Time for my midseason look at the best rookies in the NFL. Some positions are obvious -- especially at quarterback -- and some aren't so obvious. There are plenty of changes from my preseason team.
I went 30 deep on my previous Rookie Big Board, and below you'll find the best rookies at every position through Week 8. I'm including again where each player landed on my final top 300 prospects list before the 2017 draft.
Here are the parameters (same as always):
This is a measure for all games played this season -- not just last week.
Total snap count matters. Staying on the field is a measure of value.
Positional value matters, but overall performance and impact on the team matter more.
Relative value matters. I ask: Would this player be a starter on most teams or on a good team?
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans
Final Big Board rank: 34
Preseason pick: DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns
Kizer, who has really struggled, was my preseason pick because he was the only rookie QB who was starting Week 1. Then Watson was inserted into the Texans' lineup at halftime of the season opener, and he has been electric ever since. He might have passed up Kareem Hunt for front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Watson leads the league in Total QBR (81.9) and is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes (19). He has made some questionable decisions -- he has thrown eight interceptions -- but the good has outweighed the bad. I had a second-round grade on him because of his inconsistencies as a thrower. I did have Watson going to the Texans at pick No. 57 in my two-round mock draft in April (he ended up the 12th overall pick). Watson has the potential to be a superstar, and he's keeping the Texans, who are missing a few major pieces on defense, in the AFC South race. (Note: Watson tore his ACL in practice on Thursday and is out for the season.)
Running back
Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Final Big Board rank: 82
Preseason pick: Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Hunt is in a touchdown drought -- he hasn't scored in five games. That was after six total touchdowns in his first three games. He still leads the league in rushing yards (763) and is averaging a robust 5.2 yards per carry. What I liked about the third-round pick from Toledo is that he was involved in the passing game in college; he had 41 catches for 403 yards in 2016. He has 28 catches for 307 yards and two TDs in Kansas City. Cook was my preseason pick to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he looked solid until he tore his ACL in Week 4.
Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Final Big Board rank: 7
Preseason pick: Fournette
The 4-3 Jags are winning thanks to their stout defense and efficient running game, with Fournette leading the way. Although he doesn't have a great offensive line, he is creating holes for himself. Check out this 90-yard touchdown to close out the Jags' upset win over the Steelers. That's some serious breakaway speed for a 230-pound back. Despite missing the Week 7 win over the Colts with an ankle injury, Fournette is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (6). He's also contributing in the passing game, with 15 catches and a touchdown. He had only 41 catches in his three seasons at LSU, where he looked like a first-round pick from the minute he stepped on the field as a freshman.
All-purpose back
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
Final Big Board rank: 6
Preseason pick: McCaffrey
I'm going with McCaffrey here over the Bears' Tarik Cohen simply because the No. 8 overall pick is on pace for 98 catches, which is rare for a rookie, let alone a rookie running back. The Panthers are using McCaffrey all over the field. Now, there are some concerns. He's averaging only 2.4 yards per carry (his longest run is only 11 yards) and 7.7 yards per catch, and he hasn't made a huge impact in the return game. But Carolina is committed to using him, and he could see even more targets with Kelvin Benjamin traded to Buffalo.
Wide receiver
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Final Big Board rank: 83
Preseason pick: Kupp
It has been a strange year for rookie receivers. The three taken in the first round -- Mike Williams, John Ross and Corey Davis -- have combined for nine catches, no touchdowns, two games started and at least three injuries. McCaffrey has been the best rookie receiver. Kupp has 23 catches and three touchdowns while playing almost 70 percent of the Rams' offensive snaps. He was one of the most physically ready receivers in the 2017 draft. Kupp had an NFL skill set in the slot coming out of Eastern Washington, where he had 428 catches and a whopping 73 receiving touchdowns in his college career.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers
Final Big Board rank: 39
Preseason pick: Zay Jones, Buffalo Bills
It has been fun to watch Smith-Schuster, the league's youngest player, pick up a bigger role for the Steelers. He broke out in Week 8 with a seven-catch, 193-yard performance that included a 97-yard touchdown. He has four touchdowns for the season, and he's eating into the playing time of uber-talented wideout Martavis Bryant. Smith-Schuster had 20 touchdowns his past two seasons at USC, and he was in the first-round discussion for much of 2016. A 4.54 40-yard dash at the combine dropped him a little bit. Jones has only 10 catches on 32 targets, and his playing time might decrease with the Kelvin Benjamin addition.
