QB
Will Levis / TEN (Round 2)
What started off as a nightmare (a pick six on a middle screen) ended in a primetime upset win on the road against one of the best team’s the AFC has to offer. Levis threw for a career-high 327 yards with a touchdown and added 15 more yards on the ground. The mental fortitude and gamer mentality showed and this team overall appears to have new life as they feed off the second rounder.
Honorable Mention: Tommy DeVito / NYG
RB
Bijan Robinson / ATL (Round 1)
Nobody stood out among the backs, but a handful had solid, productive games. Robinson’s impact came in a balanced manner. He scored a touchdown on the ground and added 54 yards on 5 catches. Throwing him the ball behind the line of scrimmage and letting him do his thing is this team’s best source of offense. He averaged 13.8 yards after the catch per reception.
Honorable Mention: Jahmyr Gibbs / DET
WR
Zay Flowers / BAL (Round 1)
An emotional roller coaster at the end of the game saw the Ravens down by five with under 5 minutes left. If you did not think Flowers was Lamar Jackson’s number one target (he leads the team in catches and yards by sizeable margins), the end of this game let you know that he is. Flowers caught three passes, including a 21-yard touchdown on 3rd and 17 with just over a minute left to get them the lead. Right after? A two-point conversion connection between the two gave them the three-point lead that they needed, as the Rams kicked a field goal to force the game into overtime.
Honorable Mention: Puka Nacua / LAR
TE
Tucker Kraft / GB (Round 3)
The young pass catchers from Green Bay give hope to the future. The most under-talked about one, but arguably the most underrated, is Kraft. He caught all four targets for 64 yards, 32 of which came after the catch. He gained three first downs. In the trenches, Kraft was controlling the point of attack and staying on his man in the running game.
Honorable Mention: Sam LaPorta / DET
OT
Darnell Wright / CHI (Round 1)
On 45 dropbacks, Wright allowed just one hurry as he faced off against one of the top young pass rushers in the game, Aidan Hutchinson. This will be a heavyweight battle worth watching for years to come and Wright took the dominant win this time around.
Honorable Mention: Blake Freeland / IND
OG/OC
Steve Avila / LAR (Round 2)
Avila is running away as the top interior rookie in 2023. He allowed just one hurry against the Ravens in the comeback effort on the road. Matched up against a front that leads the NFL in sacks, Avila allowed just one hurry on 47 dropbacks.
Honorable Mention: Joe Tippman / NYJ
ED
Tyree Wilson / LV (Round 1)
Playing just about 50% of the snaps in a game where the defense allowed just three points, Wilson flashed the best football we have seen him play so far in 2023. He had 3 hurries and a sack. He also added a tackle on a screen play where he showed excellent reaction time and closing speed. The talent and upside got him drafted in the top ten and it looks like he is now playing free and easy.
Honorable Mention: Nick Herbig / PIT
DT
Bryan Bresee / NO (Round 1)
33 of his 44 snaps were on passing plays and almost all of them came from three-technique alignment. He had 5 hurries and 2 QB hits, both of which were season highs, in the home win over Carolina.
Honorable Mention: Gervon Dexter / CHI
LB
Jack Campbell / DET (Round 1)
The man in the middle has seen his snap count consistently stay high since week 10 and his level of play is improving. He finished with 8 tackles, marking it the third time in four weeks he has reached that number. While coverage is not his strong suit, his floor has been raised there.
Honorable Mention: Ivan Pace Jr. / MIN
CB
Joey Porter Jr. / PIT (Round 2)
As is the case with most rookie corners not named Sauce Gardner, Porter Jr. has seen his share of peaks and valleys as a rookie. His play, notably tackling, has steadied. He had 4 tackles and a stop against New England on Thursday night. He also broke up a pass and allowed just 2 of 4 targets to be completed.
Honorable Mention: Mekhi Blackmon / MIN
S
Jordan Howden / NO (Round 5)
To be blunt, Howden is a very good football player. No matter the situation and no matter the role, his impact is felt all over the field. He totaled 9 tackles, a sack-fumble (that NO recovered), and a pass break up. The 76 snaps were a season high and it was his best game of the season, a week after he struggled against Detroit.
Honorable Mention: Ji’Ayer Brown / SF