- Spencer Fano struggles against the Steelers: The Browns left tackle let up eight pressures after starting to round into form.
- Rueben Bain shows growth: The Buccaneers edge defender notched two hurries and three positive grades in run defense to help Tampa Bay pitch a shutout.
- Considerable absences: Only 16 of 32 first-round picks saw 30-plus snaps in Week 8 due to both byes and injuries.
As we approach the halfway point of the NFL’s regular season, many of the league’s first-round rookies continue to have a major impact on their respective teams. We continue to track their snap counts, grades and principal opponents throughout each week as they mature into NFL veterans.
Pick No. 1: Las Vegas Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza
- Overall Rookie Grade: 59.8 (Rank: N/A)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Mendoza did not play any snaps this week.
Pick No. 2: New York Jets: EDGE David Bailey
- Overall Rookie Grade: 63.9 (Rank: 6/15)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Bailey was inactive this week due to injury.
Pick No. 3: Arizona Cardinals: RB Jeremiyah Love
- Overall Rookie Grade: 67.2 (Rank: 2/11)
- Principal Opponent: Caleb Downs
- Week 8 Snaps: 15
- Week 8 Grade: 60.1
Love played just 15 snaps in the first quarter of Arizona’s comeback victory before departing due to an ankle injury. It seems to be a similar issue to the same ankle that was bothering him during the preseason. Love took nine carries across the 15 snaps that he did play, resulting in him gaining 23 yards and forcing one missed tackle.
Pick No. 4: Tennessee Titans: WR Carnell Tate
- Overall Rookie Grade: 66.5 (Rank: 5/12)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Tate was inactive this week due to injury.
Pick No. 5: New York Giants: LB Arvell Reese
- Overall Rookie Grade: 77.0 (Rank: 1/9)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
New York was on a bye this week.
Pick No. 6: Kansas City Chiefs: CB Mansoor Delane
- Overall Rookie Grade: 79.7 (Rank: 1/11)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Delane was inactive this week due to injury.
Pick No. 7: Washington Commanders: LB Sonny Styles
- Overall Rookie Grade: 70.5 (Rank: 2/9)
- Principal Opponent: Elijah Mitchell
- Week 8 Snaps: 68
- Week 8 Grade: 70.2
Styles played an active role in Washington’s excellent defensive effort against Philadelphia on Sunday night. He stuffed the stat sheet with eight total tackles, two stops and two pressures. He was also targeted in coverage three times, allowing two of those passes to be caught for a total of just nine yards. Styles enters Week 9 as the Commanders’ third-highest-graded defensive starter.
Pick No. 8: New Orleans Saints: WR Jordyn Tyson
- Overall Rookie Grade: N/A (Rank: N/A)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
New Orleans was on a bye this week.
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Pick No. 9: Cleveland Browns: T Spencer Fano
- Overall Rookie Grade: 74.1 (Rank: 1/10)
- Principal Opponent: Alex Highsmith
- Week 8 Snaps: 70
- Week 8 Grade: 56.0
Fano struggled mightily against Pittsburgh’s vaunted defensive line in Week 8. He allowed a season-high eight pressures, which is more than he had given up in the previous four games combined. Those efforts led to him recording a subpar 43.1 PFF pass-blocking grade. Fano also committed three penalties on the day. His work in the ground game against Pittsburgh was a tad better, but Week 8 was mostly one to forget for Fano.
Pick No. 10: New York Giants: G Francis Mauigoa
- Overall Rookie Grade: 49.1 (Rank: 4/7)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
New York was on a bye this week.
Pick No. 11: Dallas Cowboys: S Caleb Downs
- Overall Rookie Grade: 63.8 (Rank: 4/10)
- Principal Opponent: Trey McBride
- Week 8 Snaps: 55
- Week 8 Grade: 52.4
Downs struggled in coverage during the Cowboys’ unlikely defeat to the Arizona Cardinals. He allowed all three targets in his direction to be caught for a total of 49 yards. He also missed a tackle on Kendrick Bourne in the second quarter, which resulted in an explosive play. On top of that, Downs surrendered a Tyler Allgeier touchdown in the fourth quarter. Over his past five games, Downs has permitted 16 of 17 targets in his direction to be caught.
Pick No. 12: Miami Dolphins: G Kadyn Proctor
- Overall Rookie Grade: 64.8 (Rank: 2/7)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Proctor was inactive this week due to injury.
Pick No. 13: Los Angeles Rams: QB Ty Simpson
- Overall Rookie Grade: N/A (Rank: N/A)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Simpson did not play any snaps this week.
Pick No. 14: Baltimore Ravens: G Vega Ioane
- Overall Rookie Grade: 67.9 (Rank: 2/9)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Ioane was inactive this week due to injury.
