Friday, October 9, 2020

Daniel Jeremiah's First Quarter Rookie Rankings

 NFL Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah is a busy man. With his terrific Move the Sticks podcast with Bucky Brooks to his radio work with the Los Angeles Chargers to his day job scouting college football prospects, there isn't much time for silly things like ranking the rookies through the first four games of the 2020 NFL season. He found that time. Here are his Top 25 NFL Rookies at the quarter mark of the season.

1.   Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
2.   Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
3.   Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4.   Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
5.   Mekhi Becton, OT, New York Jets
6.   Chase Young, DE, Washington Football Team
7.   CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
8.   James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
9.   Tristan Wirfs, OT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
11. Patrick Queen, LB, Baltimore Ravens
12. Jaylon Johnson, CB, Chicago Bears
13. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
14. Jedrick Wills, OT, Cleveland Browns
15. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
16. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos
17. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
18. Kenneth Murray, LB, Los Angeles Chargers
19. Jeremy Chinn, S, Carolina Panthers
20. C.J. Henderson, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
21. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
22. Javon Kinlaw, DT, San Francisco 49ers
23. Gabriel Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills
24. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team
25. Mike Onwenu, OG, New England Patriots

***

A lot of first round picks populate Jeremiah's 1st quarter rookie ranking. It's expected that players selected in the first round will perform well early. That's why they are in the selected in the first round. It just doesn't always work out that way. So many of the above are first round selections that it's easier to list the players that aren't. 

3.   Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8.   James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
12. Jaylon Johnson, CB, Chicago Bears
13. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
15. Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
17. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
19. Jeremy Chinn, S, Carolina Panthers
23. Gabriel Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills
24. Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team
25. Mike Onwenu, OG, New England Patriots

The 2020 NFL Draft was so strong that Antoine Winfield Jr., Jaylon Johnson, Jonathan Taylor, Laviska Shenault Jr., Tee Higgins, and Jeremy Chinn would've been first round picks in just about any other draft. 

James Robinson is the surprise of this list and as a result the surprise rookie of the season. He's been terrific and he wasn't drafted at all. 

Justin Jefferson is ranked way too low.

Here's hoping that Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, and possibly Ezra Cleveland are part of Jeremiah's midseason rookie ranking. I'll thrown in D.J. Wonnum as well. Maybe his first NFL sack last week was the start of something grand. 

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