NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 6

"Yeah, I believe it. Two-thousand or more."

That’s what Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant recently said about how many yards his teammate, rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, could gain this season.

To join the 2,000-yard club as a first-year player would be an all-time feat, but Elliott has proved in a short time that he is indeed an all-time talent.

Last Sunday, he blew up Green Bay’s excellent run defense for 157 yards on 28 carries, and he has a league-leading 703 rushing yards in just six games. He’d have to keep up a torrid pace to make Bryant a prophet, but Elliott benefits from a rare combination of positive factors.

There’s his own combination of speed, agility, power and blocking acumen, and there’s the fact that he runs behind the NFL’s best offensive line. Then there’s the fact that fellow rookie Dak Prescott’s read-option expertise forces defenses to look in more places for the ball than they’d like.

At the very least, Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record of 1,808 yards is in Elliott’s sights. He’s a special player and tops the NFL1000 Rookie Review list this week.

Our second-highest-ranked rookie didn’t come out of college with Elliott’s name recognition or perceived draft potential, but Chargers inside linebacker Jatavis Brown, the Akron alum who fell to San Diego with the 175th pick, has been an unexpected stud in that defense all season. He's also been a recurring member of the Rookie Review Top 10 club.

He was all over the place in the Chargers’ 21-13 win over the Broncos last Thursday, amassing 13 total tackles and a sack, causing a key forced fumble and looking comfortable in zone coverage.

Our third-highest-ranked rookie this week also comes from that game, as safety Will Parks of the Broncos was outstanding on coverage throughout. The Arizona product has his work cut out for him to find snaps in Denver’s loaded secondary (he played 19 snaps against San Diego), but Parks is off to a good start.

It was a great week for many of the NFL's first-year players. Here's how we saw their performances in Week 6.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Biggest Movers Heading Into Week 7

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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 their draft positions?

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 6 Rookie Review reveals a number of players who have taken major steps forward in their professional development:

1. Will Parks, SS, Denver Broncos

2016 Draft Position: 219 (sixth round, 44th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 3

What Happened: Parks played 19 snaps against the Chargers last Thursday, allowing three receptions on three targets for 26 yards. But our scouts like his range and coverage instincts from a big-picture perspective.

2. Parker Ehinger, OG, Kansas City Chiefs

2016 Draft Position: 105 (fourth round, seventh pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 21

What Happened: Against the Raiders, Ehinger saw his first action since Week 1 and was dominant in pass-blocking (he didn't allow a single pressure) and in run blocking, where he helped Kansas City's backs riddle the Raiders for 183 yards.

3. Alex Collins, RB, Seattle Seahawks

2016 Draft Position: 171 (fifth round, 34th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 36

What Happened: The Arkansas product elicited comparisons to a minor league Marshawn Lynch in training camp with his aggressive, slashing running style. But that didn't always translate to the field against NFL opposition. But against the Falcons last Sunday, Collins bulled through for a crucial touchdown in Seattle's key win. Collins will see more time in the Seahawks backfield if he can prove he's turned on the power. 

4. Jason Spriggs, RT, Green Bay Packers

2016 Draft Position: 48 (second round, 17th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 37

What Happened: Spriggs replaced right tackle Bryan Bulaga in the second half of Green Bay's loss to Dallas after Bulaga went down with a back injury, and the rookie held up his end of the deal, maintaining the Packers' excellent protection. 

5. Deion Jones, ILB, Atlanta Falcons

2016 Draft Position: 52 (second round, 21st pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 30

What Happened: There's been a lot of buzz this season about the Falcons' second-round pick, and he lived up to it against the Seahawks with a fine return from injury. Jones missed Atlanta's Week 5 win over the Broncos with an ankle injury but was as fast as ever on the field versus Seattle. 

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 6

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Our Week 6 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	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	4	82	2	↑
2	Jatavis Brown	ILB	SD	175	80	15	↑
3	Will Parks	SS	DEN	219	80	NR	↑
4	Keanu Neal	SS	ATL	17	79	1	↓
5	Jalen Ramsey	CB	JAX	5	78	NR	↑
6	Derek Watt	FB	SD	198	78	11	↑
7	Elandon Roberts	ILB	NE	214	77	5	↓
8	Ryan Kelly	C	IND	18	76	13	↑
9	Taylor Decker	LT	DET	16	75	16	↑
10	Kentrell Brice	FS	GB	UDFA	74	40	↑
11	Laremy Tunsil	OG	MIA	13	74	NR	↑
12	Andy Janovich	FB	DEN	176	74	9	↓
13	T.J. Green	FS	IND	57	74	18	↑
14	Graham Glasgow	OG	DET	95	73	23	↑
15	Joey Bosa	3-4 OLB	SD	3	73	3	↓
16	Jack Conklin	RT	TEN	8	73	17	↑
17	Michael Pierce	DT	BAL	UDFA	72	33	↑
18	Devontae Booker	RB	DEN	136	72	32	↑
19	Joe Thuney	OG	NE	78	72	19	↔
20	Andrew Adams	FS	NYG	UDFA	72	4	↓
21	Parker Ehinger	OG	KC	105	71	NR	↑
22	Cody Kessler	QB	CLE	93	71	49	↑
23	Wendell Smallwood	RB	PHI	153	71	NR	↑
24	Karl Joseph	SS	OAK	14	71	14	↓
25	Drew Kaser	P	SD	179	71	NR	↑
26	Yannick Ngakoue	4-3 DE	JAX	69	70	NR	↑
27	Jordan Howard	RB	CHI	150	70	8	↓
28	Blake Martinez	ILB	GB	131	70	21	↓
29	DeAndre Washington	RB	OAK	143	70	22	↓
30	Deion Jones	ILB	ATL	52	70	NR	↑
31	Jonathan Williams	RB	BUF	156	70	NR	↑
32	Hunter Henry	TE	SD	35	69	39	↑
33	Josh Forrest	4-3 OLB	LA	190	69	NR	↑
34	Paul Perkins	RB	NYG	149	69	37	↑
35	Kevin Byard	FS	TEN	64	69	NR	↑
36	Alex Collins	RB	SEA	171	69	NR	↑
37	Jason Spriggs	RT	GB	48	68	NR	↑
38	Joe Haeg	RT	IND	155	68	50	↑
39	Michael Thomas	WR	NO	47	67	NR	↑
40	Jarran Reed	DT	SEA	49	67	NR	↑
41	Carson Wentz	QB	PHI	2	67	46	↑
42	Derrick Henry	RB	TEN	45	67	10	↓
43	Maliek Collins	DT	DAL	67	67	31	↓
44	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	135	67	6	↓
45	Kenneth Dixon	RB	BAL	134	67	NR	↑
46	Wil Lutz	K	NO	UDFA	67	NR	↑
47	Tyler Boyd	WR	CIN	55	66	NR	↑
48	Jalen Richard	RB	OAK	UDFA	66	24	↓
49	Ricardo Louis	WR	CLE	114	66	NR	↑
50	Roger Lewis	WR	NYG	UDFA	65	NR	↑

