The ranking from my 2019 NFL Draft Big Board is listed in parenthesis.

 

Josh Allen, Jaguars DE (1)

Last week (v NO)

2 tackles, 1.0 sack

Season stats

19 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Allen saw a decrease in playing time last week for a low-scoring matchup with limited opportunities to get after the quarterback, but he still recorded his fourth sack in as many games and now is alone for the team lead. On the takedown, Allen didn’t get immediate pressure, but the non-stop effort helped him get to Teddy Bridgewater as he held onto the ball. More sacks could come this weekend against Cincinnati.

 

Christian Wilkins, Dolphins DL (3)

Last week (v WAS)

1 tackle, 1 pass defended

Season stats

18 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended

He only made one tackle in Week 6, but Wilkins had another strong showing for the winless Dolphins. Two of Adrian Peterson’s biggest runs came on one drive, but there was nothing Wilkins could do on either of them, and it doesn’t take long before you notice the focus/determination he plays with. Wilkins may be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder this weekend against a Bills team that passed on him for fellow rookie Ed Oliver.

 

Deandre Baker, Giants CB (6)

Last week (@ NE)

4 tackles

Season stats

21 tackles, 1 pass defended

Last week, Baker again showed tremendous improvement compared to the first couple of games to start his career, as he was almost invisible—which is a good thing for a cornerback—against the Patriots (the only memorable play against him was a 12-yard gain by Julian Edelman on a crossing route). The rookie will be tested this week when Kyler Murray comes to town.

 

Dexter Lawrence, Giants DL (7)

Last week (@ NE)

4 tackles

Season stats

17 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 blocked kick

He doesn’t get much recognition because he’s down in the trenches, but Lawrence has arguably been the most impressive rookie in the league, and he can help the Giants climb right back into NFC East contention with a win on Sunday. In last Thursday night’s game against the Patriots, Lawrence played a big role in containing Sony Michel until a 26-yard run on the final non-kneel-down play.

 

A.J. Brown, Titans WR (9)

Last week (@ DEN)
2 receptions, 23 yards

Season stats

14 receptions, 273 yards, 2 touchdowns

Tennessee has endured a precipitous fall after a 2-2 start, and the switch to Ryan Tannehill at quarterback is unlikely to solve much of anything. That said, if the Titans want to make themselves look smarter by benching Marcus Mariota, they would be wise to play Brown on more than 65% of the snaps (his current high) and make him the focal-point on passing downs. It’ll be interesting to see who the Ole Miss product catches passes from long term.

 

Brian Burns, Panthers OLB (10)

Last week (v TB)

1 tackle, 1.0 sack

Season stats

15 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 touchdown

Burns is on pace for 12 sacks on the season as Carolina heads into their bye, but his play last week in London was only a small piece of the team’s dominant performance against Tampa Bay—which ended with seven sacks and seven takeaways. The rookie will come out of the week off to face a San Francisco offensive line missing their bookend tackles followed by the collapsing Titans.

 

Daniel Jones, Giants QB (18)

Last week (@ NE)

15/31 (48.4%), 161 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT /// 2 attempts, 2 yards

Season stats

60.7%, 921 yards, 5 TD, 6 INT /// 15 attempts, 86 yards, 2 TD

Jones didn’t have his best game in New England, but that should come as no surprise considering the opponent, and the flashes were there—including on a 64-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate for the first passing score against the Patriots this season. Now, he’ll get Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, and Tate all on the field together (though Sterling Shepard is still out) for a big game versus Arizona.

 

Justin Layne, Steelers CB (19)

Last week (@ LAC)
1 tackle

Season stats

1 tackle

Defensive snaps have yet to come for Layne, but he made an excellent tackle on special teams (the first of his career), and the 13 snaps played were a career-high on Sunday night. He also appeared to force a fumble of Desmond King on a punt return, but it was reviewed and overturned because LA’s return man called for a fair catch. Still, Layne should come out of the bye with some added confidence.

 

Jaquan Johnson, Bills S (23)

Last week (BYE)

No statistics recorded

Season stats

No statistics recorded

The Bills aren’t really built to just blow teams out, but if they are able to jump out to a big lead against Miami this weekend, perhaps Johnson will get his first career action on defense.

 

Chase Winovich, Patriots DE (32)

Last week (v NYG)

1 tackle, 1 touchdown

Season stats

8 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 1 tackle for loss, 1 touchdown

Winovich was again used in a limited role defensively, but he was able to score his first career touchdown on a blocked punt last Thursday night, and he’ll hope to make another primetime impact against the Jets on Monday Night Football. With Michael Bennett suspended and potentially on his way out of town, Winovich should see more snaps this week.