Jalon Daniels, the undrafted quarterback out of Kansas, is straight-up leading the NFL’s Midseason All-Rookie team through Week 8. Yeah, you heard that right, an *undrafted* guy is at the top of the class, and it is a wild ride. This isn’t just a feel-good story, either, Daniels is showing flashes that could make him a force, even with some rookie bumps along the way.
Daniels Is the Real Deal (Mostly)
This dude wasn’t even drafted, but he’s the only rookie signal-caller who has seen more than one game or logged more than 36 dropbacks. He had some seriously good moments, like looking crisp for three quarters against the Steelers. But, not gonna lie, his accuracy faded when things got super tight. Daniels is comfortable throwing to the boundary, which is cool, but he can lock onto that first read a bit too much, and defenders are already picking up on that tendency. When the path clears, though? Forget about it. His foot speed gets him huge chunks of yardage on the ground. The big challenge for him, though, if he wants to stick around long-term, is handling pressure better. Dude’s been sacked nine times on 123 dropbacks because either the protection wasn’t there for the blitz or he just wasn’t feeling that heat on his back. His stats through Week 8? He’s completed 60 of 98 passes for 501 yards, three touchdowns, and five picks. Remember that Fernando Mendoza from the Raiders was the preseason pick, but Daniels definitely made his case.
Love Leads the Backfield, But It Ain’t Easy
Running back was a much tougher call, mostly because a bunch of these guys have been hurt or are just playing reserve roles. Jeremiyah Love from the Cardinals is the top dog so far with 76 carries, even though he’s missed two games already. Now he’s dealing with an ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve, so his spot on the end-of-year team is definitely up in the air. When he’s out there, though, Love shows off some seriously good vision, and he’s great at breaking his feet down in space to leverage defenders. He’s patient, waiting for his moment, and he’s even got 11 receptions. The problem? Arizona’s offensive line has been less than stellar. Love is averaging just 1.1 yards before contact this season, which TruMedia says is below average. Other guys were in the mix too: Mike Washington Jr. from Las Vegas had some big runs on stretch plays, Kaelon Black from San Francisco was heavily considered, and Jonah Coleman from Denver was a personal favorite, but injuries have limited his body of work. Preseason pick for RB? Yep, it was Love.
Concepcion’s Catching On
Over at wide receiver, K.C. Concepcion from the Browns is making some noise. He’s got the second-most receptions among all rookie receivers. We’ll have to see how the rest of the season plays out for him, but he’s definitely shown he can catch the ball.
So, Week 8 is in the books, and these rookies are already leaving their mark. Daniels, Love, Concepcion: these guys are proving they belong. The real test is coming in the second half of the season. Can Daniels clean up his pressure reads? Can Love stay healthy and continue to impress when Arizona’s O-line is struggling? And can Concepcion keep hauling in those passes? It’s going to be wild watching these guys battle it out and see who truly separates themselves by the time the season wraps.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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