QB
Tua Tagovailoa / MIA – Round 1
Tua is now 3-0 as the starter and has yet to throw an interception. He went 15/25 for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns in MIA’s win over LAC. He has taken the starting role in stride and now leads arguably the NFL’s most improved team. His accuracy is noteworthy and it carries over to his passes on the move. MIA’s offense has more options with Tua at the helm and his winning ways are already converting into pro ball.
RB
DeAndre Swift / DET – Round 2
DET got out to a 24-3 lead in the third quarter, but WAS mounted a comeback and ended up tying it up in the 4th quarter. DET’s offense had to go back to pass-happy and Swift was the main target. All 5 of his catches came in the second half, netting 68 yards and a touchdown. He also added 81 yards on 16 carries.
WR
Justin Jefferson / MIN – Round 1
CHI defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano made it his mission to not let MIN running back Dalvin Cook beat his defense. MIN offensive coordinator Greg Kubiak kept on force feeding Cook, but the passing game was greatly assisted by Jefferson. He caught 8 passes for 135 yards while making CHI corner Kyle Fuller look like the rookie. His route running on all levels of the route tree is a weapon that this MIN offense needs to use more.
TE
Harrison Bryant / CLE – Round 4
CLE only threw the ball 20 times (with 12 completions) and Bryant wasn’t thrown to once. The rookie tight end class this year has been woefully quiet and that trend continued in week 10. With that said, Bryant gets the nod when it comes to the blocking. Running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb combined for 38 carries and 230 yards. A big part of that was Bryant being moved around pre snap with several plays lined up at fullback where he succeeded as a lead blocker. He saw 50+% of the snaps, didn’t’t catch a pass, but still had a strong impact on their win vs HOU.
OT
Tristan Wirfs / TB – Round 1
Add CAR speed rusher Brian Burns to the list of edge defenders that simply couldn’t get past Wirfs. The athleticism Wirfs has shown is off the charts and he has the elite anchor to go with it.
OG/OC
Damien Lewis / SEA – Round 3
It was a bit of a rough week for interior rookie linemen, but Lewis had the toughest assignment in Aaron Donald. While he did pressure Russell Wilson a couple times, he finished with 0 tackles and 0 sacks. Lewis was matched up against him a couple handfuls of times and won all but one of them.
EDGE
DJ Wonnum / MIN – Round 4
A defensive line that had high hopes at defensive end this season has been forced into a face lift. Wonnum’s progression has put him on the field more often (season high 38 snaps against CHI) and produced results (3 sacks in his last 5 games). His skill set is developing and seems to be catching up to his tool set.
DT
Raekwon Davis / MIA – Round 2
Brian Flores has brought Davis along slowly and it appears the patience is paying off. In a game where he saw a season high 57% of the snaps, Davis finished with 7 tackles, including 4 solo stops. The freakish size and closing speed is a weapon up front, as his length and hand power give him the kind of lockout game that most simply won’t ever have. He played a key part in keeping LAC under 100 total rushing yards, just the second time that has happened in 2020.
LB
Isaiah Simmons / ARI – Round 1
Speaking of being patient, ARI hasn’t thrown Simmons into the fire like several other teams have with their respective first round rookies. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph has started to take take the training wheels off and he is about to take off. Simmons finished with 4 tackles / 1 TFL / 2 pressures in ARI’s win over BUF.
CB
Jeff Gladney / MIN – Round 1
Gladney is quickly evolving into MIN’s top cornerback and that may be an irrefutable fact by the end of the season. He finished with 4 tackles and 2 TFL in their primetime win over CHI Monday night. His role at nickel has supplied him with the opportunity to really factor against the run and that is where his impact has been felt the most as MIN has really turned around the ship.
S
Kyle Dugger / NE – Round 2
The Patriots knew this would be a transition season. While it is odd to see the perennial AFC powerhouse struggle, it seems to only be a matter of time before this defense is back to par. Dugger is and will be a huge part of that. He put forth the best game of his young career, leading the team with 12 tackles along with 2 pressures in NE’s upset win over the run-happy Ravens. They used him all over the field and weas especially effective as a blitzer off the edge.