A year ago, the narrative was that C.J. Stroud was playing well beyond his years and that no one had seen a season like his from a rookie quarterback. NFL fans did not have to wait long for another rookie quarterback to make his own mark on the league. Jayden Daniels, like Stroud, is turning an overlooked franchise into a legitimate threat when the roster around him suggests it shouldn't be.
Daniels is not the only rookie making plays, however. Here are the top-10 rookies from Week 4 of the NFL season:
1. QB Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
Daniels is setting records left and right early in his NFL career. On Sunday, he became the first quarterback in NFL history with an 85% completion percentage in back-to-back games. He has the highest completion percentage in a four-game span (82.1%) -- of all players, let alone rookies -- in a season since 1970.
Washington punter Tress Way has punted just once in the past three weeks. Meanwhile, Daniels has led more scoring drives (23) than incompletions thrown (19).
Daniels is putting together a special season one year after witnessing something similar from C.J. Stroud.
2. WR Malik Nabers (Giants)
It is not uncommon for teams to force the football to a player, but that player is not always deserving. Nabers is the exception. He can snap off a comeback route or stutter his feet to break a defender down -- only to accelerate for a downfield target. The LSU product has also shown the capability to win jump balls. There is nothing he can't do, and defenders have to respect him at all three levels. In the clip below, Andrew Booth Jr. bites hard on the underneath route and Nabers continues upfield for an easy completion.
Malik Nabers making guys touch grass 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/OEshvF2TSc
— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2024
Through four games, he has 35 receptions on 52 targets for 386 yards and 3 touchdowns; all are league-leading figures. Puka Nacua set a rookie record with 160 targets in 2023. Through four games, Nacua had 52 targets as well, but that rate slowed once Cooper Kupp returned and the season progressed.
3. S Malik Mustapha (49ers)
Mustapha is one of the most fun players to watch. He has great top-end speed and accelerates quickly downhill to make big plays. The rookie nearly had an interception against the Patriots, but he did have a crushing block on Fred Warner's interception return.
Houston's Calen Bullock is another safety who has had a good season. His effort on a tackle led to a goal line stand and resulted in his team keeping Jacksonville win-less. His teammate, cornerback Renardo Green, did a good job in his extended opportunity as well.
4. EDGE Jared Verse (Rams)
Verse is a really impressive rusher. He bends his waist at the high side of his rush and flattens his path to the quarterback. The rookie does a really good job of setting up his pass-rush moves, but he needs to do a better job of finishing plays. There were a few occasions in which he had Caleb Williams dead to rights and could not get him on the ground.
5. OT Roger Rosengarten (Ravens)
The circumstances behind Rosengarten not seeing more action than he has this season are unknown, but his performance Sunday was impressive. He did a really good job playing with balance and angling blocks in the run game to free Derrick Henry. Baltimore had a quiet confidence about its offensive line coming into the season, and those pieces may finally be coming together with guard Andrew Vorhees and Rosengarten.
6. RB Bucky Irving (Buccaneers)
Irving runs through arm tackles, but there is a quality about his game that is reminiscent of an NBA guard. The best NBA penetrators are able to give the defender a little shoulder shimmy to get them moving in one direction before breaking the opposite way. Irving does the same as a rusher. He shows great burst and glides effortlessly across the field.
7. C Zach Frazier (Steelers)
Frazier is a boulder in the middle of that Pittsburgh offensive line just looking for a reason to roll downhill on a defender. He does a great job of moving his feet and angling blocks to create rushing lanes on a Steelers offensive line that has been decimated with injuries this year.
8. OT Amarius Mims (Bengals)
There were really only two plays on which Mims did a poor job. He overset once and Jadeveon Clowney cut inside for a near sack on Joe Burrow. For a franchise that has been unable to find answers along the offensive line, Mims may finally provide stability on the right side.
9. CB Nate Wiggins (Ravens)
Wiggins should have recorded his first interception of the season, but slightly misplayed the ball. He played off a lot but rallied to the football. Wiggins showed good stop-start speed to stay in phase against Buffalo's receivers. Wiggins was always one of the most talented cornerbacks eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft, but he needed some refinement. Ravens fans may be seeing that play out in real time.
10. OG Dominick Puni (49ers)
Puni showed good foot quickness to reach the front side of the blocking scheme and seal run lanes. There were occasions when he was beaten in pass protection, but he rallied and ran the rusher beyond the pocket. The rookie has active eyes and did a good job picking up stunts.
Additionally, Commanders offensive tackle Brandon Coleman and Titans offensive tackle JC Latham are putting together promising performances of late. The offensive tackle class may have been stronger than even the most optimistic imagined.
