he's already transcended his undrafted status. 

3. Elandon Roberts, ILB, New England Patriots

2016 Draft Position: 214 (sixth round, 39th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 5

What Happened: Has Bill Belichick hit on another underrated defender? It appeared so when we watched Roberts compete against the Browns. The Houston alum helped shut down one of the league's top rushing attacks with six solo tackles and five stops, showing great athleticism and a nascent ability to cover in short areas. 

4. Jack Conklin, RT, Tennessee Titans

2016 Draft Position: 8 (First round, eighth pick)

Rank Last Week: 46

Rank This Week: 17

What Happened: Once again, the Michigan State alum showed great consistency, this time against the Miami Dolphins in Tennessee's 30-17 win. On the season, Conklin has allowed no quarterback sacks, no quarterback hits and just nine quarterback hurries in 340 snaps, which constitutes every Titans offensive snap this year. He was also a big part of Tennessee's 235-yard rushing performance against Miami, and his pressure totals are magnified in importance given Marcus Mariota's mobility at quarterback.

5. Alex Lewis, LT, Baltimore Ravens

2016 Draft Position: 130 (fourth round, 32nd pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 20

What Happened: Lewis filled in for fellow rookie Ronnie Stanley at left tackle after Stanley suffered a foot injury, moving over from left guard to do so. That's not an easy switch, especially for a first-year player, and Lewis had his struggles but did all right overall. Our NFL1000 offensive tackle scout Duke Manyweather charted Lewis with four preventable pressures. Lewis played left tackle in college, adjusted well to the move inside and proved his value by filling in at a tough position in a pinch.

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 5

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Our Week 5 Top 50 rookie rankings are based on game-tape evaluation, and we can now see how they shake out against preseason grades and expectations. Here's how things stand for the 2016 rookie class this week:

Top 50 Rankings

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	Pick	NFL1000 Score	LW	Moving
1	Keanu Neal	SS	ATL	17	85	21	↑
2	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	4	79	1	↓
3	Joey Bosa	3-4 OLB	SD	3	78	NR	↑
4	Andrew Adams	FS	NYG	UDFA	78	43	↑
5	Elandon Roberts	ILB	NE	214	77	NR	↑
6	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	135	76	5	↓
7	Cody Whitehair	C	CHI	56	76	44	↑
8	Jordan Howard	RB	CHI	150	75	16	↑
9	Andy Janovich	FB	DEN	176	74	12	↑
10	Derrick Henry	RB	TEN	45	74	35	↑
11	Derek Watt	FB	SD	198	74	20	↑
12	Rashard Robinson	CB	SF	133	73	7	↓
13	Ryan Kelly	C	IND	18	73	14	↑
14	Karl Joseph	SS	OAK	14	73	2	↓
15	Jatavis Brown	ILB	SD	175	73	4	↓
16	Taylor Decker	LT	DET	16	72	19	↑
17	Jack Conklin	RT	TEN	8	72	46	↑
18	T.J. Green	FS	IND	57	72	28	↑
19	Joe Thuney	OG	NE	78	72	32	↑
20	Alex Lewis	LT	BAL	130	71	NR	↑
21	Blake Martinez	ILB	GB	131	71	NR	↑
22	DeAndre Washington	RB	OAK	143	71	49	↑
23	Graham Glasgow	OG	DET	95	71	NR	↑
24	Jalen Richard	RB	OAK	UDFA	71	NR	↑
25	Kyler Fackrell	3-4 OLB	GB	88	70	NR	↑
26	Kenny Clark	DT	GB	27	70	NR	↑
27	Vadal Alexander	RT	OAK	234	70	27	↔
28	Kendall Fuller	CB	WAS	84	70	11	↓
29	Joe Schobert	3-4 OLB	CLE	99	70	NR	↑
30	K.J. Dillon	SS	HOU	159	69	NR	↑
31	Maliek Collins	DT	DAL	67	69	NR	↑
32	Devontae Booker	RB	DEN	136	69	45	↑
33	Michael Pierce	DT	BAL	UDFA	68	NR	↑
34	Joshua Perry	ILB	SD	102	68	34	↔
35	Derrick Kindred	SS	CLE	129	68	39	↑
36	Javon Hargrave	DT	PIT	89	68	NR	↑
37	Paul Perkins	RB	NYG	149	68	29	↓
38	Brian Poole	CB	ATL	UDFA	67	NR	↑
39	Hunter Henry	TE	SD	35	67	42	↑
40	Kentrell Brice	FS	GB	UDFA	67	NR	↑
41	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	TB	11	67	NR	↑
42	Kenyan Drake	RB	MIA	73	67	NR	↑
43	Anthony Brown	CB	DAL	189	66	NR	↑
44	Cory James	ILB	OAK	194	66	8	↓
45	Eli Apple	CB	NYG	10	66	NR	↑
46	Carson Wentz	QB	PHI	2	65	NR	↑
47	Adolphus Washington	3-4 DE	BUF	80	65	NR	↑
48	Antonio Morrison	ILB	IND	125	65	30	↓
49	Cody Kessler	QB	CLE	93	65	NR	↑
50	Joe Haeg	RT	IND	155	65	NR	↑

Quarterbacks

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

"Tony [Romo] is our No. 1 quarterback." 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters that after his team beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5, according to ESPN.com's Todd Archer. Romo remains the Cowboys' best option this season, but with every passing performance, Dak Prescott makes the decision to bench him even tougher.

He was again in excellent form against a defense that offered little resilience this week. He scored a touchdown on a read-option play and threw for another after breaking the pocket. His only major knock was a fumble that he lost deep in Bengals territory. Regardless of who finishes this season as the No. 1 QB, it's clear that Prescott has the potential to be an upper-level starter in the NFL.

Carson Wentz had his first rocky experience in the NFL as the Philadelphia Eagles lost their first game of the season. He threw a pick on the final drive against Detroit on an ill-advised, misplaced pass to a well-covered Nelson Agholor deep downfield.

