• Chris Olave stars for the Saints: Olave earned an 87.7 overall grade for his Week 11 effort, which included 102 receiving yards and a score.
• Kyle Hamilton shines before exiting with injury: Hamilton's 91.3 overall grade in Week 11 beat out all other safeties by almost six grading points.
Estimated Reading Time: 12 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 11, 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: BYE
Week 11 Snaps: BYE
Walker and the Jaguars were on a bye this week. Walker has flashed big-play potential but ranks fourth among rookie edge rushers with 24 total pressures on the season and has a 61.2 overall PFF grade — right around average.
2. Detroit Lions: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Overall Rookie Grade: 71.0 (Rank: 3/32)
Principal Opponent: Matt Peart
Week 11 Snaps: 65
Hutchinson now has as many interceptions as Sauce Gardner and one more than Derek Stingley Jr. despite being an edge rusher. Hutchinson has shown a knack for making impressive impact plays so far as a rookie, but his pressure rate has been average. He tallied three pressures against the Giants from 41 rushes, but the interception was a huge play.
3. Houston Texans: CB Derek Stingley Jr. LSU
Overall Rookie Grade: 49.1 (Rank: 28/39)
Principal Opponent: N/A
Week 11 Snaps: 0
Stingley missed this week’s game against the Washington Commanders with a hamstring injury. Overshadowed this season by the performance of fellow rookie Sauce Gardner in New York, Stingley has shown plenty of positive play in his own right, but the results have just proved more elusive.
4. New York Jets: CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati
Overall Rookie Grade: 85.9 (Rank: 1/39)
Principal Opponent: Jakobi Meyers
Week 11 Snaps: 63
Gardner had another strong day in coverage, allowing just two catches for 19 yards and one first down against the New England Patriots. His PFF grade suffered a little due to run defense, as he blew contain on a big run that resulted in a significant New England gain, but that’s a play that doesn’t show up even in advanced coverage metrics. Overall this season, Gardner looks like one of the best cornerbacks in the game and a steal for the Jets with their first pick of the draft.
5. New York Giants: EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
Overall Rookie Grade: 63.3 (Rank: 10/32)
Principal Opponent: Taylor Decker
Week 11 Snaps: 46
Thibodeaux played 46 snaps against the Detroit Lions, 19 of which were pass rushes. He spent the majority of his time up against Lions left tackle Taylor Decker and managed just one pressure in the game. He did bat a pass and make two defensive stops, continuing to show the hustle that many draft analysts thought he lacked as a prospect.
6. Carolina Panthers: OT Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State
Overall Rookie Grade: 64.3 (Rank: 5/13)
Principal Opponent: Tyus Bowser
Week 11 Snaps: 57
Ekwonu faced a heavy rotation of Ravens edge rushers this week but gave up just one pressure from 42 pass-blocking snaps. He did have another couple of clean losses that didn’t get a chance to become pressure and was flagged for a penalty after the four he garnered in Week 10. Ekwonu has been much improved as the season has progressed, but the past couple of weeks have been a bit of a hiccup for him.
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