Quarterbacks

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Cody Kessler outshone Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott in Week 6.

That may be a strong statement. Kessler was what he has been for most of this season: smart with the football but limited in his overall impact. He reacted well to pressure and when plays didn't develop as designed, but he misread coverage on one play in the second quarter that could have resulted in an interception in his own territory. 

Wentz's biggest issue in Week 6 was his accuracy. He repeatedly overshot receivers at different levels of the field. He connected with Jordan Matthews on one precise pass, but overall his accuracy limited the output of the offense. Wentz made a handful of plays against pressure but also invited problems with his slow process too many times.

We've seen Wentz perform adequately under ideal circumstances; now we need to see him take steps to impose himself when the offense around him isn't performing at a high level.

The result of the Green Bay game—a 30-16 Cowboys win—is the only reason there is a swell of support for Prescott to start over Tony Romo in Dallas.

Prescott didn't play well against the Packers. He had one excellent drive late in the second quarter when he completed two big plays, one of which was a dart to Brice Butler for a touchdown. But besides that his accuracy was erratic, and he had multiple fumbles and one awful interception that set up the Packers in the red zone.

He was fortunate that the Packers played so poorly on offense; otherwise, the narrative would be about when Romo could return rather than if he deserves to get his starting spot back.

Grading Scale

• Acc: Accuracy (Graded out of 25)
• Arm: Arm Strength (Graded out of 25)
• Press: Pressure/run threat (Graded out of 20) (Pressure weighed 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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Cody Kessler	CLE	16	19	15	11	10	71	3	↑
2	Carson Wentz	PHI	14	22	11	10	10	67	2	↔
3	Dak Prescott	DAL	15	20	12	10	10	67	1	↓

Notable Performances

Cody Kessler

Week 6 Stats: 26-of-41, 336 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

Kessler has earned the starting spot over Josh McCown, but it remains to be seen if Robert Griffin III's return would supplant him. While the rookie has played well, he hasn't played so well that the Browns would have an easy decision. This game was another step in the right direction for him overall, though.

Carson Wentz

Week 6 Stats: 11-of-22, 179 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Wentz missed a key play when he overthrew Zach Ertz late for what could have been a touchdown on third down. Wentz needs to speed up his process and stop overshooting his targets to earn a better grade.

Dak Prescott

Week 6 Stats: 18-of-27, 247 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

This game was a testament to the quality of Prescott's supporting cast and the play-calling of his coaching staff. Two of his touchdowns were easy plays, and Green Bay's defense could never dictate to the Dallas offense because of Ezekiel Elliott's success running the ball. Prescott was mostly a passenger who did just enough to get by.

Running Backs

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Well, another week, and another dominant performance by the Cowboys' No. 4 overall draft pick.

Ezekiel Elliott was borderline unstoppable on the ground in Green Bay on Sunday, displaying everything you want to see from a star runner. He was excellent between the tackles, running through tackles and making guys miss in space. He continues to show outside speed and beats defenders to the edge. He is easily the front-runner for Rookie of the Year through six weeks. 

The other rookie backs were pedestrian.

Derrick Henry continues to see a limited role in Tennessee and has not produced like many thought he would. Jordan Howard had a much quieter game against the Jaguars, compared to past weeks. He struggled to get anything going against an active front.

