Grading NFL's next generation of quarterbacks: Lamar Jackson earns 'A+,' Mason Rudolph and Kyle Allen solid

The trio of second-year quarterbacks turned in quality performances in Week 10

Three of the more overlooked quarterbacks from the 2018 NFL Draft were impressive on Sunday.

Lamar Jackson was the last of five quarterbacks picked in the first round. Mason Rudolph wasn't picked until Round 3. Kyle Allen went undrafted. 

Those passers earned the three highest grades for their efforts in Week 10.

Each week, I dig deep and grade these quarterbacks on a per-snap basis, taking every individual aspect of their performance into account. And you'll see a season grade for the signal-callers who've played significant snaps in more than one game.  

Jackson's awesome performance against the Cincinnati Bengals started with a bang, a downfield dime to Marquise Brown with the pocket collapsing and a perfectly placed long out to Mark Andrews off play-action. His touchdown to the second-year tight end a few plays later was only two yards but needed to be hurried and was without any loss of accuracy. 

His first positive run of the day came on the next drive, in which he picked up nine on a 2nd-and-8. A few plays later, Jackson ripped one into Andrews on 4th-and-3 for a first down near the sideline before throwing over the middle to Nick Boyle, which, after some YAC, was a 35-yard gain. The pass was slightly behind the tight end.

Jackson demonstrated his arm talent and athleticism mix on the next drive with a sidearm release on the run to Hayden Hurst -- and the throw was on the money -- for a first down. A few plays later, Jackson started left then came back to the right side of the field before hitting Boyle for 25 yards. Off play-action, the second-year quarterback led Andrews just enough for the tight end to score his second touchdown of the day. Coverage was solid. The throw was better.

Early in the third, Jackson amazingly avoided a sack and had the awareness to keep his head up to find Boyle over the middle against tight coverage then had as stunning of a quarterback run as you'll ever seen a masterful exhibition of athleticism on the 47-yard score. On the next drive, Jackson looked slightly to his left before climbing the pocket and throwing a strike to Andrews into the end zone that was almost reeled in for a score. The ball had to be out in front of the tight end and was. Jackson then had a legitimate submarine delivery to Boyle for a two-yard gain on a play before throwing a touchdown to Brown as he was being hit inside the pocket. 

Even factoring in the drastic difference in defensive quality, Jackson was much more impressive against the Bengals in Week 10 than he was against the big win over the Patriots in Week 9. This outing marks the second "A+" of the season.

Grade: A+
Season Grade: B-

Finley's first third down attempt was a misfire high down the sideline against tight coverage, and his first NFL completion came on his second drive. After that short connection into the flat, Finley stood in an found Tyler Boyd over the middle to move the chains on 3rd-and-11. He then decisively scrambled for 16 after climbing the pocket. 

After waiting forever in the pocket before spinning out of it, Finley threw high of his intended target down the sideline then found Auden Tate thanks to good timing on a comeback that got a first down. Following a creative play in which he evaded interior pressure, rolled left then threw across the field to Mixon, the rookie was intercepted on an out route that was late and didn't have enough velocity behind it. 

On the next drive -- after the pick six -- Finley got it out quicker on a pass outside the numbers for a first down, and his touchdown to Tyler Eifert was a wonderfully placed back-shoulder slot wheel. Following a scramble to start the third, Finley threw a dart through traffic over the middle to Boyd for 24 yards then moved out of the pocket and had a pass broken up on a short throw. 

While he looked antsy while doing it, and he faded away from the throw, Finley scanned the entire width of the field before getting it to Boyd for eight yards but narrowly missed him downfield on the next play and overthrew a pass near the sideline while scrambling. Finley drifted in the pocket late in the third but was crushed by an interior rusher and fumbled. He was almost picked on the next drive on what looked like a miscommunication down the sideline and wasn't on the same page with rookie Stanley Morgan on a fourth down play that fell incomplete. With the game clearly out of reach, Finley had a minor underthrow off playaction to Boyd deep. Finley wasn't as bad as his stats would indicate (16 of 30, 156 yards, one touchdown, one pick), but his debut NFL performance can't be labeled as good either.

Grade: D+

Jones' opening drive was disastrous, as he had a swing pass broken up then fumbled when he didn't move as pressure mounted. Jones settled in on his second drive, and started with a well-timed out toward the sideline to Bennie Fowler to move the chains. Later, he waited very patiently inside a clean pocket and squeezed one into Darius Slayton over the middle for a touchdown. While the throw was short, it was well placed.

