A lot of rookies have stood out this season, including some who haven't (yet) made the top 15. Bears running back Khalil Herbert has been fantastic in an expanded role without David Montgomery. His elevator does not rise to the same floor as the NFL's elite running backs, but he represents sensational value as a sixth round pick. Herbert was No. 145 on my personal rankings -- four spots after 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell, who was also taken in the sixth round -- but was not picked until No. 217 overall. If Herbert continues to play this well, he will rise as James Robinson did in these same rankings a year ago.
A handful of rookies on this list were on a bye this week so that was taken into account.
We will be tracking rookie performers each week of the season and identifying those who stood out. These rankings are not based on statistical performance but rather overall play. Without further ado, the cumulative regular season rookie rankings as we head into Week 8:
| 1 | 
Ja'Marr Chase
Cincinnati Bengals WR
|
| Each week brings a new portion of crow served on my plate. Accountability is important and it is safe to say that Cincinnati is making me look foolish for once believing Penei Sewell was a better option for this team than Chase, who put 201 yards and a touchdown on Baltimore's secondary. | |
| 2 | 
Rashawn Slater
Los Angeles Chargers OT
|
| The Chargers were on a bye this week but I really have not seen any transcendent play from other players to warrant Slater being leapfrogged. | |
| 3 | 
Creed Humphrey
Kansas City Chiefs C
|
| Humphrey has been the most consistent rookie interior offensive lineman. Kansas City's offensive line was surrendering a lot of pressure the past few weeks, but it was often around the edge or through the guards. | |
| 4 | 
Rondale Moore
Arizona Cardinals WR
|
| Moore continues to be the most versatile of the wide receivers in the sense that he lines up all over the formation. His stats may not end up being comparable to other rookies in this class because Arizona has a wealth of options, but there is no denying his talent. | |
| 5 | 
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Cleveland Browns OLB
|
| Owusu-Koramoah was placed on Injured Reserve and is expected to miss more than a month. He will drop from this list in the coming weeks, but have an opportunity to re-join it with solid play upon return. | |
| 6 | 
Mac Jones
New England Patriots QB
|
| Jones throws with touch to all three levels. He was hardly needed in Sunday's win over New York, but avoided the critical mistakes that could have kept the Jets in the game. The Alabama product has easily been the most consistent of the rookie quarterbacks. | |
| 7 | 
Nate Hobbs
Las Vegas Raiders CB
|
| Hobbs has shown he's capable of playing the field or the boundary. He has a physical playing style and that raises the energy level of everyone around him. | |
| 8 | 
Kyle Pitts
Atlanta Falcons TE
|
| Over the past two weeks, Pitts has turned into the type of player that everyone expected. He needed a confidence booster against the Jets before setting the league on fire. Pitts is certainly not a traditional tight end and the proclamations that he could play wide were not exaggerated. Pitts lined up wide multiple times and did a nice job tracking a ball down the right sideline between two defenders. He has 16 receptions for 282 yards and one touchdown over the last two games, which is more than he had in the prior four games. | |
| 9 | 
Trey Smith
Kansas City Chiefs OG
|
| Smith has done a really nice job at right guard this year but he falters more than Creed Humphrey. There were a few balance issues that led to some pressures against Tennessee. | |
| 10 | 
DeVonta Smith
Philadelphia Eagles WR
|
| Smith continues to show that he is a well-rounded wide receiver. He is willing to block, he runs good routes and his hands have been very good. It seems like Jalen Hurts is missing him for a few more opportunities each week but credit Smith for finding the gaps in the defense. | |
| 11 | 
Odafe Oweh
Baltimore Ravens OLB
|
| Oweh has been a little disappointing in recent weeks. It is clear that he has a bright future but his activity level has come down. He is not stringing together moves and showing that he can win in a variety of ways like he had in the first few weeks. | |
| 12 | 
Jaylen Waddle
Miami Dolphins WR
|
| Jaylen Waddle has been on the cusp of the list many times and I loved his skillset coming out of college. Coming off a game where he dinked and dunked his way to two touchdowns, Waddle showed more downfield potential with deep overs and plays along the sideline. | |
| 13 | 
Alijah Vera-Tucker
New York Jets OG
|
| Vera-Tucker was not as dominant as last seen in London against the Falcons but the arrow is pointing up for him. He has been working through this transition alone since Mekhi Becton suffered his injury and the light has clearly come on over the past month. | |
| 14 | 
Greg Newsome II
Cleveland Browns CB
|
| Newsome has been a consistent performer for the Browns. He was giving a lot of cushion to Courtland Sutton at times Thursday night but the Northwestern product has looked comfortable whether being asked to play man or zone coverage. | |
| 15 | 
Micah Parsons
Dallas Cowboys OLB
|
| It has been awhile since Parsons was making those splash plays that had him on the top of everyone's Defensive Rookie of the Year rankings. In his defense, he has been yo-yoed around and asked to wear a few different hats for that defense. The hope is that injuries do not come back into play and he is able to get his feet under him at linebacker. | |
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