With Thanksgiving approaching, there’s a lot to be thankful for, not least of which is the new crop of NFL stars who have brought their talents to the field this season. Those rookies have, in some cases, had a huge impact on their teams. But who has performed the best? It’s time to see if Ronald Darby played well enough in the Bills' defeat to hold off the challengers.
1. Ronald Darby, CB, Bills (89.5)
It’s going to take an almighty effort to dislodge Darby from the top spot, the way that he is playing. A real win for the Bills' scouting department.
2. Leonard Williams, DE, Jets (83.7)
Williams didn’t have a great game against the Texans, despite three QB hits. It is encouraging just how much he is playing, though, and he is already a big part of the Jets' defense.
3. Mitch Morse, C, Chiefs (80.8)
Morse played well against the Chargers, and he's moved up in the race because of it. A big drop off in his play would have to happen for him to lose his spot as top rookie offensive lineman.
4. Damarious Randall, CB, Packers (79.6)
Is he starting to get found out? Not his best game against Minnesota, but his early season work keeps him in the running.
5. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jaguars (80.5)
Slow and steady can win the race. Yeldon didn’t jump ahead of the man behind him, so much as let the other guy fumble his way down the list.
6. Todd Gurley, RB, Rams (79.5)
After those four back-to-back 100-yard games comes the wall. Gurley has struggled in recent weeks, with his last two being particularly poor. He’s only forced one more missed tackle than he has fumbles over that period.
7. Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings (84.4)
Things are starting to quiet down for Diggs, who had a solid, but unspectacular, showing against Green Bay.
8. Jamison Crowder, WR, Redskins (79.5)
Crowder did next to nothing against Carolina, and the return of DeSean Jackson may spell the end of his hopes for making an impact in this race.
9. Markus Golden, LB, Cardinals (78.5)
Golden made a splash on Sunday Night Football, with a strip sack as his playing time increased. He has really added something to a strong Cardinals' defense.
10. Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders (75.1)
It's frustrating to find him so low, because if you just accounted for the good things the rookie did, he might be the top guy. But we can’t ignore two dropped passes that take him up to 10 on the year.
Dropping out
Karlos Williams, HB, Bills: Williams just isn’t playing enough to make an impression.
Adrian Amos, S, Bears: Amos is a victim of the success of others.
Five to watch
Marcus Mariota, QB, Titans: It’s starting to come together for Mariota, who is looking less like a rookie each week.
Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers: If he plays like he did in Week 11 through the end of the season, he could make a run at winning this race. Consistency is the key.
Thomas Rawls, HB, Seahawks: Rawls gets his chance, with Marshawn Lynch out for a number of weeks.
Mario Edwards, DE, Raiders: Edwards changed roles this week, but didn’t let up on how productive he’s been.
Arik Armstead, DE, 49ers: Armstead is looking like less of a project and more of a guy worthy of playing time.
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