Pick No. 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
- Overall Rookie Grade: 47.4 (Rank: 12/15)
- Principal Opponent: Jawaan Taylor
- Week 8 Snaps: 35
- Week 8 Grade: 68.6
Bain recorded his second-highest PFF grade of the season in Tampa Bay’s ugly victory over Atlanta. He tallied two hurries for the third consecutive week en route to a respectable 64.5 PFF pass-rush grade. While he didn’t accrue a stop, Bain did earn three positive grades in run defense, which was key to the Buccaneers holding the Falcons under 100 rushing yards on the day.
Pick No. 16: New York Jets: TE Kenyon Sadiq
- Overall Rookie Grade: 65.4 (Rank: 5/14)
- Principal Opponent: Tommy Eichenberg
- Week 8 Snaps: 31
- Week 8 Grade: 68.1
Sadiq was targeted twice versus Las Vegas in Week 8. His lone reception was an excellent leaping catch over linebacker Tommy Eichenberg that resulted in a first down. Though Sadiq is playing a reasonable amount, it seems he will continue to cede majority snap and target share to Mason Taylor for the time being.
Pick No. 17: Detroit Lions: T Blake Miller
- Overall Rookie Grade: 61.0 (Rank: 5/10)
- Principal Opponent: Jalen Redmond
- Week 8 Snaps: 72
- Week 8 Grade: 55.3
Miller held up well in pass protection against the vaunted Vikings defense. While he did allow a sack and a hurry on the day, those were his only two pass-rush losses across 32 reps. The result was Miller finishing with a solid 77.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. His work in the run game was a bit more suspect, as he recorded six negative grades on the ground compared to just one positive mark.
Pick No. 18: Minnesota Vikings: DI Caleb Banks
- Overall Rookie Grade: 30.5 (Rank: 12/12)
- Principal Opponent: Christian Mahogany
- Week 8 Snaps: 13
- Week 8 Grade: 53.3
Banks played a baker’s dozen snaps in Minnesota’s first loss of the season and made one tackle in the run game. He did not generate any pressure across five pass-rush snaps. For now, it appears Banks will continue to get rotational reps behind the veterans on Minnesota’s defensive line as well as fellow rookie Domonique Orange.
Pick No. 19: Carolina Panthers: T Monroe Freeling
- Overall Rookie Grade: 52.0 (Rank: 9/10)
- Principal Opponent: Barryn Sorrell
- Week 8 Snaps: 73
- Week 8 Grade: 46.5
Freeling returned to Carolina’s starting lineup for the first time since Week 3 during the team’s Thursday night loss to Green Bay. He struggled mightily in pass protection by yielding four pressures, including two sacks, en route to a paltry 32.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. He has now allowed at least four pressures in four of his five starts this year. Freeling also committed his fourth penalty of the season.
Pick No. 20: Philadelphia Eagles: WR Makai Lemon
- Overall Rookie Grade: 60.0 (Rank: 8/12)
- Principal Opponent: Trey Amos
- Week 8 Snaps: 65
- Week 8 Grade: 56.6
Lemon led all Eagles pass-catchers with six receptions and 57 yards in their Sunday night loss to Washington. He hauled in a 20-yard reception for the second week in a row, but only two of his six catches gained a first down. He also dropped a pass late in the fourth quarter, which was partially a reason that his receiving grade was dragged down to a 56.7. Philadelphia’s season is going sideways, so Lemon should continue to see ample opportunity to develop down the stretch.
Pick No. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers: T Max Iheanachor
- Overall Rookie Grade: 64.1 (Rank: 4/10)
- Principal Opponent: Isaiah McGuire
- Week 8 Snaps: 59
- Week 8 Grade: 50.4
Iheanachor finished Pittsburgh’s blowout victory over Cleveland as the team’s lowest-graded offensive lineman. He yielded two hurries and lost two other pass-rush reps en route to earning a lowly 55.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. Iheanachor also posted a team-low 46.5 PFF run-blocking grade due to nine negatively graded blocks.
Pick No. 22: Los Angeles Chargers: EDGE Akheem Mesidor
- Overall Rookie Grade: 75.4 (Rank: 2/15)
- Principal Opponent: Alaric Jackson
- Week 8 Snaps: 32
- Week 8 Grade: 64.8
Mesidor assisted on a tackle and notched two pressures, including a knockdown, in the Chargers’ loss to the Rams. He also won one other of his 19 pass-blocking reps to secure a 62.1 PFF pass-rush grade for the day. Mesidor did not post any positive or negative grades across 12 reps in run defense.
Pick No. 23: Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Malachi Lawrence
- Overall Rookie Grade: 51.3 (Rank: 11/15)
- Principal Opponent: Elijah Wilkinson
- Week 8 Snaps: 40
- Week 8 Grade: 55.4
Lawrence played a season-high 40 snaps in the Cowboys’ overtime loss to the Cardinals. Primarily utilized in passing situations, Lawrence recorded a hit and a hurry across 25 pass-rush reps. His woes in run defense continued, albeit with limited reps. He finished with a 48.9 PFF run-defense grade on the day, his lowest mark in that category since Week 2.
