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The 2022 NFL rookie people continues to look highly beardown through 13 weeks. Three moving backs person a bully accidental of netting 1,000 rushing yards earlier the play ends, portion 2 receivers are connected gait to deed 1,000 receiving yards soon. Five first-year defenders person 3 oregon much sacks, 4 person 3 oregon much interceptions and the people has combined for 70.5 sacks and 40 picks to date. Five quarterbacks person played successful a game, including Brock Purdy, who is being called connected to commencement successful spot of injured San Francisco 49ers backmost Jimmy Garoppolo.
So however bash the rookies stack up truthful far? Let's fertile the apical 10 with conscionable implicit 1 period near to spell successful the season.
We polled our ain Matt Bowen, Jeff Legwold, Matt Miller and Jordan Reid for their idiosyncratic lists and combined them to marque a statement ranking of the apical 10 rookies. Our experts past weighed successful connected each subordinate who made the list, on with a fewer who fell conscionable short. Finally, they picked retired a riser to watch, an underperforming first-rounder and an overperforming late-rounder, and took a speedy look astatine the first-year backmost situations. (To spot our midseason rookie rankings, click here.)
Let's leap successful with a acquainted sanction astatine No. 1.
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Top 10 | Just missed
Big questions
1. Sauce Gardner, CB, New York Jets
Stats: 50 tackles, 2 INTs, 15 passes defended
Drafted: No. 4
Why he's here: Gardner could perchance beryllium the archetypal Jets rookie selected for a Pro Bowl since information Erik McMillan successful 1988. It isn't the plays helium has made, including his portion successful holding Justin Jefferson to 45 yards successful Week 13, that amusement what his existent lasting is among his peers, but alternatively the fig of times quarterbacks person already begun to look the different way. -- Legwold
Going forward: Gardner has played astatine a Pro Bowl level since aboriginal this season, and there's nary crushed to expect a slowdown arsenic we participate the last agelong of the season. His operation of size, speed, instincts and physicality are perfect for the modern corner. He has each the tools to beryllium 1 of the league's best. -- Miller
2. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Stats: 60 catches, 887 yards, 3 TDs
Drafted: No. 11
Why he's here: With refined route-running tools and perimeter speed, Olave creates separation connected second-level cuts and floats past defenders successful the vertical passing game. This season, Olave is averaging adjacent to 15 yards per catch, with 11 explosive play receptions connected his rookie résumé. -- Bowen
Going forward: Olave has been a large adhd to the Saints' passing attack. He has proven to beryllium an explosive menace successful each 3 areas of the field. Olave volition proceed to beryllium the team's No. 1 wideout for the foreseeable future, particularly with Michael Thomas apt out for the season. -- Reid
3. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Stats: 57 catches, 790 yards, 4 TDs
Drafted: No. 10
Why he's here: Wilson has go the Jets' go-to people astatine wide receiver, nary substance who is playing quarterback. He's elite astatine uncovering abstraction and generating country some earlier and aft the drawback and is already 1 of the league's large yards-after-the-catch performers. Wilson has made a precise beardown lawsuit for Offensive Rookie of the Year candidacy. -- Miller
Going forward: With Mike White present astatine quarterback, Wilson has the accidental to drawback much passes. White threw it 57 times successful Week 13, and 15 of those targets went Wilson's way. The Jets person 3 games this play with astatine slightest 50 walk attempts, and each 3 are from quarterbacks not named Zach Wilson (two by Joe Flacco and 1 by White). -- Legwold
4. Tariq Woolen, CB, Seattle Seahawks
Stats: 45 tackles, 6 INTs, 12 passes defended, 1 TD, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 blocked kick
Drafted: No. 153
Why he's here: Woolen has continued to pb the Seahawks' young secondary. He is an perfect strategy fit, and his magnitude and portion sum person been exceptional. His six interceptions are tied for the astir successful the NFL -- and are good supra preseason expectations. -- Reid
Going forward: Woolen is simply a competitory sum country with uncommon carnal traits for the position. He is simply a playmaker, and the arrow is lone pointing up aft much on-the-ball production. -- Bowen
5. Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
Stats: 198 carries, 861 rushing yards, 30 catches, 165 receiving yards, 4 full TDs
Drafted: No. 107
Why he's here: Pierce is toiling successful the struggles of the squad headed for the No. 1 prime of the 2023 draft. There are times erstwhile his yards aft interaction are all of his yards, arsenic helium is not afforded the luxury of moving into abstraction that different teams' backs receive. He has 778 much yards rushing than immoderate of his teammates and is the team's third-leading receiver. -- Legwold
Going forward: Hopefully the Texans commencement to usage Pierce much implicit the agelong tally of the season. If so, we should expect a 1,200-yard rusher who could easy get to 8 touchdowns connected the year. Pierce has proven helium is simply a starting-caliber back. Given much touches, helium could beryllium a existent tempo-setting violative playmaker. -- Miller
2:18
Field Yates and Mike Clay sermon if Christian Watson tin support up his prime phantasy output for the remainder of the season.
6. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Stats: 138 carries, 649 rushing yards, 19 catches, 116 receiving yards, 9 full TDs
Drafted: No. 41
Why he's here: Walker's accumulation has dipped implicit his past 3 games, but we are looking astatine his full rookie season. He is simply a measurement runner with big-play imaginable and scoring upside. He tin hammer the shot downhill oregon onslaught the edges. And we've seen Walker adjacent retired wins precocious successful the 4th fourth for Pete Carroll's team. -- Bowen
Going forward: Walker is simply a pugnacious and hard-nosed runner who has continued to beryllium the go-to enactment successful the backfield for the Seahawks' offense. He is an old-school runner, truthful his yards per transportation numbers won't wow you, but helium has been effectual with continued touches. -- Reid
7. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions
Stats: 33 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 fumble recovery
Drafted: No. 2
Why he's here: Hutchinson has been a do-it-all subordinate for the Lions' defence during a caller winning streak. His quality to get to the backmost is good known, but the mode helium impacts games with interceptions and cardinal tackles shows the all-around accomplishment acceptable that the No. 2 prime brings connected crippled day. -- Miller
Going forward: There was a caller determination to enactment Hutchinson retired wider successful the formation, successful a two-point stance astatine times, and it has had a affirmative impact. He has 3 sacks, 2 interceptions and an eight-tackle crippled since the Lions made the move, truthful expect the stats to support coming in. -- Legwold
8. Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
Stats: 25 catches, 401 receiving yards, 5 carries, 68 rushing yards, 9 full TDs
Drafted: No. 34
Why he's here: Watson is not lone 1 of the hottest rookies successful the league close now, but helium has besides been connected occurrence implicit the past 2 months. With increasing spot from Aaron Rodgers, Watson has a touchdown successful 4 consecutive games. He's starting to travel into his ain arsenic the team's apical enactment connected the perimeter. -- Reid
Going forward: Watson's relation should proceed to expand. He brings a much-needed vertical constituent to the walk crippled arsenic a bound people for Rodgers. The Packers tin strategy for Watson, too, giving him defined matchups oregon unfastened sum voids to onslaught connected in-breaking concepts. And don't beryllium amazed if we spot much manufactured touches for the rookie, similar alert sweeps, screens and reverses. He has difference-making speed. -- Bowen
2:26
Stephania Bell, Mike Clay and Field Yates statement Dameon Pierce's phantasy worth for the remainder of the season.
9. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Baltimore Ravens
Stats: 12 starts, 93.8% walk artifact triumph rate, 74.4% tally artifact triumph rate
Drafted: No. 25
Why he's here: Linderbaum plays with composure and handles the pre-snap checks. The Ravens nonstop their diversified tally crippled up the mediate much than they bash anyplace other successful the enactment and person done truthful astatine a clip of 5.6 yards per transportation implicit the center. -- Legwold
Going forward: No substance who is lining up down him astatine QB, Linderbaum is simply a captious portion to the Ravens' offense. As helium continues to settee into the offense, expect to spot Linderbaum go adjacent much comfy and much impactful. -- Miller
10. Jack Jones, CB, New England Patriots
Stats: 30 tackles, 2 INTs, 5 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 TD
Drafted: No. 121
Why he's here: Jones has a large quality to modulation and adjacent connected the ball. He eats up writer rapidly erstwhile breaking retired of his pedal, and that's wherefore the rookie is successful a presumption to decorativeness plays. He's an urgent screen country with the accumulation and portion to marque our apical 10. -- Bowen
Going forward: Jones has been arsenic accordant arsenic they travel successful the slot. With creaseless transitions and consistency arsenic a wrap-up tackler, helium has occupied the slot relation successful the Patriots' defence overmuch amended than the squad envisioned -- astatine slightest this aboriginal successful his career. Look for much of the aforesaid moving forward. -- Reid
Just missed
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons: In Week 13, London had 95 receiving yards against the Steelers. It was his archetypal crippled of much than 50 yards receiving since Week 3. But the people present is for the player, and it's not his responsibility the Falcons don't make much opportunities for him to grow. -- Legwold
George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: Pickens' numbers aren't ever going to bespeak his progress, considering his backmost is besides a rookie. But since a no-catch crippled to adjacent retired October, helium has flashed potential, including a four-catch, 83-yard time against the Bengals (with a touchdown). -- Legwold
Charles Cross, OT, Seattle Seahawks: Cross has played each but 2 snaps astatine near tackle this play for a productive Seahawks offense. He snagged a shot retired of the aerial aft Geno Smith was sacked and fumbled successful the season-opener, and since then, Cross has been the close feline successful the close spot for Seattle. -- Legwold
Also received votes: Kyle Hamilton, Jaquan Brisker, Jalen Pitre, Devin Lloyd, Travon Walker, Jamaree Salyer, Christian Benford, Kenny Pickett, Breece Hall, Abraham Lucas, Ikem Ekwonu, Brian Robinson Jr., Kayvon Thibodeaux, Kader Kohou
Which rookie is rising done 9 weeks?
Legwold: Kader Kohou, CB, Miami Dolphins (undrafted). Since returning from an oblique injury, Kohou has played astatine slightest 95% of the antiaircraft snaps successful the past six games, with 3 tackles for nonaccomplishment and 3 walk breakups implicit that span.
What is going connected with the rookie quarterbacks?
Bowen: The numbers for Steelers backmost Kenny Pickett don't precisely popular -- 4 passing touchdowns, 3 rushing touchdowns, 65.2% completion percent and 8 interceptions. But a person look astatine the portion tells america the rookie is progressing. Pickett plays with poise successful the pocket, and helium has the mobility to make extracurricular of structure.
Malik Willis had constricted accumulation successful his 2 starts for the Titans this year, playing successful run-heavy crippled plans. I'm precise funny to ticker Brock Purdy successful Kyle Shanahan's schemed passing discourtesy with the Niners, arsenic helium gets his archetypal commencement this week versus Tampa Bay. And we could spot Desmond Ridder soon down successful Atlanta.
Which first-rounder is underperforming close now?
Miller: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons (No. 8 pick). Some of London's deficiency of interaction could beryllium owed to mediocre backmost play, but his 4 touchdowns are not what was expected from the archetypal receiver drafted oregon from a jump-ball specialist. With Olave and Wilson thriving, London needs to enactment his ft connected the gas.
Which late-rounder is overperforming close now?
Reid: James Houston, OLB, Detroit Lions (No. 217 pick). Since being elevated from the signifier squad, Houston has been a agleam spot for the Lions. He was the archetypal subordinate successful franchise past to grounds a multi-sack crippled successful his NFL debut. The erstwhile Jackson State merchandise has been productive other Hutchinson. Now signed to the progressive roster, he's a sanction to support an oculus connected moving forward.
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