What to Look For - Week 7

This spring’s NFL Draft evolved in unprecedented fashion.

COVID-19 dictated a change from the typical huge gathering of potential high draft picks and their families, along with team and league officials, in one big ballroom. Instead, fans witnessed and participated in the first “virtual” draft, complete with Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing picks from his basement in an open-collared shirt with his M&Ms jar not far out of reach.

One thing, however, didn’t change: prognosticators offering quick post-draft grades for each NFL team and its picks

And almost universally, one the moves everyone loved was Kansas City’s selection of LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He would prove to be the right player in the right system with the right coach, they predicted.

Entering Week 7, Edwards-Helaire is fulfilling those expectations. He leads the NFL in scrimmage yards (682) and ranks second in rushing yards (505), giving MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes another weapon. (As if he needed another.)

Edwards-Helaire is not alone among rookies making an impact. Here are some more young players who have shot to quick stardom in the 2020 season, along with other things to watch for this week:

THE FUTURE IS NOW: Through the first six weeks of the 2020 NFL season, rookies are making immediate impacts around the league.

Pittsburgh wide receiver CHASE CLAYPOOL ties for fifth in the NFL with six touchdowns (four receiving, two rushing), while Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON ranks fifth in the league with 537 receiving yards.

Including Jefferson, four rookie wide receivers have at least 300 receiving yards this season [Dallas’ CEEDEE LAMB (497), Cincinnati’s TEE HIGGINS (339) and Claypool (335)], tied with the 2013 and 1986 seasons for the most though Week 6 since 1970.

Overall, rookies have combined for a total of 8,509 scrimmage yards in 2020. With at least 1,305 combined scrimmage yards in Week 7, 2020 will surpass the 2017 season (9,813) for the most combined scrimmage yards by rookies through Week 7 since 1970 (not including the 1987 season with replacement players).  

The seasons with the most combined scrimmage yards by rookies through Week 7 since 1970 (not including 1987):​

YOUNG SLINGERS​: In addition to rookie backs and receivers taking the league by storm, rookie quarterbacks are also finding success early in their careers. Cincinnati quarterback JOE BURROW ranks second in the NFL in completions (160) and eighth in passing yards (1,617). Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT ranks ninth among qualified passers with a 107.1 passer rating through his first four career starts.

If Burrow reaches the 300-yard passing mark at Cleveland on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), he will become the fourth rookie quarterback with at least five 300-yard passing games in NFL history.   

The rookies with the most 300-yard passing games in NFL history:​

Herbert needs at least three touchdown passes on Sunday against Jacksonville (4:25 PM ET, CBS), to join DESHAUN WATSON (four consecutive games in 2017) as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history with at least three touchdown passes in three consecutive games. Herbert threw three touchdown passes in Week 4 and four touchdown passes in Week 5.​

With at least 250 passing yards, Herbert can join PATRICK MAHOMES as the only players in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards in each of their first five career games. Mahomes had at least 250 passing yards in each of his first 10 games.

FEELING 100: Las Vegas quarterback DEREK CARR enters Week 7 leading all qualified passers in completion percentage (73.1), while ranking second in passer rating (115.9). In 99 career starts, Carr has 24,235 passing yards, 2,248 completions and 154 touchdown passes, all the most in Raiders franchise history.