Jones completed a pass on a slant to Slayton for a first down, then, after recovering his own fumble and throwing it away, the rookie got it to Slayton again on a slant that went for a 39-yard touchdown. After good placement on a comeback route on the outside to start the third, Jones held the ball too long and had it ripped from his hands by Jamal Adams who returned it for a touchdown. On the ensuing drive, Jones made a textbook throw on a deep comeback to Slayton then tossed a screen to Golden Tate who ran it for a 61-yard score.

The first-round pick missed Tate -- with a step -- deep in the end zone then had perfect timing with Slayton a comeback on third and long to get the first down. His next touchdown was an easy, short throw over the middle to Tate. Jones had a sideline pass whistle through the hands of a Jets cornerback then was sacked after a late step up on third down. He then missed on a throw beyond his first read when his feet weren't set upon the release but absorbed some hits during an 11-yard scramble to get the first down. Jones then missed high on a throw to his left -- he couldn't step into the throw -- and checked it down short of the sticks on third down.

Down seven in the fourth, Jones worked the quick game initially but was sacked on second down when he held it too long then had a wayward downfield pass down the sideline on third and long. The game fittingly ended with Jones getting sacked from the blindside deep in his own end. The rookie flashed slightly, but his pocket presence was subpar all game, although his offensive line could've been better.

Grade: C-
Season Grade: C+

Darnold started the game getting the ball out quickly, and his first impressive throw came between zone defenders on a 3rd-and-11. The second-year quarterback walked in for a touchdown on a zone read. 

On the next drive, Darnold made a ridiculous throw as he was being taken to the turf, an out route to Robby Anderson for 11 yards and a first down. On 3rd-and-6, Darnold looked left then came back to the middle and threw a laser -- as he was tripping -- to Jamison Crowder for a touchdown. Darnold narrowly missed a huge play on a flea flicker -- overthrow -- then was sacked when he had nowhere to go on third down.

Darnold was just off on a slant then had a nice throw down the field, while improvising, nullified by a holding call. On his next possession, Darnold nearly was picked on a rollout and threw wide of his target while under duress on an out on 3rd-and-7. In the third, Darnold got his feet stuck in the mud in the pocket and was sacked. He then had a long throw broken up by the safety down the sideline.

One of the biggest plays of the game occurred on a 3rd-and-7 in the third. Darnold looked right then came back to his left and scampered 24 yards for a first down. That drive ended in a field goal to shrink the margin to three points. Near the end of the third quarter, Darnold had a beautiful pocket climb -- with a shoulder dip -- before finding Crowder running across the field, then, in the fourth, moved up again and found a wide open Demaryius Thomas for what turned into a 47-yard gain. Darnold dealt with a fair amount of pressure, and while there weren't an assortment of "wow" throws, he was mostly steady for the entire contest.

Grade: C+
Season Grade: C-

After a defensive pass interference on a downfield attempt on his opening drive, Allen had Dawson Knox drop a back-shoulder toss on 3rd-and-4 before throwing behind John Brown on an in-breaking route on the next play. 

On his next possession, Allen had a third down slant to Brown broken up by Denzel Ward and missed on a covered long ball to Brown later early in the second. The second-year quarterback got it out quickly to an open Knox on 3rd-and-2 then threw back to the left side of the field off a half-roll to his right to Brown. The pass got there in a hurry and gained 20 yards. A few plays later, Allen scored on designed run.

After moving out of the pocket to his right, Allen missed Beasley on a scramble drill throw, but got it to him on a slant on third down for a 26-yard gain. On the same drive, Allen beamed a laser to Brown on third and long against zone coverage before finding him again on a comeback for another first down. But a string of incompletions -- including a weird run out of a clean pocket -- led to a field goal attempt before the half.

Allen started the second half with a rocket to Beasley between two defenders then had Andre Roberts drop a catchable ball on an in-breaker before getting sacked when his pocket collapsed in a hurry. Allen stood in an threw a rope to Knox for a big gain then, for some reason, on third and three, decided to launch it deep to Beasley who was double covered. Following a ripped slant to Brown, Allen was nearly picked by an undercutting Greedy Williams on a deep over to Brown. On the next play, Isaiah McKenzie blew past coverage but Allen overthrew him deep while getting hit as he threw. The drive stalled after Allen misfired to Brown while being pressured. 

