For months, scouts and fans talked about this being one of the best quarterback classes in NFL history.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see that much of that during the first week of the season.
J.J. McCarthy is out with a season-ending injury, and Michael Penix Jr. and Drake Maye were listed as backups.
Bo Nix failed to keep the momentum going after an impressive preseason, and Caleb Williams was erratic and mostly a non-factor in his debut.
However, there were still some impressive first-year players in their debuts.
With that in mind, NFL analyst Peter Schrager ranked his top-five rookies in Week 1 (via Good Morning Football).
Every week, @PSchrags ranks the top 5 rookie performances. The Week 1 results are in. 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/ScJ3gUb1ZF
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) September 11, 2024
He had Jacksonville Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 5.
He was the clear alpha dog in the passing game right out of the gate, showing great chemistry with Trevor Lawrence and amassing four receptions on as many targets for 47 yards and one touchdown.
Jayden Daniels got the nod at No. 4.
The Washington Commanders QB completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards, but he was way more impressive with his legs, rushing 16 times for 88 yards and two scores.
Then, he chose Joe Alt at No. 3.
The Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick did all the dirty work to keep Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins away from Justin Herbert, and that’s no easy task.
Then, he chose Bucky Irving, who had two grabs for 14 yards and was explosive out of the backfield.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back led his team with 62 yards on just nine carries, headlined by a 31-yard explosion.
Finally, he had Xavier Worthy at No .1.
This was far from a surprise, as the rookie wideout scored a touchdown on his first career touch, finishing his debut with two receptions on three targets for 47 yards and one rush for 21 yards, all while logging two scores.
