Offensive Rookie Watch: Week 2 – Wilson, London Favorites for OROY
After another hectic week of NFL football, with upsets all over the place, it is time for the first installment of “Rookie Watch”. We will look back on the games from week two of the NFL season and take a glance at the top-performing rookies and highlight who the current leaders are for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Offensive Rookie Watch – Week 2
Quarterbacks
We got the chance to see the first of the 2022 NFL Draft QBs in action over the course of week two. However, it was not first-round pick Kenny Pickett who took the field, but rather Malik Willis, who came in for Ryan Tannehill during a 41-7 defeat at the hands of the Bills. His stat line was not rather impressive, completing only one pass for six yards.
Running Backs
While there were not any showstopping performances from this running back class, there were some good showings across the board. Breece Hall rushed for 50 yards on seven carries as his Jets took down the Browns in a wildly entertaining matchup. Dameon Pierce, the Texans’ RB1, led the rookies in rushing, with 15 carries for 69 yards. And former Georgia playmaker, James Cook, rushed for 53 yards on 11 attempts as the Bills beat the Titans.
Wide Receivers
This week was a good week for the rookie receivers, with many of them putting on strong performances. Leading the group is the Jets’ first-round pick, Garrett Wilson, whose 102 yards and two touchdowns on only eight catches was monumental in the Jets’ comeback against the Browns. He even caught the game-winning catch deep in the fourth quarter.
Elsewhere, Drake London continued his strong start to the season catching eight passes for 86 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons lost to the Rams. Jahan Dotson also followed up his two touchdown debut with a performance that consisted of 59 yards and a touchdown as the Commanders lost to the Lions.
Another first-round receiver in Treylon Burks also looked impressive against Buffalo, hauling in four passes for 47 yards, making the most of his limited opportunities on the Titans’ offense.
Tight Ends
While not a lot of tight ends started around the league, off the back of a tight end class that wasn’t very strong at all, only one name really stood out. Isaiah Likely, the darling of the NFL preseason, bounced back after a tough week one performance to go for 43 yards off of his four catches.
Offensive Line
Rookie offensive linemen also looked hot this week, with many of them putting up strong performances last week. Zion Johnson, the new guard for the LA Chargers, looked strong against a good Chiefs defensive line, allowing only one pressure which was against All-Pro DT Chris Jones.
Another guard that looked strong was Cole Strange, the surprise first-round selection from UT Chattanooga, who looked incredibly able over the weekend, allowing no pressures against one of the league’s best defensive lines in Pittsburgh.
As expected, not many offensive tackles (particularly left tackles) have looked too impressive due to the high jump in competition. But Tyler Smith, the Tulsa graduate who was forced into starting following injuries on the offensive line, looked on top of things for the Cowboys, allowing only one pressure all game.
Offensive Rookie of the Year leaders:
- Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
- Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
- Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans
- Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
- Treylon Burks, WR, Tennessee Titans + Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders