The NFL’s 5 Best Rookies Heading into Week 4
Malik Nabers (WR, NYG)
Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) celebrates after catching a touchdown during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images.
Three weeks of NFL football are in the books, with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs setting the pace and teams like the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars racing to the bottom for the title of the league’s worst team.
The NFL’s 5 Best Rookies Heading into Week 4
Along the way, several rookies have performed wonderfully, scattered all across the business and regardless of draft round.
The following five players represent the league’s top five rookies through the end of Week 3, ranked in ascending order, according to Pro Football Focus.
5. Brock Bowers (TE)
Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) is tackled by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson (23) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images.
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
PFF Grade: 77.9
Bowers is on pace for 1,116 receiving yards and will cross voters’ minds when they vote for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Although his team disappointingly lost to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Bowers kept the train rolling to the tune of 41 yards.
From a fantasy football perspective, Bowers is somehow more trustworthy at the moment than Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, which would’ve sounded like heresy if an article like this had been published in July.
4. Jayden Daniels (QB)
Sep 23, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) high fives fans after the victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images.
Team: Washington Commanders
PFF Grade: 78.4
Daniels had his moment.
On the road at the Cincinnati Bengals, Daniels outdueled fellow LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in a battle of past Heisman winners. Daniels emphatically did not look like a rookie on Monday Night Football, and the Commanders seemed at least temporarily destined to nibble at Wildcard contendership.
Per EPA+CPOE, a metric measuring quarterback efficiency and wins added, Daniels is the NFL’s second-best passer — not among rookies, among everybody — trailing only Josh Allen in Buffalo. Wowzers. The guy is the real deal; don’t get it twisted.
3. Malik Nabers (WR)
Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images.
Team: New York Giants
PFF Grade: 80.0
Although NFL punditry is not high on the Giants, generally speaking, this guy and the next one are proving New York’s 2024 draft was no joke. Nabers is on pace for 1,536 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns — which would also be known as one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the sport. Of course, the next 14 games will be about sustainability.
Some Giants fans have even joked that Nabers is making Daniel Jones look “too good,” possibly hoodwinking the Giants’ brass into buying into Jones for the long haul — again.
2. Andru Phillips (CB)
Sep 30, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Andru Phillips (23) celebrates an incomplete pass intended for Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) during the second quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports.
Team: New York Giants
PFF Grade: 80.2
Phillips has not fired up a game below a 70.0 PFF grade in his first three contests, a commendable statistic because he’s not facing chumps in the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders, and Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, the Giants’ secondary isn’t known as otherworldly, so this 3rd-Round draft pick is standing off the page.
Accountable for a 79.2 passer rating allowed in three weeks, pass coverage is Phillips’ foremost specialty, recording an 83.9 PFF mark in that vein. Most fans would call for adept pass coverage as the key attribute if constructing a cornerback in a lab. Phillips has it.
1. Braelon Allen (RB)
Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (0) runs after a catch against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images.
Team: New York Jets
PFF Grade: 83.6
Fantasy managers have panicked a bit over Braelon Allen’s emergence to RB2 — because he might be “too good” and a threat to Breece Hall’s RB1 production.
Outside of the fantasy realm, nobody cares about Hall’s role, especially when the Jets have gotten off the schneid via winning. New York is the winner of two straight, and Allen has tabulated 124 yards from scrimmage in the last two contests. He’ll likely be “stuck” behind Hall for the duration of his rookie contract, but the guy is doing damage during his maiden voyage. He has everything: speed, size, youth, and electricity.
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 purple team, 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.
Newsletter
Subscribe for the latest posts in your inbox.
