Over the past few weeks, a couple of rookies made their anticipated debuts: Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman and Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw. Each has had promising moments but joining the list will require them to stack some positive games. Week 6 marked the first time that teams were off on bye weeks so some of the players on this list were inactive.
We will be tracking rookie performers each week of the season and identifying those who stood out. Without further ado, the cumulative regular season rookie rankings as we head into Week 7:
Week 7 Rookie Rankings
| 1 | 
Ja'Marr Chase
Cincinnati Bengals WR
|
| Chase had an off day against the Lions. I mean, the guy didn't even score a touchdown. In all seriousness, he was an underthrow away from his fifth touchdown in six games. Chase should have been credited for a touchdown just for his tenacious blocking on a Joe Mixon touchdown run. | |
| 2 | 
Rashawn Slater
Los Angeles Chargers OT
|
| Slater was almost exclusively on an island against the Ravens and he played fantastic. Week-by-week he is earning recognition for Offensive Rookie of the Year. | |
| 3 | 
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Cleveland Browns OLB
|
| The Browns had an unforgettable day Sunday against Arizona but Owusu-Koramoah continued to play well. He forced a fumble on Kyler Murray in space and showed his range by taking Rondale Moore on a route. | |
| 4 | 
Creed Humphrey
Kansas City Chiefs C
|
| Humphrey does everything that is asked of him. He is able to seal backside pursuit, get out on a pull assignment or work to the second level. The rookie plays with great strength and has been an aid to Trey Smith next to him. | |
| 5 | 
Rondale Moore
Arizona Cardinals WR
|
| Rondale Moore did not statistically impact the game against Cleveland like DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green or Christian Kirk but you could see his impact in how he was deployed. Moore would line up all over the formation and Cleveland's defense would have to adjust to account for that shift, which created opportunities for others. | |
| 6 | 
Mac Jones
New England Patriots QB
|
| Jones delivered a perfect pass to Rhamondre Stevenson and then followed it up with a beautiful touch touchdown pass to Hunter Henry. Those passes go a long way towards breaking free of the game manager label. | |
| 7 | 
DeVonta Smith
Philadelphia Eagles WR
|
| Smith's breaks and routes were not to his level of crispness against Tampa Bay. There were a few additional opportunities where Jalen Hurts just did not find him. | |
| 8 | 
Odafe Oweh
Baltimore Ravens OLB
|
| Rashawn Slater won the battle when lined up against Oweh but you continued to see his use of power in addition to his speed and flexibility. | |
| 9 | 
Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys OLB
|
| Parsons continues to provide versatility to his team. Dallas can play him at linebacker if they choose and send him on blitzes with confidence. Most coaches do not have a linebacker cross-trained as an edge rusher. | |
| 10 | 
Nate Hobbs
Las Vegas Raiders CB
|
| Hobbs continues to provide physicality and consistency with his tackling. The fifth-round pick from Illinois has been able to occupy a few different roles at a moment's notice. | |
| 11 | 
Trey Smith
Kansas City Chiefs OG
|
| Smith really struggled with Washington's front. He blew some assignments and allowed a lot of pressure on Patrick Mahomes. The rookie tandem of Creed Humphrey and Smith has exceeded expectations this season. | |
| 12 | 
Kyle Pitts
Atlanta Falcons TE
|
| Kyle Pitts and the Falcons were off this week after playing in London, which is disappointing because he had his best game of the season overseas. The hope is that he builds upon that impact in Week 7. | |
| 13 | 
Samuel Cosmi
Washington Football Team OT
|
| Cosmi has missed some time over the past two weeks. If he misses more time, he will fall off this list entirely because it is cumulative. There is a strong argument to be made that Cosmi has been the second best rookie offensive tackle to this point. | |
| 14 | 
Pat Freiermuth
Pittsburgh Steelers TE
|
| Freiermuth has been blocking his butt off the entire season but his involvement in the pass game is expanding. Ben Roethlisberger is targeting him in critical third down situations and that shows trust is rising with the veteran quarterback. He has been the most well-balanced rookie tight end in the league this season. | |
| 15 | 
Javonte Williams
Denver Broncos RB
|
| Williams is not as explosive or shifty as other running backs but he just does everything well. He can be trusted to stay in pass protection, leak out for a pass or take the handoff. His role should continue to expand as the season progresses. | |
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