NFL Rookie Rankings: Who were the best rookies in Week 1?

In the first Week of the NFL’s regular season it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement as all 32 teams take the field for the first time in over six months, especially when you have big time drama in a handful of those games.

You may or may not have picked up on some of the stand out rookie performances in the opening week of the season, so here is a look back at the players from this year’s draft class who were a cut above the rest in Week 1

1) Jahan Dotson. WR, Washington Commanders

It couldn’t have gone any better for Jahan Dotson and the Washington Commanders in the rookies NFL debut. He splashed on the scene when his first career catch went for a touchdown. He caught three passes on five targets and his second reception came with under two minutes left in the game, and turned out to be the game winning TD after a fantastic adjustment on a throw that Carson Wentz admitted wasn’t a very good throw, but Dotson showed his star potential and his ability to make plays when it matters.

2) Travon Walker, EDGE, Jacksonville Jaguars

If Week 1 was a preview of what’s to come then the Jacksonville Jaguars the the nail on the head with their first overall draft pick Trevon Walker. Walker looked like a five year veteran, understanding the nuances of the Jags pass rush and using his freakish size and speed. He finished the game with getting a sack on Washington QB Carson Wentz and also picked him off on a screen pass.

3) Jaquan Brisker, S, Chicago Bears

Is the Bears defense back? Jaquan Brisker and the rest of the Chicago unit certainly made you think that in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. It was a sloppy slugfest in the Windy City, and the Bears took advantage of the conditions by turning over the Niners twice. Brisker recovered a fumble and his partner at safety Eddie Jackson came up with the interception that determined the outcome of the game.

4) Kader Kohou, S, Miami Dolphins

Kohou was an undrafted college free agent after coming out of Texas A&M. He had to fight just to make the team in preseason, and went from an unknown, to having one of the top rookie performances in Week 1. He did a little bit everything on Sunday. He didn’t allow a catch all day, had a tackle for a loss, broke up a Mac Jones pass and forced a fumble late in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Dolphins.

5) Dominque Robinson, EDGE, Chicago Bears

He may not have been the most talked about EDGE rusher coming into the NFL Draft this offseason, but he made plenty of noise in the Bears opening game against the San Francisco 49ers. He got to Niners QB Trey Lance a handful of times, registering two sacks, and made a total of seven tackles in his debut. The 174th pick in this year’s draft could turn out to be the surprise of the class.