NFL Week 3 Rookie Report Card: The 10 Most Surprising Rookies

No one should be surprised by the performances of a handful of rookies thus far in the 2011 NFL season.

Even if he struggles at cornerback, Patrick Peterson, as we all knew, would have an opportunity to shine right away as a punt returner, and he already has.

Muhammad Wilkerson may not have been a top pick, but he clearly had the attention of his head coach Rex Ryan on Day One, and he’s rewarded them with excellent play.

And there was good reason to believe that rookies like Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Anthony Castonzo and Ryan Kerrigan would make an immediate impact.

But there is a crop of rookies out there who, even if they were expected to become great some day, are way ahead of schedule. No matter if they were top picks or undrafted free agents, these 10 rookies have been a pleasant surprise through two weeks. 

No. 10: Roy Helu, RB, Washington Redskins

Stats: 11 carries, 76 yards, 3 receptions, 38 yards

Although Helu had a tremendous career at Nebraska, eight running backs were taken ahead of him, so just to get on the field in Week 1 (and not on special teams) is a notable achievement. 

Now that alone isn't enough for a spot on this list. And besides, his numbers aren't overwhelming. 

But you do have to give him a ton of credit for playing his way in to such a significant role in the Redskins offense. He carried the load in the second half against Arizona and did an excellent job, collecting five first downs in the narrow victory. 

Couple his ball-carrying with an ability to catch passes out of the backfield, and the Redskins have a very capable Plan B, something that wasn't a guarantee when they spent a fourth-round pick on Helu. 

No. 9: Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers

Stats: 4 catches, 60 yards, 2 TD (1 kickoff)

Cobb's contributions on special teams were to be expected. Plenty of rookies have stepped in and made a major impact returning kicks for scores, like the one Cobb delivered in Week 1 against New Orleans.

But the reason he's on this list is how quickly he's made his mark in that tremendous Packers passing attack. 

Even before they drafted Cobb, Green Bay was loaded with pass catchers. Forget about Donald Driver and Greg Jennings for a second; Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Jermichael Finley are significant scoring threats.

So for Cobb to already have a touchdown catch from Aaron Rodgers and haul in a pair of passes each of the first two weeks is a pleasant surprise for the Packers and a real danger to the rest of the NFL. 

No. 8: Casey Matthews, MLB, Philadelphia Eagles

Stats: 11 tackles (8 solo)

If lineage meant everything in the NFL, then Brian Griese, Jarrett Payton and Anthony Dorsett would have walked right into Canton just like their fathers did.

So just because Casey Matthews has an All-Pro brother in the NFL, an uncle in the Hall of Fame and a father who went to four Pro Bowls didn't guarantee him anything coming out of Oregon. And being a fourth-round choice proved that. 

But not only has Matthews worked his way onto the field for the "Dream Team" Eagles, he's playing a position that is easily the most important on that defense. He has so many responsibilities that the stats don't tell the whole story. 

Earning that job right out of the gate was hardly a given back in April when he was the 13th linebacker selected. 

No. 7: Daniel Thomas, RB, Miami Dolphins

Stats: 18 carries, 107 yards, 1 catch, 10 yards

At first glimpse, Thomas doesn't belong on this list. Since the moment he was drafted by the Dolphins, I thought he had the best chance of any running back selected to be that Adrian Peterson/Chris Johnson rookie stud. 

Aside from having a pretty solid line in Miami and a mediocre passing attack, Thomas went to a team committed to running the ball, more so than even the Saints, Lions, Patriots or any of the other clubs who took running backs before Thomas. 

But all we heard throughout the preseason was how disappointing Thomas was: He didn't hit the holes hard enough and danced too much for Tony Sparano's taste. They even brought in Larry Johnson for a tryout.

Well, some combination of learning the ropes and Reggie Bush losing his job put Thomas into the feature back spot, and he had a great game against Houston on Sunday. 

Remember, he didn't even suit up in Week 1 against New England. 

