Throughout the NFL season, we’re ranking the top 10 rookies in the league based on their progress. Here’s the breakdown following Week 11:
10. Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: The No. 5 overall pick out of Alabama still has six touchdown passes to zero picks, but you can’t get benched and not lose some ground here.
9. Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins: The second-round Clemson product was one of the hottest receivers in the league before catching just three of 10 targets in Week 11. The loss of Joe Burrow might cost him significantly.
8. Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb: The first-round Oklahoma product has faded with all of the quarterback problems in Dallas, but he’s still managed to score in back-to-back games. His touchdown in a season-saving Week 11 victory was a work of art.
7. Indianapolis Colts S Julian Blackmon: We have a new leader of the pack in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, which has been quite slow. The third-rounder out of Utah has two picks, six passes defensed, and a forced fumble in nine games, but that doesn’t do justice to his impact. He’s also the highest-graded rookie defender in the league at Pro Football Focus.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs: The No. 13 overall pick out of Iowa has been responsible for just one sack on Tom Brady through 10 games.
5. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow: Five interceptions in 10 starts is pretty damn impressive when you consider Burrow’s lack of support in Cincinnati. It’s a shame we won’t see him again until 2021.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers WR Chase Claypool: Only four NFL players have scored more touchdowns this season than the Notre Dame second-rounder (10). He’s also on pace to push 1,000 yards for an unbeaten team.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars RB James Robinson: The undrafted Illinois State product just keeps ticking. He’s one of just four players with more than 1,000 scrimmage yards this season. He’s also scored a solid seven touchdowns on a bad team.
2. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson: Only five wide receivers have more yards than the first-round LSU product, who leads the NFL by a wide margin with 14.4 yards per target.
1. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert: It really sucks that the No. 6 overall pick out of Oregon has won just two starts because the Chargers are a mess, but his second career win Sunday against the Jets was pretty sweet. Herbert’s 22-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio is phenomenal for a rookie who was considered slightly raw and had no preseason and a limited offseason to work with.