With Latavius Murray out (turf toe), the DeAndre Washington/Jalen Richard combo got another start, but the pair struggled in the rain against a playoff team. Neither guy could get going because both were not breaking tackles or making things happen in limited space. Up in Seattle, Alex Collins didn't get many opportunities but had a nice touchdown on a goal-line carry.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	22	21	16	17	6	82	1	↔
2	Devontae Booker	DEN	18	16	16	16	6	72	6	↑
3	Wendell Smallwood	PHI	17	16	16	16	6	71	NR	↑
4	Jordan Howard	CHI	17	15	16	16	6	70	2	↓
5	DeAndre Washington	OAK	17	17	15	15	6	70	4	↓
6	Jonathan Williams	BUF	16	15	17	16	6	70	NR	↑
7	Paul Perkins	NYG	15	17	17	14	6	69	7	↔
8	Alex Collins	SEA	17	14	16	16	6	69	NR	↑
9	Derrick Henry	TEN	15	14	17	15	6	67	3	↓
10	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	17	14	15	15	6	67	NR	↑
11	Jalen Richard	OAK	15	16	15	14	6	66	5	↓
12	Josh Ferguson	IND	15	14	14	15	6	64	9	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Kenyan Drake—insufficient snaps
• Tyler Ervin—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott

Week 6 Stats: 28 carries, 157 yards; 2 receptions, 17 yards

Elliott had his best game as a pro Sunday against the Packers. He was excellent between the tackles, displaying patience, vision and the ability to run through arm tackles with ease. He has a natural one-cut style that enables him to get north and south in a hurry. He also dominated on outside sweeps and zone runs. He put on an absolute clinic all game.

Devontae Booker

Week 6 Stats: 5 carries, 46 yards; 2 receptions, 7 yards

Booker finally flashed the inside running ability all the scouts had seen for years at Utah. He was fast and explosive downhill while also showing the feet that could make him a special back at the pro level. He looked confident against an improving San Diego front line.

Wendell Smallwood

Week 6 Stats: 4 carries, 6 yards; 1 reception, 14 yards

While his stat line wasn't impressive, Smallwood had a kickoff return for a touchdown, displaying the make-you-miss open-field ability and home run speed game that changeup backs need.

Fullbacks

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The two rookie fullbacks played each other on Thursday Night Football. Derek Watt appeared to outshine Andy Janovich a little. Watt was good all game in locating athletic linebackers in space and working up to the second level to find defenders. He also had a nice catch and run.

Janovich continues to be solid. He's a steady football player who plays physical on a weekly basis. He didn't get any touches Thursday. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Derek Watt	SD	45	17	12	4	78	2	↑
2	Andy Janovich	DEN	44	16	10	4	74	1	↓

Notable Performances

Derek Watt

Week 6 Stats: 1 reception, 8 yards

Watt continues to improve each week. He had his best game as a pro in a big upset win against one of the top defenses in the NFL. He was solid all game blocking for Melvin Gordon and had a nice run after the catch where he attempted to dive to move the chains.

Wide Receivers

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Odell Beckham missed a number of plays for the Giants as his hip was examined, and Roger Lewis, formerly Bowling Green, stepped into the lineup and made the most of his limited snaps, catching a 24-yard touchdown pass.

Teammate Sterling Shepard saw his numbers drop this week, as he caught four passes for 25 yards and needed some rub routes to get himself open.

Michael Thomas continues to impress for the Saints. The former Buckeye caught five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, another rookie receiver in New York had one of his best days in his young career: Charone Peake brought in five passes for 43 yards against Arizona on Monday Night Football. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Michael Thomas	NO	17	18	12	11	9	67	NR	↑
2	Tyler Boyd	CIN	17	17	13	10	9	66	1	↓
3	Ricardo Louis	CLE	19	15	12	11	9	66	5	↑
4	Roger Lewis	NYG	18	17	11	10	9	65	NR	↑
5	Charone Peake	NYJ	18	16	12	10	9	65	8	↑
6	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	15	16	11	11	9	62	6	↔
7	Tommylee Lewis	NO	16	15	11	11	9	62	NR	↑
8	Tyreek Hill	KC	14	16	13	10	9	62	NR	↑
9	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	15	14	12	11	9	61	2	↓
10	Sterling Shepard	NYG	16	15	10	10	9	60	3	↓
11	Braxton Miller	HOU	12	16	12	11	9	60	4	↓
12	Will Fuller	HOU	15	14	11	10	9	59	7	↓
13	Chris Moore	BAL	14	13	11	12	9	59	NR	↑
14	Tanner McEvoy	SEA	14	13	10	11	9	57	NR	↑
15	Rashard Higgins	CLE	13	14	11	10	9	57	9	↓
16	Demarcus Robinson	KC	13	13	12	10	9	57	NR	↑
17	Jakeem Grant	MIA	13	13	11	11	9	57	NR	↑
18	Mike Thomas	LA	13	13	10	10	9	55	12	↓
19	Trevor Davis	GB	12	13	10	10	9	54	11	↓
20	Aaron Burbridge	SF	12	13	10	9	9	53	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Josh Doctson—injury
• Pharoh Cooper—inactive
• Laquon Treadwell—bye

Notable Performances

Tanner McEvoy

Week 6 Stats: 1 reception, 17 yards

McEvoy saw seven snaps for the Seahawks this week and had one reception on a flea-flicker where he ran a decent route.

Roger Lewis

Week 6 Stats: 1 reception, 24 yards, 1 TD

When Beckham left for a few snaps, Lewis made the most of his time, catching a 24-yard touchdown pass.

Sterling Shepard

Week 6 Stats: 4 receptions, 25 yards

Shepard caught four passes Sunday. But he was targeted on a corner route that was intercepted, and he was open due to rub routes or play designs on a number of other snaps.

Michael Thomas

Week 6 Stats: 5 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD

Thomas caught all five targets Sunday against the Panthers for 78 yards and a touchdown. He ran a number of good routes, including a vertical route late in the first half where he beat the press at the line of scrimmage effectively.

