Throughout the NFL season, we’re ranking the top 10 rookies in the league based on their progress. Here’s the breakdown following Week 7.
10. Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb: He finally put up a dud in Week 7, but the first-round pick from Oklahoma still ranks 14th in the NFL with 497 receiving yards.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers WR Chase Claypool: Claypool also laid an egg in Week 7, but the Notre Dame second-rounder recorded a ridiculous 296 yards and four touchdowns in the previous four weeks. He’s becoming a stud.
8. New England Patriots G Michael Onwenu: It’s kind of ironic that in New England’s first season this century without Tom Brady, a sixth-round pick out of Michigan is exceeding expectations as a bright spot within that interior offensive line.
7. Washington Football Team edge Chase Young: It hasn’t been a great year for defensive rookies in general, but the second overall pick out of Ohio State leads the way with 2.5 sacks. He brought constant heat last week against the Cowboys.
6. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow: The top pick from LSU went over 400 yards for the first time in his career, and was again a factor on the ground as his Bengals slugged it out with the Cleveland Browns. It’s been an up-and-down year thus far, but Burrow looks like he’s on track to become a strong franchise quarterback.
5. Indianapolis Colts S Julian Blackmon: The third-round pick out of Utah has two picks, six passes defensed, 10 tackles, and only four completions allowed into his coverage through five NFL games.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars RB James Robinson: The undrafted Illinois State product went over 100 yards in a high-scoring loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s one of just five players with more than 700 scrimmage yards this season.
3. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson: The first-round LSU product chilled out on his bye, and came out of it still leading the NFL with 14.9 yards per target.
2. Kansas City Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire: The first-round selection out from LSU leads the AFC with 745 scrimmage yards following a strong performance despite a short workload in Week 7.
1. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert: The No. 6 overall pick out of Oregon is now the league’s sixth-highest-rated qualified passer, and only Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson have higher yards-per-attempt averages. He looks like the real deal.
