Who were the top rookie performers from the 2023 NFL Draft class in Week 8 of the NFL regular season? Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis stood above the rest with his surgical showing against a top-10 defense, but many more impressed with their play.
NFL Week 8 Rookie Rankings
As a disclaimer, these rankings prioritize the most recent body of work from the latest week of action. It’s not a composite ranking of rookies over the course of the season but instead, a list meant to highlight some of the latest standout performances.
1) Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
The No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks played one another on Sunday, and yet, neither one of them takes the top spot on our Week 8 NFL rookie rankings.
Instead, that honor goes to the fourth quarterback selected in the 2023 NFL Draft: Will Levis. Levis got his first start for the Titans this week and responded with 238 yards and four touchdowns against a stalwart Falcons defense.
#Titans QB Will Levis is out there DEALING!
4 passing TDs today, SHEESH 😮💨
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 29, 2023
Levis was viewed as the QB4 of the 2023 NFL Draft class almost throughout the consensus, but there was a prevailing belief that he had the athleticism, arm talent, and steely toughness to become a quality starter in time.
Right now, he looks well ahead of schedule, and Tennessee looks like they got a gem in Round 2. In Week 8, he was poised, decisive, and confident — and it showed.
2) Peter Skoronski, G, Tennessee Titans
Whenever a rookie QB performs the way Levis did in his debut, it’s sure to be the center of attention. But quietly on Sunday, Titans first-round rookie Peter Skoronski had stretches of dominance at left guard — and against a very talented Atlanta defensive line.
MORE: Does Will Levis’ Impressive Play Strengthen a Possible Ryan Tannehill Trade?
At 6’4″, 313 pounds, Skoronski’s strengths from college have remained strengths in the pros. He’s strong, well-balanced, and extremely athletic. On Sunday, he was mauling Falcons defenders on the ground and slabbing rushers as a help blocker in pass protection.
3) Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young scored the first win of his young NFL career on Sunday against fellow rookie QB C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. It was one of Young’s best games yet, as the Alabama product completed 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and a score.
With each passing week, Young looks more comfortable. He was unfazed against the blitz in Week 8, and his high-level playmaking ability is shining through — like it does here:
Big-time play here by #Panthers rookie Bryce Young 😮💨
The No. 1 overall pick with the escape act and DIME to Adam Thielen #KeepPounding
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 29, 2023
This won’t be the last time Young and Stroud face off or are directly juxtaposed as QB prospects from the 2023 class. But early on, the returns are promising for both players.
4) Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson are both out with injuries, and the Minnesota Vikings’ hopes in 2023 are starting to collapse. But there’s one very bright silver lining in the midst of these struggles: Jordan Addison is coming into his own.
MORE: Could Kirk Cousins Injury Make Vikings Sellers at the Deadline?
A week after tearing up the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, Addison again came through for his Vikings with seven catches, 82 yards, and a score versus Green Bay. He’s growing up fast and proving himself as a very competent go-to threat.
5) Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
Don’t look now, but the Buffalo Bills are getting what they were promised with Dalton Kincaid as a Round 1 pick. Kincaid had his best week yet in Week 7, and he stacked another great week on Thursday Night Football in Week 8.
Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kincaid caught five passes for 65 yards and his first career touchdown.
In that small sample, Kincaid did it all. He won 1-on-1 as a separator and a contested catch artist, spliced through space with his vertical athleticism, and churned out yards as an RAC threat.
6) C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud might not have gotten the win against the Carolina Panthers, but he helped keep his team competitive in a 15-13 loss, completing 66.7% of his passes and scoring a touchdown on the ground.
Stroud did take a few lumps in this one, but overall, his 2023 campaign has been stellar. The rookie is 3-4 in his first half-year of action, with 1,800 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, and just one interception.
7) Deonte Banks, CB, New York Giants
In the end, the New York Giants didn’t get the win. But there’s something to be said about their defense holding the Jets to seven points for most of regulation — and rookie CB Deonte Banks was a big part of that.
Banks swarmed at the catch point in this game and played up to the physicality of his opponents. He’s always had the elite size-speed combo to field confidence, but the way he’s grown into that frame early in his NFL career has been a sight to see.
8) Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons’ usage of Bijan Robinson continues to be somewhat peculiar, but the top-10 pick nonetheless showed off some of his gifts on Sunday against the Titans, earning the first rushing touchdown of his career while accruing 62 yards on 11 carries.
A stellar reach block from rookie left guard Matthew Bergeron helped on Robinson’s TD run, but the vision and athleticism of Atlanta’s RB allow him to make the most of tight creases. As he grows, his volume should only increase.
9) Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
For two weeks in a row now, Josh Downs has been on our NFL rookie rankings list. Last week, he had 125 yards and a score. This week, he used his surgical separation ability and sure hands to rack up seven catches for 72 yards.
Downs is a stark contrast stylistically from his teammates Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce, but his tools have already proven invaluable for Shane Steichen’s offense. If he keeps up this pace, he might pass the 1,000-yard mark as a rookie.
10) Dante Stills, DT, Arizona Cardinals
Sixth-round rookie Dante Stills continues to be a steal for Jonathan Gannon and the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens, he notched 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits, proving his mettle as a pressure generator.
MORE: NFL Week 8 Winners and Losers
The 6’4″, 286-pound Stills has the combined lateral athleticism and motor to exploit rushing angles and succeed on second and third attempts. His value as a rushing specialist only becomes more distinct each week.
11) Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
It took a while for Quentin Johnston to integrate into the Chargers’ offensive game plan, but it finally happened on Sunday Night Football against the Chicago Bears.
An injury to Joshua Palmer did force the Chargers’ hand a bit, but Johnston delivered when his name was called. He caught five passes for 50 yards and, on one particular drive, generated three first downs on the way to a score.
His catch below was the most impressive — a schemed RAC target on which Johnston used his size-defying short-area twitch and prying contact balance to grate his way ahead in the open field.
What a juke by the rookie from TCU!
We see you @MrJohnston____ 👀 pic.twitter.com/tryys4GZun
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 30, 2023
Johnston was one of the most unique talents in the 2023 NFL Draft WR class. But it looks as though the Chargers are starting to figure out how to put that talent to use.
12) Jammie Robinson, DB, Carolina Panthers
An under-the-radar rookie showing from Week 8 was that of the Panthers’ fifth-round pick Jammie Robinson. Robinson has played sparingly in 2023, but in Week 8, he took most of the team’s nickel reps and performed admirably.
Robinson held his own in coverage, closing quickly and with the voracity that we saw on his college tape. Not only that, but he was also an active and sturdy tackler in open space, with six total takedowns. He’s a young, ascending piece on Carolina’s defensive unit.
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