- Joined
- Feb 9, 2014
- Messages
- 20,922
- Name
- Peter
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ass-report-card-heading-into-preseason-week-3
Team-by-Team NFL Rookie Class Report Card Heading into Preseason Week 3
By Kristopher Knox, Featured Columnist
Since we're trying to grade each team's rookie class entering Week 3 of the preseason, we're going to focus primarily on players who have appeared in preseason action. This means that players who have been out with injury, such as Jaguars rookie pass-rusher Dante Fowler, won't be a major part of the grading process.
We will use a combination of game film, statistics and third-party analysis to determine overall grades.
St. Louis Rams
James Kenney/Associated Press
What we can do is look at rookie offensive tackle Rob Havenstein, who has been promising in the preseason. He currently has a negative grade from Pro Football Focus but is also rated as the second-best tackle on the roster.
Jamon Brown and Andrew Donnal have been even better. Brown is rated as the top guard on the team, and Donnal is rated one spot above Havenstein at tackle, per PFF.
Quarterback Sean Mannion (107.5 passer rating) has also looked good in exhibition work and will likely make the team as a developmental quarterback. It doesn't appear the Rams will have a chance of stashing him on the practice squad.
The big surprise of the preseason, however, has been undrafted running back Malcolm Brown. The Texas product has rushed for 41 yards on six carries and has caught five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.
If Gurley can't make an immediate impact as a rookie rusher, perhaps Brown can.
Receiver Bud Sasser was unable to pass his physical because of a previously undiscovered heart condition. However, the Rams have hired Sasser as an external football affairs coordinator.
"We are really excited to have him on board," head coach Jeff Fisher said of Sasser, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. "He's going to be working in alumni relations and youth football and it's just a great opportunity for him."
Overall, it looks like the Rams managed to add some real talent and depth to the offensive line, a promising young quarterback and perhaps a regular contributor in the backfield. This makes the St. Louis draft class look pretty good, even without Gurley.
Current Overall Grade: B
Seattle Seahawks
Clark has seven tackles and two quarterback hurries in 64 snaps this preseason. He is rated first overall among Seattle defensive ends by Pro Football Focus.
Lockett, meanwhile, has been exceptional as a return specialist. He has returned five kickoffs for 205 yards and a touchdown and three punts for 38 yards so far. NFL Media's Elliot Harrison recently predicted that Lockett will make the 2015 All-Pro team:
It's always fun to place a rookie somewhere on the All-Pro squad. Last year, Zack Martin made the official team. How about this Seahawks true freshman at returner? Lockett could be key for an earthbound Seattle offense, which will benefit from the brand of explosion this guy has displayed in the preseason.
Rookie lineman Terry Poole has also looked promising. He is one of only two Seattle tackles to receive a positive grade by Pro Football Focus this preseason. Tye Smith may also make the team as a depth corner, but most of these guys are going to have a difficult time cracking Seattle's Super Bowl-caliber roster.
Still, Clark and Lockett can improve the Seahawks, which would make this a successful rookie class for one of the league's true contenders.
Current Overall Grade: B
San Francisco 49ers
Linebacker Eli Harold has also been solid in the preseason and has been credited with three quarterback hits and one additional hurry, per PFF.
The biggest surprise of the preseason, however, has been former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne, who has shined running the football and returning punts.
"The Jarryd Hayne Show continued," Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com wrote after the 49ers' second preseason game. "A week after the Australian rugby star accounted for 120 total yards in Houston, Hayne returned three punts for 84 yards, with each return eliciting more oohs and ahhs."
Hayne has overshadowed rookie third-round back Mike Davis, even though Davis has averaged a promising 4.7 yards per carry. Both should remain with the team in the regular season.
Receiver DeAndre Smelter is still recovering from last year's ACL tear, and rookie tight ends Blake Bell and Rory Anderson both look like depth players at best. Former Florida lineman Trenton Brown has been a nice preseason surprise.
Overall, it appears the 49ers are set to come away with a few backups, a couple of starters and one unexpected star from their rookie class.
