We are back after a break to prepare for this season and are starting off the year with some NFL week 1 rookies who impressed and who disappointed.

Impressed

Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders (70.8 Cmp %, 272 Total Yards, 2 rushing TDs)

  In a week where Qbs (especially the other rookies)were not great, Daniels had a pretty good debut. Even though the Commanders lost, he was efficient and made a big difference on the ground. Kliff needs to find a way to get Scary Terry more open for Daniels, as the passing scheme left a lot to be desired.

Brian Thomas Jr, WR, Jacksonville (4 Catches, 47 yards, 1 TD, long PI call)

Thomas made his presence felt very quickly for the Jags. He showed impressive chemistry with Lawrence on the touchdown, and drew a long PI call where he torched Jalen Ramsey and should have had a second touchdown from it.

Ladd Mcconkey, WR, Chargers (5 Catches, 39 Yards, 1 TD)

McConkey showed off what he can do on his touchdown catch, getting the ball short and making defenders miss in route to the end zone. Look for his target share to go up as time goes on.

Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders (6 Catches, 58 Yards)

Sam LaPorta having an all time great season may have you not remembering, but typically tight ends are not factors immediately as a rookie. It is clear Bowers will be a focal point of this offense moving forward.

Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs (68 Total Yards, 2 TDs)

Even though people are definitely overreacting/overrating this performance from Worthy, it was still a great debut. He showed he can be a weapon after the catch and we are sure there will be many other play designs called for Worthy specifically.

Devaughn Vele, WR, Broncos (8 Catches, 39 Yards)

Perhaps the biggest surprise of any rookie. Vele is a day 3 pick who debuted with 8 catches. While the rest of his stat line is nothing special, he could be a meaningful contributor for the Broncos this season if he can stay healthy (he will miss week 2 with an injury)

Joe Alt, OT, Chargers

Not only did he survive against Maxx Crosby, he pretty much dominated him. Your debut against a top pass rusher in the league cannot go much better than it did for Alt.

Negatives

Caleb Williams, QB, Bears

The much anticipated appearance of Williams was disappointing. He looked like a rookie (which he is) and struggled to push the ball. He did use his legs affectively though and did not turn the ball over which is a huge plus. And, most importantly, the Bears Won

Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Cardinals

Harrison looked rough in his first game, not running routes crisply and barely getting looked at. To be fair, he did not get targeted even though he was open. The Cardinals have to find a way to shift Kyler’s attention from Dortch to Harrison especially in jump ball situations.

Bo Nix, QB, Broncos

He threw 2 ugly interceptions, and struggled to push the ball. However, he did do better in the 4th quarter and showed off his athleticism. Much like Worthy being overhyped after week 1, we think Nix is getting too much hate. Sean Payton’s game plan was not great, but we expect things to get better for all rookie QBs and the season goes on. Also, it was a Mike McDonald led defense that was, to no one’s surprise, dominant.

All of the rookie RBs

In an underwhelming class, no rookie burst onto the scene after week 1 at the running back position.