It was his first interception of the season, but Wentz was fortunate not to have thrown two more before that. On the first drive, he wildly missed a deep comeback route that the defensive back couldn't catch and threw another wild deep pass from a clean pocket in the second quarter that was close to being intercepted.

Wentz's downfield throws in this game were problematic, and he faced more pressure than he has throughout this season. He still had a highlight play or two, but it wasn't a positive display overall.

Cleveland's Cody Kessler played his usual conservative game before he suffered a rib injury against the New England Patriots. He was caught during his dropback and missed a throw so badly it went for a safety. It was a relatively short outing that didn't tell us much about the passer's potential. Kessler at least outperformed Denver's Paxton Lynch.

Expecting there to be little drop-off from Trevor Siemian to Lynch was a rational expectation at this time last week. Siemian has outperformed expectations, but he was still making rookie mistakes. Lynch was theoretically the better player—a more physically gifted quarterback whom the Broncos traded up in the first round to select.

It's not like Siemian had that much more experience than him. Yet Lynch's performance made Siemian look like a star. Lynch was disastrous. Everything he did took too long and came with major inaccuracies. He's not ready to start, and it's fair to wonder if he ever will be based on that performance.

Grading Scale

• Acc: Accuracy (Graded out of 25)
• Arm: Arm Strength (Graded out of 25)
• Press: Pressure/Run Threat (Graded out of 20) (Pressure weighted at 15, run threat at 5)
• Dec: Decision-Making (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie QB Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Dak Prescott	DAL	17	21	15	13	10	76	1	↔
2	Carson Wentz	PHI	14	18	12	11	10	65	NR	↑
3	Cody Kessler	CLE	16	18	10	11	10	65	3	↔
4	Paxton Lynch	DEN	11	17	7	8	10	53	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jared Goff—backup

Notable Performances

Dak Prescott

Week 5 Stats: 18-of-24, 227 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Prescott didn't need to be spectacular against the Bengals, but he did what he was asked to do with relative ease. His most impressive play may have actually been a touchdown he threw that was wiped off for an illegal shift. On that play, he came off his first read to find his tight end open before an unblocked defender arrived in his face.

Carson Wentz

Week 5 Stats: 25-of-33, 238 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Wentz runs the offense that Doug Pederson has designed around him well, but it's a cautious game plan that relies on screens and misdirection. Pederson took the offense that he curated in Kansas City and implemented it in Philadelphia. The question now is: What can Wentz do in situations where he has to throw the ball downfield? The Lions game wasn't encouraging in that sense.

Paxton Lynch

Week 5 Stats: 23-of-35, 223 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Lynch's display was notable, but for the wrong reasons. You can't be a starter in the NFL if your process is as slow as his is right now. That process is likely to speed up as he develops, but then he also needs to figure out his accuracy and restrain his big arm so he can control where the ball goes.

Running Backs

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Jerry Jones high-fived his friends and family in the luxury suite as his blue-chip running back proved why he was the fourth pick in the draft. Ezekiel Elliott destroyed the Bengals on the ground, hitting them from every angle. He started wearing them out in between the tackles, playing fast and physically downhill, dragging tacklers with him on what seemed to be just about every play.

He also displayed special instincts and patience on outside runs and sweeps, where he moved the sticks by beating defenders to the edge. But the icing on the cake was the longest run of his brief career, a 60-yard touchdown up the gut that split two Cincinnati defenders and flashed the home run speed the Cowboys' run game desperately needed when they drafted him.

It was a special performance by a special player. 

Jordan Howard might have Wally Pipped Chicago Bears starter Jeremy Langford in just his second career start. He had another 100-yard game and plays much faster than Langford. Howard is a natural at finding running lanes, getting downhill in a hurry and running hard on contact. He's been one of the few bright spots for a bad Bears team. The offense just feels more productive and balanced with Howard in the game.

While Tennessee's Derrick Henry has found it difficult to get consistent touches behind his star backfield mate DeMarco Murray, he made them count Sunday against the Dolphins. He displayed the feet, vision and inside running capabilities that we saw in the preseason when he rattled off a nice 22-yard run. He looked much more comfortable and confident than he did earlier in the year. He's an excellent backup who should continue to see eight to 10 carries per game behind Murray.

Both Raiders rookies filled in well in Latavius Murray's absence. DeAndre Washington has proved himself to be the more consistent inside runner, but Jalen Richard makes defenders miss moves in space, which makes him a valuable passing target. Both should continue to get run even if Murray returns from his toe injury.

Grading Scale

• In: Inside Running (Graded out of 25)
• Out: Outside Running (Graded out of 25)
• Rec: Receiving (Graded out of 20)
• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie RB Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	20	19	17	17	6	79	1	↔
2	Jordan Howard	CHI	19	17	17	16	6	75	2	↔
3	Derrick Henry	TEN	19	17	16	16	6	74	5	↑
4	DeAndre Washington	OAK	18	15	16	16	6	71	7	↑
5	Jalen Richard	OAK	15	17	18	15	6	71	11	↑
6	Devontae Booker	DEN	16	15	17	15	6	69	6	↔
7	Paul Perkins	NYG	16	15	16	15	6	68	4	↓
8	Kenyan Drake	MIA	15	16	15	15	6	67	8	↔
9	Josh Ferguson	IND	15	14	14	15	6	64	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Daniel Lasco—bye
• Tyler Ervin—insufficient snaps
• Kenneth Dixon—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott

Week 5 Stats: 15 carries, 134 yards, 2 TDs; 3 receptions, 37 yards

Zeke was dominant against the Bengals. He showed it all, having his way inside and running through defenders all day. He also displayed the outside speed and patience to get on the edges and move the sticks while working the sideline. He had his longest run from scrimmage (60 yards) where he flashed home run speed. He's a special talent.

