NFL Rookie Rankings: Who were the best rookies in Week 2?

We are only two weeks into the NFL regular season, but there are already some rookies who look like seasoned vets after their first two games in the league. A Michigan hero had his breakout performance in Detroit during the Lions first win. The Jets first year receiver played a pivotal part in New York’s fourth quarter comeback, and an unlikely source of offense has been vital in the red zone for the Los Angeles Chargers.

1) Aidian Hutchinson, EDGE, Detroit Lions

Detroit fans got a taste of what’s to come in the future when Aidian Hutchinson dominated the Washington Commanders offensive line in the Lions opening win of the season. He didn’t make too much noise in Week 1 against the Eagles, but the second overall pick could not be contained as he continually pressured Carson Wentz, and recorded three first half sacks on the Commanders QB 1. He finished the day with six tackles and set the Lions rookie record for sacks in a game in just 30 minutes. The Detroit faithful will be ecstatic to see their hometown hero stepping on to the NFL stage in style, and will be hoping Hutchinson turns into a generational talent.

2) Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

Garrett Wilson not only showed what a fantastic pass catcher he is in the Jets dramatic comeback win over the Cleveland Browns, but he also showed he does not shy away from big moments. He scored New York’s first touchdown of the game by shaking a defender off the line of scrimmage to create space for a wide open two yard TD catch. He finished the day with a game high 102 yards on eight catches including the game winner that came on a 15 yard post route with 22 seconds to go in the fourth. Maybe my favorite thing about Wilson’s day was his reaction on the sideline when the Jets recovered the onside kick before the winning drive. He went nuts as soon as the refs signaled New York had the ball, and then put on his game face to earn the Jets a most improbable win in the waning seconds.

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

The first wide receiver taken in this year’s NFL Draft is proving that he was worth the risk as Drake London leads all rookie wide outs with 160 yards through two games. The Falcons rookie had 74 yards in his debut last week, and topped that with 86 yards and a touchdown on eight catches against the defending Super Bowl Champions. He was targeted 12 times which shows you the confidence Marcus Mariota has in his rookie receiver. The Falcons may not have won the game, but London was a big part of Atlanta’s near comeback in the second half. Atlanta may be 0-2, but they have surprised a lot of people around the league with how competitive they have been over the first two games of the season.

Tyler Smith, offensive tackle, Dallas Chargers

When the Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith this offseason, they envisioned him protecting franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, but after Dallas’ QB1 went down with injury Cooper Rush came in under center for the Week 2 matchup with the Bengals. In the 62 snaps he played on Sunday he allowed just one pressure on the Cowboys back up QB and was a big reason why Dallas came out on top against last year’s AFC Champions.

Zander Horvath, FB, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers rookie full back has become an essential part of LA’s red zone offense in his first two games of his NFL career. Full backs are generally not asked to run the ball too often, let alone play a part in the passing game. But the seventh round draft pick has become a staple of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s offense. Horvath has been the definition of efficiency for the Chargers in his opening two weeks in the NFL. He has two catches for two yards and a two touchdowns over the last two games. Now that the secret is out, will Horvath get as many red zone looks when the Chargers are knocking on the door?