He made a long throw to Brown near the sideline for 17, but that drive ended in a punt after he panicked a bit in the pocket and threw slightly off target to Roberts on third down. On the drive that gave Buffalo the lead in the fourth, Allen fired his finest pass of a day, a rope to Beasley over the middle between defenders on a play in which he waited patiently in the pocket and got through his reads. After he fumbled on a scramble near the goal line, Allen had an end zone target to Knox broken up, but the Bills scored on the ground on the next play. On the final drive of the game, Allen connected with Brown on a deep comeback on a third and eight before ripping an out to McKenzie to cross into Cleveland territory. 

But on third down, Allen and Brown had a miscommunication on a downfield shot and the 53-yard field goal was missed. It wasn't a pretty outing early, but he again put a handful of impressive throws on film at the intermediate level and was mostly patient scanning from inside the pocket. However, his misses downfield continued. 

Grade: B-
Season Grade: B-

Murray started with some easy completions then missed an open Christian Kirk in the end zone. He got into a rhythm on the next drive with a snap release to Larry Fitzgerald on a crosser and two more short completions to the veteran. 

Later in the first half, Murray threw slightly wide of Kirk downfield on a target that was well covered then was sacked by an edge rusher as he tried to move up into the pocket. From deep in his own end, Murray airmailed a deep over to Kirk then threw dangerously over the middle on a pass that fell incomplete. In the second quarter, Murray kept it himself and scampered for 36 yards down the left sideline before ripping one to rookie Andy Isabella in the outside hole in Cover 2 for 17 yards.

Murray was sacked on a third and two but lofted one perfectly to Fitzgerald on a deep out to get the first down on the next play and found Kirk, who had a few steps on his defender, for a 33-yard score right before halftime. Early in the third, Murray had a wide open Maxx Williams drop on fourth and one off playaction take an easy touchdown off the board. But he got it back on a fake bubble screen that allowed Kirk to get a few steps down the sideline, and the wideout caught the pass in stride for the long score.

After a string of incompletions -- mostly throwaways -- midway through the fourth, Murray dropped a dime over the middle for Kirk's third score of the game. The ball was actually tipped but had enough juice to get past the underneath defender. On the next play after a pass with perfect trajectory on a seam throw to Fitzgerald, Murray was picked on an ill-advised loft after fading away. Didn't help that Terrell Sherfield fell as the ball was arriving. Murray really never got anything going on the final drive of the game. Overall, after somewhat of a slow start, Murray was pretty impressive against a susceptible secondary.

Grade: B+
Cumulative Grade: C+

Nick Vannett dropped a slightly off-target throw to start the game then Rudolph overthrew Vance McDonald down the field while under pressure. On the next play, a bad snap resulted in a touchdown for the Rams. On third and nine, JuJu Smith-Schuster dropped a pass that would've resulted in a first down. 

Rudolph stayed patient in the pocket and got it to Diontae Johnson on a short crosser that went for 13 yards. On a free play thanks to a Los Angeles defender jumping offside, Rudolph threw slightly short of Smith-Schuster on his second read down the right sideline, and the third-year pro adjusted to make the catch. On the next play, Rudolph put it on Johnson's hands on his second read on a deep dig over the middle. Another drop. The rookie redeemed himself a few plays later when Rudolph moved into the pocket and found him open for a 30-yard gain. He then threw with anticipation on a strike on a dig to Washington before finding his former Oklahoma State teammate on an end zone fade for a score. 

There was another drop on 3rd-and-7 when Rudolph found Jaylen Samuels as Aaron Donald was bearing down on him. On the next drive, Rudolph threw a strike to Washington on a deep in-breaker over the middle, but the young receiver fumbled just before he ran out of bounds. Early in the third, Rudolph connected with Vannett on an out-breaker on the numbers but threw high on a throw into the flat to Samules on third down. On the next possession, Rudolph stepped into the pocket but was sacked by Clay Matthews then had a pass broken up over the middle on 3rd-and-20. Early in the fourth, Johnson dropped a fastball from Rudolph on a hitch that would've moved the chains then the second-year quarterback threw slightly wide of Washington, who made a diving attempt, on third down. 

Rudolph was sacked for a safety on a deep drop in his own end zone in the fourth but rebounded nicely. He made a long anticipation throw from the far hash to the sideline to Washington for 12 then got it to him on an out on a third down conversion. Later in the fourth quarter drive, Rudolph threw a laser to Smith-Schuster on a slant between defenders. 