Derrick Henry

Week 5 Stats: 7 carries, 54 yards

Henry had his best game as a pro last week. He showed excellent burst and vision between the tackles. He looked much more confident than he did a couple of weeks ago, making guys miss, running through defenders and finishing physically on contact. While the Dolphins are not good, Henry ran right through them.

Jordan Howard

Week 5 Stats: 16 carries, 118 yards; 3 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD

He was excellent versus the Indianapolis Colts in his second start of the season. He dominated between the tackles, playing fast, getting downhill and running through contact. While he didn't make many defenders miss, he beat oncoming tacklers to the spot and busted multiple big runs. He was also solid in the passing game with a nice TD catch. Howard looks like a starting NFL running back.

Fullbacks

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

It was a quiet week for star rookie Andy Janovich. He saw only 12 snaps, his lowest number of the year by a wide margin. That was mainly because the Broncos were down the entire game and had to be pass-heavy in the second half.

San Diego's Derek Watt had another solid game against the Raiders, clearing holes for Melvin Gordon. Watt is a physical player who looks more consistent by the week. 

Grading Scale

• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 50)
• Run: Running (Graded out of 25)
• Rec: Receiving (Graded out of 15)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie FB Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Andy Janovich	DEN	44	16	10	4	74	1	↔
2	Derek Watt	SD	44	16	10	4	74	2	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Wide Receivers

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie phenom Will Fuller may have finally had his “welcome to the NFL” moment in Minnesota this past weekend, as his only catch was on a short wide receiver screen. He also had trouble gaining separation from an airtight Vikings secondary that held him to the worst numbers in his short career. 

Similar to the tight ends, this was a down week for the NFC rookie receivers. Sterling Shepard had only two receptions for 14 yards and struggled to get consistent separation Sunday night in facing both press and zone coverage against Green Bay.

Vikings rookie Laquon Treadwell saw his first consistent action of the 2016 season but was not a factor in the passing game. Los Angeles Rams rookie Pharoh Cooper returned from a shoulder injury and was targeted on an out pattern in the second half. However, he failed to get sufficient separation, and the pass was thrown behind him, allowing the defender to cut under the route, intercept the football and return it the distance for a touchdown.

Grading Scale

• Route: Route Running (Graded out of 25)
• Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)
• YAC: Yards After Catch (Graded out of 20)
• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie WR Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Tyler Boyd	CIN	16	16	11	10	9	62	6	↑
2	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	15	15	12	11	9	62	10	↑
3	Sterling Shepard	NYG	15	16	11	11	9	62	3	↔
4	Braxton Miller	HOU	16	15	11	11	9	62	NR	↑
5	Ricardo Louis	CLE	15	16	12	10	9	62	8	↑
6	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	15	16	11	10	9	61	5	↓
7	Will Fuller	HOU	16	15	11	10	9	61	2	↓
8	Charone Peake	NYJ	14	14	11	11	9	59	7	↓
9	Rashard Higgins	CLE	13	14	11	10	9	57	11	↑
10	Cody Core	CIN	13	14	11	10	9	57	NR	↑
11	Trevor Davis	GB	13	13	10	11	9	56	NR	↑
12	Mike Thomas	LA	13	13	10	10	9	55	13	↑
13	Laquon Treadwell	MIN	13	13	10	10	9	55	NR	↑
14	Jordan Payton	CLE	13	10	13	10	9	55	NR	↑
15	Pharoh Cooper	LA	12	13	10	10	9	54	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Josh Doctson—injury
• Michael Thomas—bye
• Tanner McEvoy—bye
• Aaron Burbridge—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Sterling Shepard

Week 5 Stats: 2 receptions, 14 yards

Shepard turned in his weakest performance of the 2016 season, as he was held to only two receptions on seven targets for 14 yards. Separation, or a lack thereof, was an issue Sunday night, and he struggled against both off and press coverage.

Mike Thomas

Week 5 Stats: 0 receptions

Thomas saw only seven snaps against the Buffalo Bills, the second-lowest of the wide receivers on the Los Angeles roster. He did not see a target in the passing game.

Laquon Treadwell

Week 5 Stats: 0 receptions

The first-round pick finally qualified for grading, seeing a season-high seven snaps against the Houston Texans. He was not a factor in the passing game.

Trevor Davis

Week 5 Stats: 0 receptions

Davis saw limited action for the Packers, appearing on only seven plays and never seeing the ball thrown his way.

Pharoh Cooper

Week 5 Stats: 1 target

Cooper saw his first action of the season after a shoulder injury, appearing on six snaps. He was targeted on an out pattern and failed to get separation, and the pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

Will Fuller

Week 5 Stats: 6 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards

It was a disappointing showing for the rookie receiver, as he was hounded all day by an aggressive Vikings secondary. He brought in his only reception behind the line of scrimmage and with a wall of blockers in front of him on a wide receiver screen. Fuller had trouble getting in sync with quarterback Brock Osweiler during the game, and the deep routes that have come so naturally to him so far this year didn't materialize the way they had in previous games.

Tyler Boyd

Week 5 Stats: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 33 yards

Tyler Boyd continued to build on a rookie campaign that, while not flashy, has been more than solid enough to keep him in the rotation in Cincinnati. Boyd's growth as a player and his chemistry with Andy Dalton shone brightly on a day filled with disappointment as the Cowboys blew out the Bengals.

Tight Ends

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

If you thought the return of Antonio Gates to the starting lineup would slow down Hunter Henry's production, think again. In fact, between the two of them, Gates and Henry make an even more formidable red-zone attack. Both tight ends scored from inside the 5-yard line and continue to be the silver lining for an otherwise disappointing season from the San Diego Chargers. 

This was a quiet week for the rookie tight ends in the NFC. Only Austin Hooper and Tyler Higbee saw consistent action, with both players held largely in check in the passing game. Higbee saw only one target and failed to pull in the throw. As a blocker, while he was good for most of the game, he missed a block on the edge on a 1st-and-goal play in the fourth quarter that led to a loss of five yards by Todd Gurley. The Rams were forced to settle for a field goal on that drive.

