Tag: rookies

3 Patriots players that deserve larger roles in 2024

3 Patriots players should be featured more in 2024 and beyond.

There’s no question this season has been brutal to watch for the New England Patriots. They are sitting at 3-10 on the season and considered one of the worst teams in the NFL.

Yet, there are some players who have been bright spots and deserve a larger role next season.

Now, these things could change as it is likely a new regime will be in place next year, and they may move to get their own players through the draft and free agency.

But there are three players in particular that have made the most out of limited playing time and deserve a much larger role in 2024.

Browns rookie Dawand Jones proving to be the steal of the 2023 NFL Draft

Dawand Jones is proving that he clearly should not have fallen all the way into the fourth round

It’s not everyday you see a rookie offensive lineman come in out of the fourth round of a draft and completely dominate. Yet, that is exactly what the rookie for the Cleveland Browns, Dawand Jones, has been able to do.

We have seen multiple elite performances out of Jones, locking down some of the best pass rushers in the entire league such as Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt. In his first 11 games of his career, Jones has given up just three quarterback hits and three sacks on the season for a variety of different signal callers. He is also part of one of the most stable running attacks in the league, one which he is a clear anchor for on the right side of that Cleveland attack.

It’s hard to be successful in the league as a rookie, especially one drafted in the later rounds. It’s even tougher when you are thrown the adversity of blocking for multiple different quarterbacks and losing your top running back. Dawand Jones is proving that he clearly should not have fallen all the way into the fourth round, and is solidifying himself not only as the best rookie offensive lineman from this class, but one of the best tackles in the league.

Dolphins rookie De’Von Achane has huge game in return from injury

Dolphins rookie De’Von Achane has huge game in return from injury

Back in early October the NFL lost one of it’s most exciting young rookies in De’Von Achane to a knee injury. Last Sunday Achane made his return against the Washington Commanders, and he did it in one of the best ways possible.

The game between the Commanders and the Miami Dolphins was truly never really that close as the Tua Tagovailoa lead team eventually ran away with the game with a blowout final score of 45-15. While Achane was not heavily involved early, he got more and more touches as the game got out of hand and eventually came away as the Dolphins’ leading rusher.

Achane looked as explosive as ever with 103 yards on 20 total touches, including a pair of touchdowns on the ground. The Commanders clearly had no answer for the overwhelming amount of speed on Miami’s roster, including their exciting rookie running back. It’s fair to expect Achane to continue having a completely bonkers season given he is averaging an absurd 9.5 yards per carry on the year. Miami looks like it hit yet another home run in this addition to the most exciting offense in the NFL.

Ranking the Week 11 rookie quarterback performances

Ranking the Week 11 rookie quarterback performances, from Stroud to Young

Another week down, another week to evaluate the performances of the multiple rookie starting quarterbacks in the league. We once again saw a mixed bag from all the rookies, but also saw some flashes from some newcomers.

Let’s take a look at each rookie and rank their Week 11 performances from best to worst:

New York Giants rookie quarterback looked out of place in first start

Tommy DeVito looked like how you would expect an undrafted rookie to play in his first start for the Giants

There was certainly an interesting news cycle for the newfound starting quarterback of the New York Giants, Tommy DeVito. He talked about living with his parents in nearby New Jersey. While that storyline was certainly interesting, his play on the field Sunday against the division rival Dallas Cowboys was less so.

It’s truly hard to evaluate what DeVito brings to the table in this completely anemic offense that gave him virtually no shot to succeed. It didn’t help that DeVito was facing off against one of the more ferocious defensive units in the entire league. That being said, DeVito looked almost out of place on the field Sunday as he delivered a middling performance. To his credit, DeVito was able to deliver on a pair of touchdowns, but outside of that, there wasn’t much to be excited about. With just 86 yards passing on 27 attempts, there was clearly nothing working with the undrafted free agent under center.

It’s unfair to pass judgment this early in the young quarterback’s career, and he still has plenty of room to grow, but the entire offense last week left many wondering if this unit could outscore the Alabama Crimson Tide, let alone the Dallas Cowboys. Hopefully, the Giants can figure out a way to put DeVito in a more advantageous position next week against the Washington Commanders and not leave the rookie quarterback out to dry.

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Ranking the Week 10 rookie quarterback performances

Ranking the Week 10 performances of the 6 rookie QBs who saw action

Another week down, another week to evaluate the performances of the multiple rookie starting quarterbacks in the league. We once again saw a mixed bag from all the rookies, but also saw some flashes from some newcomers.

Let’s take a look at each rookie and rank their Week 8 performances from best to worst:

Bryan Bresee’s midseason grade ranks high among 2023 first-round draft picks

Bryan Bresee’s midseason grade ranks high among 2023 first-round draft picks. The rookie defensive tackle has been exactly what the Saints hoped for:

This is good to see. Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon shared his midseason grades for every rookie picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, and he’s got a positive review for New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee.

Based off the first-year pro’s work so far, Risdon graded Bresee with a B, writing that:

“Bresee brings a lot of energy and activity to the Saints defensive front, though it’s not always pointed in the right direction. The pass rushing has been solid and ever-improving. If he learns to stay disciplined in the run game, Bresee is going to be a very useful player for a long time.”

Better harnessing that energy is something Allen has talked about with Bresee — emphasizing that the rookie needs to maintain a lower pad level and hold up stronger in run defense. Too often he gets moved off the line of scrimmage or pushed aside to open a running lane. But when Bresee is given the green light to get after the passer, he does a great job, and that’s largely why the Saints drafted him.

Just look at his stat line going into Week 10: 11 tackles (7 solo, 3 tackles for loss), 17 pressures (at Pro Football Focus) and 1.5 sacks, plus 5 passes defensed, which are the second-most by a rookie defensive lineman in Saints franchise history. Bresee is impacting passing plays even when he isn’t getting home to the quarterback.

