Last year, the NFL rookie class thrived early.
Puka Nacua was putting up Randy Moss-type numbers. C.J. Stroud was emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in football. Bijan Robinson appeared to be a future threat for Offensive Player of the Year.
This season? Not so much.
While Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers have been awesome, the other headlining talent has been a bit harder to find. Through four weeks, we don’t have Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on the watch list, with Daniels the only rookie quarterback to make the rankings despite five signal-callers being drafted in the first round.
In fact, the class is being propped up primarily by receivers, who take up a staggering five spots on the list.
But we start on defense, where it appears Charm City found another star in the secondary.
10. Nate Wiggins, CB, Baltimore Ravens
In a class that wasn’t thought to have high-end corner talent, Wiggins was the third off the board behind Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell.
As it turns out, Wiggins has been terrific thus far for the Ravens. Playing on the outside, the former Clemson star has notched a forced fumble and a pass defensed while largely doing a good job of keeping his matchup at bay.
While Baltimore’s pass defense has been shredded at times, it has seldom been the fault of Wiggins. The only thing left for him is nabbing his first-career interception.
9. Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
On a team that rarely throws the football, McConkey has still managed to stand out. The second-round pick out of Georgia starred at the Senior Bowl and caught the attention of Los Angeles, which traded up to grab him early on Day 2 of the draft.
Thus far, McConkey has rewarded the Chargers. The 185-pounder has 15 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns, including a beauty against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. All told, McConkey leads Los Angeles in receptions, yardage and targets, showing a nice chemistry with quarterback Justin Herbert.
8. T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Tennessee Titans
Sweat came into the draft process with character concerns after a DWI arrest in April, but he’s shown to be one heck of a talent.
After winning the Outland Trophy at Texas for being the best interior defensive lineman in college football, Sweat has teamed with Jeffery Simmons to form a powerful tandem on the inside.
In four games, Sweat has become a mainstay, playing 72% of defensive snaps while also racking up 10 tackles, including two for losses. While Sweat is still looking for his first sack, the film shows a heavy-handed, disruptive force who is wrecking plays with penetration.
7. Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
With Rashee Rice and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown out for the Chiefs, Worthy has been forced to step into the lead role on the perimeter for Kansas City.
So far, so good. Worthy already has three touchdowns, including two deep balls of 35 and 54 yards. He also clinched the Week 4 win over the Chargers, catching a pass on third-and-6 for 15 yards and a first down.
With nine catches and 154 yards, Worthy has shown the big-play ability the Chiefs have lacked since trading Tyreek Hill.
6. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Bowers felt like a steal at No. 13 in April’s draft, and it continues to feel that way.
The Raiders have gotten off to a surprising 2–2 start, and with rumors swirling around Davante Adams about to be traded, Bowers could be taking on a much larger role sooner than expected.
Through four weeks, Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles is the only tight end with more receiving yards than Bowers, who is sitting on 216 yards with 20 receptions on 24 targets.
5. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Not much has gone right for the Jaguars this season, as they’re one of only two teams that remain winless. However, Thomas has emerged as a top target after being selected in the first round out of LSU.
On 26 targets, Thomas has 17 catches for a team-high 275 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also contributed with 81 yards after the catch, easily more than any other Jaguars receiver. His stats don’t tell the whole story, either, as he’s also drawn multiple pass interference calls, including in Week 1 on a deep ball against Miami Dolphins corner Jalen Ramsey.
Jacksonville has been awful this year, but Thomas is a bright spot.
4. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
After having one catch in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills, Harrison has taken off in a major way.
While the Cardinals are struggling at 1–3, the connection between quarterback Kyler Murray and Harrison appears to be in a great spot. The rookie has caught a league-best four touchdowns for 243 receiving yards, 18th in the NFL.
Although Arizona isn’t ready to contend, the combination of Harrison and Murray, along with receiver Michael Wilson and tight end Trey McBride, gives reason to believe the Cards could soon be solid.
3. Joe Alt, OT, Los Angeles Chargers
It’s rare to see an offensive lineman come in and dominate from the start, but Alt has been such a player.
While he missed Week 4 against Kansas City with an MCL sprain, Alt still deserves ample praise. In his first pro start, he completely shut down All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby of the Raiders, helping secure a victory. He was equally impressive against the Carolina Panthers before getting another tough test against T.J. Watt in Pittsburgh.
With Rashawn Slater and Alt on the edges, Los Angeles should be set at tackle for years.
2. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
How good has Nabers been this season? Only Nico Collins of the Houston Texans has more receiving yardage, with Nabers registering 386 despite playing on an extremely limited Giants offense.
Nabers has shown the ability to both dominate at the catch point and make plays with the ball in his hands. The former LSU star is tied for 11th with 156 YAC.
While there was talk about whether Nabers or Rome Odunze should have been the second receiver off the board behind Harrison, the Giants appear to have made the right call.
1. Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
How could it be anybody but Daniels?
Daniels and Drake Maye were in the conversation all winter and spring about who should go second to the Commanders. While Maye has yet to play, Daniels has been brilliant, leading Washington to a 3–1 mark.
So far, Daniels has completed an absurd 82.1% of his passes, almost 10% better than anyone else in the league. He’s also thrown for 897 yards, ranking 12th in the league, while averaging 8.5 yards per attempt, only behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold. Also, Daniels tops the chart in EPA per play, success rate and adjusted EPA per play.
It’s early, but Daniels is clearly the Offensive Rookie of the Year heading into October.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Rookie Watch: Jayden Daniels Is in a League of His Own.
