Offensive Rookie of the Week:
Josh Simmons - Kansas City Chiefs
Defensive Rookie of the Week:
Mike Green - Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Cam Ward / TEN (Round 1)
For the third straight week, Ward did not throw an interception as he kept the game within striking distance late. Tennessee has steadied the ship a bit and his play has been a catalyst. He led rookies with 256 yards and for the second time this year his passer rating was 90+.
Honorable Mention: Shedeur Sanders / CLE
Running Back
Woody Marks / HOU (Round 4)
Houston pulled off the upset victory at home over the Bills with backup quarterback Davis Mills under center. An offense that has struggled to accrue explosives heavily leaned on Marks who led rookies with 74 yards on the ground and 4.6 yards per carry. He also had the highest number of yards after contact and gains of 10+ yards.
Honorable Mention: Quinshon Judkins / CLE
Wide Receiver
Chimere Dike / TEN (Round 4)
The second Titan to earn a spot scored two touchdowns on Sunday. One was on a late, short pass when the games essentially out of each but he also led the rookie receivers with five catches. The highlight of the day was a 90-yard punt return touchdown to give Tennessee their first touchdown of the afternoon. It was his second of the year, one of just two returners in the league to do so.
Honorable Mention: Luther Burden III / CHI
Tight End
Harold Fannin Jr. / CLE (Round 3)
Fannin has quickly turned into one of the top tight ends in the league after the catch. He finished with four receptions and 40 yards but actually had 44 yards after the catch. He broke five tackles and the rest of the rookie tight ends in the league combined for just one. In fact, Fannin leads the NFL tight ends with 18 missed tackles forced this season and tied for the lead if you add wide receivers to the mix.
Honorable Mention: Colston Loveland / CHI
Offensive Tackle
Josh Simmons / KC (Round 1)
There are marathon snap counts, and then there are what the Chiefs did at home against the Colts in an overtime win. Simmons played a whopping 96 snaps which is twice as much as some offensive linemen will play in a game. He allowed just two pressures but neither of them were straight up losses. One was an untouched defender because of a miscommunication and the other was a long, broken play where Simmons did his job initially. The twitch and speed in which he plays with allows him to stay patient as he can recover if initially beaten. His hand techniques are developed and he rarely seems off-balance. Simmons reminds us of a young Terron Armstead.
Honorable Mention: Ozzy Trapilo / CHI
Guard/Center
Tate Ratledge / DET (Round 2)
The Lions ran all over the Giants on Sunday in an impressive comeback win. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a career-high 219 yards (the first time he has gone over 200) and averaged 14.6 yards per attempt! 142 of those yards, including his two biggest gains of the day, came running right behind Ratledge. He also allowed just one pressure on 48 pass block snaps.
Honorable Mention: Dylan Fairchild / CIN
Edge
Mike Green / BAL (Round 2)
The Ravens have not had 20 points scored on them over the last six games and it is no coincidence Green has turned it on over that stretch. Head Coach John Harbaugh calls him one of the most advanced rookies they have ever had. He got his third sack in a month against Olu Fashanu and the Jets but also added four other pressures using an assortment of moves inside and out. He also added four tackles with stout run defense, controlling the point of attack and showing the ability to stack and shed.
Honorable Mention: James Pearce Jr. / ATL
Defensive Tackle
Warren Brinson / GB (Round 6)
Brinson’s first time on the Ourlads All Rookie team comes on the heels of a 5-pressure (led all defensive tackles), one-sack (the first of his career) performance in the dominant win over Minnesota. The Green Bay defensive front owned the line of scrimmage and Brinson, who had just one pressure all year, did damage on just 21 snaps.
Honorable Mention: Darius Alexander / NYG
Linebacker
Demetrius Knight / CIN (Round 2)
The door is open for CIncinnati rookie linebackers to learn the ropes and take over that second level of the defense. Knight has been playing all year (second in snaps among rookies this season) and while there has been a sense of back and forth nature to his game, he has constantly been found near the ball with a violent tackling style as the team tries to get back on track. Knight finished with seven tackles and two pressures and only 50% of the passes thrown his way were completed.
Honorable Mention: Carson Schwesinger / CLE
Cornerback
Upton Stout / SF (Round 5)
Stout only played 27 snaps but his impact was loud in the convincing win over Carolina on a national stage. He finished with six tackles, a pressure, and a downfield pass break up where he made an outstanding full extension deflection where he dove backward and just altered the path of the ball prior to landing in the hands of the receiver. It was the fourth game this season the passer rating when targeting him was under 80.
Honorable Mention: Marcus Harris / TEN
Safety
Kevin Winston Jr. / TEN (Round 3)
The strong week for the Tennessee rookies finishes with the final spot on the roster with Winston, who finished with nine tackles and zero misses. He has yet to be penalized this year and the cleanliness to both his tackling and movement in coverage is an encouraging sign for a defense that has steadied the ship.
Honorable Mention: Xavier Watts / ATL