5. Bo Nix:
After a stellar preseason, Bo Nix didn’t look nearly as sharp in weeks 1 and 2. However, after two horrible weeks, Nix shocked the Tampa Bay defense with a great week 3 performance. He followed his week 3 road win with another road win against the Jets in week 4. It’s unclear whether his early struggles were legitimate or caused by poor play by his offensive line. While Nix’s stat sheet looks quite ugly, he has his Broncos at 2W-2L.
4. Caleb Williams:
The Caleb Williams era in Chicago has gotten off to a somewhat disappointing start. This was to be expected. While the Bears’ roster is great, their playcallers are still underwhelming. At the NFL level, coaching and playcalling have a massive impact on the game. After his first 3 starts, Williams had a 1-2 TD-INT ratio and the Bears were 1W-2L. After week 3, per Jay Glazer, multiple players, including Wiliams, approached offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to express frustration with his playcalling. It seemed to have worked, as Williams had an incredible game in week 4. If Williams continues to play like he did in Chicago’s win over the Rams, he’ll soon be right back at the top of this list.
3. Marvin Harrison Jr.:
Marvin Harrison Jr. was the first receiver drafted in the 2024 draft and is expected to be a star. His career debut was underwhelming, consisting of only a single reception for 4 yards. The media dug into the Cardinals and Kyler Murray for not getting the ball to Harrison, and things instantly changed. Over the following 3 games, Harrison put up 14 catches for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns. Excluding his quiet debut, Harrison has lived up to the hype. I expect Marvin Harrison Jr. to be the featured receiver in the Cardinals’ offense for years to come.
2. Malik Nabers:
After his unbelievable 2023 season at LSU, Malik Nabers was viewed as an elite receiver prospect. In most drafts, he would’ve been the first pass catcher off the board. While Harrison was selected before Nabers, Nabers has made a larger instant impact. In only 4 games, Nabers has 35 catches for 386 yards and 3 touchdowns. It’s important to note that Nabers is doing all of this with Daniel Jones as his quarterback. Nabers might single-handedly be saving Jones’s career. Barring injury, Nabers is currently on pace for 149 catches, 1,640 yards, and 13 touchdowns. That would break Puka Nacua’s records for receptions and receiving yards as a rookie, and make him the 5th rookie receiver with 13 touchdowns since 2000. There is no doubt that Naber’s rookie campaign is off to an impressive start.
1. Jayden Daniels:
Even before the draft, it was evident that Daniels’ college football journey was a great preparation for the transition into the NFL. Daniels had shown off the ability to face adversity, step up his game, adjust to a faster pace of play, and most of all, the ability to make the players around him better. Back in April, I wrote an article claiming that for this reason, the Bears may be better served taking Daniels with the first pick of the draft (Click Here).
4 weeks into his professional career, Daniels has not disappointed. He’s been incredibly efficient through the air, his 82.1 completion percentage is the best any young quarterback has ever put up over the first 4 games of their career. In addition, Daniels has been a problem on the ground. Daniels has run for 218 yards and 4 touchdowns so far this season. The Commanders finished the 2023 season with a 4W-13L record and averaged 19.4 points per game. So far in 2024, Jayden Daniels has the Commanders at 3W-1L and his offense is putting up 30.25 points per game. The Jayden Daniels effect is legit and it has completely turned around both LSU and the Washington Commanders.
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