Tight end
Evan Engram, New York Giants
Final Big Board rank: 21
Preseason pick: O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This was a tougher decision than the receivers. First-round picks Engram, O.J. Howard and David Njoku each have three touchdown catches. Engram gets the edge because of his totals (30 catches for 342 yards) and because he has played the highest percentage of his team's offensive snaps (79.6 percent compared to 64 percent for Howard and 43.1 percent for Njoku). The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Engram was the fastest tight end at the combine (4.42 40), which pushed him into the first round. With no Odell Beckham Jr. for the rest of the season, Engram will be a big piece of the Giants' game plan as they try to dig out of a 1-6 hole.
Offensive line
Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Final Big Board rank: 42
Preseason pick: Bolles
Bolles was plugged into the Broncos' starting lineup at left tackle on day one and has missed only a handful of snaps due to a leg injury. He hasn't been perfect, but he has been solid. Also, he might be blocking for a new quarterback soon.
Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans Saints
Final Big Board rank: 29
Preseason pick: Ramczyk
If there was an award for midseason offensive lineman of the year, Ramczyk would get it. He hasn't missed a snap this season, starting a left tackle for a few games in place of Terron Armstead and now moving to the right side to replace injured Zach Strief. I thought he might be better as a right tackle in the NFL because of his run-blocking, and Armstead, who is signed through 2021, is locked into the left tackle spot, barring injury.
Cam Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Final Big Board rank: 28
Preseason pick: Robinson
The offseason trade for Branden Albert didn't work out, so Robinson stepped into the starting left tackle spot on day one in Jacksonville. He played every snap until he sprained his ankle early in Week 8. Quarterback Blake Bortles said earlier this season that Robinson has been "awesome" and "unbelievable." Robinson was a phenomenal run-blocker at Alabama who I thought might be better served to start at right tackle until he got some more experience in the NFL. So far, so good, though.
Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills
Final Big Board rank: 54
Preseason pick: Taylor Moton, Carolina Panthers
Yes, this makes four tackles, but the guard options are virtually nonexistent, especially after Forrest Lamp, my top-ranked guard, was ruled out for the season in training camp. Dawkins, who started three games at left tackle in place of Cordy Glenn for the Bills, was actually my second-ranked guard, so he can slot in nicely. Dawkins did start for three seasons at left tackle at Temple. He showed good leg drive and footwork and the ability to get to the second level with ease, and he used his hands well to engage defenders and drive them off the ball. Moton has played only 19 offensive snaps.
Pat Elflein, Minnesota Vikings
Final Big Board rank: 62
Preseason pick: Elflein
My midseason team does have a center. Elflein, my top-ranked center in an underwhelming class, has settled in for the Vikings and played almost every snap on an improved offensive line. The third-round pick started 40 career games at Ohio State and won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center in 2016.
DEFENSE
Defensive end
Carl Lawson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Final Big Board rank: 52
Preseason pick: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Lawson is up to 4.5 sacks in the Bengals' pass-rushing rotation, and he has 10 quarterback knockdowns. A former five-star recruit, he missed a season-and-a-half at Auburn because of injuries and returned as a senior in 2016 with nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He could be a 10-sack-per-season guy if he stays healthy (which includes taking better care of his teeth). I picked Garrett to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year, but injuries have cost him five games. The No. 1 overall pick is averaging a sack per game in his four games, however.
Solomon Thomas, DE, San Francisco 49ers
Final Big Board rank: 4
Preseason pick: Jonathan Allen, Washington Redskins
With Tank Carradine on injured reserve, Thomas has taken on a much bigger role, starting the past five games. But he hurt his knee last weekend and could miss some time. Thomas has two sacks and eight tackles for loss, and he has flashed the talent that made him the No. 3 overall pick. He played like a veteran at Stanford in 2016, causing disruptions in both the running and passing games. He's also big enough that he can move to tackle in passing situations and get after quarterbacks. Allen was playing a limited role in Washington until he suffered a foot injury last month that will keep him out for the rest of the season. New England's Deatrich Wise was another option here.
