OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Caleb Williams – QB / Chicago
Last week Williams made his inaugural appearance on the weekly Ourlads All Rookie Team. I spoke about his constant ascent since week one. The number one overall pick faced off against the 1-4 Jacksonville Jaguars at home. They were seeking their third straight win for the first time since December of 2020, the final season of the Mitch Trubisky era and also the last time this franchise finished .500 and sniffed the playoffs.
Williams was not only the top rookie quarterback in week six, but he was also arguably the quarterback in the league week six. He completed a league-high 79% of his passes with a league-high 4 touchdowns. He added 56 yards on the ground, good for third best among NFL quarterbacks. Add this up and he ended his first international game as the fourth rookie quarterback in history to finish with four touchdown passes and fifty rushing yards in the same game. The biggest gap I see between his early season struggles and right now (besides the easy schedule of opposing defenses) is the confidence he has on short drop backs. He is making the quick and correct decisions, placing the ball where it needs to be without hesitation. As his confidence grows, the more this league should be put on notice.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Tykee Smith – DB / Tampa Bay
The NFL is littered with former Georgia Bulldog first round defenders like Jalen Carter, Devonte Wyatt, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Lewis Cine, Quay Walker, and Travon Walker. And later draft picks from the defensive backfield Kamari Lassiter, Derion Kendrick, and Javon Bullard. Know what they all have in common? They were college teammates of Tykee Smith, a 2020 All American from West Virginia that transferred to Georgia in 2021. His importance to that defense grew by the year. He lined up all over the defense. Over 600 snaps at nickel. Over 100 snaps at inside linebacker. Over 90 snaps at outside linebacker. Over 40 snaps at corner. Over 20 snaps at free safety. Because of his versatility, others player shined.
Well, it was Smith that shined in week 6 for Tampa Bay in their win over New Orleans. The versatile usage has made its way to the NFL right away for the 4-2 Bucs. He is lining up all over the defense and his presence was all over the stat sheet. He finished with five tackles, one for a loss in addition to two pressures. He intercepted a Spencer Rattler pass in the fourth quarter, running the route for the receiver and also forced a fumble in the first quarter on a play that ended up being a defensive touchdown for the Bucs.
QB
Caleb Williams / CHI (Round 1)
Honorable Mention: Jayden Daniels / WAS (Round 1)
RB
Ray Davis / BUF (Round 4)
With James Cook sidelined because of a toe injury, Davis was given the start against the stingy Jets defense in front of a national stage. He finished with 97 yards on the ground and another 55 yards through the air. The seven missed tackles forced and 84 yards after contact show just how effective he is post-contact.
Honorable Mention: Bucky Irving / TB
WR
Ladd McConkey / LAC (Round 2)
It was a relatively quiet week for the rookie receivers, but McConkey went over the 40-yard mark for the third straight game on four catches, two of which went for a first down. The interesting nugget is the fact all of his catches came on third down. He broke up two tackles on one of the conversions.
Honorable Mention: Bub Means / NO
TE
Brock Bowers / LV (Round 1)
Bowers continues to dominate the production among rookie tight ends. He has over twice as many targets, yards, and catches than any other first year player at the position. In their loss to Pittsburgh, Bowers brought in nine catches for 71 yards, two of which went for a first down.
Honorable Mention: Ja’Tavion Sanders / CAR
OT
JC Latham / TEN (Round 1)
It was not the cleanest game in pass protection by Latham, but he did displace Colts defenders in the running game as running back Tony Pollard had his best game of the season. His hands are heavy enough to make up for some late movement off the snap.
Honorable Mention: Joe Alt / LAC
OG/OC
Dominick Puni / SF (Round 3)
The Niners run game continues to strengthen despite the absence of star back Christian McCaffrey who is still dealing with an achilles injury. They averaged 6.9 yards per carry which Puni was very much responsible for. Both in line and in space, his ability to maintain good contact on the move is a weapon for this offense.
Honorable Mention: Zach Frazier / PIT
ED
Chris Braswell / TB (Round 2)
The first sack of Braswell’s career came in the third quarter of their matchup against the Saints while the Bucs were down by three. He had another pressure in the fourth quarter that led to a sack.
Honorable Mention: Isaac Ukwu / DET
DT
Evan Anderson / SF (UDFA)
Anderson is playing good enough football to warrant more and more playing time. He played just 13 snaps in their win over Seattle Thursday night, four of which came on pass plays. Two of those resulted in pressures. And one of those pressures led to an interception by fellow rookie Renardo Green in the fourth quarter. Anderson also assisted on two tackles against the run.
Honorable Mention: Jonah Laulu / LV
LB
Edgerrin Cooper / GB (Round 2)
Green Bay is upping the usage of Cooper by the week. On a career-high 38 snaps, his confidence level is clearly increasing and the production has followed. His comfort level in space and top end speed make him a weapon against defenses that like to spread things out. In today’s NFL, linebackers need to be effective against the pass and his ability to abruptly limit yards after the catch. Cooper is excelling in that area and it will force him into even more playing time.
Honorable Mention: Payton Wilson / PIT
CB
Jarvis Brownlee Jr. / TEN (Round 5)
Make it two straight weeks for Brownlee. On a team starving for a build-around piece at corner, Brownlee produced the best game of his young career against the Colts. Both of his tackles were stops for the defense and he broke up two passes, allowing a 50.3 passer rating.
Honorable Mention: Mike Sainristil / WAS
S
Tykee Smith / TB (Round 3)
See above
Honorable Mention: Evan Williams / GB