Hooper and the rest of the Falcons were matched up against a tough Broncos defense, and while Atlanta came out with the win, the Denver secondary slowed the passing game a bit. Hooper caught only one pass for a 14-yard gain, but he did contribute in the blocking game.

Grading Scale

• Route: Route Running (Graded out of 20)
• Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)
• YAC: Yards After Catch (Graded out of 20)
• Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie TE Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Hunter Henry	SD	15	19	11	16	6	67	1	↔
2	Austin Hooper	ATL	13	13	10	15	6	57	2	↔
3	Tyler Higbee	LA	12	13	10	15	6	56	4	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• David Morgan II—injury
• Nick Vannett—bye
• Cole Wick—insufficient snaps
• Rico Gathers—insufficient snaps
• Temarrick Hemingway—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Tyler Higbee

Week 5 Stats: 1 target, 0 receptions

Higbee was used primarily as a blocker for the Rams against the Bills and saw only one target on the afternoon. When utilized in the passing game, he struggled to get separation on his routes. He was pretty good as a blocker but did miss a block on the edge on a 1st-and-goal situation late in the game that led to a loss of five yards. The Rams settled for a field goal on the drive.

Austin Hooper

Week 5 Stats: 1 reception, 14 yards

Hooper caught only one pass on the afternoon for a 14-yard gain. The Falcons' passing game slowed somewhat this week, although that's to be expected given the talented Broncos defense.

Hunter Henry

Week 5 Stats: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD

Henry continued his already impressive rookie campaign by displaying more of his route-running ability and bringing in a touchdown in a losing effort against the Raiders.

Offensive Tackles

Dave Reginek/Getty Images

Once again, Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens was inactive. But another rookie, Alex Lewis, filled in for him and did a decent job at times, especially in the run game. Lewis had started the first three weeks at left guard.

Taylor Decker notched his fifth straight start and continues to show improvement in his technique, which seems to be translating into consistency in his performance. Though there wasn't a whole lot of information out there at the time, Laremy Tunsil, who figured to start at left tackle for the second straight week, was ruled out close to game time after slipping in the shower and injuring himself. 

Just like in Week 4, Week 5 saw rookies Jack Conklin (Titans), Vadal Alexander (Raiders) and Joe Haeg (Colts) all make starts at right tackle. Conklin notched his fifth start, while Alexander and Haeg both started their second consecutive games.

Grading Scale

• OT: Left or Right Tackle Designation
• Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
• Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie OT Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Taylor Decker	DET	LT	17	17	15	15	8	72	2	↑
2	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	17	18	16	14	7	72	4	↑
3	Alex Lewis	BAL	LT	17	16	15	15	8	71	NR	↑
4	Vadal Alexander	OAK	RT	16	17	15	15	7	70	3	↓
5	Joe Haeg	IND	RT	15	16	14	13	7	65	5	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Laremy Tunsil—injury
• Ronnie Stanley—injury

Notable Performances

Alex Lewis

Week 5 Stats: 72 snaps (46 pass) | PFF: 8 pressures | Film review: 4 pressures

Alex Lewis stepped right in and filled the void at left tackle for the Ravens. He was stout in the run game, showing a combination of efficient footwork, good pad level, strength, power and hand placement. Lewis didn't always look comfortable getting to his landmark in pass protection, but he still held his own. Pro Football Focus had Lewis down for eight pressures in 72 plays, but both times watching the film, I counted four true preventable pressures.

Denver Kirkland

Week 5 Stats: 27 snaps

Oakland used rookie Denver Kirkland for around 20 plays as a blocking tight end who lined up in-line and as a wing on both sides. Kirkland wasn't graded as a tackle, but he had some impactful blocks in the run game.

Offensive Guards

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

While a couple of the regular rookie guards were on bye, a few others shifted to new positions due to injuries. Joe Thuney continues to be the only consistent member of this list, but a newcomer joined him this week. 

Grading Scale

• Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
• Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie OG Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Joe Thuney	NE	18	15	15	17	7	72	1	↔
2	Graham Glasgow	DET	17	16	17	14	7	71	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Isaac Seumalo—injury
• Joshua Garnett—insufficient snaps
• Rees Odhiambo—bye

Notable Performances

Joe Thuney

Week 5 Stats: 80 snaps, 1 QB hit, 1 QB hurry, 0 Sacks allowed

This was a nice bounce-back week for Thuney, as he had appeared a little overwhelmed with the exotic looks being thrown at the Patriots previously. It's probably nice to have Tom Brady back to decipher defenses.

Graham Glasgow

Week 5 Stats: 61 snaps, 1 QB hurry, 0 Sacks allowed

Glasgow was sort of thrown into the fire after Laken Tomlinson was pulled from the game against the Eagles, but he was a steadying force in pass protection early in the contest. It'll be interesting to see what the Lions do going forward. They are young up front, and finding the right fit could make things click for this offense.

Centers

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

There are still only two rookie centers who are receiving snaps, but both were impressive last week. Unfortunately, as injuries have stacked up, many of the better prospects at the position have moved to guard, which means we may not see a new name appear here for a while. 

Grading Scale

• Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)
• Power: Power (Graded out of 20)
• Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie C Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Cody Whitehair	CHI	20	18	15	17	6	76	2	↑
2	Ryan Kelly	IND	18	16	17	16	6	73	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Cody Whitehair

Week 5 Stats: 66 snaps, 1 QB hit, 0 sacks allowed

Cody Whitehair has been impressive in pass protection this year, but the most intriguing aspects of his performance last week were the flashes he showed in the run game. Whitehair was finding guys in the second level and opening holes for Jordan Howard.

Ryan Kelly

Week 5 Stats: 68 snaps, 1 QB hurry, 0 sacks allowed

It was an inconsistent week for Ryan Kelly. At times he looked like an elite center, but he needs to work on keeping his level of focus up on every down.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The only significant performer of the week was Adolphus Washington of the Buffalo Bills. It was his first impactful outing of the season, and he had a fairly nice game overall. For the first time, he looked athletic and was reacting quickly. Washington ended up with three tackles and a sack. 

