Nearly to the midway mark of the 2024 NFL season, which seems impossible, and The Practice Squad Power Rankings are here to remind everyone of their sole purpose -- provide clubs an infusion of talent that may be needed due to injuries or disappointing play from established contributors.
And to date in 2024, the PSPR has suggested names like Panthers receiver Jalen Coker, Raiders edge rusher Charles Snowden, Lions wideout Tim Patrick, Cardinals defensive tackle Naquan Jones, and Broncos pass catcher Lil'Jordan Humphrey, all of whom have stepped into rotational roles with low-key importance to their respective teams in the first six weeks of the 2024 campaign.
Heck, Coker has seven catches for 98 yards the past two weeks with the Panthers. Snowden has registered a whopping nine quarterback pressures on a mere 43 opportunities opposite Maxx Crosby on the edge of Las Vegas' defensive line. And Humphrey entered Week 7's action as the third-leading receiver on the Broncos. PSPR alums can really ball, I'm telling you!
Without ample movement on a weekly basis, we've decided to get more methodical with The Practice Squad Power Rankings. A new list will now be released once a month.
While the creation of the PSPR was intended to highlight underrated young players, with the league now allowing six veterans on every club's practice squad, that's the approach I'll take. Mostly first, second, and third-year players. A few veterans sprinkled in. But as has always been the case, the PSPR will mirror practice squads around the league, with 16 members.
10. Luiji Vilain, EDGE, Cowboys
Vilain has long been one of my favorites for the PSPR, because he was a late watch for me a few years ago before the draft, and I loved his slippery pass-rush ability at Michigan. He flashed in each of the last two preseasons with the Vikings, and generated eight pressures on 44 pass-rushing snaps in Carolina before the Browns signed him before the season. Now he's in Dallas, with a defensive line that features Micah Parsons and is somehow currently 18th in pressure-creation rate at 35.1%.
9. Desmond King, CB, Texans
King has proven himself to be one of the more durable, do-everything slot defenders in football, now in his eighth season. He's one of those fundamentally sound, trustworthy former Iowa Hawkeyes defensive backs who are scattered across the league. Heck, in 2023, on the Steelers and Texans, he defended two passes, had a sack, 47 tackles, five tackles for loss, and did not allow a touchdown in his coverage area. He's got a little left in the tank.
8. Shaka Heyward, LB, Bengals
I had a big draft crush on Heyward out of Duke a few years ago. Long, rangy, athletic, plus coverage instincts. He went undrafted in 2023 and all he's done in two preseasons since is proved to everyone he should've been picked and can undeniably play in this league. He was outstanding this past August with 12 total tackles, three pressures, a pass breakup, and he didn't miss a tackle.
Cincinnati boasts one of the better, reasonably young linebacker tandems in the AFC, yet if either battle an injury, Heyward is a three-down plug-and-play insurance option.
7. Jason Brownlee, WR, Jets
I like Xavier Gipson. Draft crush of mine from the 2023 class. But Brownlee deserves an opportunity in this new-look Jets offense. He plays with impeccable ball skills and sideline awareness. Brownlee's 6-2, 200-pound frame would conceivably work well with Aaron Rodgers and his affinity to throw the back-shoulder.
6. Andre Carter, LB, Vikings
I can't quit Carter. Back in 2021, he essentially matched Aidan Hutchinson in pass-rushing efficiency while at Army. In the 2022 season, he saw nothing but double teams and that efficiency dipped -- from 20.1% pressure-creation to 14.1% -- which led to Carter going undrafted. That, and a lowly combine performance.
But Minnesota scooped him up on the undrafted free agent market, and he's rocked the past two preseasons. This past August, Carter generated nine quarterback pressures on a mere 49 pass-rushing opportunities. Danielle Hunter is gone, but the Vikings added Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency before drafting Dallas Turner in Round 1. Not much opportunity for Carter. He's ready and waiting, though.
5. Frank Gore Jr., RB, Bills
Gore is completely capable of operating as an efficient complementary back in Buffalo's high-powered offense. He won't get the chance to be that type right away, however, with James Cook, Ty Johnson and fourth-round rookie Ray Davis ahead of him on the depth chart.
