10.) Lane Johnson OT, Philadelphia Eagles
When the Eagles drafted Johnson out of Oklahoma with the fourth pick, many considered him to be a project player. He was a former quarterback turned tight end and finally moved to tackle at Oklahoma, but his size and rare athleticism made him a fascinating pick for the future.
It appears the future is now, as Johnson is already beginning to make an impact on the Eagles offensive line this season. Johnson earned the starting right tackle job in the offseason and has thrived during training camp and in two preseason games. At times you will see lapses where he gets beat off the snap and can’t engage, but for the most part he has done an excellent job. If he continues to improve he can help keep Michael Vick healthy and allow Chip Kelly to run his offense without having to worry about the health of his quarterback.
9.) Tyler Eifert TE, Cincinnati Bengals
While Eifert may fall a few spots on this list, it isn’t a knock on his performance in week two of the preseason. He actually took a step forward on the stat sheet, hauling in three receptions for 42 yards and being targeted four times as his role continues to grow for this offense.
While the Bengals will likely run some two-tight end sets this season, Eifert is still behind Jermaine Gresham on the depth chart. He is the most talented tight end on the roster and, as he improves his blocking skills his role in this offense will only grow more. Eifert entered the draft as the best tight end prospect in years and once he becomes a key in this offense, he will become one of the best tight ends in football. It is scary to think what a team featuring Eifert, A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu could be like in the future.
8.) Cordarrelle Patterson WR, Minnesota Vikings
Patterson takes a sizable drop on the list as well this week, both because of his own play and because of the quarterback who will be throwing him the football. After a big debut last week, Patterson was held to just two receptions for 19 yards on three targets.
Patterson still has a lot of room to grow as a route-runner, it is something he struggled with in college and now faces an even more complex system in the NFL. As of now he can only run simple routes, and even when he does run it correctly he has to worry about the quarterback being able to make the throw. We all know Patterson is a pure football specimen who when he puts it all together will be a star, but that is still a few years away. He will make some big plays this season but will need to overcome his own struggles and those of his quarterback as well.
7.) Giovani Bernard RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Bernard just missed the list last week but after a great performance against the Titans, soars to the seventh spot. While he is still referred to as the complimentary running back to BenJarvus Green-Ellis it shouldn’t be long before Bernard takes over.
Bernard put his skills on display against the Titans, showing his ability to burst through a small hole for a big play and his skills as a receiver. When the Bengals offensive line gave him a bit of space, Bernard was able to pick up chunks of yards on each carry as he finished the night with seven carries for 37 yards. When the Bengals got to the one-yard line they didn’t bring Green-Ellis in to bust it in, they trusted their rookie to make it in and that’s exactly what he did. The only question remaining with Bernard is his pass protection skills and if he can make adjustments there, he could become the Bengals every-down running back.
6.) Eddie Lacy RB, Green Bay Packers
Ever since Aaron Rodgers took over as the Packers quarterback, he hasn't had a reliable running game behind him. That appears to be over with Lacy running behind him after we saw glimpse of how dangerous Lacy can be.
The biggest question with Lacy entering the draft was his healthy, he fell to the Packers in the second round and missed the first preseason game with a hamstring injury. Lacy suited up and played behind Rodgers against the Rams, and showed what he can bring to the offense. Lacy was a battering ram for the Packers, once he had the ball in his hands he would rumble down the field and breaking tackles along the way. He carried the ball eight times for 40 yards on the night. If Lacy can stay healthy and bring a running threat for this offense, this team will be hard to stop.
5.) DeAndre Hopkins WR, Houston Texans
Hopkins takes a small fall down the list after suffering a concussion early in the game against the Dolphins. While the injury shouldn’t affect his status for the regular season, it will mean losing valuable snaps that would help him get comfortable with the offense.
Before Hopkins left the game on Saturday, he did have an impact as he caught two passes for 22 yards and really was starting to get more work with the starters. Hopkins has impressed coaches in camp and should earn the second receiver spot playing opposite of Andre Johnson but it is hard for a rookie to miss snaps. The talent is there with Hopkins to have a strong impact as a rookie, but he needs to stay on the field in order to have that impact. As long as he is ready for the regular season though, the Texans have nothing to worry about with their top rookie.
4.) Tyrann Mathieu FS, Arizona Cardinals
Mathieu is on the rise after another strong preseason performance and quickly has established himself as the starting free safety for the Cardinals as a rookie. He is quickly becoming one of the top rookies to watch this season and could become the favorite for defensive rookie of the year.
Things already were looking good for Mathieu when he was given the starting free safety spot for the Cardinals’ second game of the preseason and he gave coaches exactly what they wanted when they gave him the opportunity. Mathieu was all over the field against the Cowboys, leading his team in tackles with seven and providing help in coverage as well. While he didn’t register a quarterback sack this week his ability to bring pressure on the blitz is just an added dimension to his game. As Mathieu earns even more confidence from coaches and teammates his role for this defense will only grow and he could add to what was already a great, young defense.
3.) Kyle Long OG, Chicago Bears
Long was excellent in his first game during the preseason and was building his case as a top rookie, but his performance this past week against the Chargers stood out and sends him flying up the rookie rankings.
Long was dominant during the game, once again reacting quickly to the movements made by the defensive line and reacting to them. Whether it was sliding to help the center or tackle, he reacted quickly to get there and push back the lineman and get him out of the play. When he had a man over him, Long didn’t allow pressure and gave time forJay Cutler to look down field to find Brandon Marshall. He is already establishing himself as arguably the best offensive lineman on the roster and will only get better as he gains more experience. From being considered a reach to now, Long has silenced the critics and could play a big role as the Bears try to get back into the playoff hunt.
2.) Luke Joeckel OT, Jacksonville Jaguars
While Joeckel was held out of the second preseason game with a hip flexor strain, his value to this team and his talent level keeps him as the second best rookie out there. His ability to help protect Blaine Gabbert and create lanes on the outside for Maurice Jones-Drew are tremendous value for this Jaguars team.
Joeckel hasn’t returned to practice yet and while his status for the third week of the preseason is unknown, his job as the starting right tackle is set in stone. The Jaguars are playing it smart with the second overall pick and not rushing him back, which should go a long way in keeping him healthy for the season. When he does return to the field, he will give Jacksonville an excellent pass-protector and form a great duo with Eugene Monroe.
1.) Tavon Austin WR, St. Louis Rams
Some may look at the stat line for Austin and walk away thinking that he may have been overhyped coming into St. Louis and he still has a long way to go before he can make an impact. While it is true he only has four receptions for 28 yards in two games, the Rams have yet to unleash their true game plan for Austin.
St. Louis has played it conservatively in the preseason, running a vanilla offense and never really utilizing the new weapons they brought in. Austin failed to record a reception in the first preseason game, but respond with four catches against the Packers. Austin could have had a touchdown early in the game, but Sam Bradford overthrew him when he was right near the end zone. On his lone punt return of the night, Austin looked like a rookie as he took a punt inside the Rams 10 and danced around rather than letting the ball go or just trying to run upfield. Many have already started to question if Austin is being used in the right way, and the answer is no. The Rams aren’t going to open things up in the preseason, they will wait until the real games start before they let their rookie break loose. Austin is still a special player and we will see the Rams real plans for him in the regular season.