2017 NFL season: Top 10 week 1 rookie performances

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HOUSTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 10: Leonard Fournette #27 of the Jacksonville Jaguars catches a pass before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

3. Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been starved for a playmaker at the running back position, and going up against a very talented defensive front in week one meant a very difficult challenge to start an NFL career for Leonard Fournette.

He was up to the task.

It wasn’t unanimous, but there were plenty of questions about Fournette’s toughness based on the last season he played at LSU, where he sort of appeared from the outside to take things easy all year, and then sat out the team’s bowl game.

The Jaguars obviously don’t have the best passing game to set up Fournette in the running game, making his performance in this game all the more impressive.

He finished with 29 total touches, which is a big workload for your first NFL game. I’m looking forward to seeing some more big splash plays from Fournette, and how he adapts throughout the course of the season to teams trying to take him away as the Jaguars’ new top offensive threat.

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