Tommylee Lewis

Week 6 Stats: 2 receptions, 24 yards

Lewis saw more action at wide receiver this week compared to last. He saw three targets and had two receptions.

Charone Peake

Week 6 Stats: 5 receptions, 43 yards

Peake had his best day as a pro thanks to some great route running and a thin Jets receiving corps that gave him more opportunities.

Tight Ends

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Hunter Henry continued his impressive rookie campaign with a touchdown reception for the third straight week, this time in a win over division-rival Denver. Henry continues to show he's everything the Chargers hoped he could be when they drafted him.

This was the second straight quiet week from both Austin Hooper and Tyler Higbee. Neither rookie tight end saw a target, and both struggled to get separation on their routes when used in the passing game. Both were solid as blockers. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Hunter Henry	SD	15	20	13	15	6	69	1	↔
2	Tyler Higbee	LA	9	13	10	18	6	56	3	↑
3	Austin Hooper	ATL	10	13	10	16	6	55	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

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

Notable Performances

Hunter Henry

Week 6 Stats: 6 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD

Henry was a key component of San Diego's division win over Denver on Thursday night. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt mixed in Henry in different personnel groups that gave Denver a lot of matchup problems. And Henry picked up the slack when the Broncos blanketed Antonio Gates and took him away in the passing game. Henry's role continues to grow in this offense each week.

Tyler Higbee

Week 6 Stats: 0 targets

Higbee failed to see a target against the Lions. He was effective as a blocker on the edges but did not gain separation when used in the passing game.

Austin Hooper

Week 6 Stats: 0 targets

Atlanta continues to use a lot of 13-personnel with Hooper and fellow tight ends Jacob Tamme and Levine Toilolo, but this week Hooper did not see any targets.         

Offensive Tackles

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The Detroit Lions' Taylor Decker notched his sixth straight start and continues to show consistency in his technique, which seems to be translating into consistency in his overall performance.

The Baltimore Ravens' Alex Lewis filled in for Ronnie Stanley for the second consecutive week. Stanley has now missed three straight games and hasn't played since Week 3 against Jacksonville. Lewis struggled mightily with the Giants pass-rushers, so Baltimore is looking forward to Stanley's return to the left bookend. 

Jack Conklin (Titans), Joe Haeg (Colts) and Halapoulivaati Vaitai (Eagles) all made starts at right tackle. Conklin notched his sixth start, Haeg started his fourth consecutive game and Vaitai saw his first start in place of the suspended Lane Johnson.

Jason Spriggs of the Green Bay Packers saw his first glimpse of regular-season action as he filled in for Bryan Bulaga late against the Dallas Cowboys.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Taylor Decker	DET	LT	18	18	15	16	8	75	1	↔
2	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	17	18	16	15	7	73	2	↔
3	Jason Spriggs	GB	RT	17	17	12	15	7	68	NR	↑
4	Joe Haeg	IND	RT	16	18	14	13	7	68	5	↑
5	Alex Lewis	BAL	LT	13	17	14	12	8	64	3	↓
6	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	PHI	RT	14	16	13	12	7	62	NR	↑

Notable Performances

Taylor Decker

Week 6 Stats: 62 snaps, 0 pressures, 0 sacks

Decker has settled in at left tackle for Detroit and is constant in his approach. He doesn't do anything flashy that wows you, but he's efficient in everything. There are times when it appears Decker doesn't trust himself to go full speed and take chances, but he's improving, and the game will slow down and click for him soon.

Alex Lewis

Week 6 Stats: 83 snaps, 5 pressures, 2 QB hits

Lewis struggled to anchor in pass protection, and his landmarks looked completely off. There were times where Lewis was in good position to make a stand to anchor but instead kicked again, giving too much ground and allowing the defender to beat him. Lewis was decent on the run but at times struggled to sustain.

Jack Conklin

Week 6 Stats: 62 snaps, 0 pressures, 0 sacks

Conklin continues to be solid at right tackle for the Titans, specifically in the run game. He has nine pressures on the season and has yet to give up a sack, although these numbers need context.

Tennessee has done an excellent job of scheming help for Conklin and not leaving him exposed on an island. Conklin gets slide protection to him, has a chip by the running back or a right wing/tight end, or is responsible for the B-gap on a significant amount of pass plays.

This isn't a knock on Conklin but rather praise for a great job by the Titans to keep him in successful situations that play to his strengths.

Jason Spriggs

Week 6 Stats: 18 snaps, 0 pressures, 0 sacks

Spriggs filled in for Bulaga late against Dallas and was adequate in both pass protection and run blocking in his 18 snaps (three or four of the 18 recorded snaps may have been as a blocking tight end).

Halapoulivaati Vaitai

Week 6 Stats: 52 snaps, 2 sacks, 1 pressure, 1 QB hit

Vaitai got his first start and went up against Washington's Ryan Kerrigan, which is no easy task, even for a seasoned veteran.

Vaitai had a rough outing from the get-go, surrendering two sacks in the first quarter. He had issues knowing when to build his house to make a stand to anchor, and Kerrigan took advantage of that. Kerrigan countered inside if Vaitai over-set and picked his spots, attacking Vaitai's edge and running the hoop if Vaitai got aggressive with his set.

In the second half, the Eagles started to send Vaitai help, which allowed him to settle in a bit.

