As the NFL regular season winds down, a few rookies are starting to see an increased workload. Outside of Tua Tagovailoa starting in Miami, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and Denzel Mims have been targeted more regularly for the Colts and Jets, respectively. D'Andre Swift is getting more touches in Detroit. Injuries have robbed a few players on this list but they also create opportunity for others to rise.
Without further ado, the cumulative rookie power rankings.
Week 12 Rookie Rankings
| 1 | 
Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers QB
|
| Buffalo applied a lot of pressure on Justin Herbert but it did not prevent him from eclipsing 300 passing yards yet again. | |
| 2 | 
Chase Young
Washington Football Team DE
|
| Chase Young, Montez Sweat and the Washington defense are the reason the team pulled away from the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. | |
| 3 | 
Justin Jefferson
Minnesota Vikings WR
|
| Justin Jefferson has been the most consistent wide receiver in the NFL since Week 3. Jefferson is no longer the Robin to Adam Thielen's Batman. With Thielen out, the rookie had another big game. | |
| 4 | 
Julian Blackmon
Indianapolis Colts FS
|
| Julian Blackmon makes at least one big play for the Colts each week. His recovery from a torn ACL at Utah to make this level of an impact during his first season has been remarkable. | |
| 5 | 
Antoine Winfield Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers SS
|
| Antoine Winfield Jr. has been one of the most efficient rookies in 2020. He earned a starting role over players with more experience. | |
| 6 | 
Tristan Wirfs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers OT
|
| In his final season at Iowa, Tristan Wirfs had an issue with oversetting but that has not been a problem in 2020. Offensive line coach Joe Gilbert and Wirfs deserve a lot of credit for his transformation. | |
| 7 | 
Mike Onwenu
New England Patriots OG
|
| Michael Onwenu has settled in at right tackle after being moved around early in the season. He has been consistent and effective for that offense. | |
| 8 | 
Mekhi Becton
New York Jets OT
|
| As of now, Mekhi Becton looks like the best rookie offensive tackle when he is on the field. He climbs the list each week but needs to stay healthy to continue that upward trajectory. | |
| 9 | 
Chase Claypool
Pittsburgh Steelers WR
|
| Chase Claypool scored 10 touchdowns in his first 10 NFL games. It was a rare accomplishment for a rookie. The Steelers have found themselves another star wide receiver. | |
| 10 | 
Jaylon Johnson
Chicago Bears CB
|
| The stench from the Bears offense shouldn't taint what the defense has accomplished this season. Jaylon Johnson has had his share of rookie moments but his physical play has led to a natural transition for Chicago. | |
| 11 | 
Tee Higgins
Cincinnati Bengals WR
|
| Tee Higgins was easily one of the three best rookie wide receivers when Joe Burrow was healthy. His effectiveness, similar to CeeDee Lamb, is going to be tested with Burrow absent. | |
| 12 | 
Jeremy Chinn
Carolina Panthers OLB
|
| Jeremy Chinn made NFL history becoming the first player to record fumble returns for touchdowns on consecutive plays. He has been around the ball all season and Matt Rhule has allowed him to use his natural gifts rather than trying to put him in a box. | |
| 13 | 
James Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars RB
|
| D'Andre Swift and Antonio Gibson have had big performances in recent weeks but it will take a lot to track down James Robinson, who has a longer track record of success this season. Robinson has been one of the few bright spots on a bad Jacksonville team. | |
| 14 | 
Jedrick Wills
Cleveland Browns OT
|
| Jedrick Wills has shown flashes of being an elite offensive tackle but the consistency has not been there. He needs to get the penalties down, but the Alabama product is trending up over the past month. | |
| 15 | 
CeeDee Lamb
Dallas Cowboys WR
|
| CeeDee Lamb with Dak Prescott: 86.6 receiving yards per game. In the six games since Prescott's injury, he has averaged 36.2 receiving yards per game. It is difficult to lay the blame at his feet but he did have a drop on Thanksgiving Day. | |
