Analysis
11/3/21
6 min read
Week 8 Rookie Report: Micah Parsons is Mid-Season DROY
Whether they are high draft picks, late-round value picks or undrafted free agents, we’ll take a look each week of the NFL season at how NFL rookies are doing. Here’s this week’s report:
Stock Up Offensive Players
QB: Justin Fields - In a heartbreaking loss, Fields showed off what the Bears thought they were getting when they drafted him. Fields went 19 of 27 for 175 yards, 1 touchdown and while pick while adding 10 carries for 103 yards and a score on the ground. That stat line earned him a PFF grade of 76.7.
RB: Michael Carter - Carter has impressed over the past few weeks, and was very productive on Sunday. He ran 15 times for 77 and a TD, as well as catching 9 balls for 95 yards as a receiver. He finished the day with a grade of 72.2.
TE: Pat Freiermuth - This was a big week for the rookie TEs, in large part to Freiermuth’s performance. He has put together a number of good games and did so again on Sunday, as he caught 5 passes for 52 yards and a TD, earning himself a grade of 76.5.
TE: Brevin Jordan - Jordan, who was a fifth-round pick by the Texans, played well on Sunday in his NFL debut. He caught 3 passes on 4 targets for 41 yards and scored a TD. He finished with a PFF grade of 90.1.
OL: Alijah Vera-Tucker - Another Jet appears on this list after their big win on Sunday. Vera-Tucker has been very solid week to week after his early struggles and proved that once again. He played specifically well in the run game and totaled a grade of 76.3.
OL: Landon Dickerson - Dickerson has been up and down in his play to start his career, but looked comfortable on Sunday. Similarly to Vera-Tucker, he blocked well in the run game, leading to a grade of 74.8.
Stock Down Offensive PlayersÂ
QB: Trevor Lawrence - Lawrence has done his best to try and perform well with little talent around him, but has not had much success so far. On Sunday, he went 32 of 54 for 238 yds, 1 touchdown and 1 pick, which led him to a grade of 63.5.
WR: DeVonta Smith - Smith has performed well for the most part in his young career, but did not get involved in the offense on Sunday. He caught just one pass for 15 yards, as he was targeted just 3 times and had a drop. He finished with a grade of 55.0.
WR: Ja’Marr Chase - For the first time all season, Chase finds himself on the stock-down portion of the list. He still found the end zone but caught just 3 balls for 32 yards on 9 targets, with 2 drops. He finished with a grade of 61.0.Â
TE: Kyle Pitts - Pitts has played great, but had a hard time making plays on Sunday. He caught just 2 passers for 13 yards on 6 targets, including a drop, which earned him a grade of 50.3.
OL: Dan Moore Jr - Moore, who we highlighted two weeks ago with his great performance, struggled mightily this week. He was credited for being beaten by his defender 10 times and allowed 5 pressures in pass protection. He finished with a total grade of just 28.7.Â
OL: Liam Eichenberg - Like Moore, Eichenberg was on the stock up list two weeks ago for his performance, and we also highlighted his matchup going into the week. He struggled all game in pass protection, as he gave up 2 sacks and 6 pressures. He finished with a grade of 54.0.
Stock Up Defensive Players
DL: Tarron Jackson - Jackson was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles and has played very up and down to start his career. He was very good on Sunday, as he notched his second career sack and earned a PFF grade of 90.4.
DL: Gregory Rousseau - Rousseau has been one of the better rookie defenders and proved that in his matchup with the Dolphins. He was very disruptive in pass rush, as he had 3 hurries and 5 pressures, which gave him a grade of 87.7.
LB: Micah Parsons - Parsons started the year very hot but has not made it to the stock-up portion of this list in a few weeks. He returns this week thanks to 11 tackles, 4 TFLs, and a QB hit. He was also good in coverage, allowing 7 catches but for only 18 yards. He finished with a grade of 66.7. At this point, with how often he's been on our stock up list, his versatility, and the improvement of the Dallas defense, Parsons is our mid-season pick for DROY.
DB: Patrick Surtain II - Surtain followed last week’s performance up with another good one. He allowed just 3 catches for 27 yards on 8 targets and had a pass breakup, which earned him a grade of 76.3.Â
DB: Michael Carter II - Carter continued his impressive season on Sunday, where he had 4 tackles, 1 pass deflection, and allowed just 1 catch. He finished with a PFF grade of 78.4.
Stock Down Defensive Players
DL: Jaelan Phillips - Phillips looked like he was starting to put a few good games together but has not played as well of late. He posted a season-low 2.6% pass rush win rate and finished with a grade of 44.3.
DL: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka - For the second week straight, Tryon-Shoyinka finds himself on the wrong portion of the list, despite starting the season well. He struggled in both the run and pass and finished with a grade of 28.3.Â
LB: Jamin Davis - Outside of a few impressive weeks, Davis has really struggled this year, particularly against the run. He made very few plays and had a hard time defending against the run again, as he finished with a grade of 26.8.
LB: Monty Rice - Rice has played very little this year and hasn’t played poorly, but he struggled on Sunday, particularly in the run game. He was credited for missing 3 tackles and finished with a grade of 33.5.
DB: Benjamin St. Juste - St. Juste had a poor start to his career, but started to get it together in the past few weeks. However, on Sunday, he was credited for allowing 7 catches for 118 yards. He finished with a grade of 39.9.
Week 9 Matchups
Going into Week 9, there are some noteworthy matchups of rookies that will be worth keeping an eye on.Â
Kyle Pitts vs Pete Werner - Pitts is the ultimate weapon as a receiver, and despite playing poorly in Week 8 he has been very effective and will continue to do so. Similarly, Werner struggled in Week 8 but has been very good overall. The two will be an exciting matchup to keep an eye on.Â
Alex Leatherwood vs Azeez Ojulari - Alex Leatherwood has had a hard time all season, but played a little bit better in the past two weeks. Ojulari has been solid all season long and one of the better rookie defenders. The two will match up this week.
