Week 2 NFL Rookie Power Rankings: Chase Young as advertised, Joe Burrow misses the list

A handful of rookies have already begun to build their case for Rookie of the Year

Less than a year ago, Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa were crowned as Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, respectively. The defensive award was clear cut whereas the offensive award essentially came down to two players (sorry, A.J. Brown): Josh Jacobs and Murray. Will there be a runaway winner in 2020 or have several rookies entered the chat? With Week 1 in the books, the race has officially begun. 

Before we get going I want to address the elephant in the room: Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, the No. 1 overall selection, is absent from the list. He did some good things, especially on the first drive but it was not enough to warrant inclusion Week 1. Burrow is my pick to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but that will become clearer over his body of work across the entire season. His poise and feel for the game are well beyond what is expected of a rookie, but the actual production is just not there yet. This is not a knock on Burrow in the short or long term. The expectation is that it will not be long before the LSU product joins this list and rises quickly.  

Without further ado, the first installment of 'hey, you ranked him too low!' 

Week 1 Rookie Rankings

1	Chase Young Washington Football Team DE
Young was fantastic recording 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. One play that did not show up in the stat sheet, because Matt Ioannidis jumped offsides, was when Young hit Carson Wentz's arm, which sent the ball fluttering through the air aimlessly. It was intercepted by Washington but the play did not count.
2	Clyde Edwards-Helaire Kansas City Chiefs RB
It feels like Edwards-Helaire's debut was centuries ago because he played on Thursday Night Football. He carried the rock 25 times for 138 yards and a touchdown. The scary part is that the LSU product is more than capable of catching passes and Kansas City did not utilize him in that capacity this week.
3	C.J. Henderson Jacksonville Jaguars CB
Henderson was regarded as a Top 10 pick in his second to last season in Gainesville. Some injuries led to a dip in how he was perceived but it was all corrected by draft night when he was selected No. 9 overall. His talent was validated against the Colts. He leads the league in interceptions (1) and pass deflections (3) after one week.
4	Patrick Queen Baltimore Ravens LB
Queen is an undersized linebacker that scurries across the field collecting tackles on his unsuspecting victims. The rookie recorded eight tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in his debut. The AFC North added Devin Bush last year and now Queen joins the fold. Your move, Cincinnati and Cleveland.
5	Antoine Winfield Jr. Tampa Bay Buccaneers SAF
If there was one player equipped to handle early playing time, it was Winfield. He has been well-coached athletically and professionally by his father. His stat sheet may not scream 'star' but his play was fantastic.
6	Henry Ruggs III Las Vegas Raiders WR
Ruggs recorded 66 all-purpose yards before halftime. A minor injury prevented him from building upon that in the second half but his potential was evident.
7	James Robinson Jacksonville Jaguars RB
After No. 6 on this list, these players start to get a little jumbled. It feels as though the bottom half of this list could be churned on a weekly basis dependent upon how snaps are divvied out. Robinson was a surprising undrafted free agent but Jacksonville is happy to have him. He took over as the feature back for Leonard Fournette and did not disappoint. The rookie from Illinois State had 90 all-purpose yards.
8	J.K. Dobbins Baltimore Ravens RB
Dobbins' stats may not equal his contributions. He scored his first two touchdowns on just seven carries for 22 yards. The Ohio State product was given the ball in short-yardage situations, which hurts his yards per carry. It is clear that he is going to take on a large role in this offense with each passing week.
9	CeeDee Lamb Dallas Cowboys WR
The offensive script for Week 1 may not have worked out the way that Dallas expected but it was still fruitful for Lamb. He finished the game with five receptions for 59 yards.
10	Austin Jackson Miami Dolphins T
Time to eat some crow. I thought Jackson would struggle out of the gate because he was facing the steepest learning curve. Miami has done a great job with him and he did a great job protecting Ryan Fitzpatrick's blindside.
11	Antonio Gibson Washington Football Team RB
Washington trotted out their stable of backs but it was clear that Gibson was head and shoulders better than his peers. He is a dynamic player that can be utilized in a variety of roles in that offense. Look for him to take on a larger share of the touches.
12	Joshua Kelley Los Angeles Chargers RB
Kelley was underrated by most -- not I -- in the draft community until he balled out at the Reese's Senior Bowl. They should be caught up now because he has leapfrogged Justin Jackson and has Austin Ekeler in his sights. The UCLA product had 12 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown.
13	Jonathan Taylor Indianapolis Colts RB
An injury is never desired and it is unfortunate that Taylor's role was expanded by an injury to Marlon Mack. The rookie averaged a subpar 2.4 yards per carry but tacked on 67 yards on six targets through the air. Indianapolis has since declared him their starter.
14	Lloyd Cushenberry Denver Broncos C
Cushenberry did some good things against Tennessee. He still has a lot of room for growth but the offensive line was expected to be a huge weakness for Denver and the LSU product helped soften that reality a bit on Monday night.
15	Jaylon Johnson Chicago Bears CB
Outside of getting baptized by veteran receiver Marvin Jones Jr., Johnson had a solid debut for Chicago. He played every defensive snap and was involved on several plays.

There were several other rookies that played a significant amount for their respective teams this week. The honorable mention category of players that will be monitored, including: Kansas City cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, Miami safety Brandon Jones, Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr., Cleveland tight end Harrison Bryant, Jaguars wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr., Rams safety Jordan Fuller, Miami offensive guard Solomon Kindley and Carolina safety Jeremy Chinn.