OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Marvin Harrison Jr. – WR / ARI
Looking back on my wide receiver grades from the start of my grading process, Harrison Jr. was the second-best number I’ve given behind only Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson. While I never label anything a sure thing – Harrison was one of the closest things to it. The son of a Hall of Famer, Marvin Jr. immediately became the Cardinals number one receiver in my eyes. A team that has finished in last place each of the past two seasons but is also paying an expensive quarterback and is in year two of a coaching regime cannot necessarily wait a long time for a player to develop. Harrison is not a normal rookie, though. Last spring I said he would be a top ten receiver in the league before the end of his rookie season and we got a glimpse of that in week two.
Following a week one in which he had one catch for four yards, Harrison had the best quarter any receiver has had in the league. He caught 4 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game. While he did not create any more production the rest of the game, it was enough to catapult Arizona to its first win of the season, a game in which they beat the Rams 41-10. Harrison caught two of his three contested catches, and every reception went for either a score or first down.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kamari Lassiter – CB / HOU
Following the opening night of the 2024 NFL Draft, all but three cornerbacks were available heading into the second round. We expected to see a run on corners at some point and it started at the 40th overall pick. From there four straight came off the board. The third of that cluster, Lassiter, went to Houston much to the dismay of the New York Giants if you can remember back to Hard Knocks. Lassiter, a productive SEC corner that allowed just one touchdown over his final 24 games with just one penalty over his final 17, appeared to be an ideal fit for the physical brand of the Demeco Ryans defensive scheme despite a less than inspiring forty time pre-workout.
He won the starting job immediately and has put two straight impressive performances together. In the team’s win at home against the number one overall pick Caleb Williams and the Bears on a national stage, Lassiter picked off two passes that displayed excellent ball tracking and reaction. The first one was called back because of a roughing the passer penalty, but he came through again in the fourth quarter. Lassiter was targeted seven times, allowing just two catches for a total of 20 yards. Williams’ passer rating was a ZERO when throwing his way. The coverage scheme is very zone-dominant and it has turned into an ideal fit for the Lassiter to this point, pairing with 2022 top five pick Derek Stingley to create the top young corner duo in the league.
QB
Jayden Daniels / WAS (Round 1)
For the being, this will be a two-man contest between Daniels and Caleb Williams. And for the second straight week, the second quarterback taken takes the spot. It was a clean game for the dual threat, as he gained 44 yards on the ground (33 of which were after contact) and threw for 226 yards on 23/229 passing. The elusive runner and smooth thrower was top ten in yards per attempt and adjusted completion percentage.
Honorable Mention: Caleb Williams / CHI
RB
Braelon Allen / NYJ (Round 4)
It was a quiet week for rookie running backs but that does not take away from Allen’s performance. He was one of two rookies league wide to score two touchdowns and the only one to score both as a rusher and pass catcher. The Jets win in Tennessee marked the second straight week where the 245-pound bruiser averaged over 4 yards after contact per attempt. He ranks near the top of the league in that department. He scored their first and last touchdowns of the day, the second of which broke a 17-17 tie where his rare speed for his frame caught the Tennessee safety by surprise as he exploded right by him into the end zone.
Honorable Mention: Ray Davis / BUF
WR
Marvin Harrison / ARI (Round 1)
See above
Honorable Mention: Malik Nabers / NYG
TE
Brock Bowers / LV (Round 1)
The upset of the week, the Raiders road win over the Ravens, was very much fueled by Bowers. He was targeted nine times and he brought all nine of them in, finishing with 98 yards which was second most among all tight ends league wide. Bowers caught two contested catches and finished with five first downs. Two of those first downs came on the fourth quarter drive that tied the game up at 23 within a series of plays where he was targeted on three of four straight plays.
Honorable Mention: Cade Stover / HOU
OT
Taliese Fuaga / NO (Round 1)
The transition from right tackle to protecting the blind side has paid enormous initial dividends. Against the vaunted Dallas pass rush, Fuaga pitched a shutout in pass protection allowing zero pressures in a matchup that included multiple one on one’s against All-Pro Micah Parsons.
Honorable Mention: Joe Alt / LAC
OG/OC
Graham Barton / TB (Round 1)
Speaking of position changes, Barton has made the move to center from left tackle look easy. While there was some initial push back by the Detroit defensive front, Barton impressed with his ability to stay latched on and recover, showing several strong finishes against a powerful DJ Reader and the exotic looks the Detroit staff tried to throw at him in pass protection.
Honorable Mention: Zach Frazier / PIT
ED
Dallas Turner / MIN (Round 1)
It was a quiet week for the rookie edge defenders and while Turner is not yet a full time player for the MIN defense, Brian Flores is finding ways to creatively use the elite athlete. He finished with two tackles and two pressures, but was also factoring as an off-ball player in coverage in MIN’s impressive win over SF.
Honorable Mention: Jared Verse / LAR
DT
Byron Murphy / SEA (Round 1)
Murphy led NFL rookies with four pressures in week two. He recorded his first sack and added four tackles, three of which were wins for the defense. The versatile usage up front has exposed different elements to his game that has caused disruption and matchup problems for opposing lines in all situations. Murphy is already demanding a lot of double team action but his unique build, power, and twitch combinations will make him a weapon for the new Seattle defense.
Honorable Mention: Braden Fiske / LAR
LB
Jaylon Carlies / IND (Round 5)
The lone day three representation of the defensive All-Rookie Team from week two is a safety-to-linebacker convert. GB torched the IND defense on the ground, but Carlies led rookie linebackers with five tackles and two stops, showing vast improvement from week two as the team tries to figure out their linebacker future.
Honorable Mention: Payton Wilson / PIT
CB
Kamari Lassiter / HOU (Round 2)
See above
Honorable Mention: Andru Phillips / NYG
S
Javon Bullard / GB (Round 2)
For the second straight week, Bullard stood out among the league’s rookie safeties finishing with five tackles and a pass break up. He continues to be a versatile chess piece for a defense tat absolutely shut down Anthony Richardson and the Colts offense.
Honorable Mention: Tykee Smith / TB