It is the halfway point through a wild NFL season and one of the biggest stories has been the play of some unexpected rookies. I am not talking about the Tyler Warren’s and Emeka Egbuka’s of the world who were expected to perform well and have so far. I am talking about the diamonds in the rough who general managers took a chance on for the right reason.
On the flip side, there have been players who have not lived up to their expectations for one reason or another. It is still so early in these players’ careers to be calling them busts, however, their play has been disappointing so far.
Here are two studs and two duds nine weeks into the NFL season.
Honorable Mention: Cam Skattebo
Skattebo was the inspiration for this column before he went down with a gruesome ankle injury. The Giants rookie made an instant impact along with fellow rookie Jaxson Dart. The fourth-round pick had seven total touchdowns, including a three-touchdown game against the Eagles in which he rushed for 98 yards. Hopefully, he will come back fully healthy next season and continue to be a culture changer for the G-Men.
Stud: Harold Fannin Jr.
A consensus All-American coming out of college, Fannin fell to the Browns in the third round. Scouts pondered whether his production was due to playing for Bowling Green in the lowly MAC, they pondered wrong. Fannin leads the Browns in receiving yards with 352, and he led all newcomers with 38 receptions before his bye week last week. Fannin has also contributed to the blocking department, helping rookie running back Quinshon Judkins carve out a good rookie campaign for himself. The 6’4 tight end will be a force to be reckoned with alongside fellow tight end David Njoku.
Dud: Shemar Stewart
After a tumultuous offseason where Stewart even considered returning to Texas A&M despite being drafted, the defensive end has only tallied 2 solo tackles in 5 games for the Bengals. Stewart sat out almost all of training camp due to a contract dispute and has not let his game do the talking since. His defensive counterparts have not helped his case either, allowing 40 points in the past 2 games and sending the Bengals plummeting to a 3-6 record. Stewart gets cut some slack for his lack of a training camp, but if he comes back next year with the same lack of productivity, questions about the first-round pick will be raised.
Studs: James Pearce Jr. and Xavier Watts
Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot hit both defensive picks on the nose. Pearce has been solid as an edge rusher, recording a few tackles and 0.5 sacks so far this season. The 6-foot-5 big man out of Tennessee will be a mainstay in Atlanta for a while. Watts was taken in the third round and made an immediate impact on the Falcons’ highly touted secondary. Watts already has 2 interceptions along with 28 solo tackles and 4 pass deflections. The safety has only allowed 9 receptions all year, playing a pivotal role in Atlanta alongside veterans Jessie Bates and A.J. Terrell.
Dud: Cam Ward
The number one overall pick has struggled through his first 9 career games for the Tennessee Titans. The Miami product only has a completion percentage of 57.6%, one of the lowest in the league. Despite having some promising rookie receivers in Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor and tight end Gunnar Helm, Ward has not thrown for more than 265 yards in a single game. The blame cannot be entirely placed on the newcomer, Titans coach Brain Calahan was fired after a 1-5 start making Ward the fourth straight number one pick to see his coach fired during his rookie season. He will have a lot to prove next year with a new coach.