No. 6: Mason Foster, MLB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stats: 17 tackles (11 solo), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

With all the defensive studs who went in the first round (Von Miller, Marcell Dareus, Patrick Peterson, Robert Quinn, Nick Fairly, etc.), Foster was naturally overlooked as he fell to the third round. 

But it's hard to argue that any defensive rookie has had a bigger impact on his team. 

The Bucs seemed to have no hesitation about letting Barrett Ruud walk, and that's because they knew what the other 31 NFL teams knew on Draft Day: Foster is a star. 

In addition to being the starting Mike Linebacker in Tampa's defense, he coaxed a fumble out of Adrian Peterson, sacked Donovan McNabb and led the team in tackles during the Bucs' great comeback last week in Minnesota. 

No. 5: Marcus Gilbert, OT, Pittsburgh Steelers

Let's be honest, the Steelers offensive line is a mess right now....so what else is new.

Willie Colon is out for the season, Chris Kemoeatu missed last week and they were already dangerously thin in terms of depth. 

So they really had no choice to put Gilbert in last week—he didn't exactly "earn" the job outright. 

But he did play a solid game as the Steelers line overpowered Seattle and for the most part kept Ben Roethlisberger upright. 

And if Roethlisberger is pleased with the way he played—"I am very proud of the way he stepped up"—there's not much more you can ask for from a rookie who wasn't expected to contribute so soon. 

No. 4: Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Stats: 37-for-56, 413 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

Just because Dalton was expected to be handed the starter's job from Day One doesn't mean he was going to play well. But he certainly has.

Dalton was very efficient in the Week 1 win at Cleveland, completing two-thirds of his passes—pretty impressive in your NFL debut. 

But then to come back from that wrist injury suffered against the Browns and play exceptionally well against Denver really showed something. In addition to the 332 yards, two touchdowns and zero turnovers, Dalton led the Bengals to scores on four consecutive possessions, despite losing one of his best receivers in Jordan Shipley. 

Even if he was a second-round selection, four quarterbacks were taken ahead of him, so more growing pains seemed to be on the horizon. As of Week 2 there aren't any. 

No. 3: Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Chicago Bears

Stats: 4 catches, 39 yards, 1 TD

Other rookie receivers—Randall Cobb, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, as well as the next man on this list—have better numbers after a two-week-long NFL careerr. But none of those rookies went undrafted. Sanzenbacher did.

So by the strictest definition of a "surprise," Sanzenbacher is right up there. 

The injury to Roy Williams helped get him more snaps, but he has already emerged as great option for Jay Cutler.

His touchdown in the first quarter gave Chicago an early lead, and Cutler repeatedly went to the rookie from Ohio State, attempting six more passes for Sanzenbacher as the game wore on. 

No. 2: Denarius Moore, WR, Oakland Raiders

Stats: 5 catches, 146 yards, 29.2 yards-per-catch, 1 TD

Injuries to Louis Murphy, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Jacoby Ford may have put Moore into the lineup, but he's certainly proven he deserves to be there.

After a reception-less debut in Denver, the fifth-round pick from Tennessee is proving to be a real steal for the Raiders. He caught five passes against the Bills, including that late fourth quarter bomb from Jason Campbell that gave Oakland the lead. And he even had an outstanding 25-yard run on a double reverse. 

Sure it was just one week and the Bills secondary leaves something to be desired, but with his speed, hands and leaping ability, he's likely to have way more touches going forward. 

No. 1: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Stats: 52-for-83, 854 yards, 3 TD, 4  INT; 18 carries, 71 rushing yards, 2 TD

Even if you weren't a Cam hater who thought he was the next JaMarcus Russell or Ryan Leaf, there's no way you thought he'd put together this two-game streak right out of the gate. 

Think about this: Prior to 2011, only five quarterbacks in history had ever thrown for 400-plus yards in consecutive games. Newton did that in his first two games. 

So while the expectations for Newton couldn't have been any higher considering he was the Heisman Trophy winner and the top pick in the draft, the level at which he's exceeded those expectations still earns him the No. 1 spot on this list. 

No rookie quarterback ever started like Newton—who is also the Panthers leading rusher—and that is the biggest surprise of the 2011 season so far.