Through eight weeks of the NFL season, both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year races are starting to take shape. Jayden Daniels has been a superstar since day one for the Commanders, while Jared Verse has been a day one force for the Rams. The rookie class has plenty of standouts.
Ranking the five best rookies through eight weeks.
No. 1 Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
This is a no-brainer. Not only has Daniels been the best rookie so far in 2024, he’s been one of the best players in the league this season. After being drafted with the number two overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels has led the Washington Commanders to a 6-2 start, their best start since 2008.
Daniels has thrown for 1,736 yards and has rushed for another 424 yards. He has 11 total touchdowns and two interceptions and is second in completion percentage in the NFL. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner has put together some of the biggest moments of the NFL season thus far, just eight weeks into his career. In week three, he completed a 27-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin against the Cincinnati Bengals, which put the game out of reach for the Bengals. On Sunday, Daniels completed a game-winning 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Noah Brown to give the Commanders a walk-off win against the Chicago Bears.
Daniels is currently the heavy favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year according to oddsmakers.
No. 2 Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
Jared Verse has been a force to be reckoned with as a first-round edge rusher for the LA Rams. The former Florida State University standout has 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble on the year, which doesn’t jump off the page, but it doesn’t tell the whole story of how dominant Verse has been as a rookie.
He leads all rookies in pressures on the quarterback with 31, which is ten more than second place. Verse is also the top edge rusher in the league in run-defense win rate at 30.58%, according to Pro Football Focus(PFF), a metric that measures the percentage of plays in which a defender successfully stops or disrupts a run play.
The 2024 rookie defensive class hasn’t been stellar so far, but Verse is distancing himself as the best defender in his class and ascending as one of the best in the entire league.
No. 3 Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
The Number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has had to take a back seat to Daniels for much of this season. However, Williams has started to come on as of late. In the showdown against Daniels on Sunday, Williams’s team came up short; however, on the last offensive possession for the Bears, Williams led a go-ahead scoring drive for the Bears before the Hail Mary happened.
Chicago is 3-1 in their last four games, with Williams throwing for 818 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception. The loss to Daniels and the Commanders will likely come back to bite him in the Rookie of the Year race; however, Williams has been playing well in Chicago recently.
No. 4 Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Nix and the Broncos have been one of the surprises of the season. After having a preseason over/under win total of 4.5, the Broncos have already surpassed that through eight weeks in the season.
The 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft enjoyed his best game yet, throwing for 287 yards and four touchdowns Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. At 5-3, the Broncos are in position for a wildcard berth in the playoffs that started today. Most of the odds for the rookie of the year are for Nix to sit behind Daniels and Williams; however, Nix could continue to rise with a strong stretch finish and a playoff berth for the Broncos.
No. 5 Marvin Harrison Jr, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals currently sit in first place in the NFC West, and Harrison Jr. has played a big part in the Cardinal’s current success. He has 26 receptions for 411 yards and five touchdowns, and after a slow start to the season, Harrison Jr. has come on big.
Against the Miami Dolphins, he enjoyed his best game as a pro, with six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. Harrison Jr. was the first receiver taken in his draft at fourth overall, and this game showed why. Receivers taken behind him have gotten off to better individual statistical starts; however, Harrison Jr. and his team have the most team success through eight weeks.
Main Image: © Peter Casey-Imagn Images
