It’s hard not to overreact to Week 1 action when so many rookie pass-catchers had incredible debuts. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown lit the Miami Dolphins’ secondary on fire, the Tennessee Titans’ A.J. Brown had his way with the Cleveland Browns and cornerback Denzel Ward and T.J. Hockenson racked up a ton of yards to lead the Detroit Lions’ passing attack.
Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens
It took only four receptions for Brown to lead all rookies in receiving yards in Week 1, as he hauled in four-of-six targets for 147 yards, one first down and two touchdowns on his way to a 93.0 receiving grade across 10 routes run. He took a slant route 47 yards to the house on his first touchdown of the day, and his second came on a deep go route from the slot for an 83-yard score. With his elite quickness and deep speed, Brown is quite literally a big play waiting to happen.
A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans
A.J. Brown put on a show against Cleveland. The former Ole Miss standout earned an 84.6 receiving grade for his efforts, catching three of his four targets for 100 yards and two first downs in the process. And he ran only 18 routes. Expect Tennessee to get Brown more involved in the coming weeks.
Terry McLaurin, Washington Redskins
Redskins rookie wideout Terry McLaurin solidified himself as a centerpiece of the team’s passing attack with his play in Week 1. He caught five-of-seven targets for 125 yards, three first downs and one touchdown across 44 routes run in his NFL debut. He also logged three receptions of 15-plus yards and earned an 84.1 receiving grade for his efforts.
T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions
Like McLaurin, Lions rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson should see a high-volume role following his dominant Week 1 performance. Across his 39 routes run Sunday, Hockenson earned an 83.9 receiving grade and caught six-of-eight passes for 131 yards, three first downs and a touchdown. He also led all rookie pass-catchers in receptions of 15-plus yards, with four.
D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Three of D.K. Metcalf’s four receptions went for 15-plus yards in his NFL debut. He ran only 23 routes against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but he still managed to record 89 receiving yards, three first downs and an impressive 74.9 receiving grade.
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