The football year is just beginning, but below are 10 rookies already making a major impact:
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys – Maybe Tony Romo has his backup after all. All this talk surrounded Jared Goff and Carson Wentz in the draft but it was Prescott who stole the show in his first game. Prescott went 10-12 for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns for a QB rating of 154.5.
Ronnie Stanley, T, Baltimore Ravens – Directly from the Ravens’ website:
“Not only did Stanley get off to a good start simply by being on the field, but he played well too.
On Terrance West’s first run of the game, he bent around the left edge behind a big block from Stanley, who kicked the Panthers’ starting defensive end far off the line of scrimmage. Stanley didn’t give up any sacks and the running game was strong out of the blocks.
Stanley got the highest grade of any Ravens starter from Pro Football Focus (plus 1.6).”
Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints – He finished with 4 catches for 67 yards, two or which were spectacular grabs. On top of this, there’s countless vines of his highlight reel production at practice. He figures to make a big impact in this highly potent offense.
Deion Jones, ILB, Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons are looking to improve on defense in a big way after really struggling on that side of the ball the last few years. Jones is a step in the right direction as he was all over the field and finished with a team leading 5 tackles.
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans – He finished with 10 carries for 74 yards and one touchdown in his debut with the Titans. They look absolutely loaded that this position with DeMarco Murray, Bishop Sankey and Antonio Andrews, but Henry has a legitimate case for snaps based on how he looked.
Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams – He finished with 5 catches for 49 yards and showed nice pass catching ability over the middle. The Rams may have their Jared Cook replacement and then some.
Jakeem Grant, WR, Miami Dolphins – He finished with 4 catches for 68 yards. The 6th round pick blazer may only be 5’6″ but he significantly increased his chances of making the team with this performance.
Matt Judon, DE, Ravens – Finished with 7 tackles and a sack. His stats in college were off the chart for a small school but it looks like it will translate to the NFL.
C. J. Smith. CB, Philadelphia Eagles – From 247Sports:
“Smith was PFF’s highest graded cornerback in Week 1 of the preseason. His performance certainly got him noticed by the Eagles coaching staff, finishing with three pass deflections and the game-sealing interception in the end zone with 50 seconds left in the team’s 17-9 win.”
Paxton Lynch, QB, Denver Broncos – It’s not out of the question that he might start come the season opener based on his performance. He finished 6-7 for 74 yards and a team best 110.7 QB rating. He was sacked 3 times, though, so he’ll need to improve his release time.