Defensive tackle
Dalvin Tomlinson, New York Giants
Final Big Board rank: 107
Preseason pick: Tomlinson
Tomlinson has been a reliable presence in the middle of the Giants' defense, playing next to Damon "Snacks" Harrison. What he does isn't going to show up on the stat sheet -- he's more of a plugger than a pass-rusher, at 6-foot-3, 317 pounds. But the second-round pick has started every game and has 18 tackles while playing a little more than 50 percent of his team's snaps.
Nazair Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Final Big Board rank: 186
Preseason pick: Eddie Vanderdoes, Oakland Raiders
This DT class hasn't been great. Chris Wormley, my top-ranked defensive tackle, hasn't played much for the Ravens. Neither has No. 3-ranked DT Caleb Brantley with the Browns. No. 2 DT Malik McDowell hasn't played at all for the Seahawks. I'm dipping down to the third-round pick Jones, who has been a part-time player in the Seahawks' lethal defensive line rotation. He has 10 tackles, and he got an interception on his first career snap.
Outside linebacker
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Final Big Board rank: 48
Preseason pick: Watt
The younger Watt brother had a dynamic debut, with two sacks and an interception against the Browns in Week 1. He missed most of the Steelers' Week 2 victory over the Vikings and all of the Week 3 loss to the Bears, but he has been disruptive in his return from a groin injury since. He's up to four sacks and six tackles for loss. Pittsburgh's defense has been one of the best in the league so far. I noted before the draft that Watt likely would start as a situational pass-rusher in a 3-4 defense, but it has been tough to keep him off the field. He has 27 total tackles.
Kendell Beckwith, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Final Big Board rank: 77
Preseason pick: Reuben Foster, San Francisco 49ers
The third-round pick out of LSU won a starting job in training camp and has played almost 90 percent of the Bucs' defensive snaps. He leads the team in tackles with 47 and is the top rookie tackler. Beckwith was a three-year starter for the Tigers who dropped in the draft because he tore his ACL in November. Kwon Alexander, another midround steal, and Lavonte David have each missed time, so Tampa Bay hasn't been at full strength at linebacker yet. Tampa Bay has to get its pass defense corrected quickly if it plans to stay in the NFC South race.
Inside linebacker
Jarrad Davis, Detroit Lions
Final Big Board rank: 17
Preseason pick: Davis
The Lions really needed a middle linebacker this offseason, and spending a first-round pick on Davis, my No. 2-ranked inside linebacker, filled their wishlist. He has 33 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery so far, though he missed two games with a neck injury. Davis has intangibles that you just can't teach, and he's super athletic. He struggled with ankle injuries at Florida last season, but his 4.56-second 40-yard dash and 38½-inch vertical at the Florida pro day moved him up my board.
Cornerback
Tre'Davious White, Buffalo Bills
Final Big Board rank: 32
Preseason pick: White
A four-year starter at LSU, White was one of the most consistent prospects I graded in the Class of 2017. He became Buffalo's No. 1 corner after Ronald Darby was traded to the Eagles, and he has played 99.1 percent of the Bills' defensive snaps so far. White has an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown that helped Buffalo upset Atlanta, and he has broken up eight passes. White was a four-year starter at LSU who had six career interceptions.
Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints
Final Big Board rank: 9
Preseason pick: Lattimore
Lattimore is a huge part of the Saints' defensive improvement, and he's my new pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year. After dealing with hamstring issues in college and in training camp, he missed the Saints' third game with a concussion. He returned in Week 4 and had five tackles and a forced fumble. Then he had a pick-six in the Saints' wild win over the Lions and another pick against the Bears. He has also broken up five passes. Lattimore is a ridiculous athlete. He ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash and had a 38½-inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump at the combine. He also has a really high ceiling. Remember: He started only one season at Ohio State. If I had a spot for a third cornerback, it would go to Dallas' Jourdan Lewis.
Safety
Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, New York Jets
Final Big Board rank: 3 (Adams) and 43 (Maye)
Preseason picks: Adams and Maye
Safety was another tough pick. The Jets' duo has been solid but unspectacular, while Bears safety Eddie Jackson had a historic performance in Week 7 with two 75-plus-yard touchdowns (one interception, one fumble return). Each has started every game this season. Maye has 42 tackles and two interceptions, Adams has 38 tackles and two sacks. Jackson has 28 tackles and one interception. In the end, I'm going with the teammates -- hey, this is my team, right? -- who have been a bright spot in a three-game losing streak. Adams was my No. 1-ranked safety, and Maye was No. 6.