NFL1000: Rookie Review from Week 9

On Monday, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank extended general manager Thomas Dimitroff's contract though the 2019 season. It was the right call, though Dimitroff's drafts have been hit-and-miss. Now, with head coach Dan Quinn in line with personnel—Quinn's contract also runs through 2019—the Falcons have scouting and personnel in lockstep.

There's no better evidence of that than the success of their first four picks of the 2016 draft—Florida safety Keanu Neal (pictured above), LSU linebacker Deion Jones, Stanford tight end Austin Hooper and Minnesota linebacker De'Vondre Campbell. All four have made our Rookie Review Top 50 at least once, and Neal and Jones have been standout players just about every week.

In Neal, Quinn got what he had in Seattle with the Seahawks' Kam Chancellor—a coverage safety who could also crowd the box and deliver jarring hits. Neal has been a game-changer for a defense that had been less than dynamic in prior years, and against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday, he took another step forward in his development. Asked to play more man and deep coverage, Neal did allow three receptions on three targets, but he gave Tampa Bay's receivers (specifically Mike Evans) all they could handle after the catch.

That performance put Neal at the fifth overall spot in this week's Rookie Review, and Jones, the third-ranked rookie this week, was even better. He was excellent against the run and in coverage, allowing four catches on six targets for just 29 yards and an opposing quarterback rating of 77.8. Jones also had six tackles and four stops.

And Hooper, in his first NFL start replacing the injured Jacob Tamme, reeled in three passes for 46 yards and a nice touchdown on a fourth-quarter pick play. On the two-yard score, Hooper ran a drag route from right to left, beating strong safety Bradley McDougald, as receiver Mohamed Sanu took coverage away from the middle to the right side. 

Things are looking bright for the 6-3 Falcons, and their rookie class is a big reason why.

Many of the NFL's first-year players shined in Week 9. Here's how their performances stacked up.

All statistics via Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

Biggest Movers Heading into Week 10

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How do you quantify the effect of the low-drafted or undrafted star? How do you chart the progress of rookies who are struggling to make their way regardless of their draft position? With the weekly NFL1000 Rookie Review, we'll look to do both of those things while keeping track of the stars of the 2016 draft. Part of that process is aligning 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 9 Rookie Review reveals a number of players who have taken major steps forward in their professional development—and the return of Dak Prescott to nearly the top of the charts.

1. Andrew Adams, FS, New York Giants

2016 Draft Position: UDFA

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 2

What Happened: Landon Collins has been playing as well as any strong safety in the league of late, which has given Adams room to progress as he continues to start with Darian Thompson and Nat Berhe injured. Big Blue's win over the Eagles was the rookie's best game, as he amassed nine tackles, a pass deflection and an interception. Adams was all over the field, but he kept his game in check and was excellent when asked to diagnose the read-option elements of Philadelphia's offense.

2. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

2016 Draft Position: 135 (fourth round, 37th pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 4

What Happened: Dallas' comeback win against the Eagles in Week 8 said a lot about Prescott's composure, but the fact that the Cowboys were in a hole in the first place spoke to his relative inexperience. As you would expect, he fared far better against Cleveland's patchwork defense. Prescott completed 21 of 27 passes for 247 yards and three touchdown passes. It was perhaps Prescott's most efficient performance to date (even if it came against a weak opponent), and it further established him as the Cowboys' quarterback of the future regardless of Tony Romo's health. 

3. Alex Lewis, OG, Baltimore Ravens

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

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 6

What Happened: Lewis has moved between guard and tackle in his rookie campaign, and the results have been inconsistent when he's been asked to move outside. The Nebraska alum hasn't allowed a sack this season, but he gave up a ton of pressures in Weeks 5-7 when he replaced Ronnie Stanley at left tackle. With Stanley back on the field against the Steelers on Sunday, Lewis was at his best, refusing to give any ground in the run game and allowing no sacks, hits or hurries in 70 snaps. 

4. Graham Glasgow, OG, Detroit Lions

2016 Draft Position: 95 (third round, 32nd pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 8

What Happened: Glasgow took over the starting left guard job for Laken Tomlinson in Week 6, and though he's struggled at times, he performed well against Minnesota's front four. He gave up a sack to Everson Griffen in the second quarter when he got his head up too quickly and let the veteran dominate him with power. But when Glasgow stays low and keeps his feet under him, he's exhibited the characteristics of an above-average interior blocker.

5. Tavon Young, CB, Baltimore Ravens

2016 Draft Position: 104 (fourth round, sixth pick)

Rank Last Week: NR

Rank This Week: 9

What Happened: Ben Roethlisberger couldn't do much against the Ravens on Sunday, and while that had something to do with his early return from a knee injury, Baltimore's defense has been underrated all season. Young, the rookie from Temple, has something to do with that, as he's given the Ravens a legit cornerback to pair opposite Jimmy Smith. Young looked lost on Big Ben's fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Antonio Brown—there appeared to be some miscommunication on the left side of the defense—but other than that, Young continued his good overall work outside.