Grading Scale

• Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 15)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 30)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie 3-4 DE Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Adolphus Washington	BUF	11	17	19	12	6	65	NR	↑
2	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	10	16	17	15	6	64	NR	↑
3	Ronald Blair	SF	10	16	17	14	6	63	NR	↑
4	Matt Ioannidis	WAS	8	14	18	15	6	61	NR	↑
5	Dean Lowry	GB	9	16	16	14	6	61	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• DeForest Buckner—injury
• Robert Nkemdiche—inactive

Notable Performances

Adolphus Washington

Week 5 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack

Washington finally made an impact, and he flashed continuously against the Rams. He was knifing into the backfield to stop the run and closing on the quarterback quickly to apply pressure. A personal foul hit was the only blemish on a nice day for the rookie.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The best rookie 4-3 defensive end, Yannick Ngakoue, was on a bye week this week, which hurt the depth of this position. The best rookie performer in Week 5 was Noah Spence, who after starting in Week 4, lost his starting job to Davonte Lambert, an undrafted college free agent from Auburn who has four solo tackles in four games and two starts in the NFL.

Tampa isn't playing rookie 4-3 defensive ends because they are ready to contribute in the NFL. The team is playing them because it has no other option. The Bucs' pass rush may be the worst in the NFL.

Grading Scale

• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 20)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie 4-3 DE Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Noah Spence	TB	14	15	13	14	7	63	2	↑
2	Romeo Okwara	NYG	15	15	11	13	7	61	5	↑
3	Davonte Lambert	TB	14	14	13	13	7	61	3	↔
4	Shilique Calhoun	OAK	13	14	13	11	7	58	4	↔
5	Channing Ward	TB	14	13	11	12	7	57	6	↑
6	Anthony Zettel	DET	15	11	12	10	7	55	NR	↑
7	Morgan Fox	LA	14	11	11	11	7	54	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Charles Tapper—injury
• Yannick Ngakoue—bye

Defensive Tackles

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny Clark is becoming an integral piece of the Packers' stifling run defense. Letroy Guion returned to the lineup this week, but Clark still performed well when his number was called.

Maliek Collins led all Cowboys defensive tackles with 54 snaps against Cincinnati and showed off some of his trademark disruption ability.

Michael Pierce, the undrafted rookie for the Baltimore Ravens, is forcing his way into getting snaps each week. He was unheralded coming out of Samford but put together solid reps against Washington. 

Grading Scale

• Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 25)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie DT Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Kenny Clark	GB	17	15	19	13	6	70	NR	↑
2	Maliek Collins	DAL	17	15	19	12	6	69	5	↑
3	Michael Pierce	BAL	16	15	19	12	6	68	11	↑
4	Javon Hargrave	PIT	16	15	16	15	6	68	6	↑
5	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	16	14	16	12	6	64	8	↑
6	D.J. Reader	HOU	15	14	15	12	6	62	4	↓
7	Jihad Ward	OAK	14	15	14	12	6	61	NR	↑
8	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	14	13	15	12	6	60	9	↑
9	Adam Gotsis	DEN	11	12	12	10	6	51	3	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Vincent Valentine—injury
• Vernon Butler—injury
• Darius Latham—insufficient snaps
• Austin Johnson—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Maliek Collins

Week 5 Stats: 1 tackle

Maliek Collins played 54 snaps for the Cowboys and flashed decent penetration and disruptive ability versus Cincinnati.

Michael Pierce

Week 5 Stats: 3 tackles (2 solo)

Pierce has become an integral piece in the Ravens' defensive line rotation. He was strong this week while spelling Brandon Williams against Washington and is quietly becoming a force for the Ravens.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

After four weeks of resting his injured hamstring, third overall pick Joey Bosa made his NFL debut in Week 5 against the Raiders. His performance was well worth the wait. Bosa tallied two sacks, a handful of other quarterback pressures and a tackle for loss against the run.

Most know he is an explosive athlete, but Bosa showed off an advanced skill set featuring bend, power and active hands. He played 27 snaps, but the flashes he showed—while mostly working against Raiders left tackle Donald Penn—provide the framework for what could be a superstar edge player. 

Kyler Fackrell might not be on the verge of stardom, but he's making the most of his growing opportunities. The Packers rookie linebacker had a strip-sack of Eli Manning and several other pressures against the Giants. Green Bay is deep at outside linebacker, but Fackrell appears to have serious value as a situational pass-rusher.

In Cleveland, Joe Schobert produced his finest game of the 2016 season, while fellow rookie Emmanuel Ogbah was mostly silent as the Patriots made an effort to take him out of the contest.

First-year outside linebackers Curt Maggitt, Kevin Dodd and Brennan Scarlett played small roles in Week 5, while first-round pick Leonard Floyd was inactive with a calf injury for the Bears.

Grading Scale

• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 15)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie 3-4 OLB Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Joey Bosa	SD	22	22	9	18	7	78	NR	↑
2	Kyler Fackrell	GB	19	15	10	19	7	70	NR	↑
3	Joe Schobert	CLE	17	17	11	18	7	70	6	↑
4	Curt Maggitt	IND	16	16	9	16	7	64	4	↔
5	Kevin Dodd	TEN	16	14	9	17	7	63	3	↓
6	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	15	15	9	17	7	63	1	↓
7	Brennan Scarlett	HOU	14	16	8	17	7	62	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Leonard Floyd—injury
• Matt Judon—inactive
• Aaron Wallace—insufficient snaps
• Dadi Nicolas—bye

Notable Performances

Joey Bosa

Week 5 Stats: 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFL

Bosa's NFL debut was a smashing success. He lined up at various positions across the Chargers front, and the Raiders rarely had an answer for his diverse skill set. Bosa held the edge in the run game and showed an impressive ability to bend around the corner and win inside with finesse as a pass-rusher.

