Early Returns: The Rookie Report

Fast Track

RB Chris Johnson, TEN

All eyebrows that the Titans raised when they selected Johnson have officially been put in their normal and unfurrowed position. Coming out of mid-major East Carolina, Johnson wasn't the household name or Sports Illustrated cover boy that Michigan's Mike Hart was. In fact, Johnson may as well be the anti-Hart. While Hart was struggling to fill the hype with tangible Combine numbers, Johnson ran a 2008-best 4.24. His late push up the draft board has carried over to the NFL season, where he has assumed a very important role in the Titans' backfield. He has racked up 381 yards on 85 carries with 2 TDs, impressive totals considering he splits time with Lendale White and given the fact that the Titans faced two of the league's top run defenses (BAL and MIN) in recent weeks. Johnson is a rare case of a high potential/high risk pick that excels from day one. 

First quarter grade: B+

RB Matt Forte, CHI

Yes, you are reading this correctly: The Bears have struck gold in back-to-back high round offensive picks. After selecting TE Greg Olsen in 2007 and the red hot Forte in 2008, the biting pain associated with failed first rounders like RB Cedric Benson and OT Mark Colombo has begun to subside. Amid questions of the Bears' depth at offensive line and in the backfield, Forte has risen to the occasion and then some. He has posted 555 total yards and 4 TDs in five games this season, and has been the antithesis of the sluggish meanderer that was Benson. Forte proved he could carry an offense on his shoulders during an ultra-productive senior season at Tulane, where he rushed 361 times for 2,127 yards and 23 TDs, and has shown his ability to carry the offense when QB Kyle Orton struggles. Forte's yardage totals have gone down in each of his five games, though he started off higher than expected. Consistency is what will give this grade a boost. 

First quarter grade: A-

Work in Progress

WR Eddie Royal, DEN

Much like Forte, Royal has had trouble with consistency this 

season. He has had stat lines reminiscent of Broncos great Rod Smith, but then he has had games that lump him with the Koren Robinsons and Charles Rodgers of yesteryear. He burst onto the scene with a 146 yard debut in Oakland and hauled in 104 yards in Week 4 in Kansas City, but in the other three weeks he accounted for a mere 71 combined. Having fantasy stud Brandon Marshall back in the lineup after a one-game suspension should have only helped him get more favorable match ups, but he has had difficulty establishing his place in the high octane offense lead by QB Jay Cutler. Royal's talent is undeniable, but the jury is out on his ability to produce on a weekly basis. 

First quarter grade: B

RB Steve Slaton, HOU

The Texans' workhorse job has been ripe for the plucking for years, and Slaton appears to have staked his claim. Big names (Ahman Green) and big injuries (Domanick Davis) didn't get the job done in the teams' first generation of backs, but Slaton appears to have emerged as an early candidate for the star watch list. He was an explosive talent at West Virginia, where he had highly productive freshman and sophomore seasons, only to have wrist surgery the spring before his junior season. His production dropped to his freshman year level, and scouts began to poke and prod his size (5'9'', 201 pounds), dropping him to the third round. This pick could end up being the coup of the draft, pending his continued progress. He has shown flashes of brilliance (18 rushes, 116 yards against Tennessee) and versatility (8 receptions, 83 yards against Jacksonville) but he must prove his ability to handle more carries before he can be a true franchise back. 

First quarter grade: B+

Clock is Ticking

DT Glenn Dorsey, KC

Dorsey was simply disruptive in college at LSU. No one was harder to block, and most failed in the attempt. He seemed like the obvious pick at No. 5 for the Jared Allen-less Chiefs, and despite past knee injuries he wasn't as red flagged as he could have been. Yes, the lowly Chiefs have struggled across the board this year, but that doesn't excuse a top 5 pick getting 11 tackles and 0 sacks in the first five games of the season. The transition of defensive linemen from college to the NFL is typically turbulence-free (see: Kearse, Jevon), which makes Dorsey's slow start all the more puzzling.

First quarter grade: C-

QB Joe Flacco, BAL

Rookie or no rookie, the Delaware product's production simply must go up. One TD and 4 INTs in four games doesn't cut it for an NFL starter, especially an 18th overall selection. Flacco has accumulated a 61.9 rating, 4th worst in the league, and would be under much greater fire if he weren't backed by the most dominant defense in the league. Flacco's situation evokes images of Kyle Orton, who lead the Bears to 10 wins in his rookie season out of Purdue despite pedestrian numbers. The difference is that Orton was the 106th pick of his draft. Once the organization surrounds him with more viable weapons, he could become the dynamic vertical threat they envisioned when they selected him. If the team's recent history of offensive blunders is an indication of what's to come, it could be too late and Flacco could be stuck in neutral a la Kyle Boller. 

First quarter grade: C-