Russell Wilson, Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks
Wilson had a relatively strong opening the season against the Denver Broncos, amassing around 300 all-purpose yards, and utilized his receivers nicely. The Seahawks ended up losing the game 27-24, but with Wilson at the helm at quarterback, Seattle will look to make the playoffs this year.
Final Stats: 19/33 completion (58 percent), 298 yards passing, five yards rushing, three passing touchdowns, two interceptions
Philip Rivers, Quarterback, Los Angeles Chargers
Rivers also had a strong game against the Kansas City Chiefs by passing for more than 400 yards, and each of his top four pass-catchers in the game caught over 80 yards (Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams). Like Wilson, Rivers was unable to get the win, due to weak defense from the Chargers, as well as a strong showing by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chargers lost to the Chiefs 38-28 and stand at 0-1, like the Wilson-led Seahawks.
Final Stats: 34/51 completion (67 percent), 424 yards passing, three touchdowns, one interception
Stephen Hauschka, Kicker, Buffalo Bills
Hauschka was the only source of points in the 47-3 beatdown the Bills suffered from the Baltimore Ravens. Hauschka is the Bills’ starting kicker, and was 1 for 2 on field goals.
Final Stats: 1 for 2 completion (50 percent), 35 yards long
Bradley Chubb, Linebacker, Denver Broncos
Chubb faced off against the Wilson-led Seahawks in a rematch of Super Bowl XLVIII in his highly anticipated professional debut since being drafted fifth overall in the 2018 NFL draft by the Broncos. Chubb has switched to linebacker from defensive end since his days at NC State, and is now the starting strong-side (typically biggest) linebacker. The Broncos defense held against the Seahawks and helped win the game 27-24. Chubb recorded half a sack and a few tackles.
Final Stats: 3 tackles, .5 sacks
Nyheim Hines, Running Back, Indianapolis Colts
Hines had a solid NFL debut in the Colts offense, and with Andrew Luck back under center at quarterback, Hines has a reliable source of passes. Hines, Luck and the Colts lost 34-23 to the Cincinnati Bengals, but Hines looked okay as a rusher and even better as a pass-catching running back, totaling 52 all-purpose yards in the game. It is reassuring to see Luck trust Hines with touches early on in his career.
Final Stats: five carries for 19 yards, seven completions for 33 yards
B.J. Hill, Defensive Tackle, New York Giants
Hill earned a start in his first ever NFL game, where he started on the defensive line. Hill and the rest of the Giants defense were unable to stop a mostly Leonard Fournette-less Jacksonville Jaguars team, as they lost 20-15. However, the D-line did a good job of slowing down the rest of the Jaguars backs, and Hill flashed early potential as a solid defensive tackle as he accrued four tackles in the game.
Final Stats: four tackles
Justin Jones, Defensive Tackle, Los Angeles Chargers
Jones is not a starting defensive tackle in his first ever professional season for the Chargers, however he saw time as part of the rotation in the Chargers’ first game, and accounted for three tackles. Look for Jones to see more defensive snaps as the year goes on, and improve his overall game.
Final Stats: three tackles
Note: The rest of the 2018 NFL Draft class (OT Will Richardson, DE Kentavius Street and RB Jaylen Samuels) were excluded from this list either due to injury, or zero snaps recorded. Starting Seahawks cornerback Dontae Johnson and Packers safety Josh Jones were also excluded due to injury.
