#rookie-evaluation

#rookie-evaluation

Booker's Week 15 tape against Minnesota looked as though he was a stabilizing force. In pass protection, the simplest stat tells the story: Dallas surrendered two sacks, but none were credited to Booker. As a run blocker, Booker had a tougher assignment but held up. Dallas still ran it 30 times for 138 yards, so there were lanes to be had, but a lot of those yards came through persistence rather than consistent movement at the point of attack.

Tyler Booker's rookie season at right guard has quietly been very solid overall. By his most recent numbers, he's logged 645 offensive snaps with 416 pass-blocking snaps, allowing just 16 total pressures and one sack, along with six penalties. He's currently at just 4.6% in pressure rate allowed, which is fifth-lowest among guards this year, which is very impressive for a first-year interior lineman.

Currently out with high ankle sprain. Washington's offense is a moving target because Jayden Daniels turns dropbacks into field trips. He's been sacked 14 times, which is middle of the pack and the Commanders just coughed up three turnovers on Monday night after juggling injuries up front. That's the kind of environment where a high-motor edge like Ezeiruaku can really shine.

We're four weeks into the 2025 NFL season, which can mean only one thing: It's time for my quarter-season NFL awards. (Well, technically my 23.5%-season awards in the 17-game era.) We're still trying to figure out whether most of the league's teams are actually any good, but with most starters having played 150 snaps of football or more, we can start making preliminary insights into who's playing at a really high level in 2025.

Football is a complex game with many moving parts, and the influence of a star quarterback or a genius head coach only reaches the water's edge. Wins and losses also can be found in the key late sack from a pass rusher; the running game powered by a bolstered offensive line; and the secondary or tertiary target that shines when the primary is double-covered. We call these players X factors.

Will Campbell has received high marks in preseason action, showcasing exceptional blocking skills while enduring growing pains as a rookie left tackle for the Patriots.