Top 50 Rookies Overall from Week 9

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Our Week 9 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	79	2	↑
2	Andrew Adams	FS	NYG	UDFA	78	NR	↑
3	Deion Jones	ILB	ATL	52	77	11	↑
4	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	135	77	NR	↑
5	Keanu Neal	SS	ATL	17	76	7	↑
6	Alex Lewis	OG	BAL	130	75	NR	↑
7	Kevin Byard	FS	TEN	64	75	12	↑
8	Graham Glasgow	OG	DET	95	75	NR	↑
9	Tavon Young	CB	BAL	104	74	NR	↑
10	Ryan Kelly	C	IND	18	74	27	↑
11	Taylor Decker	LT	DET	16	73	10	↓
12	Jalen Richard	RB	OAK	UDFA	73	32	↑
13	Derrick Kindred	SS	CLE	129	73	30	↑
14	Derek Watt	FB	SD	198	73	9	↓
15	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	RT	PHI	164	73	18	↑
16	Laremy Tunsil	OG	MIA	13	73	NR	↑
17	Sean Davis	SS	PIT	58	73	NR	↑
18	Michael Pierce	DT	BAL	UDFA	72	NR	↑
19	Blake Martinez	ILB	GB	131	72	45	↑
20	Jack Conklin	RT	TEN	8	72	5	↓
21	Karl Joseph	SS	OAK	14	72	16	↓
22	Noah Spence	4-3 DE	TB	39	71	20	↓
23	Maliek Collins	DT	DAL	67	71	NR	↑
24	DeAndre Washington	RB	OAK	143	71	36	↑
25	Will Parks	SS	DEN	219	71	31	↑
26	Spencer Drango	OG	CLE	168	71	NR	↑
27	Justin Simmons	FS	DEN	98	71	21	↓
28	Shaq Lawson	3-4 OLB	BUF	19	70	28	↓
29	DeForest Buckner	3-4 DE	SF	7	70	NR	↑
30	Yannick Ngakoue	4-3 DE	JAX	69	70	NR	↑
31	Jalen Ramsey	CB	JAX	5	70	NR	↑
32	Denver Kirkland	OG	OAK	UDFA	70	NR	↑
33	Kentrell Brice	FS	GB	UDFA	70	29	↓
34	Andy Janovich	FB	DEN	176	69	17	↓
35	Joe Haeg	RT	IND	155	69	37	↑
36	James Bradberry	CB	CAR	62	69	NR	↑
37	Emmanuel Ogbah	3-4 DE	CLE	32	68	35	↓
38	Wendell Smallwood	RB	PHI	153	68	NR	↑
39	Wil Lutz	K	NO	UDFA	68	1	↓
40	Kenyan Drake	RB	MIA	73	68	NR	↑
41	Riley Dixon	P	DEN	228	68	25	↓
42	Joshua Garnett	OG	SF	28	68	NR	↑
43	Robby Anderson	WR	NYJ	UDFA	67	NR	↑
44	Matt Judon	3-4 OLB	BAL	146	67	NR	↑
45	Darius Latham	DT	OAK	UDFA	67	NR	↑
46	Paul Perkins	RB	NYG	149	67	NR	↑
47	Austin Hooper	TE	ATL	81	66	NR	↑
48	Cody Kessler	QB	CLE	93	66	NR	↑
49	Jalin Marshall	WR	NYJ	UDFA	66	NR	↑
50	Tajae Sharpe	WR	TEN	140	66	NR	↑

Quarterbacks

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Dak Prescott had an efficient outing against the Cleveland Browns. He had no negative plays, but his positive plays came too easily to justify an abundance of praise. The Browns couldn't get any pressure on Prescott in the pocket—they couldn't even push the Cowboys linemen back most of the time—while the cornerbacks repeatedly left his receivers wide open. It was comforting that Prescott took advantage of those opportunities, but it wasn't a performance to remember. 

The Philadelphia Eagles opened their offense up a bit against the New York Giants. Carson Wentz repeatedly hit open receivers on deep routes after play action. Unfortunately, the rookie had two awful throws early in the game where he overthrew his intended target and the ball went straight into the waiting arms of defensive backs. He should have had a third interception in the third quarter when he overshot another receiver, but Janoris Jenkins failed to bring the ball in.

Cody Kessler continues to be consistent but underwhelming. He resembled his teammate Josh McCown in this game, often running around behind the line of scrimmage and dropping his eyes too quickly. Kessler doesn't have the physical talent or accuracy as a passer to overcome his playing style right now.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Dak Prescott	DAL	17	19	15	16	10	77	2	↑
2	Cody Kessler	CLE	16	17	10	13	10	66	NR	↑
3	Carson Wentz	PHI	11	20	13	11	10	65	1	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Dak Prescott

Week 9 Stats: 21-of-27, 247 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

If Dak Prescott continues to produce like he did in this game, Tony Romo will never play for the Dallas Cowboys again. It's unlikely that Prescott finishes the rest of the season without struggling, though, as he's still a rookie. This performance was worthy of winning a regular-season game against the Browns, but it doesn't tell us anything about how he might fare in the playoffs.

Cody Kessler

Week 9 Stats: 19-of-27, 203 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

Hue Jackson is scheming around Cody Kessler to get this production from him. That's concerning for his future because he isn't performing all that well even with an offense tailored to his strengths. Kessler had at least one bad overthrow Sunday where he should have been intercepted, and he limited the offense's output with his process in the pocket.

Carson Wentz

Week 9 Stats: 27-of-47, 364 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is taking a lot of flack for his fourth-down decisions and play designs, but Pederson should also be given credit for how his team's passing game attacked the Giants. He clearly recognized a soft spot in the Giants' coverages, as Wentz repeatedly exploited deep out-breaking routes off of play action with relative ease.

Running Backs

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Ezekiel Elliott continues to run right through every defense Dallas plays. He is no longer just a Rookie of the Year front-runner but a legitimate name to throw into the MVP conversation.

While the Browns are atrocious, Elliott's ability to score touchdowns continues to wow even his biggest fans. He is one of the NFL's most complete running backs and has helped establish the Cowboys as an NFC favorite in early November. Elliott is on pace to break just about every rookie rushing record in NFL history.

