Everyone expected Joe Burrow to sit highly on this list from the beginning because Cincinnati made it clear that he would start in Week 1. The plan was never for Justin Herbert to start this early but a freak injury to Tyrod Taylor has given the rookie a platform and he has made the most of it. Los Angeles maintains that Taylor is their starting quarterback when he returns but Herbert makes that conversation more difficult with each passing week. Against Tom Brady this weekend, Herbert looked as though he were having fun and was able to exchange shots in a back and forth game in the fourth quarter. It looks as though both franchises -- referring back to Cincinnati -- have stumbled onto their respective franchise quarterbacks. Each has an argument to be considered the top rookie but I explain why Herbert received the top spot for me below.
Without further ado, the cumulative rookie power rankings.
| 1 | 
Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers QB
|
| Herbert has played better than I expected so this is my way of making amends. The gap between Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow is small right now. They both have made throws into coverage and have needed their receivers to bail them out at times. Herbert has a better offensive line -- although still not great -- and Burrow has the better collection of skill talent. The Oregon product gets a small advantage right now because he looks better pushing the ball downfield. It is also my way of pressuring Los Angeles to keep him in as the starting quarterback when Tyrod Taylor returns. | |
| 2 | 
Joe Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals QB
|
| A bright future awaits Burrow. He is a tough leader. There are few rookies that can come in and command a veteran locker room prior to ever playing a down and he has. The quarterback earned his first NFL victory over the weekend by winning at all three levels of the field. | |
| 3 | 
CeeDee Lamb
Dallas Cowboys WR
|
| Lamb is a star already. There was no acclimation period. He carries himself like a 4-time Pro Bowl selection and has a natural gate across the field. His impact is felt every single week despite wide receiver being Dallas' biggest strength. | |
| 4 | 
Tristan Wirfs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers T
|
| Tristan Wirfs was really impressive against Joey Bosa over the weekend. It is a difficult assignment for a veteran, let alone a rookie starting his fourth game. He gets the nod over Mekhi Becton at offensive tackle because Becton only played 17 snaps against the Broncos. | |
| 5 | 
Mekhi Becton
New York Jets T
|
| But those 17 snaps were really good. If he was injured, it could have fooled me. Becton's movement continues to mesmerize at that size. There are aspects of his game that can improve but he was worth every bit of that first-round selection. There are some signs that Jedrick Wills could become the best tackle from this class but he just has not been as consistent as Wirfs and Becton yet. | |
| 6 | 
Chase Young
Washington Football Team DE
|
| Young falling is a simple result of essentially missing two games. It is difficult to justify having him ranked in the Top 3 having missed half of the team's games. When he returns to the field, his climb up the list should be swift. | |
| 7 | 
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Kansas City Chiefs RB
|
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been held in check running the ball lately but his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and hold up in pass protection is what makes him special. Statistically, he may not have the best day but he is going to bring his hard hat every week. | |
| 8 | 
Antoine Winfield Jr.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers SS
|
| The NFL has just come so naturally for Antoine Winfield Jr. He did not make as much of an impact this week even though Justin Herbert was attacking vertically but his body of work is still encouraging. | |
| 9 | 
James Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars RB
|
| James Robinson is impressive in the way that he carries the ball. He is water going down a drain in the sense that he just cuts and floats from one gap to the next gap. His ability in small spaces allow him to turn bottled up plays into big gains. His ability to catch passes is a bonus. | |
| 10 | 
Jaylon Johnson
Chicago Bears CB
|
| Jaylon Johnson made some really nice plays in coverage against Indianapolis. Outside of being bone-rocked by Marvin Jones in the opener, the rookie from Utah has been fantastic. | |
| 11 | 
Jonah Jackson
Detroit Lions G
|
| I struggled fitting just one of Jonah Jackson and Damien Lewis on this list. Lewis missed some time with injury and he was double teaming the Dolphins line on several plays so the lean was towards Jackson. He has been rock steady for Detroit. Cesar Ruiz and Tyler Biadasz have done some encouraging things as well. | |
| 12 | 
Patrick Queen
Baltimore Ravens LB
|
| Patrick Queen may not be everyone's cup of tea but he is what we thought he was. He is capable of flying around the field and making tackles. In the case of Sunday's win over Washington, he tacked on three tackles for a loss as well. It was a get right game for the rookie out of LSU. | |
| 13 | 
Jeremy Chinn
Carolina Panthers OLB
|
| Jeremy Chinn can not be pigeon holed into one position because Carolina likes to move him around. Considered a tweener during the pre-draft process, Chinn has been thrust into a role to use that to his advantage. The Panthers have simply allowed him to make plays. | |
| 14 | 
Javon Kinlaw
San Francisco 49ers DT
|
| Javon Kinlaw is a brute and it has been difficult for the opposition to block him with one lineman. San Francisco needs he and some other young players to step up because the season has gotten off to a surprise frustrating start. | |
| 15 | 
Laviska Shenault Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars WR
|
| There were a few players that could have occupied this last spot. The bottom five seems to fluctuate each individual week. It is impossible to ignore the way that Jacksonville has used Laviska Shenault Jr. Similar to Chinn, they are not trying to isolate him to one role. They manufacture touches for him in the short and intermediate games. The sheer visual that the team trusts him to make plays so early shows how special is his talent. | |
The 2020 rookie class has been sensational despite a shortened, unorthodox offseason. My list of rookies that stood out in film study this week reached 40-plus. Rather than listing them all, here are the three that just missed the cut: Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, Steelers wide receiver/special teams tackling machine Chase Claypool, and Lions offensive guard Jonah Jackson.