Yet what Gore lacks in size and pure speed, he counters with his dad-like vision, cutting skill and balance through contact. In the preseason, as the clear exhibition workhorse for the Bills, Gore averaged 4.9 yards per pop en route to leading the NFL with 163 rushing yards. And his average of 3.09 yards after contact per rush was impressive, too.
4. Chris Rodriguez, RB, Commanders
It appears as though Brian Robinson is getting close to being healthy enough to play again for the Commanders, but if there are any other issues at running back for this NFC East leading club, Rodriguez is ready for a short-yardage role, and he can man that role efficiently. In 2023, as a rookie, Rodriguez averaged 4.8 yards per tote with a hefty 3.65 yards-after-contact-per-carry average. At 6-0 and 225-plus pounds, Rodriguez is a load but is decently flexible for his size. He forced 12 missed tackles on 51 carries a season ago.
3. Marquez Callaway, WR, Buccaneers
In NFL years, it was like a decade ago. In reality, Callaway caught 46 passes for 698 yards with six touchdowns in his second season all the way back in 2021 with the Saints. Since then, he's gotten minimal opportunities, and now he's on a well-oiled passing offense in Tampa Bay. There's Mike Evans and Chris Godwin of course, but the third-leading wide receiver is currently Sterling Shepard with seven catches. Callaway can be a deep field-stretcher for Baker Mayfield.
2. Evan Anderson, DT, 49ers
Anderson was one of those awesomely athletic nose tackles to watch on film in college. At 6-1 and 320-plus pounds, he's a colossal human being who generated 18 pressures in his final season at Florida Atlantic and fewer than 300 pass-rushing opportunities. Those are impressive numbers for a 0 technique with that much mass. He was a high-level run-stopper too. San Francisco could continue to use Anderson as ground-game halting asset who can occasionally push the pocket right into the arms of Nick Bosa around the corner.
1. Raymond Johnson, EDGE, Bengals
Johnson has been an All-Pro preseason performaner the past four years. He had 24 pressures across three preseasons with Giants and Bengals from 2021 to 2023 but hasn't appeared in a regular season game since that rookie campaign with the Giants. It's time that changed. The Bengals are looking for more routine disruption from the edge-rusher position outside of Trey Hendrickson. Johnson is worth a shot.
Honorable mention
Jason Peters, OL, Seahawks
Peters makes this month's PSPR simply due to the fact he's a 42-year-old still in the NFL. And when he played the past two seasons in Seattle and Dallas, he held his own. Whether it's at guard or tackle, Peters could represent an upgrade for the Seahawks blocking unit.
Dallis Flowers, CB, Buccaneers
Flowers is an explosive athlete on the perimeter with return capabilities. While he struggled with consistency staying glued to receivers early this season in Indianapolis, he more than just held in his second season in 2023, when he defended three passes on less than 26% of the defensive snaps.
Joe Giles-Harris, LB, Patriots
Giles-Harris may not be quite athletic enough to satisfy what NFL coaches want in terms of range from their linebackers today. He makes up for said lack of physical gifts with instincts and reliability on three downs. He had 10 tackles and an interception for the Patriots this preseason.
Jowon Briggs, DT, Browns
Briggs looks like an oversized linebacker at defensive tackle and has the type of upfield juice to threaten the quarterback. Only one pressure in the preseason from the Cincinnati alum, yet plenty of near misses based on his burst and surprisingly powerful jolt at the point of attack for a sub-300 pounder.
Chigozie Anusiem, CB, Commanders
Anusiem is a gifted athlete, who ran 4.40 with a 37.5-inch vertical at his pro day after not being invited to the combine, a development I'm still surprised didn't happen after his two seasons at Colorado State. Combined, he had 93 tackles, 11 pass breakups, 3.5 tackles for loss and one interception. He's 6-1 and 200 pounds with 32.5-inch arms too. With Emmanuel Forbes dealing with an injury, Anusiem would be a sensible elevation in Washington.
Marquan McCall, DT, Raiders
Losing Christian Wilkins was a prolific blow to the Raiders defense. While McCall wouldn't serve as a direct replacement to Wilkins, he's a wide-body, 100% hustle player on the interior who can help keep Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo and Co. clean at the second level. There's some pass-rushing upside with McCall as well because he's not a stiff athlete and can attack upfield with reasonable burst for his size.