The Oakland Raiders have two fantastic rookie runners in Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Each made plays against a tough Broncos defense Sunday, helping Oakland notch a massive win. Both players are excellent inside runners despite being undersized (Richard is 5,8", 207 lbs and Washington is 5'8", 190 lbs) and get open with relative ease in the passing game. Richard ran right through T.J. Ward on his big run and continues to be a playmaker and one of the better undrafted free agents in the NFL. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	19	20	16	18	6	79	1	↔
2	Jalen Richard	OAK	19	17	16	15	6	73	6	↑
3	DeAndre Washington	OAK	17	16	16	16	6	71	7	↑
4	Wendell Smallwood	PHI	17	15	15	15	6	68	NR	↑
5	Kenyan Drake	MIA	14	16	16	16	6	68	NR	↑
6	Paul Perkins	NYG	16	14	16	15	6	67	NR	↑
7	C.J. Prosise	SEA	15	14	16	15	6	66	5	↓
8	Dwayne Washington	DET	15	14	14	15	6	64	NR	↑
9	Devontae Booker	DEN	15	14	14	14	6	63	4	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jordan Howard—bye
• Derrick Henry—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott

Week 9 Stats: 18 carries, 92 yards, 2 TD

Elliott continues his run toward the Rookie of the Year. He dominated Cleveland inside and out and consistently ran through defenders. He dominated in the red zone with two touchdowns and leads the league in rushing after an easy 92 yards against a bad Browns team.

Jalen Richard

Week 9 Stats: 8 carries, 62 yards; 2 receptions, 10 yards

Richard is a great change-of-pace runner to starter Latavius Murray and has ripped off big plays all season. Despite being a smaller back, he is an excellent runner between the tackles and also adds a lot as a punt returner. Against Denver, he ran right through a T.J. Ward tackle on a big 28-yard run.

Fullbacks

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San Diego's Derek Watt gets better every week. Against Tennessee, Melvin Gordon had his best game as a pro, and Watt was a major reason for his great effort. Watt plays with a physical style and blocked Titans defenders with ease, opening holes repeatedly for Gordon.

Denver's run game has taken a step back since C.J. Anderson went down with a torn meniscus, and against Oakland, Andy Janovich wasn't as good as he had been in weeks past. The play speed of Oakland's front gave him some trouble. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Derek Watt	SD	45	16	8	4	73	1	↔
2	Andy Janovich	DEN	42	15	8	4	69	2	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Derek Watt

Watt was excellent Sunday against the Titans. He consistently sustained blocks and played physical all game. He doesn't get many carries or targets, but it does not affect the way he plays.

Wide Receivers

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In the Jets-Dolphins contest, a trio of rookies saw significant action. Leonte Carroo was held in check, but both Robby Anderson and Jalin Marshall made plays for the Jets. Tajae Sharpe caught four passes for 58 yards in the Titans' loss to the Chargers. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Robby Anderson	NYJ	17	19	11	11	9	67	NR	↑
2	Jalin Marshall	NYJ	17	18	11	11	9	66	NR	↑
3	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	18	17	11	11	9	66	5	↑
4	Corey Coleman	CLE	16	16	11	12	9	64	NR	↑
5	Leonte Carroo	MIA	14	14	11	11	9	59	NR	↑
6	Charone Peake	NYJ	14	14	11	11	9	59	12	↑
7	Geronimo Allison	GB	14	14	11	10	9	58	7	↔
8	Trevor Davis	GB	14	14	10	10	9	57	6	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Ricardo Louis—insufficient snaps
• Rashard Higgins—insufficient snaps
• Chris Moore—insufficient snaps
• Jakeem Grant—insufficient snaps
• Demarcus Robinson—insufficient snaps
• Johnny Holton—insufficient snaps
• Chester Rogers—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Robby Anderson

Week 9 Stats: 4 receptions, 49 yards

Anderson was impressive for the Jets, showing some good ability along the sideline, after the catch and at the catch point.

Jalin Marshall

Week 9 Stats: 3 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD

Marshall turned in a good afternoon for the Jets, catching a touchdown pass. He was strong after the catch against the Dolphins.

Tight Ends

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Austin Hooper had one of the best games of his young career Thursday night, hauling in a touchdown catch and seizing the opportunity to show what he could do with Jacob Tamme out with a shoulder injury.

On the AFC side, rookie tight ends were quiet during Week 9. The Chargers' Hunter Henry was out with an injury, and the Dolphins' Thomas Duarte did not see sufficient snaps for grading this week. The Browns primarily used rookie tight end Seth DeValve as a blocker. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Austin Hooper	ATL	13	16	11	20	6	66	1	↔
2	Jerell Adams	NYG	14	17	12	16	6	65	NR	↑
3	Tyler Higbee	LA	12	15	12	17	6	62	NR	↑
4	Nick Vannett	SEA	11	14	10	17	6	58	4	↔
5	Seth DeValve	CLE	11	14	11	15	6	57	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Thomas Duarte—insufficient snaps
• Hunter Henry—injury

Notable Performances

Austin Hooper

Week 9 Stats: 3 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD

Hooper made a statement Thursday night against the Bucs. He was a key contributor up front against the Tampa Bay defense, clearing space for the run game, and he found open spaces against zone coverage, hauling in a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Offensive Tackles

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Taylor Decker of the Detroit Lions notched his ninth straight start Sunday, this time against the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings. Schematically and personnel-wise, the Vikings have posed problems for offensive lines all season, but Decker held his own.