The Chargers played him on less than 50 percent of their defensive snaps (27 of 72), but Bosa's usage will skyrocket once he gets his legs under him. One game is just one game, but Bosa already has the look of a superstar.

Kyler Fackrell

Week 5 Stats: 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 TFL

Fackrell is buried behind a deep, talented outside linebacker group in Green Bay, but the third-round pick is making the most of his limited opportunities. After delivering a sack against the Lions before the bye, Fackrell put together his finest performance of the season during Green Bay's prime-time win over the Giants.

His strip-sack right before halftime set up a field goal, but he had at least four other rushes in which he provided pressure on Manning. Fackrell remains a work in progress against the run, but the light bulb seems to have come on in the pass rush.

Joe Schobert

Week 5 Stats: 3 tackles

After four mostly miserable weeks to start his NFL career, Schobert looked like a potential starter against the Patriots. He won off the edge against the run, found ways to pressure the quarterback and covered efficiently when he was asked to drop into zone. Schobert still hasn't made a splash play that will show up in the box score, but it's good to finally see some ability on the edge from the rookie.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Myles Jack had the week off as the Jacksonville Jaguars were on their bye, but the rest of the healthy rookies did not do anything out of the ordinary. It was much of the same from this group last week. 

New York Jets rookie Jordan Jenkins proved once again that he can execute his assignments well and limit what the offense can do around him. He's no playmaker, but he is an offensive play-limiter. Jenkins' teammate Darron Lee bounced back from a rough game of run defense last week, though the Pittsburgh Steelers' passing attack punked him in coverage. That has clearly become his area of weakness.

Rams rookie Josh Forrest had his worst outing of the year. The Buffalo Bills punched the Rams linebackers in the mouth throughout the entire game, and Forrest had no answer for it. 

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie 4-3 OLB Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	17	15	7	16	6	61	1	↔
2	Darron Lee	NYJ	11	18	7	18	6	60	4	↑
3	Josh Forrest	LA	14	12	7	13	6	52	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• De'Vondre Campbell—injury
• Jaylon Smith—injury
• Antwione Williams—injury

Notable Performances

Jordan Jenkins

Week 5 Stats: 0 tackles

Jenkins does not make the plays on the Jets defense. He plays on base snaps, holds the perimeter on run downs and covers the flats on passing downs. He did nothing amazing against the Steelers, but he did his job.

Darron Lee

Week 5 Stats: 4 tackles (all solo)

While he struggled as a coverage player, Lee had a nice game in run defense. He was filling gaps and wrapping up better than he had against the Seahawks. Against such a talented offense, it was encouraging to see Lee bounce back from the previous week.

Josh Forrest

Week 5 Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo)

Forrest had a rough go of things. The Rams were missing some defensive linemen, leaving more responsibility on the linebackers. Like the rest of the team's linebackers, Forrest could not handle the task.

Inside Linebackers

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Rookie inside linebackers saw less action in Week 5 for a host of reasons. Both Washington’s Su’a Cravens and Atlanta’s Deion Jones were inactive due to injury, leading to a pause in their development. They’ve been at the top of the rankings each week and provide a clear impact for their respective teams. The Redskins and Falcons each came out of Week 5 with wins, but the absence of the rookie inside linebackers was apparent. 

Joshua Perry, who saw time last week for the Chargers, failed to log a high number of snaps in Week 5 after being replaced by Korey Toomer. San Diego is still looking for a quality replacement for Denzel Perryman, and while Jatavis Brown has become a clear-cut starter, Perry wasn’t able to do enough to become his running mate.

Brown’s development as more than an athletic freak has likely comforted the San Diego front office as it tries to find a reasonable pair at inside linebacker. Brown excels as a coverage linebacker, but he’s becoming more comfortable diagnosing interior runs each week.

The life of an NFL player is catching up to these rookies quickly. If they’re able to stay healthy, they’ll likely see playing time. With that playing time, rookies have to overcome a lack of experience by excelling with athleticism. The aggressive, downhill efforts are often the ones that contribute to increasing opportunities.

Grading Scale

• Pass: Pass Defense (Graded out of 25)
• Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 35)
• Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie ILB Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Elandon Roberts	NE	18	29	12	12	6	77	NR	↑
2	Jatavis Brown	SD	17	27	11	12	6	73	2	↔
3	Blake Martinez	GB	17	27	9	12	6	71	NR	↑
4	Joshua Perry	SD	17	27	8	10	6	68	7	↑
5	Cory James	OAK	17	24	8	11	6	66	4	↓
6	Antonio Morrison	IND	15	26	8	10	6	65	6	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Deion Jones—injury
• Su'a Cravens—injury
• Nick Kwiatkoski—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Elandon Roberts

Week 5 Stats: 6 tackles

Elandon Roberts saw his first significant snaps in Week 5 and didn't disappoint. He showed athleticism and aggressiveness to shoot gaps in run support and played with force at the point of attack. Per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, Bill Belichick praised Roberts' efforts after the game, which is not easy praise to earn. Roberts is still just a depth piece, but he's an intriguing role player in a loaded Patriots linebacker group.

Cory James

Week 5 Stats: 1 tackle

After an encouraging start to his career, Cory James slowed down a bit in Week 5. He plays with speed but can be easily manipulated over the middle of the field, often taking the bait from quarterbacks. James will have to learn to be more disciplined and play with his eyes as much as his feet.

Antonio Morrison

Week 5 Stats: 3 tackles

Antonio Morrison continues to be a part of the Indianapolis Colts rotation at inside linebacker, and it isn't helping him start his career with consistency. Morrison is pulled and replaced often, failing to generate valuable reps in consecutive drives. Until the Colts make a decision and stay with him at inside linebacker, Morrison will continue to struggle to acclimate to the NFL.

Cornerbacks

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Cowboys' Anthony Brown and the Falcons' Brian Poole have been steady all year. They won't wow you or grade over 75, but they also won't cost their team the game. Both play similar roles in the slot and have quietly produced. In Poole's case, he was only beaten once by a talented Broncos receiver corps. As for Brown, though he did give up a touchdown, he was also only beaten twice. Brown also had a big tackle for loss.

