NFL rookies came to play big time during Week 3. Two underrated young defenders had game-changing interceptions for their respective teams. Meanwhile, a wide receiver on the New Orleans Saints is now on pace to put up an historic rookie season.
As we will do throughout the entire 2022 season, here’s a look at the five NFL rookies who showed out the must during Week 3 of the season.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated NFL Power rankings
Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre looks like a ball hawk
Through the first three weeks of the season, Pitre has been among the five-best NFL rookies in the game. That’s the objective way of looking at the performance we’ve seen from the former Baylor star. A second-round pick of the Texans back in April, Pitre recorded two interceptions of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields in a narrow Week 3 loss. The dude was all over the field for a young Texans defense.
- Jalen Pitre stats (2022): 12 tackles, 2 INT, 2 passes defended, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 26.4 QB rating allowed
Pitre is one of the reasons why Houston’s previously disastrous defense heads into Week 4 yielding the 13th-fewest points in the NFL. It has also given up a mere two passing touchdowns compared to four interceptions in three games. That’s elite-level stuff.
Related: 5 NFL rookies who showed out during Week 2
Breece Hall has big game for the New York Jets
One of the most intriguing NFL rookies heading into the season, Hall has been splitting reps with fellow youngster Michael Carter at running back for the Jets. The former Iowa State star was pretty solid in limited action throughout the first two weeks. But he did not get a ton of touches (20 combined).
That changed a tad with Joe Flacco forced to throw the ball 52 times in a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. While this is not sustainable moving forward, Hall caught 6-of-11 targets for 53 yards. He also added 39 yards on eight attempts to lead New York in rushing. All said, the youngster averaged 6.6 yards per touch. With Carter averaging less than five yards per touch this season Hall should see an uptick in snaps moving forward on the season.
Chris Olave was a rare bright spot for the New Orleans Saints
With Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson looking like two of the best NFL rookies this season, it seems as if the Ohio State Buckeyes are becoming a wide receiver factory. Despite New Orleans dropping an ugly performance in a Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Olave came to play big time.
Olave caught 9-of-13 targets from Jameis Winston for 147 yards in the Saints’ Week 3 outing. The rook is now on pace for 96 receptions and 1,518 yards. To put that into perspective, these numbers would shatter Justin Jefferson’s all-time great rookie season from back in 2020.
Related: Sportsnaut’s NFL defensive rankings heading into Week 4
Devin Lloyd continues to play great ball for the surprising Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s a reason why the Jaguars are 2-1 for the first time since 2018. The youngsters have come to play big time for first-year head coach Doug Pederson. A lot of the focus has been on rookie No. 1 pick Travon Walker. But Lloyd has come in and done his thing. The first-round pick from Utah has recorded interceptions in two consecutive games, including a pick of Justin Herbert in Jacksonville’s shocking blowout win over the Los Angeles Chargers this past Sunday.
Luck might have been involved. But Lloyd’s sideline-to-sideline ability has him reminding us of other great all-around linebackers through the first three games of his NFL career. This span has seen Lloyd record 24 tackles with a league-high six passes defended while putting up those two interceptions and yielding a 28.2 QB rating when targeted. That’s all sorts of absurd.
Related: Top NFL rookies on both sides of the ball
Romeo Doubs stars for the Green Bay Packers
A lot was made of Green Bay’s young wide receivers heading into the season. Two-time reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers had called oout the likes of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs during the preseason. With Davante Adams doing his thing in Las Vegas (or not), the Packers need these youngsters to step up if they are going to be legitimate conference title contenders in 2022.
At least for one game, that’s what this former Nevada star did. Doubs caught all eight of the passes thrown in his direction for 73 yards, including a five-yard score to put Green Bay up 7-3 in the opening stanza.
Doubs became the first Packers wide receiver not named Davante Adams to catch eight passes in a game since Randall Cobb back in 2018. Rodgers’ reaction to this tidbit was priceless. And it has the youngster looking prime to continue this excellent run Week 4 against a bad New England Patriots team.
Related: Rookie Romeo Doubs becoming go-to option for Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers