It was a bit of a weird week for the NFL Rookie Report Card. We were short a few big-time rookie performers with the New York Jets on a week-long vacation. The theme for Week 10 was that some of the more unknown rookies came up big. Meanwhile, pass-rushing productivity remains largely missing in action from the rookie class.
Dameon Pierce continues his bid for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but we’ve focused so much on the rookie running back that he took a bye week from the report card.
Week 10 NFL Rookie Report Cards
Remember, there are no half-measures here. We do not cheat with pluses and minuses –complete letter grades only.
Lions S Kerby Joseph: D
A week after acing the test against Aaron Rodgers, the rookie safety struggled against the Chicago Bears. Kerby Joseph was responsible for the blown coverage that led to Cole Kmet’s 50-yard touchdown reception. He was the centerfield safety in what looked like a broken version of Cover 3.
The Bears ran a dagger concept off of play-action, and Joseph drove on the crossing pattern, seemingly believing the cornerback would carry Kmet vertically. These miscommunications have been a massive issue for Detroit all season. He also got caught in a bad spot for a red-zone touchdown.
However, his sure tackling on the day keeps him from receiving an “F.”
Bears LB Jack Sanborn: B
Jack Sanborn came out of nowhere with a massive performance in the same game. Sanborn has played a lot over the past two weeks and made his presence felt in his second significant action.
While he allowed some ground in coverage on the day, he finished with two sacks on just five rushing snaps. He also produced five stops for the day, and the undrafted linebacker looked really good against the run.
Dolphins CB Kader Kohou: B
Kader Kohou continues to make a name for himself. The undrafted free agent from Texas A&M-Commerce is no stranger to the rookie report card. He’s played over 400 snaps at this point, with 268 of those snaps being in coverage.
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He “allowed” 60 yards on Sunday against the Browns, but 22 of them were questionable. Kader was in an underneath zone from the slot and narrowly missed on a laid-out interception attempt. There was another defender in the immediate area, and Kohou braced a bit as the ball passed him. The other reception came on a downfield sideline throw to Donovan Peoples-Jones off a double move that the rookie bit on.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett: C
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense actually looked half-competent against the New Orleans Saints’ defense. The rushing attack returned from the dead, and Kenny Pickett made enough plays to win the game.
Matt Canada tried making things easier by rolling the rookie out, giving him half-field reads, but the passing attack still looks disjointed. Diontae Johnson made a big play along the sideline, but Pittsburgh’s passing attack is a “death by 1,000 cuts” setup without the tools to make it consistent. They’ve yet to score a touchdown on offense of greater than eight yards on the season.
Pickett still has a lot of growth to undergo before he’s considered a real franchise option, and he doesn’t seem to possess the upside to be one of the league’s best. That could spell doom in a conference with Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, with Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Deshaun Watson inside his own division.
Packers WR Christian Watson: B
It may seem a bit weird that a receiver who caught three touchdowns would only receive a “B” grade, but Christian Watson couldn’t get an “A.” Watson dropped his first two targets and misplayed a downfield attempt to the front pylon that could have given him four total touchdowns on the day.
The rookie receiver is still a work in progress. He’s an inconsistent route runner with even more inconsistent hands.
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Nevertheless, Watson’s speed is game-changing. If Green Bay can get him working downfield and across the field, he won’t have to worry about being precise in Year 1. It’s taken about 10 weeks, but Rodgers may actually have a somewhat consistent weapon in the passing attack.
Rapid-Fire Week 10 NFL Rookie Report Card Grades
It’s time for some quick hitters.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III: C
Kenneth Walker III struggled on the ground in Munich, but there were so many issues with the field that it’s difficult to be very upset with the players. There was absolutely no footing for players on either team, and it really affected runners who didn’t have a nice, big hole to run through.
Walker finished with just 17 yards on 10 carries. He did, however, post a career-high six catches for 55 yards.
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White: B
On the opposite sideline, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally decided that Playoff Lenny wasn’t ever going to show up in the regular season, so they inserted rookie Rachaad White into the starting lineup. He ran the ball 22 times for 105 yards, finally providing Tampa Bay with a little life in the run game.
Seahawks OT Charles Cross: A
Things didn’t go well for Seattle across the pond, but Charles Cross (and Abraham Lucas for that matter) played well. Cross didn’t allow a single pressure in pass protection, and he’s proving to be a better run blocker than he was given credit for coming out of college.
Colts OT Bernhard Raimann: A
Matt Ryan got the ball out quickly in Week 10, but it was still nice to see Bernhard Raimann get through an audition at left tackle without allowing pressure on the veteran QB. The one sack that came from his side has debatable blame between him and Ryan.
Cardinals OLB Myjai Sanders: B
The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line isn’t winning any awards, but Myjai Sanders’s strip-sack should have resulted in a walk-in touchdown for J.J. Watt had the referees not done what they’re not supposed to do, call the play dead. Sanders was all over the field on Sunday, making a rookie league-high five stops in Week 10.