If their roles increase, look for their grades to go up as the season moves along. 

Another week of a healthy number of snaps led to another good outing for Washington's Kendall Fuller. Though he gave up five receptions on seven targets, the majority were on 3rd-and-long, and he was able to come up in his zone and make the stop to get off the field.

Fuller was only beaten once all game and gave up a total of 42 yards and one first down in coverage. On one of the last throws of the game, Baltimore targeted Fuller on a deep corner route in the end zone, but he smothered the receiver and gave him no hope to come up with the catch. Fuller has put together good tape two weeks in a row.

Pittsburgh Steelers rookies Artie Burns and Sean Davis switched roles this week after Davis played more safety in previous weeks. With Davis acting as the big slot defender against the New York Jets, Burns participated in only 12 coverage snaps. Davis had 34, allowing William Gay to stay on the boundary. Burns had been showing progression in previous weeks.

Juston Burris of the Jets seemed to be in line to benefit from Darrelle Revis’ absence due to a hamstring injury, but he saw only 22 coverage snaps. Darryl Roberts split time with Burris and outplayed him. Burris is still a promising rookie, even as he allowed both targets to be completed. He moves well for his size (6'0", 182), and his physical traits give him versatility to align in any scheme.

Rashard Robinson filled in for Jimmie Ward and yet again did not disappoint. The highest-graded rookie cornerback has the speed to run with anyone, and despite being just 175 pounds, he has some unexpected physicality in his play. Only giving up one catch in two targets last week, Robinson has allowed a grand total of 31 yards on the year. He's been impressive.

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)
• React: Reaction/Recovery (Graded out of 30)
• Slot: Slot (Graded out of 20)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 10)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie CB Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Rashard Robinson	SF	22	21	16	5	9	73	1	↔
2	Kendall Fuller	WAS	19	18	17	7	9	70	2	↔
3	Brian Poole	ATL	18	18	16	6	9	67	NR	↑
4	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	17	18	17	6	9	67	6	↑
5	Anthony Brown	DAL	18	16	16	7	9	66	NR	↑
6	Eli Apple	NYG	18	18	16	5	9	66	NR	↑
7	Tavon Young	BAL	17	17	16	5	9	64	11	↑
8	Sean Davis	PIT	16	17	15	6	9	63	NR	↑
9	Mackensie Alexander	MIN	16	16	16	5	9	62	NR	↑
10	Juston Burris	NYJ	15	16	15	5	9	60	9	↓
11	Jalen Mills	PHI	15	14	14	5	9	57	NR	↑
12	Artie Burns	PIT	14	15	14	6	9	58	5	↓
13	Cyrus Jones	NE	13	14	13	5	9	54	10	↓
14	Michael Hunter	NYG	11	10	12	5	9	47	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Xavien Howard—injury

Notable Performances

Tavon Young

Baltimore Ravens rookie Tavon Young had a solid debut. Despite his 5’9” stature, he engaged in eight press snaps and did not allow a reception. His 24 off-man snaps weren’t as successful, as he blew one coverage, but he was in position to force a difficult catch on another occasion. Young’s competitiveness and change of direction stood out as he took over for veteran Shareece Wright.

Cyrus Jones

It was a rough week for Cyrus Jones. Even as he's claimed the slot cornerback job, he allowed an easy touchdown to Andrew Hawkins. The Cleveland Browns receiver is hard to cover without safety help, but Jones must execute when isolated. The Patriots didn't need a better performance this week thanks to their offense, but Jones needs to take advantage of this opportunity to play over Justin Coleman.

Free Safeties

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

I was impressed by Giants undrafted rookie Andrew Adams. With Nat Berhe and fellow rookie Darian Thompson both inactive due to injuries, Adams filled in well on the back end for the Giants in Week 5. He had a number of impressive plays in coverage. He broke quickly from deep on a Jordy Nelson dig route and was in position to land a big hit as the ball arrived, but it was deflected before it got to the receiver.

The Packers tested him with a Nelson "Dino" route, which got him turned around, but he did well to stay over the top of it and contest the catch, making sure it fell incomplete. He also showed good alertness after a play had broken down and Aaron Rodgers started scrambling. He spotted Randall Cobb crossing from his side of the field to the other, trying to get open for Rodgers. Adams followed Cobb and managed to make up ground, landing a hit just after the ball arrived and the pass was incomplete. 

T.J. Green is benefiting from a limited role in Indianapolis. The rookie was forced to start early in the year thanks to an injury to Clayton Geathers and looked vulnerable while playing every down. With Geathers back as the starter, Green has rotated in for spot reps, having the chance to learn without being overexposed.

He still has plenty to improve on, of course. On one play, he was fooled by a stick-and-nod route by a tight end and had to grab onto the tight end to prevent the pass from being completed. He was fortunate to get away without a penalty being called and will have to correct that issue to avoid being targeted with that route in the future.

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)
• Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 30)
• Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 10)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie FS Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Andrew Adams	NYG	23	25	6	16	8	78	3	↑
2	T.J. Green	IND	21	22	5	16	8	72	1	↓
3	Kentrell Brice	GB	19	20	4	16	8	67	NR	↑
4	Kevin Byard	TEN	17	18	5	13	8	61	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Darian Thompson—inactive
• Justin Simmons—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Andrew Adams

Week 5 Stats: 5 tackles, 1 pass breakup

Adams didn't panic under the pressure of facing Nelson on a deep shot off play action. While he got turned around on the route, he did an excellent job of staying on top of Nelson and locating the ball in the air to attack it. He showed good awareness to follow Cobb crossing the field during the scramble drill. He didn't look too comfortable in the box, though. He missed a tackle on Eddie Lacy on one play and then was run over by him on the next.