Offensive Guards

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Week 6 was an exciting one in rookie guard play, with more first-year players starting this week than any other so far. The list continues to evolve, but it is good to see some high draft picks finally getting healthy and earning chances to prove themselves. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	16	19	15	17	7	74	NR	↑
2	Graham Glasgow	DET	16	18	18	14	7	73	2	↔
3	Joe Thuney	NE	18	16	14	17	7	72	1	↓
4	Parker Ehinger	KC	16	17	17	14	7	71	NR	↑
5	Joshua Garnett	SF	14	13	15	14	7	63	NR	↑
6	Germain Ifedi	SEA	11	17	17	11	7	63	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Isaac Seumalo—DNP
• Rees Odhiambo—DNP

Notable Performances

Laremy Tunsil

Tunsil helped lead a healthy Dolphins offensive line to an impressive performance against the Steelers. He flashed in the run game, which is promising given he is now dealing with big interior defenders after his conversion from tackle.

Joshua Garnett

It was a rough outing for the 49ers' Garnett, who looked like the proverbial deer in headlights at times against the Bills.

Germain Ifedi

Ifedi is inconsistent. One play he will drive his defender out of a running lane, and the next he will be beaten out of his stance.

Centers

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The usual suspects are back for our rookie center review, but they trended in different directions.

While both Ryan Kelly and Cody Whitehair have been good thus far, both continue to struggle for consistency from week to 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 C Rankings Week 6

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ryan Kelly	IND	19	18	17	16	6	76	2	↑
2	Cody Whitehair	CHI	16	13	13	16	6	64	1	↓

Notable Performances

Ryan Kelly

Kelly was dominant in pass protection this week. He appeared to lose only one snap when Colts quarterback Andrew Luck dropped back Sunday night. His short-area explosion and leg drive when engaged with defenders are extremely impressive, and with his natural tools, his potential is unlimited.

Cody Whitehair

While Kelly flashed, Whitehair struggled with a pedestrian Jaguars front. Whitehair was pushed around in the ground game, as defenders got inside leverage on him almost all day. His struggles often forced the Bears running backs to stop and redirect their runs, which broke many plays.

3-4 Defensive Ends

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

The NFC dominated the 3-4 defensive end list this week, with only Adolphus Washington, a recent breakout lineman for the Buffalo Bills, representing the AFC.

DeForest Buckner registered two sacks against Washington's Bills this week, though that production doesn't reflect his overall performance in that game. Buckner was around the ball often with Buffalo cramming the ball down the 49ers' throats, but there were times when he played well.

Again, the NFC North's Dean Lowry (Green Bay) and Jonathan Bullard (Chicago), who will face each other on Thursday Night Football this week, struggled as they continue to adapt to NFL offensive linemen.

Arizona's Robert Nkemdiche showed burst off the line of scrimmage on Monday Night Football, the first game he's been active for since Week 1. Nkemdiche has the highest upside of any of these rookies, but the first-round pick is struggling to even see the field. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	DeForest Buckner	SF	12	15	17	14	6	64	NR	↑
2	Adolphus Washington	BUF	10	17	17	12	6	62	1	↓
3	Robert Nkemdiche	ARI	12	15	16	13	6	62	NR	↑
4	Dean Lowry	GB	9	14	16	14	6	59	5	↑
5	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	9	14	16	13	6	58	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Ronald Blair—insufficient snaps
• Matt Iodanis—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

DeForest Buckner

Week 6 Stats: 9 total tackles, 2 sacks

Buckner's two sacks highlighted his return to the lineup after a week off due to injury, despite his up-and-down play as a pass-rusher. He was around the ball as the Bills ran 44 times in a 45-16 Buffalo victory.

Adolphus Washington

Week 6 Stats: 1 tackle, 1 sack

Washington may now be undergoing his breakout after recording a sack in two straight games.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

This section has been dominated by one rookie all year: Jacksonville's Yannick Ngakoue. He now has a sack in four straight games, and while he's still riding the normal rookie inconsistencies, Ngakoue's flash plays show incredible upside. Watching him at a position where rookies take time to blossom is a pleasure. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	19	17	16	11	7	70	NR	↑
2	Romeo Okwara	NYG	14	13	13	13	7	60	2	↔
3	Matt Longacre	LA	13	13	13	12	7	58	NR	↑
4	Anthony Zettel	DET	13	12	12	14	7	58	6	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Charles Tapper—injury
• Noah Spence—bye
• DaVonte Lambert—bye

Notable Performances

Yannick Ngakoue

Week 6 Stats: 1 Tackle, 1 Sack

Ngakoue has a sack in four straight games now. He's continued to impress without being a complete player.

Defensive Tackles

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Michael Pierce of the Baltimore Ravens played extremely well against the Giants in Week 6. He went toe-to-toe with Weston Richburg, one of the best centers in the NFL, and won his fair share of reps. He was an unknown heading into the season, but he's entrenched himself as a vital cog in Baltimore's defensive line rotation. 

