QB
CJ Stroud / HOU (Round 1)
Stroud was the only rookie to play in week three, but do not make the mistake of labeling that the reason he made the all-rookie team. His performance in the Texans' road win over the Jaguars was the best play we have seen from all rookie passers this season. He went 20/30 with 280 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. The footwork and low heart rate have come a long way in such a short time, and he is making some big boy throws already. He is now only the third quarterback in history to begin his career with 900 yards in three games (Cam Newton and Justin Herbert are the others).
Honorable Mention: N/A
RB
De'Von Achane / MIA (Round 3)
After all the chatter surrounding Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs after two weeks, Achane entered the conversation (after six touches over the first two weeks) and said “Hold my beer”. 203 yards on 18 carries with 2 touchdowns. He was not done. He added 30 more yards on 4 catches with another 2 touchdowns. Achane is known for his Olympic caliber speed, and it showed up. He registered a run that reached 21.93 MPH, second fastest by any ball carrier this season (second to only Tyreek Hill). What else did he do at an elite level in week 3? Break tackles and yards after contact. He broke 9 tackles and gained an average of 6.22 yards after contact. Not bad for the 190 pounder that had the pronunciation of his name wrong in the team’s media guide. Something tells me that will be changing soon.
Honorable Mention: Jahmyr Gibbs (DET)
WR
Tank Dell / HOU (Round 3)
The 70th overall pick and 9th wide receiver taken from the 2023 NFL Draft has been inching up the production week by week. He broke out in the Texans' upset win over the Jaguars, leading the team with 145 yards on just 5 catches (29.0 avg). No other player on the team contributed more than 34 yards on CJ Stroud’s first 300-yard game. His 50 yards after the catch and route running displayed just how rare his movement traits are. Give him an inch, he’s taking a mile.
Honorable Mention: Marvin Mims (DEN)
TE
Sam LaPorta / DET (Round 2)
Only four players caught a pass in the Lions' home win over the Falcons. Of the 22 total completions, LaPorta came down with over a third of them. He caught 8 passes for 84 yards (both second on the team), while hauling in the team’s only touchdown through the air, the first of his career. He quickly became the TE1 for this team and his impact goes way beyond the stat sheet. His impact as a blocker and moveable chess piece is making an early impact, which is not common for the position.
Honorable Mention: Luke Musgrave (GB)
OT
Dawand Jones / CLE (Round 4)
Because of the injury to Jack Conklin, Jones was rushed into a starting role a bit earlier than the team had hoped. But under the guidance of the top offensive line coach in the league, Bill Callahan, he has made strides week by week. Against an underrated Tennessee defensive front, Jones played every snap and did not allow a single pressure. His improvement as a run blocker was easy to see as well, as he is quickly learning to get his footwork to be “good enough” considering how big he is.
Honorable Mention: Anton Harrison (JAX)
OG/OC
O’Cyrus Torrence / BUF (Round 3)
Torrence played all 68 snaps and was asked to pass protect 38 times. He allowed just one pressure, and the team averaged a stunning 6.2 yards per carry when running behind him. The absolute unit and bulldozer has quickly acclimated to the speed of the game and is already one of the biggest and most powerful interior blockers in the league.
Honorable Mention: Joe Tippman (NYJ)
ED
Tuli Tuipulotu / LAC (Round 2)
While we must be careful with definitive statements both early in a season and early in a player’s career, Tuipulotu is proving to be one of the best value grabs from the 2023 class in short time. His 9 pressures and 3 sacks were vital ingredients to the Chargers near-must win to avoid 0-3 in their game against the Vikings. His impact goes beyond the passing game. He added 2 run stops and the versatility he beings to the table is changing how that front plays football.
Honorable Mention: Byron Young (LAR)
DT
Jalen Carter / PHI (Round 1)
On just 21 snaps, Carter left his mark on the Tampa Bay offensive line. He was all over the field, including a forced fumble on a hustle play following a screen pass. He added 4 pressures, including a QB hit and sack. The ability to split double teams and constantly create a new line of scrimmage is making such an impact on how opposing teams call plays.
Honorable Mention: Bryan Bresee (NO)
LB
Henry To’oTo’o / HOU (Round 5)
Playing every snap for the first time this season, To’oTo’o shared the team lead with 10 tackles and broke up a pass while also adding a hurry on one of his three pass rush attempts. The similarities between him and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans are plentiful. Remember, this is a player the team traded up for and by the looks of it, he will be the starter from here on out. Expect a lot of tackles and heady play, just like Ryans did for the Texans as a rookie in 2006 after leading the NFL with 126 solo tackles.
Honorable Mention: Ivan Pace Jr (MIN)
CB
Christian Gonzalez / NE (Round 1)
AJ Brown. Tyreek Hill. Garrett Wilson. The three players Gonzalez matched up against to start of his NFL career. Week three in New York was the best we have seen yet as the confidence is growing and he is learning the scheme more and more. He had 3 tackles, 2 run stops, and a pass break up to help lead the Patriots to a dominant performance over the division rival Jets.
Honorable Mention: Julius Brents (IND)
S
Brian Branch / DET (Round 2)
Arguably the defensive performance in the league in week three was Detroit over Atlanta. The Falcons gained 130 yards on the ground in week one, 211 in week two. Against the Lions? 44. Branch led the team with 11 tackles, 8 of which were stops for the defense. His 12 stops are number one in the NFL. Branch also broke up two passes, which led the team.
Honorable Mention: Sydney Brown (PHI)