He’s been exactly as impactful a defender as the Saints expected when they called his name on draft day. Let’s see if Bresee can keep this momentum going into the second half of his rookie season.

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Candidates for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 2022-23 season

Let’s take a look at some of the top candidates for the Arnold Palmer Award.

There were 28 rookies on the PGA Tour for the 2022-23 season, the same number that there were a year ago. It’s also the most since the Tour had 35 newbies for the 2011 season.

Two rookies won a Tour event this season: Nico Echavarria at the Puerto Rico Open and Vincent Norrman at the Barbasol Championship.

Of those 28, none made the 30-man field at the Tour Championship, the first time rookies were shut out of East Lake Golf Club since the 2020-21 season. Notably, there have never been more than two rookies in the season finale in the 17-year history of the FedEx Cup.

While plenty of these first-year players made some noise along the way this season, there can only be one Rookie of the Year. Players are still vying for the honor, as the FedEx Cup Fall series events count towards consideration.

There are three events left: the World Wide Technology Championship in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Bermuda and the RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Ballots for Rookie of the Year will be sent out after the RSM.

For now, let’s take a look at some of the top candidates for the Arnold Palmer Award with their FedEx Cup ranking in parentheses.

Packers among leaders in snaps played by rookies entering Week 7

Predictably, the Packers are among the leaders in snaps played by rookies through six weeks.

The Green Bay Packers, who entered the season with the youngest and least experienced roster in football, have predictably leaned heavily on rookies to start 2023.

Per Steve Palazzolo of PFF, the Packers rank fifth in the NFL in snaps played by non-quarterback rookies entering Week 7 of the season, and it’s worth noting the Packers have only played five games because of the Week 6 bye.

The Packers entered the season with 17 rookies or first-year players.

Among the rookies playing important snaps for Matt LaFleur’s team:

TE Luke Musgrave: 211
WR Jayden Reed: 179
WR Dontayvion Wicks: 160
DL Karl Brooks: 130
OLB Lukas Van Ness: 128
DL Colby Wooden: 117
CB Carrington Valentine: 80
TE Tucker Kraft: 61
WR Malik Heath: 50
K Anders Carlson: 41

Many rookies (but especially Kraft, Valentine and Musgrave) have also played snaps on special teams.

Musgrave trails only Sam LaPorta in snaps played and targets by rookie tight ends. Reed and Wicks are 10th and 12th in routes run by rookie receivers, respectively. Brooks and Wooden rank seventh and eighth in snaps played by rookie defensive linemen, respectively. Van Ness is seventh among rookie edge rushers.

The Packers knew they were going young at many positions, especially on offense, and understood growing pains would be a part of the learning process. That’s exactly how the first six weeks have played out. Now, the Packers are exiting the bye and looking to rebound after a 2-3 start. The hope in Green Bay is that the rookies continue getting more comfortable and executing at a higher level as the season progresses, but it’s tough to be consistent when so many first-year players are on the field in important roles.

Eagles Rookie Tracker: Who stands out after September?

Going defensive heavy again in the draft this past year, the Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) eight rookies have had promising developments in the preseason and regular season so far.

Going defensive heavy again in the draft this past year, the Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) eight rookies have had promising developments in the preseason and regular season so far.

The two guys I think who stand out the most after September are safety Sydney Brown and defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Both guys have had stellar performances already and will only get better as the season progresses. Carter is also currently in the Defensive Rookie of the Year running at (+100) odds on BetMGM.

Below are all of the rookies’ stats and thoughts so far after their performances in September or preseason in August.

QB Tanner McKee

For McKee to have to play, Jalen Hurts and Marcus Mariota would have to be injured – which would be the least ideal position for the team to be in this early in the season. Luckily, we know what McKee is capable of as he put up great numbers in preseason.

OL Tyler Steen

Steen is another guy who probably won’t get much play time this season unless one of the core offensive linemen goes down. That’s not to say I’m not impressed with Steen either, but I’m also looking forward to how he develops under this core group of guys as the season progresses. I wouldn’t be opposed to getting him snaps later in the season if the Eagles put themselves in a position to succeed in the postseason. I think Steen is a good guy to keep around as the core offensive guys get older.

LB Nolan Smith

Obviously, the Eagles linebacker room is stacked, so Smith is probably going to be spending time developing in the linebacker room. So far this season, he’s had one solo tackle.

CB Kelee Ringo

Ringo had two solo tackles so far this season. I’m excited to see him continue to develop. Obviously, the cornerback room is stacked right now, but it’s exciting to watch Ringo continue to develop and already excel this rookie season.

CB Eli Ricks

Ricks hasn’t had much play time, if any, yet this regular season. However, he’ll be an interesting guy to keep around as he had a fantastic college career. Also, having the Alabama background coming to the Eagles continues to build the bond around the guys who come from Alabama and Georgia.

S Sydney Brown

Brown is a great player who had a great season. Since preseason, I’ve been rooting for him to make the team in an already shaky safety room. He’s had three tackles and one pass deflect so far. He’s been a speedy defensive guy that I think the Eagles will really benefit from.

DT Jalen Carter

Carter is one of the stellar guys the Eagles picked up and I could not be happier about it, on top of having Jordan Davis as well. The defense is getting beefed up and Carter, among the others is only just getting started. So far this season he’s had five tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

DT Moro Ojomo

Unfortunately, Ojomo suffered a concussion in the preseason so of course a longer recovery time is necessary. Before the injury, I thought Ojomo would be another fantastic defensive guy in development under the Eagles. I hope the team gets to see what he’s able to do in the regular season.