Arizona Cardinals rookie class ruled the NFL in Week 10
By Sion Fawkes
For the decade under Steve Keim, the Arizona Cardinals had an awful track record regarding the way their respective draft picks turned out. Sure, Keim unearthed a few stars, as all general managers who last a decade in their respective posts are bound to. But Keim called out the wrong names far too often, and few picks from his time in the desert are playing in respective roles for the team.
Right now, only Kyler Murray, Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, and Trey McBride look like they will be long-term assets for the current regime while everyone else’s futures are up in the air. But you can’t say the same about the Cardinals current rookie class, who absolutely dominated the league this past week.
In Week 10, not one, not two, but three players cracked the Top 10 in PFF’s grades, with BJ Ojulari pacing all rookies with a grade of 85.7. Dante Stills checked out in fourth place at 80.8, and Garrett Williams tied for eighth at 73.9.
Arizona Cardinals rookies just keep getting better by the week
Ojulari had a game to remember, logging a pair of sacks. It took time for the rookie EDGE rusher to adapt, but recently, he’s taken his game to another level.
Stills only logged three assists, but given the way PFF grades players, it’s clear that he won far more battles than he lost and was disruptive throughout the afternoon. A 213th overall pick, Stills wasn’t supposed to see so much playing time this season, but injuries thrust him into a role that he’s fared well in.
Garrett Williams has been thriving since his debut against the Seattle Seahawks. After bursting onto the scene in Week 7, Williams has allowed just six completions on 12 targets, 6.8 yards per completion, and just 3.4 yards per target. Had it not been for a touchdown allowed, the 51.0 quarterback rating that quarterbacks have compiled when throwing his way would be much lower.
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(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)