Seattle's Jarran Reed took on Alex Mack this week and played well, getting his first career sack and routinely clogging rushing lanes against the Falcons. Kenny Clark struggled against the Cowboys' vaunted rushing attack as Ezekiel Elliott and Co. steamrolled the Packers for 191 yards on 33 carries.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Michael Pierce	BAL	16	15	20	15	6	72	3	↑
2	Jarran Reed	SEA	16	14	19	12	6	67	NR	↑
3	Maliek Collins	DAL	17	15	18	11	6	67	2	↓
4	Kenny Clark	GB	15	16	13	11	6	61	1	↓
5	Sheldon Day	JAX	15	14	12	11	6	58	NR	↑
6	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	13	12	14	12	6	57	8	↑
7	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	14	13	13	11	6	57	5	↓
8	Adam Gotsis	DEN	14	12	14	10	6	56	9	↑
9	D.J. Reader	HOU	14	13	13	10	6	56	6	↓
10	Austin Johnson	TEN	12	11	13	11	6	53	NR	↑
11	Jihad Ward	OAK	14	11	10	9	6	50	7	↓
12	Javon Hargrave	PIT	13	12	10	9	6	50	4	↓
13	Darius Latham	OAK	12	12	10	9	6	49	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Vernon Butler—injury
• Vincent Valentine—injury
• Sheldon Rankins—injury

Notable Performances

Michael Pierce

Week 6 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 TFL

Michael Pierce was undrafted out of Samford, but he's come on strong for the Ravens over the past few weeks, including a good showing against Richburg, whom he beat on a few occasions. Pierce had a rep on the goal line where he steamrolled Richburg before getting a piece of the running back.

Jarran Reed

Week 6 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack

The Falcons have one of the best offensive lines in the league, and Seattle's Reed was up to the challenge Sunday. He went toe-to-toe with Mack and won his fair share of reps. He also notched the first sack of his career.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Joey Bosa once again led the rookie 3-4 outside linebacker corps, as he followed his impressive NFL debut with another strong performance in Week 6. The third overall pick didn't have a sack, but he continued to put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Bosa appears to have a complete skill set to beat blockers, and the Chargers have maximized his production by using him all over the defense.

While Bosa continues to steal the show among rookie defenders, fellow first-year outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah finally registered his first career sack. It came on a designed bootleg, in which Ogbah read the play and chased down Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Inactive the last two weeks, Matt Judon played a significant role for the Ravens, who were without starter Elvis Dumervil. Judon played strongly against the run. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Joey Bosa	SD	21	18	9	18	7	73	1	↔
2	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	16	15	9	18	7	65	6	↑
3	Matt Judon	BAL	14	17	10	17	7	65	NR	↑
4	Kevin Dodd	TEN	16	15	10	17	7	65	5	↑
5	Curt Maggitt	IND	14	15	9	16	7	61	4	↓
6	Joe Schobert	CLE	14	14	11	15	7	61	3	↓
7	Kyler Fackrell	GB	14	14	9	16	7	60	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

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

Notable Performances

Joey Bosa

Week 6 Stats: 1 tackle

Don't let the box score fool you. Bosa was credited with just one tackle, which ended a scramble attempt by Denver quarterback Trevor Siemian on third down in the red zone. But numbers can lie. The rookie was still a dominant force against the Broncos. He won on the edge for a handful of quarterback pressures—especially late in the game with the Chargers defending a lead. Bosa now leads all rookie defenders in total pressures with 14.

Emmanuel Ogbah

Week 6 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack

Ogbah was mostly quiet against the Titans, but he did register his first career sack. The rookie didn't have to beat a blocker, but it took some athleticism to chase down Mariota on a bootleg and complete the play. Overall, Ogbah's pass rushing has been inconsistent. Maybe his first sack can jump-start his confidence in getting to the quarterback.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Josh Forrest of the Los Angeles Rams had one of the best rookie performances of the season, and it came against the Detroit Lions. After a miserable game in Week 5, Forrest racked up a pair of tackles for loss. He played a big part in whatever success the Rams had defending the run. It was an encouraging performance, considering how bad he was the week prior. 

The rest of the rookies were uninteresting. All of them played about as well as they have this season—especially the New York Jets' Jordan Jenkins, who has been one of the most consistent players at his position.

That said, fellow Jets rookie Darron Lee had one of his worst games against the run. He was fine elsewhere, but he had issues staying in his gaps and winning against blockers.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Josh Forrest	LA	15	21	7	20	6	69	3	↑
2	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	16	17	7	17	6	63	1	↓
3	Myles Jack	JAX	16	15	7	15	6	59	NR	↑
4	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	15	15	7	15	6	58	NR	↑
5	Darron Lee	NYJ	15	13	7	16	6	57	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jaylon Smith—injury
• Antwione Williams—injury

Notable Performances

Josh Forrest

Week 6 Stats: 3 solo tackles, 2 TFL

Forrest had his best game of the season. He had yet to make many impact plays before the matchup with Detroit. While he was sort of unblocked for both of his tackles for loss, it's tough to take away those plays from him. They were there and he executed.

Jordan Jenkins

Week 6 Stats: 3 solo tackles

It's the same story with Jenkins every week. He plays base snaps, he executes his assignments and he minimizes offensive efforts to his side of the field.

Myles Jack

Week 6 Stats: 2 solo tackles

Jack's continuing to play as the strong-side linebacker, which is still odd, but at least he is consistently on the field. He looked more confident when defending the run, which is an encouraging sign.

De'Vondre Campbell

Week 6 Stats: 3 tackles (2 solo)

After nursing an ankle injury for a month, Campbell returned and got some snaps. He didn't look great, but it was nice to see him on the field.

Darron Lee

Week 6 Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo)

Lee has to be more consistent. He's been a roller coaster this season, posting some of the best and some of the worst rookie performances so far. This week, unfortunately, was the latter.

Inside Linebackers

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The rankings are beginning to solidify, with the top-tier talent shining through each week. Jatavis Brown continues to look like an absolute steal for the San Diego Chargers. Injuries to starters gave Brown playing time sooner than expected, and he’s done nothing but impress. He grows as a run defender each week, and his athleticism flashes at every level of the field. The Chargers have few things to get excited about, and Brown is one of them.

