It was a great week to be an NFL rookie. Well, for most of them, anyway.
We saw so many great performances we couldn’t list them all, but a shout-out to Tommy DeVito leading the Giants to their second consecutive win, while DJ Turner II was exceptional in the Bengals’ secondary despite a loss to the Steelers.
However, we did find room to highlight a half dozen efforts from the weekend, along with three other first-year players putting forth solid stat lines.
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Rising
Rashee Rice, WR, Chiefs
Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports
Last week: Not rated
On Sunday against the Raiders, Rice put forth his first 100-yard game in the NFL. He caught eight passes on 10 targets for 101 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown. With the Chiefs desperate to find weapons beyond Travis Kelce, Rice is a name to watch down the stretch.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
Last week: Not rated
After weeks of confusing usage, it seems Arthur Smith has finally figured out how to deploy Robinson in Atlanta’s scheme. Robinson touched the ball 19 times, amassing 123 total yards and two touchdowns. With Atlanta trying to hold on to the NFC South lead, Robinson is a crucial figure to watch.
Calijah Kancey, DT, Buccaneers
Last week: Not rated
On Sunday, the first-round pick once again put forth a stellar effort, racking up two tackles for loss, a sack, a pass defensed and a quarterback hit against the Colts. Kancey has three sacks on the year despite playing in only seven games.
Jalin Hyatt, WR, Giants
Last week: Not rated
Hyatt’s targets have been sporadic, but he had the best game of his young career Sunday. Against the Patriots, Hyatt caught five passes on six targets for 109 yards, the first time the Tennessee product cracked the century mark.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans
Last week: Rising
Stroud might not have been able to lead a game-winning drive, but he was excellent against the Jaguars. He threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns in defeat, all while having to deal with a constant barrage of free rushers in his face.
Zay Flowers, WR, Ravens
Last week: Not rated
Flowers has been a fantastic addition to the Ravens’ offense, and he showed why on Sunday Night Football. Showing off his multifaceted game, Flowers caught five passes for 25 yards and a score while also sealing the win over the Chargers with a 37-yard touchdown run.
Holding steady
Sam LaPorta, TE, Lions
Lon Horwedel/USA TODAY Sports
Last week: Not rated
LaPorta has been excellent this year, easily the best tight end of the rookie crop alongside the Bills’ Dalton Kincaid. LaPorta caught five passes for 47 yards and a touchdown against the Packers on Thanksgiving, giving him 539 yards and five scores on the season.
Will Levis, QB, Titans
Last week: Falling
Levis wasn’t special against the Panthers, but ultimately he got the job done. The second-rounder out of Kentucky threw for 185 yards without a turnover on 6.6 yards per attempt, helping the Titans to a 17–10 win over the Panthers. Tennessee needs more from Levis, but this wasn’t a bad outing.
Aidan O’Connell, QB, Raiders
Last week: Falling
O’Connell went against one of the league’s best defenses and did a nice job. The Purdue product threw for 248 yards (7.5 YPA) with a touchdown while consistently fitting throws into tight coverage, headlined by a gorgeous 33-yard deep ball to Jakobi Meyers. It was a nice bounce-back game for O’Connell after he threw three interceptions in Week 11.
Falling
Bryce Young, QB, Panthers
Last week: Falling
At this juncture, this is the same paragraph every week. The Panthers aren’t playing well around Young, but he’s also failing to improve anybody around him. The Panthers are 1–10 for a litany of reasons, and Young is one of them. He’s averaging a paltry 5.4 yards per attempt with very few explosive plays to his name.
Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks
Charbonnet got a full workload Thursday night against a tough 49ers front and couldn’t do much with the opportunity. The former UCLA star rushed for only 47 yards on 15 carries while catching four passes for 11 yards. Overall, Charbonnet is averaging 4.6 YPC, but the past two weeks have seen him average just 3.2.