Kevin Byard

Week 5 Stats: 1 tackle

Byard had a problem this week with missed tackles. On two separate run plays, he came free off the edge and failed to secure the tackle. On the first, he nearly managed to bring down Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi, but Ajayi did well to not allow his knee to touch the ground and shake out of the tackle. On the second play, Byard went for the hit, and the runner bounced off it, but fortunately his teammates rallied and made the tackle for him.

Strong Safeties

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Keanu Neal was the standout performer of the strong safety rookie class. Not only was he the top-graded rookie this week, but he led all safeties at both positions. In Dan Quinn's scheme, Neal fills the same role Kam Chancellor played for Bradley in Seattle.

Neal was all over the field, making tackle after tackle in both the run game and in coverage. He was exceptional as an underneath zone defender in the Falcons' Cover 3 scheme. He was consistently the quickest to read and break on anything thrown underneath and was always one of the first defenders to rally and make the tackle on checkdowns.

He looked like an extra linebacker in run support and even blew up a guard to make a tackle on one play. It was a breakout performance from Neal. If he can maintain that level of play, the Falcons will be elated with their first-round pick. 

Raiders safety Karl Joseph had a solid performance, although he dropped off somewhat from a dominant game the previous week. He did register his first career interception, but it wasn't a spectacular play. He was playing as the single deep safety, staying over a seam route. The ball from Philip Rivers was terribly overthrown, and Joseph was uncontested in making the catch. Later on, he turned the wrong way while trying to locate another deep pass. The false turn nearly resulted in him giving up a catch, but the ball from Rivers was off target. Had Joseph read the play better, he could have come away with his second interception.

Grading Scale

• Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)
• Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 25)
• Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 20)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie SS Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Keanu Neal	ATL	23	22	17	17	6	85	2	↑
2	Karl Joseph	OAK	18	19	15	15	6	73	1	↓
3	K.J. Dillon	HOU	16	16	15	16	6	69	NR	↑
4	Derrick Kindred	CLE	16	18	14	14	6	68	4	↔
5	Miles Killebrew	DET	14	15	14	15	6	64	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Will Parks—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Keanu Neal

Week 5 Stats: 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble

Neal showed fantastic instincts as an underneath zone defender, consistently making the right read and being the first to break on any underneath throw. He filled well in the run game as an extra defender in the box. He landed some big hits, including one that caused a fumble. But he will need to be careful because he also landed a big hit on a teammate that could have resulted in an injury.

Karl Joseph

Week 5 Stats: 6 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 interception

Joseph was somewhat fortunate on his interception, as the ball was overthrown and he took advantage of it. For the most part, he did a good job of playing deep and staying over deep routes. He had a solid performance when in the box and defending the run, filling well and making tackles. He did miss one tackle when he came completely free off the edge but failed to even get a hand on the running back, who skipped past him.

Special Teams

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Kickers

Wil Lutz of the Saints had the week off due to a bye, which meant Roberto Aguayo of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the only rookie kicker in action last week. He continued his up-and-down rookie season, going 3-of-5 but making a 38-yarder as time expired to beat the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football.

Aguayo missed to both the left and right side and continued to show issues replicating his mechanics from kick to kick. He is 4-of-8 on the young season, but Buccaneers fans would be wise to keep faith in him, as rookie kicker struggles are the norm rather than the exception. 

Aguayo continues to be great on kickoffs, showing a strong leg, but he needs to work on maintaining his mechanics better on field goals and extra points. The two culprits for him are a skip-step that brings his momentum too far left, creating the hooking action seen on some of his kicks, as well as a hunched body position that does not allow his hips to clear, which accounts for his misses to the right.

What's the cure? Repetition, repetition, repetition. It may not always be easy to watch, but in the long run, Aguayo should still reward those who stick with him, as he is talented.

Kicker Grading Scale

• Pwr: Kick Power (Graded out of 40)
• Acc: Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 40)
• Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 10)
• Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)
• Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100
• LW: Rank Last Week

Rookie Kicker Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Roberto Aguayo	TB	30	16	5	3	54	2	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Will Lutz—bye

Notable Performances

Roberto Aguayo

Week 5 Stats: 3-of-5 FG

Aguayo continues to have too much inconsistency. It's still early in his rookie year, but the team would like to see progress.

Punters

It was a challenging week for rookie punters, with all three struggling, though none more so than Drew Kaser. He is the most highly touted punter of this year's rookie class, but he has been maddeningly inconsistent. His performance Sunday was not NFL-caliber, as his only punt traveled a mere 16 yards, and he also dropped the snap of a potential game-tying extra point.

Kaser has all of the ability in the world but has yet to come close to replicating his preseason performance, which had me expecting to see a Pro Bowl-caliber punter early in his career. Hopefully, this is rock bottom for the young punter, but he has not shown the consistency he displayed during his college career and the preseason.

Lachlan Edwards continues to regress as well, showing average hang time on his punts last week and significantly below-average distance and accuracy. While Edwards was strong in two of the first three weeks, this kind of inconsistency was present throughout his college career, and it is likely what we are going to see for the early part of his NFL tenure.

Riley Dixon displayed slightly above-average hang time and distance but could not replicate the outstanding ball placement we saw from him in Week 4. Dixon has been a pleasant surprise for me. While his performance thus far has him in the middle of the pack league-wide, he is showing traits that could allow him to develop into an above-average, though not elite, punter.

Punter Grading Scale

Dist: Kick Distance (Graded out of 20)

Hang: Kick Hang Time (Graded out of 20)

Acc: Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 45)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 5)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Rookie Punter Rankings Week 5

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Riley Dixon	DEN	15	15	25	3	3	61	1	↔
2	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	11	14	19	3	3	50	3	↑
3	Drew Kaser	SD	0	12	26	3	3	44	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Riley Dixon

He showed solid hang time and distance, but his directional control regressed from last week.

Lachlan Edwards

He had good contact and hang time but did not strike the ball for distance and had no idea where the ball was going directionally.

Drew Kaser

He was a disaster in every way possible and appeared mentally checked out.