Midway point in 2023 NFL The regular season has arrived. Actually, on a technical note, it’s halftime of Week 9, so read this article then. Of course, the selection won’t change based on Sunday’s first-half play.
This is the first half of 2023 All-Rookie team. This year, the team has a luxurious lineup of 12 players on the offensive line (one back, two tight ends, and two receivers) and two linebackers and five defensive backs on the defensive line.
Nice half speed layup to start here. Stroud has quite easily outscored the quarterback drafted one year ahead of him, Bryce Young, so far this season. Now he wasn’t incredible. But he has operated Houston’s offense pretty much like his own offense for years. His big-time throw rate (2.8%) is higher than his turnover-worthy play rate (2.2%). That strength is always a plus for a quarterback and especially encouraging for a first-year passer.
It was a game made by the football gods that Acherne was selected by the Dolphins, and we knew before Acherne’s injury a few weeks ago that the football gods don’t get this kind of combination wrong. Now, Achane was running perhaps the most complex and difficult offense to decipher. NFL In the case of the Dolphins, thanks to Mike McDaniel, this is not a “product of environment” situation. Achan averages 12.1 yards per carry! That’s the same amount of yards per catch that Christian Kirk was averaging entering Week 9. Those are my words. Achan also forced 15 missed tackles in 38 attempts. That’s ridiculous! While I’m not giving honorable mention here, I’d like to give a shoutout to Broncos undrafted rookie runner Jaleel McLaughlin, who has become a dynamic weapon in Denver’s offense.
Nacua made a great Cooper Kupp impression to start the season during the All-Pro’s injury absence, running as the true No. 1 in Sean McVay’s offense, making play after play. Now, some of his productivity comes from the heavy role he’s been given to start his NFL career, but in the four games since Kupp returned, the former BYU star has played 22 times. He had 294 yards and a touchdown.
Addison has done a great job stepping up into the No. 1 wideout role in Minnesota after Justin Jefferson suffered a serious hamstring injury a few weeks ago. He has seven touchdowns this season and has worked hard in September to improve his separation ability against coverage, which hampered his productivity. Addison hasn’t dropped a pass in Week 9.
To be honest, I hate pace stats. As we enter the midway point of the season, there is some credibility. Keith Jackson currently holds the rookie record for tight ends with 81 catches in 1988 with the Eagles. Laporta is on pace for 91 grabs. Mike Ditka’s 1,076 yards is the long-standing receiving yardage record for a rookie tight end. Laporta is on pace for 922 yards. He was the centerpiece of Detroit’s resilient offense and thrived individually, winning seven of 10 catch chances and forcing five missed tackles. The George Kittle comparison seems justified.
Kincaid forced seven missed tackles on 30 receptions, an impressive number for a tight end. He missed the game with a concussion, but upon his return he had 13 catches for 140 yards and scored his first professional score in Buffalo’s last two games. Kincaid, blessed with a huge mitt, hasn’t even dropped a pass from Josh Allen. He was just as fluid with the Bills as he was with Utah.
Jones played much the same way he played at Ohio State. He’s a mountain of a guy and it’s just impossible for a quarterback to walk around or get through before releasing the football. With his size, natural strength and great balance, Jones looks like Trent Brown 2.0, only bigger. Of Jones’ 261 pass-blocking snaps so far in Cleveland, he has given up pressure only 12 times.
Torrence has been a steady and smooth operator at right guard for Buffalo. He made a smooth transition to the pro game, just as he did when he moved from Louisiana to Florida State in 2022. Blessed with long levers, a wide, strong frame, and impressive feet for his size, Torrence was a challenging sounding run blocker, allowing 14 pressures on 341 pass-blocking snaps, and was a tough-as-nails run blocker for Buffalo. contributed to the clear improvement from the rushing attack of preseason.
It was unclear whether Skoronski could handle the power he would see inside right away while guarding as he moved there from tackle at Northwestern. And through the first half of his debut NFL season, Skoronski has held up relatively well against the NFL’s strong bull rush guarding the Titans’ offensive line. He gave up nine pressures on 152 pass blocking snaps. He got off to a strong start heading into the first round.
Wright started off slow but excelled at Tennessee, especially in pass pro, but has slowly but surely gotten used to going downhill as a lane pavers in the run game. Harrison had the opposite experience. He got off to a great start in pass pro, but has fallen into some trouble as of late. However, his “win” defending Trevor Lawrence was very encouraging. Balanced and powerful.
Stroud and Anderson made Texans fans forget, at least momentarily, the huge price Houston paid to draft two top prospects in April. Did Anderson make an impact like Micah Parsons or Nick Bosa as a rookie? No, but he was very good, with 25 pressures on 202 pass rush snaps and plenty of splash plays against the run. did.
Tuipulotu took full advantage of the same rush on defense as Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Relatively few of his 22 pressures came from stunts or tight coverage downfield. But all pressures count the same in the stat book. And the 6-3, 265-pound Tuipulotu has been a running down rock for the Chargers.
Carter has calmed down of late after a Hall of Fame start, but is still in the hunt for second-team All-Pro honors as a rookie, recording 28 pressures on 164 pass-rushing snaps. This 16.9% pressure generation rate is huge for Carter. Especially if you’re a defensive tackle, let alone a rookie. It’s as if Carter was the best prospect in the 2023 class, but he was undrafted due to off-the-field concerns.
Flashes of being the No. 1 overall rookie prospect were bright for Bresey early in his Saints career. He is tall, thick, and a strong game-breaker when attacking down the field, and moves laterally like an experienced defensive tackle when reaching outside runs. He is second among all rookies with 17 quarter-pressure appearances and has already knocked down four passes and has three tackles for a loss.
The rookie class of linebackers doesn’t have any true studs until mid-2023 – other than a second-level defender who wasn’t drafted at all by Pace. This incredible feat was too good for Minnesota to keep him off the field to begin his NFL career. He has logged the third-most snaps among rookie linebackers and has arguably been the most consistent at every stage of play at the position. Pace recorded nine pressures and only two missed tackles on 55 pass-rushing snaps. This is about too small.
The Lions brought Campbell in gradually — and frankly, it’s been pretty weird — and the former Iowa State star hasn’t done much in coverage, but he’s yet to miss a single tackle in the NFL. He has accumulated 34 tackles for loss and only 266 tackles. He quickly got through eight games.
Injuries early in the season delayed Witherspoon’s breakout. Since taking the field, he has quickly become a star for Seattle with eight pass breakups, a 97-yard house call with an interception against the Giants, and 33 tackles. He missed four tackles, but many of his takedowns were highlight-reel stuff, like against Illinois.
Porter Jr., another rookie cornerback who was slowly brought in in September, has now finally settled into a full-time role and is playing like he should have been there all along – three pass breakups. up and pick, and the catches allowed hit 14 targets within his coverage area just three times. Early in his NFL career in Pittsburgh, receivers couldn’t shake Porter Jr.
Branch, who played at safety during the draft, is playing an increasingly important slot defender role in Detroit, just as he played the “star” position at Alabama. He has been ubiquitous for the Lions, recording 33 tackles, four for loss, one interception and four pass breakups, and is a dominant playmaker on the back end.
The safety class doesn’t have a true emerging star yet, but Howden has been New Orleans’ most consistent player, playing next to Tyrann Mathews. Entering Week 9, he had only one missed tackle and three pass breakups.
It’s been a roller coaster start for Brown, who recently joined Philadelphia’s full-time lineup. He was great when he recorded his only pass breakup thus far against Tampa Bay, but was otherwise relatively inconsistent in coverage and as a tackler.
