The NFL’s 5 Best Rookies Heading into Week 13

NFL playoff seeding is really taking shape, with an especially crowded field in the NFC. For example, the Green Bay Packers live in the sixth seed with an 8-3 record.

The NFL’s 5 Best Rookies Heading into Week 13

Meanwhile, several rookies have performed wonderfully, scattered throughout the business and regardless of draft round.

The following five players represent the league’s top five rookies through the end of Week 12,  ranked in ascending order, according to Pro Football Focus.

5. Evan Williams (S)

Team: Green Bay Packers
PFF Grade: 81.5

Williams produced a few quiet games lately, per PPF, by his lofty early-season standards, but he bounced back nicely at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12.

He logged a couple of tackles in the Packers’ emphatic beatdown of the 49ers, and he remains one of the NFL’s best-kept secrets.

4. Andru Phillips (CB)

Team: New York Giants
PFF Grade: 82.1

The Giants are in utter disarray, seeming like they’re on a steady march toward change that will involve the terminations of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. In fact, New York’s ineptitude caused wide receiver Malik Nabers to fall off this list altogether, when he was a mainstay until recently.

Phillips is still marvelous, however, and like Williams above, he’s one of the league’s most underrated rookies, chiefly because of his mid-round draft stock.

3. Brock Bowers (TE)

Team: Las Vegas Raiders
PFF Grade: 83.1

Bowers fired up a quiet game with his already-established pedigree, logging just 4 receptions for 38 yards. It was his quietest outing since Week 4 — fantasy football managers will talk your ear off about it.

But Bowers is still on pace for 114 catches, 1,150 yards, and 5 touchdowns on a team quarterbacked by Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, and perhaps Desmond Ridder before too long.

2. Bucky Irving (RB)

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PFF Grade: 85.1

Irving is on pace for 1,284 yards from scrimmage and 8 touchdowns on a team that could get frisky in the next six weeks and catch the Atlanta Falcons from behind.

Before too long, Irving will take over as the Buccaneers RB1, or at the very least, Tampa Bay will showcase an Irving combination with Rachaad White like Detroit Lions do with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

If you play Dynasty Fantasy Football, trade some draft picks for Irving. His stock is climbing.

1. Jayden Daniels (QB)

Team: Washington Commanders
PFF Grade: 88.5

Daniels’ team dropped a heartbreaker to the Dallas Cowboys. He’ll quickly learn that’s just how division rivalries goes from time to time.

Dallas delivered the heat check to Daniels, yet he’s still on pace to win Offensive Rookie of the Year if he can keep Denver Broncos passer Bo Nix at bay.

If the postseason started tonight, Daniels and the Commanders would travel to Philadelphia for a date with Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. Must-see television.

---

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the Minnesota Vikings, with 4-7 episodes per week. His NFL obsession dates back to 1989. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.