Baltimore Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley made his return in Week 9 after missing four straight games. Seattle's George Fant, who registered his second straight start as the Seahawks hosted the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, was challenged from the start while matched with NFL sack leader Lorenzo Alexander (10). 

Tennessee's Jack Conklin notched his ninth start, and even though he had some rough movements in pass protection against the San Diego Chargers, he continues to be solid for the Titans. As we've highlighted in previous weeks, Conklin is a difference-maker in the run game, but he needs to continue developing in the finer nuances of pass protection.

Philadelphia's Halapoulivaati Vaitai registered his fourth consecutive start in place of the suspended Lane Johnson. A positive sign for the Eagles is that film study shows constant improvement from Big V.

Indianapolis' Joe Haeg recorded another start at right tackle in place of Joe Reitz, who was knocked out of the Colts' Week 8 loss to Kansas City with a concussion. Haeg has now started seven straight games, recording four at right tackle, two at left guard and a single start at right guard.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	OT	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Taylor Decker	DET	LT	17	19	14	15	8	73	2	↑
2	Halapoulivaati Vaitai	PHI	RT	18	18	15	15	7	73	3	↑
3	Jack Conklin	TEN	RT	17	18	16	14	7	72	1	↓
4	Joe Haeg	IND	RT	17	16	14	15	7	69	NR	↑
5	Ronnie Stanley	BAL	LT	16	16	13	13	8	66	NR	↑
6	George Fant	SEA	LT	13	15	10	14	8	60	4	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Taylor Decker

Week 9 Stats: 66 snaps (41 pass), 3 pressures, 0 QBH, 0 sacks

When you factor in the level of defense that Decker saw against the Vikings, three pressures in 41 dropbacks don't seem bad for a rookie left tackle. Unlike previous weeks, where Decker seemed to improve his play speed and intensity, he played carefully and calculated against Minnesota. The result was a good, not great, performance.

Ronnie Stanley

Week 9 Stats: 70 snaps (41 pass), 3 pressures, 1 QBH, 1 sack, 3 penalties

Stanley returned to action for the Ravens after missing four games, and the rust was evident. Stanley did not look comfortable in pass protection, as his pass sets were inconsistent. Stanley overset against tightly aligned rushers, and it cost him a hold after Jarvis Jones countered inside and Stanley was forced to tackle him, drawing the flag.

Later in the game, Stanley underset versus a widely aligned James Harrison, which forced the rookie to bail out of his kick and grab on for dear life, drawing another holding call. In the run game, Stanley's angles and tracking to the second level were off, which resulted in linebackers running through and registering tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Halapoulivaati Vaitai

Week 9 Stats: 75 snaps (49 Pass), 1 pressure

Vaitai continues to get better by the week in all aspects of his game. Vaitai was faced with the difficult task of slowing the talented edge defenders of the New York Giants, but he held his own both in pass protection and in the run game. There is still room for improvement in pass protection, specifically when Vaitai needs to get to his spot, settle his feet and anchor against the bull rush, but that is an aspect of offensive line play that has to be constantly worked at.

Jack Conklin

Week 9 Stats: 65 snaps (45 Pass), 5 pressures, 1 QBH

Overall, Conklin has done an outstanding job executing the things the Tennessee Titans have asked him to do all season, but he had his struggles in pass protection against the San Diego Chargers.

According to PFF, Conklin gave up a season-high five pressures and allowed a quarterback hit. In obvious pass situations, Conklin was challenged on the edge by Joey Bosa, starting with the opening drive. And that continued no matter if he was matched against Melvin Ingram, working back out toward the edge to pick up a twisting defensive lineman or a blitzing linebacker.

There were moments Conklin held his own, but in many situations, he struggled to maintain proper weight distribution and punch timing.

Offensive Guards

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This was a great week in rookie guard play, and the grades reflected that with the highest average rookie grade this year. The overall progress at the position continues to be impressive. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Alex Lewis	BAL	19	17	16	16	7	75	NR	↑
2	Graham Glasgow	DET	19	17	16	16	7	75	6	↑
3	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	16	18	16	16	7	73	NR	↑
4	Spencer Drango	CLE	16	17	17	14	7	71	4	↔
5	Denver Kirkland	OAK	15	18	17	13	7	70	NR	↑
6	Joshua Garnett	SF	16	16	16	13	7	68	NR	↑
7	Germain Ifedi	SEA	13	14	15	13	7	62	3	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Isaac Seumalo—insufficient snaps
• Rees Odhiambo—inactive

Notable Performances

Alex Lewis

With Ronnie Stanley healthy, Alex Lewis slid back to guard. He played well at his normal position and did a good job keeping everything in front of him pass protection.

Graham Glasgow

After struggling with his footwork last week, Graham Glasgow cleaned it up against a good Vikings front and put forth a nice performance in pass protection.

Denver Kirkland

Denver Kirkland didn't technically get the start for Oakland, and he may not get a chance to for a while, considering the Raiders' depth at guard. But, Oakland used a lot of six-offensive lineman sub-packages against Denver, and Kirkland looked physical in his reps as the sixth big body up front.

It will be interesting to see if this was a one-week game-plan element or if this sub-package (and Kirkland) has a role.

Centers

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With the Bears and Cody Whitehair on bye, our narrow center scope was even more limited than usual. With no other rookies being close to playing time at center, it may be a while before new names are seen here. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Ryan Kelly	IND	18	16	17	17	6	74	1	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Cody Whitehair—bye

Notable Performances

Ryan Kelly

We have reached the point where we can officially say Ryan Kelly is among the best centers in the league. His presence as a stabilizing force has helped the Colts offense immensely.

