A few rookie pass catchers are starting to separate themselves, and Kenyon Sadiq is the name turning the most heads right now. He’s looked like the explosive new-age tight end collectors were promised when he came out of the 2026 NFL Draft, and after two games on the board, his rise is impossible to miss. With Bowman Football arriving this week, the market should start to shift too.
At the very top, the hierarchy feels locked in. Fernando Mendoza and the No. 2 option are expected to stay put all season, and the Raiders’ 3-0 start doesn’t really change that. Some may assume the win streak hurts Mendoza’s card value because it makes a top pick less likely, but the argument here is the opposite: when the Indiana product plays, he’s in the best possible situation to succeed.
Sadiq has already pushed into the top five, and Sunday only strengthened his case. With starting tight end Mason Taylor out because of a thumb injury, he flourished. If Garrett Wilson is forced to miss extended time after getting hurt late in the Week 3 loss to the Lions, Sadiq could be leaned on heavily and become one of the toughest names in the class to ignore.
This group also includes several rookies who have fallen well short of expectations. Jadarian Price has fumbled twice in back-to-back games, even if the Seahawks still look like a team headed for a long postseason run. Carnell Tate is stuck on one of the worst teams in football, which has not helped his momentum at all.
The Browns have been in the same conversation for most of the last decade, but Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion could help change that vibe in Cleveland. Both young receivers are part of what could become a new direction for the team, and the final three players in this tier all have a real chance to climb in the coming weeks because of the struggles surrounding the more highly drafted running back and wideout.
Tampa Bay figures to stay bleak while Baker Mayfield is out with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand, but Ted Hurst looks like someone who could matter once Mayfield returns. The third-round pick from Georgia State has the look of a big-play weapon, and his 18.1 average depth of target points to plenty of highlight chances when he can finish the play.
The Dolphins added another intriguing receiver to the mix in Chris Bell this week, but the bigger picture in Miami is grim. With De'Von Achane (knee) done for the year, a team already viewed as one of the league’s worst is only getting worse. The question now is whether the hobby market can keep absorbing what could be an all-time bad season for the ‘Phins.
Two defensive rookies stand out in this group as well. Sonny Styles is the physical marvel of the bunch, already sitting on a sack and an interception through three games. At 6-foot-5 with a 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the Commanders’ top pick might be the most athletically gifted linebacker in football, and that speed has shown up on the field.
Then there’s Jalon Daniels, who is expected to become the second rookie quarterback to take a snap this year after Baker Mayfield’s thumb injury. Daniels spent all six college seasons at Kansas and brings serious athletic juice to the position. He should look like a world beater against one of the league’s worst defenses, the Green Bay Packers, in Week 4, though his card value may end up being more of a quick flip because of the tough quarterback he’s stepping in for.
- WR De'Zhaun Stribling - 49ers (last week No. 15)
- LB Sonny Styles - Commanders (last week unranked)
- QB Jalon Daniels - Buccaneers (last week unranked)
In Other News...
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Mike Sainristil's limited playing time remained a notable concern, but the bigger issue may be one Washington keeps carrying with it from week to week. The improved energy was real, yet the pre-snap discipline problems still showed up enough to keep the performance from feeling fully clean, and that is the sort of thing that can linger even after a result like this. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Head To London With Jonathan Taylor Facing A Familiar Problem
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Commanders Turn Back To Austin Ekeler With Run Game Questions
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Ekelers path back has been a long one after the torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2025 season, but he has resumed football activities and has stayed on the radar around the league. He recently worked out with the Carolina Panthers and left without a contract offer, which makes Washingtons interest all the more notable as the Commanders weigh what they need from the backfield and how much they can still count on a player working his way back. [Read more 🡒]