Current Overall Grade: A
Arizona Cardinals
He has had issues with motivation, which has led to one unenviable nickname, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com:
D. J. Humphries has had a rough training camp. If you weren’t watching practices, it was clear nonetheless by the comments from coach Bruce Arians. First there were the chuckles by Arians revealing the tackle’s nickname as “Knee Deep,” because a foot up Humphries’ backside wasn’t providing enough motivation.
Humphries has been rated as the fourth-best offensive tackle on the roster by Pro Football Focus.
The good news is that other members of the rookie class have found ways to shine. Receiver J.J. Nelson (three receptions for 77 yards) has been a force in camp and in the preseason. Running back David Johnson (13 carries for 66 yards) has steadily improved and looks like he can be a difference-maker in 2015.
According to Peter King of The MMQB, the Cardinals love defensive tackle Rodney Gunter and may make him the starter at nose tackle by opening day.
Undrafted rookie Phillip Sims has also been a pleasant surprise. He has a modest 73.9 passer rating through two preseason games, but he has outperformed quarterbacks Logan Thomas and Drew Stanton to this point.
If Humphries can turn things around and second-round pick Markus Golden can develop as a pass-rusher, the Cardinals are going to end up with an enviable 2015 class.
Current Overall Grade: B
Team-by-Team NFL Rookie Class Report Card Heading into Preseason Week 3
By Kristopher Knox, Featured Columnist
Since we're trying to grade each team's rookie class entering Week 3 of the preseason, we're going to focus primarily on players who have appeared in preseason action. This means that players who have been out with injury, such as Jaguars rookie pass-rusher Dante Fowler, won't be a major part of the grading process.
We will use a combination of game film, statistics and third-party analysis to determine overall grades.
St. Louis Rams
James Kenney/Associated Press
- Round 1 (10) Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
- Round 2 (57) Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin
- Round 3 (72) Jamon Brown, OT, Louisville
- Round 3 (89) Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State
- Round 4 (119) Andrew Donnal, OT, Iowa
- Round 6 (201) Bud Sasser, WR, Missouri
- Round 6 (215) Cody Wichmann, OG, Fresno State
- Round 7 (224) Bryce Hager, ILB, Baylor
- Round 7 (227) Martin Ifedi, DE, Memphis
- Undrafted (FA) Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas
What we can do is look at rookie offensive tackle Rob Havenstein, who has been promising in the preseason. He currently has a negative grade from Pro Football Focus but is also rated as the second-best tackle on the roster.
Jamon Brown and Andrew Donnal have been even better. Brown is rated as the top guard on the team, and Donnal is rated one spot above Havenstein at tackle, per PFF.
Quarterback Sean Mannion (107.5 passer rating) has also looked good in exhibition work and will likely make the team as a developmental quarterback. It doesn't appear the Rams will have a chance of stashing him on the practice squad.
The big surprise of the preseason, however, has been undrafted running back Malcolm Brown. The Texas product has rushed for 41 yards on six carries and has caught five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown.
If Gurley can't make an immediate impact as a rookie rusher, perhaps Brown can.
Receiver Bud Sasser was unable to pass his physical because of a previously undiscovered heart condition. However, the Rams have hired Sasser as an external football affairs coordinator.
"We are really excited to have him on board," head coach Jeff Fisher said of Sasser, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. "He's going to be working in alumni relations and youth football and it's just a great opportunity for him."
Overall, it looks like the Rams managed to add some real talent and depth to the offensive line, a promising young quarterback and perhaps a regular contributor in the backfield. This makes the St. Louis draft class look pretty good, even without Gurley.
Current Overall Grade: B
Seattle Seahawks
- Round 2 (63) Frank Clark, DE, Michigan
- Round 3 (69) Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State
- Round 4 (130) Terry Poole, OG, San Diego State
- Round 4 (134) Mark Glowinski, OG, West Virginia
- Round 5 (170) Tye Smith, CB, Towson
- Round 6 (209) Obum Gwacham, DE, Oregon State
- Round 6 (214) Kristjan Sokoli, OL, Buffalo
- Round 7 (248) Ryan Murphy, DB, Oregon State
Clark has seven tackles and two quarterback hurries in 64 snaps this preseason. He is rated first overall among Seattle defensive ends by Pro Football Focus.
