Grading Each NFL Rookie Quarterback’s Debut

Every year we are excited to watch how new NFL quarterbacks will fare as they make the transition from college into the NFL. Some quarterbacks do better than others as they start out their rookie campaign for one reason or another. Now that the three starting rookie quarterbacks have all played their Week 1 games, let’s break down how each one did in their debuts.

Jayden Daniels: A-

This is exactly what we expected to see from Jayden Daniels when he was taken by the Commanders with the second overall pick in the latest NFL draft. This Commanders offensive line is not good. However, with Jayden Daniel’s explosive ability to run the ball, that pass rush was slowed down significantly. He was able to gash the defense multiple times, which resulted in him getting 88 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground alone. Passing the ball he was efficient with a 71% completion percentage for 184 yards. I would have liked him to throw the ball a bit more down the field, but overall he stayed calm in the pocket and was able to make a lot of great plays in his debut.

Bo Nix: C

Bo Nix showed some good and bad in his rookie debut. Nix was a confident passer as he navigated the pocket well, but his decision-making was at times highly questionable. Now Seattle is a good and young defense, and that resulted in some trouble for Nix. He did throw two interceptions that were not pretty, but overall when you ask a rookie to throw 42 times in a game, mistakes are going to happen. He didn’t throw it much downfield which was a concern for him coming into the league, however, he did make up for it a bit with his dynamic play on the ground getting him 35 yards and a touchdown on only 5 carries. He showed flashes of both the good and bad, and this experience should be encouraging for fans in Denver.

Caleb Williams: C-

There is no denying that Williams is talented, but he confirmed a lot of fears I had about him entering the NFL. He was not efficient in his passing and missed several open deep passes throughout the game. Make no mistake, the Bears' defense won this game single-handedly for Chicago. Williams tried several times to make big plays happen by scrambling out of the pocket and making wild throws that, had they been on target, would have been intercepted. I saw a lot of Jamesis Winston in Caleb William's debut, and this could be a massive concern for Chicago if he can’t become a consistent and steady quarterback.