After a very rocky first few games, things are looking up for our rookie class! Damarri Mathis and Greg Dulcich have both started games now, and look to remain in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. Nik Bonitto and Matt Henningsen are regular parts of the DL rotation now, and Montrell Washington and Delarrin Turner-Yell are regulars on most of our special teams units.

Best Rookie: Greg Dulcich -- very rare to see tight ends acclimate to the pro game so quickly. He's already twice the blocker that Albert O ever was, and he has an uncanny ability to get wide open every time he runs a pass pattern. Great pick by Paton.

Biggest surprise: Matt Henningsen -- one of the best 6th round picks in the 2022 draft, he's added crucial depth for the d-line and looked good doing it.

Biggest disappointment: Eyioma Uwazurike -- inactive for six games, and beaten out for playing time by Henningsen (who was drafted two rounds and 90 picks after him)

Biggest rollercoaster ride: Damarri Mathis -- once Darby went down (and Ojemudia went AWOL), Mathis was thrown into the fire and has predictably been targeted by opposing quarterbacks, who would rather throw at him than at Patrick Surtain II. Understandably, he's had a few shaky games, but played very well in our game against Jacksonville. He'll continue to be tested for the rest of the season, but I'm impressed at how well he's hung in there so far.

Still waiting to see: Luke Wattenberg & Jalen Virgil

Virgil got Hamler speed.
I wish we would bring him up and rotate the burner position so it's always fast.
Plus football is a game of match ups, sometimes a CB might have one guys number that day, but the other one could smoke him and visa versa...

Too bad our coaches are not getting him out there as that fella can fly.

He’d have to be a killer gunner on ST to make the 53. Teams should have bigger rosters for a 17 week season.

really disappointed that we are not using Albert O in RZ.

What's going on with Uwazurike anyway? Did he get dinged up in the preseason? I expected early contributions from that guy.

Damarri Mathis was drafted with the reputation that he was grabby and drew too many penalties. This may be a reason he dropped to the 4th round, as he has good talent and effort. Paton & coaches think it is just a technique issue, so maybe he is learning more and just gaining more confidence.

If he continues progressing he will make Darby expendable. Trade him for whatever you can get or just cut him for cap space.

Paton has strung two great drafts in a row, really makes good use of the day 3 picks and hits on the early picks as well.

He is high potential player but needs time to develop. He was compared to Akieem Hicks and like Hicks, he is going to need to coached the right technique.