3-4 Defensive Ends

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Both DeForest Buckner and Emmanuel Ogbah have been solid, unspectacular rookies who have looked like veterans at times. Both players have shown above-average awareness and have held their own against the run. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	DeForest Buckner	SF	13	16	19	15	7	70	NR	↑
2	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	12	13	20	16	7	68	2	↔
3	Adolphus Washington	BUF	11	12	17	12	7	59	5	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Robert Nkemdiche—bye
• Jonathan Bullard—bye

Notable Performances

Emmanuel Ogbah

Week 9 Stats: 4 tackles

Ogbah didn't get a sack this week, but when he faced the Cowboys offensive line, and Tyron Smith in particular, it wasn't a bad performance. Ogbah found ways to stay active against the run and came out of this game with his head above water.

4-3 Defensive Ends

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Again, the top two rookie pass-rushers are Tampa Bay's Noah Spence and Jacksonville's Yannick Ngakoue. Spence, a 22-year-old, and Ngakoue, a 21-year-old, are light-years ahead of the rest of the 4-3 defensive ends in their draft class and look like the faces of the future at the position.

On the low end, two undrafted free agents, Romeo Okwara of the New York Giants and Davonte Lambert of Tampa Bay, are seeing significant playing time. Anthony Zettel, Detroit's sixth-round rookie, may be the worst defensive end in the league in terms of consistently low grades. Just finding the ball can be a struggle for Zettel.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Noah Spence	TB	20	13	15	15	8	71	1	↔
2	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	21	12	15	14	8	70	3	↑
3	Romeo Okwara	NYG	18	13	13	13	8	65	NR	↑
4	Davonte Lambert	TB	18	12	13	13	8	64	2	↓
5	Anthony Zettel	DET	17	12	13	12	8	62	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Noah Spence

Week 9 Stats: 0 tackles

While Spence didn't register a sack this week, he was able to bend around the corner for several pressures. He is slowly separating himself from the rest of the 2016 draft class among 4-3 defensive ends.

Defensive Tackles

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Maliek Collins had his best game against a weak Cleveland offensive line. After Cameron Erving was ejected early in the first quarter, Collins went to town by grabbing the first two sacks of his career.

Michael Pierce had yet another stellar game against the run, as he was a key cog in neutering the effectiveness of star Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell. 

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Michael Pierce	BAL	17	14	20	14	7	72	NR	↑
2	Maliek Collins	DAL	17	16	17	14	7	71	3	↑
3	Darius Latham	OAK	15	12	19	14	7	67	7	↑
4	Javon Hargrave	PIT	16	13	18	12	7	66	NR	↑
5	Sheldon Rankins	NO	16	16	15	11	7	65	NR	↑
6	Jarran Reed	SEA	15	14	16	12	7	64	6	↔
7	Kenny Clark	GB	16	14	14	12	7	63	1	↓
8	David Onyemata	NO	14	13	16	12	7	62	NR	↑
9	Jihad Ward	OAK	14	13	16	11	7	61	8	↓
10	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	14	12	15	11	7	59	4	↓
11	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	15	13	14	10	7	59	2	↓
12	Sheldon Day	JAX	13	13	14	12	7	59	NR	↑
13	Destiny Vaeao	PHI	13	12	14	10	7	56	10	↓
14	Adam Gotsis	DEN	13	12	11	9	7	52	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Vincent Valentine—bye
• Vernon Butler—injury
• Austin Johnson—inactive

Notable Performances

Michael Pierce

Week 9 Stats: 2 tackles

Pierce had a tough task taking on Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro of the Steelers, but the undrafted rookie played well yet again. His transition as a run defender has been seamless, and he performed well against the formidable interior duo for Pittsburgh. Pierce and Brandon Williams have tortured opposing rushing attacks all season. Sunday was no different.

Maliek Collins

Week 9 Stats: 3 tackles, 2 sacks

Collins took advantage of Erving's ejection and recorded the first two sacks of his career against the Browns. He looks like Dallas' most dynamic athlete on the interior, and his role should grow as Dallas pushes for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Sheldon Rankins

Week 9 Stats: 1 tackle

Sheldon Rankins played 38 snaps against the San Francisco 49ers. It was his first game since suffering a broken fibula early in the preseason, so he looked rusty but still flashed some of the impressive athleticism that made him coveted by the Saints at the top of the draft.

He recorded a hit on 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick after bull-rushing the guard into Kaepernick's lap. It was a solid start for Rankins. Expect his comfort level to rise as he gets accustomed to the NFL.

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo's Shaq Lawson and Baltimore's Matt Judon both tallied a sack in what was otherwise a quiet week for rookie outside linebackers. Lawson beat a double-team to take down Russell Wilson on Monday night, while Judon lassoed Ben Roethlisberger during the Ravens' win over the Steelers.

Joey Bosa made a surprise return to the group in Week 9. Beset by injuries at linebacker, the Chargers were forced to move edge-rusher Kyle Emanuel to the inside, which allowed Bosa to play on the edge, where he's lined up at times. Bosa had a few disruptive moments, but he was mostly shut down during a shootout with the Titans. 