The rest of the rookie crop is staying afloat in a group of inside linebackers that isn’t strong throughout the league. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Jatavis Brown	SD	20	29	12	13	6	80	2	↑
2	Elandon Roberts	NE	20	30	9	12	6	77	1	↓
3	Blake Martinez	GB	17	27	10	10	6	70	3	↔
4	Deion Jones	ATL	19	27	8	10	6	70	NR	↑
5	Cory James	OAK	15	25	8	10	6	64	5	↔
6	Tyler Matakevich	PIT	15	24	8	10	6	63	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Su'a Cravens—injury
• Nick Kwiatkoski—insufficient snaps
• Antonio Morrison—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Jatavis Brown

Week 6 Stats: 14 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF

Brown has taken the starting position next to Denzel Perryman and has run with it. Thursday Night Football isn't exactly a shining example of the sport, but Brown stood out all night against the Denver Broncos. He was aggressive in the run game and hustled to every tackle, earning him the top grade for the group in Week 6. His fourteen tackles are impressive, but his critical forced fumble late in the game stood out.

Blake Martinez

Week 6 Stats: 4 tackles

Green Bay's Martinez only recorded four tackles against Ezekiel Elliott and the formidable Dallas Cowboys offensive line. However, he finally demonstrated the aggressiveness in run support that has been inconsistent throughout the year. Martinez continues to improve his ability to diagnose and play with strength at the point of attack.

Tyler Matakevich

Week 6 Stats: 9 tackles

Matakevich recorded nine tackles in just 18 snaps played against the Miami Dolphins. At first glance, that's an exciting stat line. Stats aside, Matakevich was exposed by the Dolphins run game and primarily made those tackles cleaning up late. He plays with hustle, but he's a few weeks away from being ready to consistently play for the Steelers.

Cornerbacks

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

The best rookie cornerback has been Jalen Ramsey of the Jacksonville Jaguars. In his most difficult assignment yet, Ramsey matched up with Chicago's Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery won the first half of the game, earning two big-play catches and getting open for a would-be touchdown on a pass that was overthrown.

But Ramsey bounced back like a top-five pick should. He shut down Jeffery to just two more receptions that did little damage. More importantly, he earned a pass breakup on the final play of the Chicago Bears’ final push in the fourth quarter. 

In his debut as a starter, Carolina’s Zack Sanchez looked out of his depth. Per the self-charting from NFL1000 cornerback scout Kyle Posey, Sanchez surrendered seven catches on nine targets, including an 87-yard bomb to Brandin Cooks. He was beat often with five blown coverages, two first downs given up and gave up another catch that went for more than 20 yards. Sunday was rough for the rookie out of Oklahoma.

It was a troublesome first half for the Eagles' Jalen Mills, who was beaten four times and gave up three first downs, including a catch for more than 20 yards and a penalty. As poor as he was in the first half, he was that good in the second half.

Washington continued to throw at Mills, but this time with no success. He looked much more comfortable and got his hands on a pass. Mills finished the game giving up five catches on 11 targets after having a rough time with DeSean Jackson to start, but he bounced back well.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	22	24	17	6	9	78	NR	↑
2	Jalen Mills	PHI	17	18	16	5	9	65	11	↑
3	Rashard Robinson	SF	18	18	16	4	9	65	1	↓
4	Anthony Brown	DAL	15	15	16	8	9	63	5	↑
5	Kendall Fuller	WAS	15	17	16	4	9	61	2	↓
6	Brian Poole	ATL	15	16	15	5	9	60	3	↓
7	Daryl Worley	CAR	13	15	15	6	9	58	NR	↑
8	Cre'von LeBlanc	CHI	15	14	14	5	9	57	NR	↑
9	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CLE	13	13	14	7	9	56	NR	↑
10	Artie Burns	PIT	13	14	14	5	9	55	12	↑
11	D.J. White	KC	13	14	13	5	9	54	NR	↑
12	Zack Sanchez	CAR	10	9	10	5	9	43	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• James Bradberry—injury
• Xavien Howard—injury
• Cyrus Jones—inactive

Notable Performances

Anthony Brown

Brown didn't do anything extraordinary in coverage, but he was one of the best run defenders we saw last weekend. He had three stops against the run, and one was a nice open-field tackle for loss. Slot corners are important in today's game, and coming up and being aggressive against the run is something not many corners do. Brown is one of the few.

Kendall Fuller

Fuller has great instincts, but his lack of explosiveness shows at times. He also missed a tackle, which turned into a big play. There will be growing pains with rookie corners, and Fuller couldn't escape the roller coaster this week. He was targeted five times and beat on three of them.

Free Safeties

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Packers safety Kentrell Brice joined T.J. Green of the Colts as the top rookie free safeties this week. Brice made a key tackle on a goal-line slant to Cowboys slot receiver Cole Beasley to save a touchdown. He also did a solid job staying over the top of deep routes to protect the aggressive corners on the outside. 

Green continues to improve now that he's been relegated to a backup role in Indianapolis. With limited snaps, he isn't under constant pressure and still has a chance to get on the field and gain valuable experience. He made a couple of tackles coming from deep coverage and making up ground to reach the ball-carriers before they gained many yards. His tackling is improving, too.

Andrew Adams gave another solid performance as the Giants waited for Darian Thompson (foot) and Nat Berhe (concussion) to return from injury. He managed to land a hit on Joe Flacco as the Ravens quarterback delivered his throw.