While he wasn't tremendous, Rudolph played soundly throughout and put a handful of impressive intermediate throws on film.

Grade: B+
Season Grade: C+

Allen had a nice second-read look to D.J. Moore over the middle on the opening ultimately stalled drive then threw to a wide open Moore at the intermediate level for a big gain on the next drive which ended with a short toss into the flat to Moore for the touchdown.

After a good scramble for a first down, Allen got free from interior pressure and was able to check it down for positive yardage. Allen overthrew Greg Olsen in the red zone on a drive that ended in a field goal then got it to Moore on a perfectly placed slant but fumbled the snap on the next play. Allen found Olsen on a shallow cross that picked up sizable yardage, yet the drive came to a screeching halt when the second-year pro was sacked on third down. 

Allen ripped a deep dig to Moore with Jaire Alexander draped on him in coverage. He then ripped an out to Olsen for a first down then threw late on a short in-breaker before getting creative in the pocket and forcing a throw into the end zone that was tipped (while nearly getting picked) and intercepted by another Green Bay defender. 

Allen underthrew a deep shot to Moore and was sacked then fired a missile over the middle to Olsen for a big third down conversion. After that, Allen and Moore timed a deep comeback well before Allen lofted a gorgeous deep cross to Jarius Wright for a chunk play. Midway through the fourth, with the snow flying, Allen fit one into Moore outside the numbers but was sacked as he was stationary inside the pocket. On the final drive of the contest, Allen lofted a pass to Curtis Samuel for 15 yards down the sideline but should've been picked on the next play as he threw while getting taken down by Za'Darius Smith. 

A few plays later, he made his best throw of the game, a deep flag route to Olsen against tight coverage near the sideline. After a few incompletions, Allen fit it into Olsen on third and five then found Moore with an underneath defender converging near the sideline for a fourth and 10 conversion. The game ended after Allen could've run but threw incomplete short and Christian McCaffrey getting stuffed inches short of the goal line. Considering the wintry weather, against a quality defense, on the road, Allen played a very solid game. 

Grade: B
Season Grade: C+

The Browns tried to give their team a jolt on the first play of the game, but Mayfield just overthrew Odell Beckham down the sideline. He then threw with good velocity on a long throw toward the sideline off play-action to Jarvis Landry. A few plays later, he aggressively fit one into Landry for a touchdown against tight man coverage from Levi Wallace. On the next drive, after being flushed out of the pocket, Mayfield found an open Demetrius Harris for a third-and-long conversion.

On the next play, his slant target to Beckham was knocked down, but he moved the chains on fourth down on a throw into the flat to Harris on rub route. His third-and-goal fade to Beckham was again broken up by Tre'Davious White.

He improvised a bit and snuck one into Beckham, but the throw was slightly late and low and was knocked away. On that same drive, he patiently moved his head across the field and threw accurately to Beckham in a zone coverage void to move the chains on a third-and-four. After throwing an errant pass while under pressure that was nearly intercepted by White at the sideline, the Browns were forced to kick a field goal after another goal-to-go situation stalled. Mayfield had no chance on the third quarter safety, as Tremaine Edmunds blitzed -- and wasn't touched -- from his left on a play that started with the second-year quarterback looking right. 

On a third-and-nine in the third quarter, Mayfield threw with perfect timing on an out to Beckham against zone coverage then was almost picked by Lorenzo Alexander on a wheel to Kareem Hunt near the sideline. On the next drive, he woefully underthrew a deep out-breaking route to Beckham in which he was double covered, but White dropped the interception as he bumped into Jordan Poyer.

In the fourth, Mayfield threw with anticipation on a gorgeous out to Landry and missed Beckham downfield by inches against tight coverage from White before getting sacked on third down. Against soft zone to start what was ultimately the game-winning drive, Mayfield threw with good timing an on out-breaker to Beckham before firing an ideally placed out to Kareem Hunt on a third and seven to pick up the first down. His best throw came when Cleveland needed it most. While getting pressured from two Bills defenders, Mayfield lofted a deep cross to Landry that got back the undercutting Wallace for a 24-yard gain. Two plays later, Landry got free from Wallace for a touchdown. Mayfield wasn't magical against Buffalo but made a handful of good throws and was mostly smart with the football.

Grade: B-
Season Grade: C+