The rest of the rookie class (Kyler Fackrell, Joe Schobert, Kevin Dodd and Chris Landrum) did little of note in their situational roles.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Shaq Lawson	BUF	22	14	10	16	8	70	2	↑
2	Matt Judon	BAL	21	11	10	17	8	67	NR	↑
3	Joey Bosa	SD	19	12	9	17	8	65	NR	↑
4	Kyler Fackrell	GB	18	11	8	16	8	61	4	↔
5	Joe Schobert	CLE	16	14	10	12	8	60	3	↓
6	Kevin Dodd	TEN	16	11	8	15	8	58	NR	↑
7	Chris Landrum	SD	15	11	9	15	8	58	NR	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Leonard Floyd—bye
• Aaron Wallace—inactive
• Dadi Nicolas—insufficient snaps
• Curt Maggitt—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Shaq Lawson

Week 9 Stats: 1 tackle, 1 sack

Lawson's standout play came in the second half of Buffalo's loss to Seattle on Monday night. Lined up on the right edge, Lawson got a great jump off the snap, which allowed him to get under the outside shoulder of the left tackle and turn the corner to the quarterback. He finished the play by taking down Wilson in the pocket, but only after beating an attempted cleanup block by the left guard.

The third-down sack forced a Seahawks punt. A first-round pick of the Bills (No. 19), Lawson now has sacks in back-to-back weeks.

Matt Judon

Week 9 Stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack

The Ravens might have something in Judon, their fifth-round pass-rusher. His biggest play in Week 9 was a sack of Roethlisberger on third down, but Judon also had the football IQ to read and react to two different screen plays. He appears to be developing the smaller parts of his game.

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

For the third week in a row, Jets linebacker Darron Lee was absent due to an ankle injury. The trio of healthy rookie linebackers remaining played on par with how they've been previously. 

Atlanta's De'Vondre Campbell had another quality game. He's not been as impressive as fellow rookie linebacker Deion Jones, but if he can continue to improve, he'll turn out to be an impressive fourth-round selection.

The two remaining rookies, Myles Jack of the Jaguars and Josh Forrest of the Rams, had middling weeks. Forrest had one outstanding performance earlier this year, but other than that, both he and Jack have been unimpressive.

Jack is still playing in an uncomfortable position for his skill set, and Forrest doesn't seem to be a game-changer. The Jaguars need to figure out how to better use Jack, but it doesn't feel like that is likely to happen until a new coaching regime takes over.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	15	16	8	20	6	65	1	↔
2	Josh Forrest	LA	16	14	7	15	6	58	NR	↑
3	Myles Jack	JAX	15	14	7	15	6	57	4	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Darron Lee—injury
• Jaylon Smith—injury

Notable Performances

De'Vondre Campbell

Week 9 Stats: 9 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended

Campbell made his presence known during the Falcons' Thursday night showdown against the Buccaneers. His forced fumble and defended pass were both impact plays.

Myles Jack

Week 9 Stats: 1 solo tackle

The Jaguars have to get Jack away from the line of scrimmage. He's a space player who should be lined up like a traditional linebacker.

Josh Forrest

Week 9 Stats: 1 pass defended

Forrest defended a pass, but he was ineffective Sunday. He didn't see many snaps (12) and did not have much of a positive impact when on the field.

Inside Linebackers

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Less than a handful of rookies saw meaningful snaps Sunday, and that’s probably a good thing. With San Diego Chargers linebacker and rising star Jatavis Brown injured (knee), Joshua Perry saw 13 snaps in a win against the Tennessee Titans. Perry had an up-and-down performance, looking impressive in run support but also showing an inability to diagnose plays correctly.

As a result, the Titans offense was effective against the banged-up, inexperienced Chargers defense. 

Deion Jones and the Atlanta Falcons kicked off the week on Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and while Jones played well and continued to look better against the run, it should be noted that Tampa Bay was playing without a few crucial starters on offense.

Good players beat up on lesser opponents, and Jones deserves credit for that. But the Falcons are pushing for the playoffs, and they’ll need him to be a top-tier inside linebacker if they expect to compete into January.

Blake Martinez may have already maxed out his growth for one year, and if so, that’s fine. The Green Bay Packers have to feel confident about the solid play from Martinez thus far, and with more time and perhaps a better running mate, he’ll only improve. The Packers have plenty of problems, but Martinez isn’t one of them.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Deion Jones	ATL	20	30	9	12	6	77	2	↑
2	Blake Martinez	GB	17	27	11	11	6	72	6	↑
3	Joshua Perry	SD	17	24	8	11	6	66	4	↑

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Nick Kwiatkoski—bye
• Elandon Roberts—bye
• Su'a Cravens—bye
• Jatavis Brown—injury
• Antonio Morrison—insufficient snaps
• Josh Forrest—insufficient snaps
• Cory James—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Deion Jones

Week 9 Stats: 6 tackles

Jones continues to get better, which Atlanta sorely needs. The Falcons defense doesn't shut down opponents, and it will need Jones to be even more improved by the time the playoffs roll around. 

Blake Martinez

Week 9 Stats: 8 tackles

The Colts don't boast much of an offensive line, so it's encouraging that Martinez was able to handle them comfortably. He's still a year or two away from being considered a top-tier player, but his growth is impressive. The Green Bay defense needs him to be solid to continue operating.

Joshua Perry

Week 9 Stats: 1 tackle

Perry didn't play a high level of snaps, but the fact that can see playing time at all only serves his development. Is he currently good enough to be a weekly starter? No. But there's always room for growth, and the best way to do that is to get on the field.

Cornerbacks

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore's Tavon Young had a stellar day in coverage. In man coverage, he was targeted four times, only giving up one catch that he was in a position to make a play on; so no harm, no foul there. In his zone, he was thrown at 11 times, giving up seven catches for a total of 42 yards. He also had two big stops. Overall, Young was fantastic.

