NFL: Rookie Report Week 15 - The Few That Shined

After week 15 of the 2021 NFL season, what rookies had the best week? Here are three that stood out above all others. Click here to read more.

Author:
Bobby Greco
Publish date:
Dec 21, 2021 10:41 AM EST

NFL Rookie Spotlight Recap Week 15

After week 15 of the 2021 NFL season, what rookies had the best week? Here are three that stood out above all others. Click here to read more.

In what is becoming the most repetitive record of All-Time, it was another wild week in the NFL. In regular-season play, the Cardinals laid an absolute dud losing to the Lions, and Tampa Bay Tom is now 0-4 against the Saints. It was a very sloppy week too, which is pretty concerning at this point in the year. Tennessee dropped a late lead to Pittsburgh thanks to many turnovers and ugly ones at that, and it was a real soup sandwich of a performance, honestly. Individual performances were down a bit, too, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Though we did get to see the emergence of Tyler Huntley and learned Mark Andrews should probably be considered one of the league’s elite tight ends. It was a decent defensive week on the rookie side of things, and three players stood above the rest.

Nick Bolton, Linebacker, Kansas City Chiefs:

Here is a player who doesn’t nearly get the recognition he deserves. Bolton is quietly putting together a fantastic rookie season, and no one notices him yet. Not only did he lead the team with fourteen tackles and three pass deflections Thursday, but he is also the team’s overall leader in tackles with one hundred and two already, not to mention his eleven tackles for loss. He may not fill up a stat sheet like Micah Parsons, but what he does for the Chiefs’ defense is equally important. Having a player you can depend on to make all his tackles and be a big run-stopper who opens up the rest of the defense to be confident and do their job for the team. If Kansas City holds strong and gets the number one seed, Bolton’s role should not be understated.

Garret Wallow, Linebacker, Houston Texans:

The Houston Texans have finally joined the conversion this season, and it’s a positive reason. Fifth-round pick Wallow had a great day Sunday with eleven tackles and a sack, which is exactly what a team looks for in a late-round pick. This was by far the most game action he has seen yet, and he made the most of it. On a team like Houston, any chance you get to make a name for yourself is crucial because a team in such a state of transition will likely have open positions that need to be filled, so the opportunity is there. Davis Mills also outdueled Trevor Lawrence in this game but still wasn’t great, so the nod for this game goes to Wallow.

Patrick Surtain Jr, Cornerback, Denver Broncos:

This is a special player right here. Though we all knew Surtain would be a very good player, he is still blowing away expectations. He had five tackles Sunday, which was third on the team, but he is lockdown in coverage and held fellow rookie Ja’Marr Chase to one catch. Denver would have won the game if it weren’t for that huge touchdown pass from Burrow to Boyd. Surtain has been phenomenal this year in coverage and has played a big role in stopping the run for the Denver defense. He should be in the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but the Broncos have found themselves a generational player.

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