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Week 9 was a fantastic week for a lot of rookies in the NFL. First-year players across all offensive positions managed to shine and put up fantastic points. This is the time of year where a lot of the rookies have enough experience in the league to start making an impact and it really showed as many of these players helped their teams to narrow victories in which they played key roles.

Josh Jacobs: 28 rushes, 120 yards, 2 TDs

Let’s start with the man whom I recently crowned rookie of the year in my midseason awards. Once again Jacobs had a great game and looked like a top 10 RB. He is now being talked about consistently around the top of missed/broken tacked and elusiveness. But he also has power to truck defenders when necessary. He may need to improve a little bit with his receiving game but that’s something that can develop, look at how much Sony Michel has managed to improve on that in his 2nd year. This Raiders team runs through Jacobs and he is making the most of it.

DK Metcalf: 6/9 receptions, 123 yards, 1 TD, 1 2-pt conversion

When Metcalf finished his first day at the combine he was being talked about as the next elite receiver to enter the NFL. However, after day 2, his 3 cone drill time was so disappointing that he was already being labeled as a flop. Luckily, in the NFL people don’t put cones down on the field and make you run between them. Metcalf is a physical freak with a huge frame and great size and he used it so effectively against the Bucs on Sunday, especially in the 4th quarter when Wilson needed him the most. If he can develop his route tree a little more he could be great for many years to come.

Devin Singletary: 20 rushes, 95 yards, 1 TD – 3/4 receptions, 45 yards

After missing some time to an injury, Singletary has managed to find his form again in a big way. He may have only been playing against the Redskins on Sunday but I was more impressed with the way he did things that his figures. Singletary showed speed and great lateral movement to make people miss, something that many didn’t believe he had when entering the league.

David Montgomery: 14 rushes, 40 yards, 2 TDs – 3/4 receptions, 36 yards

Montgomery is finally showing flashes of the potential that had him rise into the top 3 picks of 2019 rookie drafts. Matt Nagy has finally realized that running the ball is essential and Montgomery is benefitting from that greatly with a breakout performance in week 8, and now a solid week to back it up. If the Bears can get hold of a decent QB to pair with Montgomery he could turn into a top RB in the league.

Preston Williams: 5/9 receptions, 72 yards, 2 TDs

Despite playing for one of the worst teams in the NFL, Williams has managed to shine somewhat this year. This week he put on a real show finding the endzone twice with some nice grabs. If he can make himself a real usable target in the future, especially when the Fins draft their next franchise QB, then watch out as he has a lot of talent. The only downside this week was that Williams was carted off the field and may have a serious injury. Let’s hope that isn’t the case.

Noah Fant: 3/4 receptions, 115 yards 1 TD

Fant has been subject to a lot of criticisms this season as a result of many dropped balls, fumbles and general errors. However, on Sunday he turned it around and had his best game in the NFL so far, the highlight of which was a 75-yd TD catch and run in which he bulldozed his way through 3 would-be tacklers on his way to the endzone. If Fant can build on this game and develop into a proper NFL TE, he could be a top player at his position for many years to come.

Kyler Murray: 17/24 passes completed, 241 yards, 2 TDs

Murray may not have been able to lead his team to victory but he had a great showing against the league’s 2nd best defense. His scrambling ability is great and he already has the know-how and awareness to avoid taking any big hits, which would likely result in injury given his size. He is currently playing behind a pretty poor o-line with mediocre receivers and poor defense, but the great thing about that is the Cardinals know they have their guy. This means that in the next 2-3 years, they can build around him and give him all the tools he may need to succeed.