Lockett, meanwhile, has been exceptional as a return specialist. He has returned five kickoffs for 205 yards and a touchdown and three punts for 38 yards so far. NFL Media's Elliot Harrison recently predicted that Lockett will make the 2015 All-Pro team:
It's always fun to place a rookie somewhere on the All-Pro squad. Last year, Zack Martin made the official team. How about this Seahawks true freshman at returner? Lockett could be key for an earthbound Seattle offense, which will benefit from the brand of explosion this guy has displayed in the preseason.
Rookie lineman Terry Poole has also looked promising. He is one of only two Seattle tackles to receive a positive grade by Pro Football Focus this preseason. Tye Smith may also make the team as a depth corner, but most of these guys are going to have a difficult time cracking Seattle's Super Bowl-caliber roster.
Still, Clark and Lockett can improve the Seahawks, which would make this a successful rookie class for one of the league's true contenders.
Current Overall Grade: B
San Francisco 49ers
- Round 1 (17) Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
- Round 2 (46) Jaquiski Tartt, SS, Samford
- Round 3 (79) Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
- Round 4 (117) Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
- Round 4 (126) Mike Davis, RB, South Carolina
- Round 4 (132) DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech
- Round 5 (165) Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson
- Round 6 (190) Ian Silberman, OG, Boston College
- Round 7 (244) Trenton Brown, OG, Florida
- Round 7 (254) Rory Anderson, TE, South Carolina
- Undrafted (FA) Jarryd Hayne, RB, Australian Rugby League
Linebacker Eli Harold has also been solid in the preseason and has been credited with three quarterback hits and one additional hurry, per PFF.
The biggest surprise of the preseason, however, has been former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne, who has shined running the football and returning punts.
"The Jarryd Hayne Show continued," Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com wrote after the 49ers' second preseason game. "A week after the Australian rugby star accounted for 120 total yards in Houston, Hayne returned three punts for 84 yards, with each return eliciting more oohs and ahhs."
Hayne has overshadowed rookie third-round back Mike Davis, even though Davis has averaged a promising 4.7 yards per carry. Both should remain with the team in the regular season.
Receiver DeAndre Smelter is still recovering from last year's ACL tear, and rookie tight ends Blake Bell and Rory Anderson both look like depth players at best. Former Florida lineman Trenton Brown has been a nice preseason surprise.
Overall, it appears the 49ers are set to come away with a few backups, a couple of starters and one unexpected star from their rookie class.
Current Overall Grade: A
Arizona Cardinals
- Round 1 (24) D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
- Round 2 (58) Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
- Round 3 (86) David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa
- Round 4 (116) Rodney Gunter, DT, Delaware State
- Round 5 (158) Shaquille Riddick, DE, West Virginia
- Round 5 (159) J.J. Nelson, WR, UAB
- Round 7 (256) Gerald Christian, TE, Louisville
- Undrafted (FA) Phillip Sims, QB, Winston-Salem State
He has had issues with motivation, which has led to one unenviable nickname, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com:
D. J. Humphries has had a rough training camp. If you weren’t watching practices, it was clear nonetheless by the comments from coach Bruce Arians. First there were the chuckles by Arians revealing the tackle’s nickname as “Knee Deep,” because a foot up Humphries’ backside wasn’t providing enough motivation.
Humphries has been rated as the fourth-best offensive tackle on the roster by Pro Football Focus.
The good news is that other members of the rookie class have found ways to shine. Receiver J.J. Nelson (three receptions for 77 yards) has been a force in camp and in the preseason. Running back David Johnson (13 carries for 66 yards) has steadily improved and looks like he can be a difference-maker in 2015.
According to Peter King of The MMQB, the Cardinals love defensive tackle Rodney Gunter and may make him the starter at nose tackle by opening day.
Undrafted rookie Phillip Sims has also been a pleasant surprise. He has a modest 73.9 passer rating through two preseason games, but he has outperformed quarterbacks Logan Thomas and Drew Stanton to this point.
If Humphries can turn things around and second-round pick Markus Golden can develop as a pass-rusher, the Cardinals are going to end up with an enviable 2015 class.
Current Overall Grade: B
