Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) prepares to throw the ball during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Northwest Stadium. [Amber Searls-Imagn Images]

NFL Offensive Rookies Who Have Shined This Season

Alexander Vafeas November 14, 2024 Football, NFL 49 Views

This year’s rookie class has been nothing short of electric. From a signal caller in the MVP race to pass catchers leading their teams and so much more, NFL rookies have been putting on a show. And with exciting rookies come even more exciting rookie rankings.

With that said, here are my top five offensive rookies through Week 10 of the NFL season.

No. 1 – Jayden Daniels

Daniels is the clear-cut No. 1 on this list. The rookie sensation has 2,147 yards, nine touchdowns to only two picks while leading the Commanders to a 7-3 record. He has also racked up another 464 yards and four scores on the ground. Daniels is top 15 in passing yards (12th), completion percentage (ninth), passing success rate (11th) and yards per attempt (sixth) among all QBs. 

Daniel’s 87.2 PFF grade is also the third most among QBs. His passing grade (83.0) is ranked No. 5 while his run grade of 73.0 is good for eighth. 

No. 2 – Malik Nabers Rookies

Most of the rookie wide receiver talk in the preseason was about Marvin Harrison Jr., but this season has been dominated by Nabers. The second LSU product on this list, Nabers leads all rookies in targets (91) and catches (61), while receiving nearly 30% of the Giants’ target share. 

On those receptions, Nabers has racked up 607 yards (T-1 among rookies) and three touchdowns. Nabers has also done this while on one of the worst offenses in the NFL. The other top rookie wideouts all benefit from having a top 10 QB per PFF. 

No. 3 – Brock Bowers

Bowers is another rookie pass catcher who has quickly become the focal point of a bad offense. The Raider leads all TEs this year in yards (580) while being second in receptions (57) and receiving percentage (81.4). 

He also ranks second in offensive grade and receiving grade out of all pass catchers (TEs and WRs). Bowers is also doing this while having three different signal callers on the season. 

No. 4 – Joe Alt Rookies

Alt has been an instant upgrade on a Chargers O-line that ranked dead last in run blocking last season. The Chargers are now ranked No. 19 while leading rusher J.K. Dobbins is having a resurgent season averaging 4.8 YPC on 141 attempts. 

Alt boasts an offensive grade of 75.0, a pass block grade of 74.0 and a run block grade of 73.3. Those values are good for third, first and fourth among rookies, respectively. 

No. 5 – Brian Thomas Jr. 

Much like his former LSU counterpart, Thomas Jr. has become a star in an otherwise lackluster offense. The wideout is tied with Nabers in rookie receiving yards, with 607 on 37 catches with five TDs.

Thomas Jr. leads all rookies in deep ball receiving with a grade of 99.2 on targets of 20+ yards. BTJ’s 79.4 offensive and receiving grades both rank third among rookies. 

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About Alexander Vafeas

Alexander Vafeas is a third-year Sports Journalism student at the University of Florida who currently serves as one of WRUF's NFL beat writers.

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