Pick No. 24: Cleveland Browns: WR KC Concepcion
- Overall Rookie Grade: 69.5 (Rank: 2/12)
- Principal Opponent: Asante Samuel Jr.
- Week 8 Snaps: 57
- Week 8 Grade: 55.9
Concepcion hauled in three receptions totaling 37 yards during Cleveland’s big loss to Pittsburgh. His best play was a 24-yard catch up the seam that jumpstarted the Browns’ two-minute drill at the end of the first half. However, that play was the only one that resulted in a first down for Concepcion.
Pick No. 25: Chicago Bears: S Dillon Thieneman
- Overall Rookie Grade: 62.6* (Rank: 5/10)
- Principal Opponent: AJ Barner
- Week 8 Snaps: 63
- Week 8 Grade: 64.4*
Thieneman played every defensive snap during Chicago’s resounding win over the Seahawks on Monday night. His best work came in run defense, where he secured a 69.8 PFF run-defense mark with two stops and zero missed tackles. However, Thieneman missed one of his two tackling tries in coverage despite permitting zero yards into his vicinity.
Pick No. 26: Houston Texans: G Keylan Rutledge
- Overall Rookie Grade: 43.4 (Rank: 7/7)
- Principal Opponent: N/A
- Week 8 Snaps: 0
- Week 8 Grade: N/A
Houston was on a bye this week.
Pick No. 27: Miami Dolphins: CB Chris Johnson
- Overall Rookie Grade: 64.6 (Rank: 5/11)
- Principal Opponent: Efton Chism III
- Week 8 Snaps: 60
- Week 8 Grade: 56.5
Johnson turned in another good coverage performance in Miami’s Week 8 loss to New England. He allowed just one target in his direction to be caught for a total of eight yards. His greater struggles came in run defense, as he missed a tackle on one occasion and lost contain on another, though the latter play was negated due to an offensive penalty. Those errors led to Johnson collecting a poor 37.5 PFF run-defense grade on the day.
Pick No. 28: New England Patriots: T Caleb Lomu
- Overall Rookie Grade: 72.0 (Rank: 2/10)
- Principal Opponent: Zach Sieler
- Week 8 Snaps: 5
- Week 8 Grade: 41.3
Lomu played five snaps as an extra eligible offensive lineman against Miami in Week 8. Four of those five snaps were run plays, during which he recorded two negative grades.
Pick No. 29: Kansas City Chiefs: DI Peter Woods
- Overall Rookie Grade: 50.9 (Rank: 8/12)
- Principal Opponent: Quinn Meinerz
- Week 8 Snaps: 3
- Week 8 Grade: 59.7
Woods played just three defensive snaps before exiting Kansas City’s defeat in Denver due to a neck injury.
Pick No. 30: New York Jets: WR Omar Cooper Jr.
- Overall Rookie Grade: 73.3 (Rank: N/A)
- Principal Opponent: Jeremy Chinn
- Week 8 Snaps: 50
- Week 8 Grade: 49.4
Coming off of back-to-back 100 yard performances, Cooper strangely did not receive a single target in the Jets’ loss to Las Vegas. That wasn’t for a lack of participation, as Cooper was on the field for 28 of New York’s 38 pass plays. Instead, it was Adonai Mitchell who returned from injury and led the team with 142 receiving yards. Cooper will aim to bounce back next week in a matchup against Kansas City.
Pick No. 31: Tennessee Titans: EDGE Keldric Faulk
- Overall Rookie Grade: 47.4 (Rank: 12/15)
- Principal Opponent: Orlando Brown Jr.
- Week 8 Snaps: 29
- Week 8 Grade: 60.6
Faulk produced a tackle and his second pressure of the season in another quiet effort. He matched his season high with 29 snaps played but ended with a passable 60.6 PFF grade. Faulk’s lack of impact as a pass-rusher is at least one contributing factor in Tennessee entering Week 9 with the lowest team PFF pass-rush grade in the NFL.
Pick No. 32: Seattle Seahawks: RB Jadarian Price
- Overall Rookie Grade: 53.0* (Rank: 11/11)
- Principal Opponent: Devin Bush
- Week 8 Snaps: 30
- Week 8 Grade: 55.1*
Price returned from a chest injury on Monday night against the Bears, taking the most snaps among the Seahawks’ three running backs. While he received 10 carries, Price averaged just 2.9 yards per attempt, forcing two missed tackles and not exceeding nine rushing yards. While Price didn’t find much traction on the ground or as a receiver, he did record a strong 76.9 PFF pass-blocking grade over just two such snaps.
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