Will Campbell – overtime – New England Patriots
Campbell was the star of LSU’s class, selected fourth overall by the New England Patriots. He’s off to a good start in his rookie year, protecting the blind side of his MVP candidate quarterback Drake Maye. Although Campbell has made some rookie mistakes that are expected of a young tackle, with six penalties this year, he has still been impressive overall.
Campbell has PFF’s 34th-best run-blocking grade among offensive tackles and its 22nd-best pass-blocking grade.
Mason Taylor – TE – New York Jets
Taylor has had a fairly productive start to his NFL career, ranking fourth among rookie tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards. It’s certainly possible he would be higher on the list if he were in a different offense, as New York ranks 26th in the league in pass attempts per game.
Taylor has been a solid contributor so far and his role is only expanding. Here’s a great example from Week 8, where Taylor catches the go-ahead touchdown to help the Jets secure their first win of the season.
Emery Jones Jr. – overtime – Baltimore Ravens
Jones Jr. has yet to play an NFL snap this season, having undergone shoulder surgery after the combine that has kept him off the field so far this year. Jones has been participating in practices for the past few weeks, but hasn’t been able to catch up yet.
Given where he was drafted, Jones is expected to take the field at some point this season.
Sai’vion Jones – DE – Denver Broncos
Jones has only played in one game so far this season, but that’s mostly due to the talent ahead of him on the Broncos’ defensive line, not anything involving Jones himself.
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph praised Jones’ performance in practice this season and said he is “growing very quickly.”
Bradyn Swinson – EDGE – New England Patriots
Swinson was waived and placed on the New England Patriots’ practice squad before the season began. This was a notable surprise, but Swinson was a raw prospect coming out of LSU, so it was understandable that he would need time to develop.
However, Swinson kept his head down and continued to work on the practice squad.
“These last three weeks, I actually told him before practice how proud I was of him,” Patriots outside linebackers coach Mike Smith told reporters. “He’s really developing and guys like that, the younger ones, it takes them a while to get into a rhythm and a routine of things and get a feel for what the NFL is like.”
Miles Frazier – OG – Detroit Lions
Frazier began the season on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury, but appears to be considering a return soon based on his recent social media posts.
Frazier will have a chance to play if he recovers quickly, as one of the Lions’ starting guards, Christian Mahogany, suffered a long-term injury against the Vikings.
Garrett Dellinger – OG – Cleveland Browns
Dellinger was drafted in the seventh round by the Baltimore Ravens, but was named to their practice squad. The Cleveland Browns then signed Dellinger to their practice squad on August 28, where he has remained since.
Cleveland’s offensive line has had major issues this season, and Dellinger should get a chance to take the field if the starters continue their poor track record.
Josh Williams – RB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Williams signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent this offseason, and injuries to their running back room created an opportunity for him to get some playing time.
Williams has appeared in two games so far during the regular season, taking four carries for 11 yards.