The first week of the 2026 NFL season is in the books, and several first-year players wasted no time making an impact. While preseason standouts like Mansoor Delane, De’Zhaun Stribling and Ja'Kobi Lane suffered key injuries, plenty of other members of the 2026 NFL Draft class stepped into the spotlight.
In this edition of the NFL Rookie Report, New York Jets edge rusher David Bailey earns Rookie of the Week honors, Caleb Douglas is already looking like a steal for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon headlines our rookies to watch in Week 2.
Rookie of the Week: David Bailey wreaks havoc in Jets debut
There were several rookie performances to consider here, but we are going with David Bailey as our Rookie of the Week.
With the Jets starting the season 1-0 after a 23-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans, Bailey was one of the keys on defense who helped stagger second-year quarterback Cam Ward and kept the Titans' offense in check all game.
The No. 2 overall pick out of Texas Tech wasted no time making his mark on the game, logging 35 defensive snaps while recording six quarterback pressures and his first career sack.
As a defensive game-changer with the Red Raiders and an edge rusher who led the nation in sacks in 2025, the bold prediction for Bailey is that he will set the Jets' franchise rookie sack record.
It is just one game, and he went up against a Titans offensive line that struggled to contain both him and Will McDonald, but it was the type of debut performance that can set the tone for the season. With his ferocious pass-rush skills, Bailey wasted no time showing Jets fans and the rest of the league that New York may have gotten it right by selecting him over Arvell Reese, at least through Week 1.
While it wasn't a dominant performance, what gives Bailey the nod over other top rookie defenders like Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs and Titans linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was his 23.1 percent pressure rate, which led the team according to Next Gen Stats. That key metric even topped the 21.3 percent pressure rate he logged while at Texas Tech.
Can and will he keep it up?
With McDonald generating pressure from the opposite side, Week 1 showed the rookie is ready to wreak havoc on the league.
Five rookies who caught our attention in Week 1
Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Tennessee Titans
As mentioned, the Titans rookie was in high consideration for Rookie of the Week following an outstanding debut that saw him making plays all over the field for Robert Saleh and the Titans' defense.
The No. 60 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft played 63 snaps while logging 16 tackles and breaking up two passes. If there was a bright spot for the Titans following a Week 1 loss at home, it was how the former Texas star showed he could live up to the hype he built through OTAs, training camp and the preseason.
Great start for Hill.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals
The No. 3 overall pick in the draft didn't have an explosive debut, but Jeremiyah Love still found a way to help his team win.
In the team's upset victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, Love rushed for 41 yards on 11 carries (3.7 yards per carry), but he also scored his first career touchdown on a 5-yard run around the left end, outrunning the defense to the end zone.
The key here for Cardinals fans is Love found a way to impact the game without making the explosive plays that will come.
Caleb Downs, S, Dallas Cowboys
Another highly drafted rookie making an immediate impact, Caleb Downs picked up where he left off at Ohio State by recording seven tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in his debut in a Cowboys loss to the New York Giants.
With a highlight-grabbing strip sack on Jaxson Dart, the Cowboys rookie showed he is going to be a force on the field due to his versatility and playmaking ability no matter where he lines up. In his debut, Downs played 34 snaps in the slot, seven snaps in the box and 20 snaps at deep safety.
Antonio Williams, WR, Washington Commanders
Antonio Williams also impressed in his NFL debut.
In the Commanders' Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the No. 71 overall pick showed he will be a factor in Washington's offense this season and a reliable target for Jayden Daniels.
Williams, who impressed in the preseason, caught all four of his targets for 64 yards and a touchdown. His longest reception of the day went for 33 yards. As a chain mover, Williams quickly showed he can fit right in as a third option at receiver behind Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin.
Blake Miller, OT, Detroit Lions
We are not ignoring the offensive line.
There were key performances from top picks, including Giants guard Francis Mauigoa and Browns tackle Austin Barber, but Blake Miller had a spectacular debut with the Lions.
The No. 17 overall pick out of Clemson played all 77 offensive snaps, allowing just one quarterback pressure while logging a 78.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
This performance stands out because offensive line was a desperate area of need for the Lions going into the draft, and Miller showed right out of the gate why he was the selection they needed.
Rookie Stock Watch: Two defenders already trending up
Stock up: Josiah Trotter, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buccaneers rookie Josiah Trotter should see his role increase after a head-turning debut.
Trotter, who is the son of Jeremiah Trotter, lived up to the name with 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a pick-six in a 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME, @TrotterJosiah?! 🤯
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 13, 2026
📺: #TBvsCIN on FOX pic.twitter.com/0g9FmRoLwZ
Although he already played 90.6 percent of the defensive snaps, Trotter is trending toward becoming a defender who rarely leaves the field and could eventually become the Lavonte David replacement the Buccaneers are looking for.
Stock up: Skyler Gill-Howard, DT, Detroit Lions
Lions rookie defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard had himself a day in his debut.
The sixth-round pick played 47 defensive snaps along the interior defensive line, recording three total tackles and generating two quarterback pressures, according to PFF metrics.
Gill-Howard is already looking like one of the steals of the draft due to the depth and upside he adds to the Lions' interior defensive line as a late-round pick.
NFL Draft steal: Caleb Douglas already looks like a third-round bargain
The Dolphins had a couple of rookies make statements in their debuts. Defensively, Jacob Rodriguez came as advertised, logging 14 total tackles in his first game in a Dolphins uniform.
Offensively, it was third-round pick Caleb Douglas who stood out.
In a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Douglas served as the primary receiver for Malik Willis, recording five receptions for 94 yards in his debut. A rookie who made an impression in the preseason, Douglas is proving to be an offensive talent the Dolphins need in their rebuilding process.
As a route runner with great speed and body control, Douglas is already showing he can be a dangerous deep threat in the Dolphins' offense. If he continues to emerge as a central playmaker in Miami, don't be surprised if his name eventually enters the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation.
Rookie to watch in Week 2: Eli Raridon could see his role expand
How will the New England Patriots make up for the loss of A.J. Brown in the offense?
While much of the spotlight is on second-year wide receiver Kyle Williams stepping up, don't be surprised if Josh McDaniels utilizes his two-tight end sets more to make up for Brown's absence.
That is why third-round pick Eli Raridon is a rookie to watch in Week 2 as the Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Raridon accounted for the Patriots' only touchdown in their opening-week loss to the Seattle Seahawks and should see more targets against the Steelers. With his talent and catch radius, Raridon has the potential and chemistry with Drake Maye to become the type of down-the-seam threat the Patriots have been looking for since the days of Rob Gronkowski.
Now, I am not saying he is the next Gronk, but the talent is there for Raridon to become another weapon in the offense with Brown out for the next four to six weeks.
Week 1 gave the 2026 NFL Draft class plenty of opportunities to make an immediate statement, but several of the class's biggest names are still waiting for their breakout moment.
Who takes over in Week 2? Keep an eye on the NFC West showdown between former Notre Dame teammates Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price when the Cardinals take on the Seahawks. Don't be surprised if one of them leads off the next NFL Rookie Report.
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