• Texans safety Calen Bullock impresses: The third-round pick earned an 82.3 PFF grade in Week 1, the highest grade among all rookies in the NFL.
• Jaguars' top pick leads the way on offense: Brian Thomas Jr. earned a 77.5 PFF grade in his debut.
• Xavier Worthy provides big plays: The Kansas City Chiefs rookie receiver averaged 22.7 yards per touch in Week 1.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With the first full week of the 2024 NFL season now in the books, we’ve gathered enough data to assess the early performances of the league’s rookies.
While it's still a small sample size, we’re focusing on first-year players who logged at least 25 snaps to see who stood out in Week 1.
1. S Calen Bullock, Houston Texans
PFF Grade: 82.3
The third-round pick played 25 snaps and earned an 82.3 PFF grade in Week 1, the highest grade among all rookies in the NFL. He earned a 76.7 coverage grade, allowing no receptions and coming away with an interception.
2. G Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
PFF Grade: 79.1
The 49ers ran the ball four times behind Puni at right guard. Those plays averaged 5.3 yards before contact, with two moving the chains. Puni earned a 77.7 pass-blocking grade and a 74.6 run-blocking grade in his debut.
3. DI T’Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans
PFF Grade: 77.7
The 38th overall selection in the draft played 38 snaps in his debut, impressive for a player who weighs 363 pounds. As we saw in college, he made an impact both as a pass rusher and against the run. He earned a solid 64.2 run-defense grade and registered a pair of hurries from 19 pass-rushing snaps.
4. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
PFF Grade: 77.5
The 23rd overall selection was on the field for 20 snaps as a receiver and averaged 2.35 yards per route run. His 77.5 PFF grade was the best among all first-year players on offense this week, and three of his four receptions went for either a first down or touchdown.
5. WR Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 76.4
McConkey split his time almost evenly between the slot and out wide, logging 20 snaps inside and 18 outside. In his debut, three of his five receptions and 24 of his 39 yards came from the slot, and he finished the game without any drops.
6. EDGE Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
PFF Grade: 75.5
The Rams’ first-round draft pick racked up a sack, two hits and three hurries from 23 pass-rushing snaps in his first game, earning a 65.3 PFF pass-rushing grade in the process. He also set the edge well in the running game, earning a 73.5 run-defense grade.
7. OT Taliese Fuaga, New Orleans Saints
PFF Grade: 72.7
Fuaga didn’t allow a single pressure from 28 pass-blocking snaps in the Saints’ dominating win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. However, it is worth noting that the team helped the offensive line out schematically, with the unit playing only eight true pass sets. Fuaga also moved people in the running game, though, as he earned a 65.0 run-blocking grade.
8. WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
PFF Grade: 71.3
The fastest player in NFL combine history saw just three targets and one carry in his NFL debut, but that was enough to create two huge plays. He averaged 23.5 yards per reception, scoring on a 35-yard catch after a coverage bust by the Ravens, and he also found the end zone again on a 21-yard run.
9. DI Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks
PFF Grade: 70.5
Murphy drew plenty of attention from the Denver Broncos offensive line in Week 1 but was still able to make some plays. He earned a 68.0 run-defense grade from 12 snaps against the run and registered a pair of hurries from 28 pass-rushing opportunities.
10. C Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
PFF Grade: 70.2
Frazier assumed the starting position in the middle of the Steelers' offensive line after an injury to Nate Herbig but looked perfectly comfortable as a starter in Week 1. He earned a 66.0 run-blocking grade on 38 snaps and didn’t allow a pressure from 31 pass-blocking snaps. Like Fuaga with the Saints, it’s important to note that just 10 of the Steelers' passing plays were true pass sets.
11. T JC Latham, Tennessee Titans
PFF Grade: 69.0
Latham struggled in pass protection, allowing a sack, two hits and two hurries from 38 pass-blocking snaps. However, he fared much better as a run blocker. His 82.6 run-blocking grade, coming on 25 snaps, was the best of any rookie offensive lineman this past week.
12. WR Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills
PFF Grade: 68.8
The first pick in the second round of April’s draft, Coleman led the Bills' skill position players in passing snaps, targets, receptions and yards. He didn’t drop a pass, averaged 1.89 yards per route run and half of his receptions moved the chains.
13. EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, Dallas Cowboys
PFF Grade: 68.0
The Cowboys’ second-round draft pick racked up three quarterback hits and two hurries from 34 pass-rushing snaps in his first NFL game. He was also strong against the run and finished the game with a pair of defensive stops.
14. C Cooper Beebe, Dallas Cowboys
PFF Grade: 67.8
The Cowboys’ third-round draft pick also impressed, earning a 78.5 PFF pass-blocking grade with no pressures allowed from 37 pass-blocking snaps, though just 11 of those came on true pass sets. He was also solid as a run blocker, earning a 63.7 PFF run-blocking grade.
15. G Jordan Morgan, Green Bay Packers
PFF Grade: 67.7
The 25th overall selection in the draft didn’t start the game for the Packers but played 27 snaps at right guard and another snap as a sixth offensive lineman. He earned PFF grades above 60.0 in pass protection and as a run blocker, allowing just one pressure from 19 pass-blocking snaps.
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