Jalen Ramsey continued to shine for Jacksonville, as he only allowed one catch for nine yards on two targets Sunday. He also had a great form tackle where he came up to make a play against the run. If not for two non-blown targets that came away from the ball, his grade would be higher. 

Due to the second consecutive bye week with six teams, there weren’t as many rookies participating in Week 9. Of the cornerbacks who played, it was the Carolina Panthers' James Bradberry who starred.

Bradberry allowed a touchdown while playing zone coverage late in the game, but he was in good position and forced a difficult catch by the Rams' Kenny Britt. Otherwise, Bradberry shut down his opposition on three targets and provided solid coverage.

Tampa Bay first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves didn’t have as much fortune. In fact, he had one of the worst games of any cornerback this week, allowing eight completions on 11 targets and one touchdown. Most of the damage came while he was playing off-man, which was his specialty at the University of Florida.

He blew three targets—all three of which he wasn’t close to challenging the reception—and contributed to six first downs allowed.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Tavon Young	BAL	21	23	16	5	9	74	NR	↑
2	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	20	19	16	6	9	70	2	↔
3	James Bradberry	CAR	18	19	17	6	9	69	NR	↑
4	Brian Poole	ATL	16	15	16	5	9	61	1	↓
5	Eli Apple	NYG	14	16	14	6	9	59	NR	↑
6	Jalen Mills	PHI	16	14	15	5	9	59	6	-
7	Trevor Williams	SD	14	15	15	5	9	58	NR	↑
8	MacKensie Alexander	MIN	14	15	15	5	9	58	NR	↑
9	Artie Burns	PIT	14	13	14	5	9	55	NR	↑
10	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	14	13	14	5	9	55	7	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Rashard Robinson—injury

Notable Performances

Eli Apple

Overshadowed by veteran teammates Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple had a quiet performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. He allowed all three targets to be completed in off-man coverage, which is where his biggest improvements must come.

Apple's a terrific athlete with the capability of being a lockdown press corner, but he's too slow reading and reacting while playing off the line of scrimmage. Experience and exposure to these situations are the best remedy.

Mackensie Alexander

MacKensie Alexander relieved slot cornerback Captain Munnerlyn early in the game due to an injury, and Alexander had a decent showing. The small (5'10", 192 pounds) but quick Alexander played eight slot snaps, allowing one touchdown reception on three targets. He blew the coverage but recovered well in the rest of his snaps.

Though he didn't take full advantage of his opportunity, his future as a slot cornerback for the Vikings seems a little more promising based on this small sample size.

Artie Burns

Artie Burns gave up four catches on 11 targets. He was on the other side of Mike Wallace's 95-yard TD. Aside from that blunder, he was beat in coverage four other times while giving up three first downs and committed a penalty.

Free Safeties

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

While Giants third-round pick Darian Thompson remains on the sidelines with a foot injury, undrafted free-agent Andrew Adams continues to impress. He's played well as a single deep safety, which allows Landon Collins to play his more natural role in and around the box. Adams' interception was straight-forward, with Eagles rookie Carson Wentz overthrowing a route over the middle that fell straight into Adams' lap. 

His more impressive play came later, with the Eagles driving into the red zone. Adams was assigned a deep half of the field and cheated a little inside on a tight end route up the seam, but he quickly recognized a receiver running open further outside. He recovered, diving at full stretch to tip the pass and deflect it away from the receiver and save the touchdown.

Vonn Bell continued to have ups and downs with the Saints. He made a few nice plays, sinking back from his underneath zone coverage to make a tackle on a tight end stick route in the first quarter. But he's still too inconsistent.

On one long run play, he charged down to the point of attack to get involved in the action and then stopped and seemed to voluntarily allow a blocker to come and do his job while the running back ran free.

Later in the game, he made a good read on an underneath route by a tight end, breaking on it quickly and arriving just after the ball, but he lowered his head and went for the big hit. The tight end bounced off his tackle attempt and picked up extra yards before Bell recovered to secure the tackle.

How long will the Saints continue to allow Bell to play through his mistakes? In Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro, they have two other highly inconsistent safeties, so they can't necessarily rely on any of them.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Andrew Adams	NYG	23	24	7	16	8	78	NR	↑
2	Kevin Byard	TEN	23	23	6	15	8	75	1	↓
3	Justin Simmons	DEN	21	20	6	16	8	71	2	↓
4	Kentrell Brice	GB	20	20	6	16	8	70	4	-
5	Vonn Bell	NO	19	20	5	14	8	66	3	↓
6	T.J. Green	IND	18	19	5	15	8	65	5	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Darian Thompson—inactive

Notable Performances

Andrew Adams

Week 9 Stats: 9 tackles, 2 PBU, 1 INT

Adams had a strong week. One of his pass breakups saved a touchdown, with Adams breaking back outside after cheating inside and diving to tip the ball away from the receiver in the end zone.

He also made a key play in the fourth quarter. Wentz kept the ball on a read-option play on 3rd-and-4. Adams read the play perfectly, getting outside to make the tackle on the edge to save the first down.

Kevin Byard

Week 9 Stats: 10 tackles, 1 PBU

Tennessee's Kevin Byard has struggled at times with his tackling this season, but it was much better this week. He filled in well on a number of runs, making and assisting on tackles to keep gains to a minimum.

On one play in the first quarter, he knifed through the line of scrimmage to make a tackle for loss, setting up 3rd-and-goal. In the second half, the Chargers attempted a number of draw plays, which he was often the first to react to, making tackles on two consecutive draws in the fourth quarter.

