• CB Trent McDuffie remains solid since return: McDuffie has yet to clear 200 total snaps of action this season, but his three games have featured three above-average PFF coverage grades.
• EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux passes tough test: Largely facing off against the elite Laremy Tunsil, Thibodeaux recorded one pressure and three additional pass-rush wins.
Estimated Reading Time: 11 mins
We will be checking in on the first-round rookies throughout the 2022 NFL season, grading their performances and highlighting who their principal individual opponent was in each game.
Here’s how the group fared in Week 10, as well as their overall PFF grades for the season.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: EDGE Travon Walker, Georgia
Overall Rookie Grade: 61.2 (Rank: 14/32)
Principal Opponent: T Prince Tega Wanogho
Week 10 Snaps: 45
Chiefs tackle Andrew Wylie exiting the game opened up an opportunity for Walker to go up against a player he should be expected to beat in Prince Tega Wanogho at right tackle. Walker ended the contest with four pressures on 23 rushes. He also had a defensive stop and posted his highest grade of the season. It was his first above-average PFF game grade since Week 3.
2. Detroit Lions: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Overall Rookie Grade: 66.8 (Rank: 6/32)
Principal Opponent: T Riley Reiff
Week 10 Snaps: 54
Hutchinson brought down Bears quarterback Justin Fields for a critical sack on a third-down play during the game and finished with four total pressures and five defensive stops across his 54 snaps. He also lost contain on Fields, allowing for a bigger gain than should have been possible by trying to do too much against an elite athlete. Still, Hutchinson remains Detroit’s most consistent pass-rusher and now has 28 pressures on the season.
3. Houston Texans: CB Derek Stingley Jr. LSU
Overall Rookie Grade: 49.1 (Rank: 26/38)
Principal Opponent: WR Darius Slayton
Week 10 Snaps: 62
Stingley had a pretty quiet afternoon against the New York Giants this week. He gave up a total of nine yards on two catches, but the dropped pass that consigned Kenny Golladay to the bench was against Stingley’s coverage and he was late to the play. Overall this season, Stingley has demonstrated some elite traits but hasn’t quite been able to translate that consistently into shutdown coverage.
4. New York Jets: CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati
Overall Rookie Grade: 86.1 (Rank: 2/38)
Principal Opponent: BYE
Week 10 Snaps: BYE
Gardner and the Jets were on a bye this week. Gardner already looks like one of the league’s best cornerbacks, ranking among the best in single coverage and on deep targets. Overall, he has allowed just a 44.6 passer rating into his coverage and leads the league with 10 pass breakups.
5. New York Giants: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
Overall Rookie Grade: 65.3 (Rank: 9/32)
Principal Opponent: T Laremy Tunsil
Week 10 Snaps: 52
Thibodeaux played 52 snaps against the Texans this week and saw a healthy amount of Laremy Tunsil, one of the best tackles in the game. Though he tallied just one pressure, he did have three additional pass-rush wins to go along with two defensive stops. Thibodeaux has shown some impressive hustle so far in his rookie season.
6. Carolina Panthers: OT Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State
Overall Rookie Grade: 66.6 (Rank: 4/13)
Principal Opponent: EDGE Lorenzo Carter
Week 10 Snaps: 66
Ekwonu had been one of the best tackles in the league since a rocky first few weeks, but he struggled with penalties, in particular, on Thursday night against the Falcons. He was flagged four times and did not have a good day as a run-blocker. Given his success before this game, it can probably be chalked up to a bad day at the office.
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