Adams came free on a delayed blitz, and while the play appeared to develop slowly, he still landed a tough hit on Flacco. Later on, he did a nice job taking away two receivers as he sunk into his zone coverage. He initially took away a spot route, but kept his eyes on Flacco and worked down to take away the flat route. Flacco had nowhere else to go and took the sack.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Kentrell Brice	GB	23	22	6	15	8	74	3	↑
2	T.J. Green	IND	22	23	5	16	8	74	2	↔
3	Andrew Adams	NYG	22	21	5	16	8	72	1	↓
4	Kevin Byard	TEN	21	20	5	15	8	69	4	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Justin Simmons—inactive
• Darian Thompson—inactive

Notable Performances

Kentrell Brice

Week 6 Stats: 1 tackle

Brice saw limited snaps but made one critical tackle on Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley on a goal-line slant to save a touchdown. He spent the rest of his snaps as a deep safety and did a good job staying over the top of deeper routes, providing cover for his cornerbacks.

T.J. Green

Week 6 Stats: 4 tackles

Green was more patient with his reads against Houston than he had been previously. He looked too eager to try to impress early in the season and was caught out of position trying to make plays. He was much more disciplined this week.

Strong Safeties

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Broncos rookie Will Parks didn't have as many reps as Keanu Neal this week, but he graded out marginally higher. Parks stood out in coverage, taking away an underneath crossing route in the first quarter and a dig route in the second. In the third, he did a great job working around traffic to make a tackle on a checkdown in the flat. That tackle saved a first down and forced the Chargers to kick a field goal. 

Neal had another strong week, though not quite as good as his breakout game in Week 5. He fits in perfectly with the Falcons' zone defense. He has terrific awareness in underneath zones and is quick to break on anything underneath. He made a number of tackles doing just that and even got a pass breakup by breaking quickly on a spot route from Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham.

Karl Joseph was inconsistent for the Raiders this week, but it's clear he's learning from each mistake. In the first quarter, Joseph bit on a run fake and left his man to run out into the flat on a bootleg. Joseph never caught up, and the receiver picked up an easy first down.

A few series later, however, the Chiefs tested Joseph with a bootleg to his side again. While initially he bit on the run fake, he recognized the tight end's leaking out to the flat and adjusted to take him out of the play. He'll need to improve on consistency going forward, but signs of progress are there.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Will Parks	DEN	21	22	16	15	6	80	NR	↑
2	Keanu Neal	ATL	21	20	16	16	6	79	1	↓
3	Karl Joseph	OAK	17	18	15	15	6	71	2	↓
4	Derrick Kindred	CLE	13	14	14	15	6	62	4	↔

Notable Performances

Will Parks

Week 6 Stats: 2 tackles

Parks was excellent in coverage and had fantastic route recognition, which helped him diagnose the biggest threat to the defense and take it away. He nixed a crossing route and a dig route on separate plays in the first half, forcing the quarterback to move on from his initial read.

Keanu Neal

Week 6 Stats: 11 tackles, 1 PBU

Week 6 wasn't the dominant performance he had in Week 5, but it wasn't far off. Neal is establishing himself as a key player for the Falcons defense. He showed great zone-coverage awareness and packed a punch with a number of strong tackles in the run game.

Special Teams

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Kickers

With Roberto Aguayo off due to the Buccaneers' bye week, New Orleans' Wil Lutz was the only rookie in action. Lutz made 52- and 33-yard attempts but missed a 53-yarder wide left early in the game. Lutz continues to display a strong leg, but he has some complicated mechanics that occasionally get out of whack.

However, one must take into context the difficulty of kicks he has attempted as a rookie. Of his four misses, three have come on 50-plus-yard attempts, including a 61-yarder in his first game, and five of his 11 attempts have been from 50-plus yards. Overall, Lutz is still raw, but the Saints may have found a player they can develop over the next several years. 

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Wil Lutz	NO	31	30	3	3	67	NR	↑

Notable Performances

Wil Lutz

Week 6 Stats: 2-3 FG, 5-5 XP

Lutz shows a strong leg. He's still a little funky with his mechanics, but he could end up being above-average with proper development time.

Punters

San Diego's Drew Kaser hit rock bottom last week. This week, he bounced back, showing the big leg that had me salivating during the preseason. While his ball placement was still only average, the hang time and distance he produced is representative of what we should see on a regular basis. Now comes the true test—proving that this game is the new normal, rather than the exception in a challenging rookie season.

Lachlan Edwards turned in a mediocre performance for the New York Jets, grading out as below-average in terms of distance and hang time, but he placed the ball well. Edwards continues to suffer from the inconsistency he showed in college, and this performance is right in line with the up-and-down season he has shown thus far.

Riley Dixon had a difficult week and continues to be a point of weakness for the Broncos, who let go of veteran Britton Colquitt during training camp. Dixon is likely a better punter than what he displayed this week, but he is not the punter we saw earlier in the season who appeared to have minimal drop-off from Colquitt.

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 6

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Drew Kaser	SD	19	17	29	3	3	71	3	↑
2	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	9	13	33	3	3	61	2	↔
3	Riley Dixon	DEN	9	6	28	3	3	49	1	↓

Notable Performances

Drew Kaser

He showed toughness after a terrible Week 5. He had great distance, good hang time and average placement this week. Now he has to do it again.

Lachlan Edwards

Edwards was a mixed bag, with a couple of decent punts. But generally, he was unable to make consistent contact this week.

Riley Dixon

Dixon went from poor to quite poor, and this is pretty much what I saw from him in college and at the Senior Bowl.