He did, however, miss one tackle at the line of scrimmage, which allowed Melvin Gordon to break through for a long run to secure the game for the Chargers.

Strong Safeties

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Keanu Neal was impressively poised this week. One play in the first quarter highlighted that. The Buccaneers ran the ball right at Neal, who was initially driven back by a blocker.

Some defenders, particularly safeties, might have given up or got frustrated at being blocked by a bigger guy. But Neal calmly adjusted his technique to work off the blocker and assist a tackle for a minimal gain. It was a simple play but one that showed uncommon maturity for a rookie. 

Cleveland's Derrick Kindred was more consistent this week against a tough Cowboys team. As a run defender, he did a good job finding his run fits and filling in from deep.

On one play in the second quarter, Kindred read the Cowboys' pulling a lineman to the edge on a sweep. He reacted quickly to get outside, knowing he had to re-establish the edge and force Ezekiel Elliott to cut back inside toward the rest of the defense. He did just that, but the rest of the unit got pinned inside and Elliott cut back into open field.

In the past, Kindred has been fooled on play action. With the Cowboys running the ball well, play action became even more effective, but Kindred played much more disciplined. He saved a touchdown on one play-action pass to tight end Jason Witten, staying on top of the route and breaking down on it to make the tackle before Witten could reach the end zone.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Keanu Neal	ATL	19	19	16	16	6	76	1	↔
2	Derrick Kindred	CLE	19	18	15	15	6	73	4	↑
3	Sean Davis	PIT	18	18	15	16	6	73	NR	↑
4	Karl Joseph	OAK	18	17	15	16	6	72	2	↓
5	Will Parks	DEN	17	18	14	16	6	71	5	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Miles Killebrew—insufficient snaps

Notable Performances

Keanu Neal

Week 9 Stats: 8 tackles

Neal was taken out of his comfort zone a little this week, being asked to play more man and deep zone coverages than normal. He still played well, sticking tight on a comeback route when isolated against a tight end on 3rd-and-5. He did give up the catch, but that was more due to a well-timed, well-placed throw than anything else.

Later, he had deep-half responsibilities and stayed on top of a route from receiver Mike Evans. He read the throw perfectly, driving on it and landing a huge hit just after the ball arrived. Evans managed to make a one-handed grab and hold on to the ball through the hit from Neal while tapping both of his feet down to secure the catch before falling out of bounds.

Derrick Kindred

Week 9 Stats: 6 tackles

Kindred made one key play, making a tackle on Witten to save a touchdown. The Cowboys looked to hit Witten on a play-action pass, but Kindred didn't bite on the fake and stayed on top of the route, breaking on the throw and securing the tackle before Witten scored. He had a better game from a tackling perspective than usual, though did did miss a tackle on Elliott on a run in the fourth quarter.

Special Teams

Jason O. Watson/Getty Images

Kickers

The Saints' Wil Lutz had a mixed week, going 5-of-5 on extra points, though just 2-of-3 on field goals. He missed a 55-yarder due to a poor strike and torquing off the ball. Lutz has a big leg and does not need the extra power he tried to generate, and he needs to develop trust in his technique to continue to grow.

He has performed incredibly well for the raw technique he displayed coming into the season, but kicks like that reinforce what he showed in his college career, and he needs to develop the mental side to improve. 

Tampa's Roberto Aguayo had a quiet week, going 2-of-2 on extra points. The only thing consistent about Aguayo's game has been the fact that he needs to be more consistent, so he needs to string together three to four perfect weeks before we can excited about him.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Wil Lutz	NO	30	30	5	3	68	1	↔
2	Roberto Aguayo	TB	30	28	5	3	66	2	↔

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Wil Lutz

Week 9 Stats: 2-3 FG, 5-5 XP

He tried to kill a 55-yarder, which was a mental mistake that shows he still is raw on that side and that his technique can be inconsistent.

Roberto Aguayo

Week 9 Stats: 2-3 XP

It was a boring week, but boring is good when you've had Aguayo's season. Let's see what happens next week.

Punters

Riley Dixon continued to be the strongest rookie punter, turning in above-average accuracy this week, though his distance and hang time missed the mark slightly. Dixon was my 25th-ranked punter at the halfway point, so while he has been the best of the rookies, it has been a disappointing class.

While Dixon may prove to be capable directionally, his overall leg strength is average, and he likely projects as an average punter.

Lachlan Edwards had another tough week, with poor distance, below-average hang time and average accuracy. Edwards has had a rough learning curve after a strong start, as reality has quickly set in for him. While he has a big leg, it has been incredibly inconsistent, and Edwards is likely a year or two away from being able to show enough technique to be adequate.

San Diego's Drew Kaser has been incredibly disappointing to watch. After a preseason in which he showed massive potential, he has displayed none of his traits on a consistent basis. Though he possesses a tremendous leg, Kaser has had some of the shortest punts of the year. His hang time and directional control are average.

This week, he graded below average in all respects and continues an up-and-down rookie season that has yet to realize his potential.

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 9

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr	LW	Trend
1	Riley Dixon	DEN	13	13	36	3	3	68	1	↔
2	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	6	12	31	3	3	55	3	↑
3	Drew Kaser	SD	9	9	25	3	3	49	2	↓

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Notable Performances

Riley Dixon

Dixon is strong directionally but slightly below average elsewhere. This is likely where he ends up sitting long term.

Lachlan Edwards

Edwards is slightly above average directionally, but he had a horrible day for distance and was just mediocre in accuracy. He's not an NFL punter.

Drew Kaser

Kaser continues to have issues with the mental side of game and is below-average in all phases. He needs to show talent at some point.