Each week we dive into each team’s rookie class and compare how they stack up against each other. (Grades for each player are the overall offensive or defensive grade handed out by PFF.com)
Dallas Cowboys
Tyler Booker (OG)
First Round
Booker walks into an Arizona front that wins with group effort rather than with one wrecking ball. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis loves to bring A-gap heat with twists designed to pry open the B-gap. That’s the real stressor for a right guard, it’s not the first punch, but the second and third. Expecting Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell to creep inside on passing downs and a steady dose of slants meant to turn the shoulders of guards.
The Cardinals have been feisty on third down where they allow the seventh-best third-down conversion rate allowed. But Booker can flip that script. Duo and inside zone don’t need to be home runs, but they need four yards or so.
In Booker
In Booker’s last two starts since returning, Dallas has allowed just three sacks on 65 dropbacks while rushing for 260 yards and four touchdowns, with the interior playing a big part here so the pocket could hold up. Against Washington, the offense punched in 3-of-4 red-zone trips and ran for 152 yards. Last week in Denver it was a grind, but the team did score two rushing touchdowns, with one coming directly behind Booker. That’s the kind of short-yardage blows you need from a guard’s pad level and power.
Grade: 67.2
Donovan Ezeiraku (DE)
Second Round
Ezeiruaku’s rookie tape this season has slowly been a steady climb. He’s moved from backup player to a real rotation piece, and the production finally matched the process with his first NFL sack against Washington. The traits are now showing up every week with his varied get-off, a stubborn long arm, and rush-lane discipline that keeps the quarterback boxed in when he’s on the field. Add a handful of drive-shaping hurries, a forced fumble earlier in the month, and solid screen retraces, and Dallas has got a young edge who is slowly finding his feet.
The rough edges are the fixable kind. He’ll occasionally push too deep on the pass rush and let the QB climb like he did in Denver, or hit plays a tick too hot and open the cutback he’s supposed to close. When tackles sit on the long arm, the counter has arrived a little late, and when tight ends chip, his first step can drift high and steal his leverage. All he needs now is to start to bring the counter earlier on long downs, and keep the outside hand free so he can set the edge and still transition into the rush.
Against Arizona, the job is all about patience. The Cardinals lean on play-action, boots, and plenty of movement in the pocket to blur the picture, so his best work will come from smart rush plans early in the game.
Grade: 73.7
Shavon Revel Jr. (CB)
Third Round
Currently on Non-Football injury list but is close to returning
Jaydon Blue (RB)
Fifth Round
Blue’s rookie reel has felt more like trailers than a full feature. He’s lived on a light snap count behind Javonte Williams, and the box score shows it with limited touches, modest yardage, and not much rhythm from week to week. The flashes look good when the picture is clean, you see a glider’s stride and easy acceleration to the edge, the kind of speed that makes off-tackle concepts feel threatening even before the ball is snapped.
The hesitation you’re seeing isn’t fear, it’s processing. On outside zone he’ll bounce outside before he fully presses the landmark, shrinking the lane he’s trying to find. Inside, he can slow down inviting square contact from linebackers who should be a step late. That’s rookie processing unfortunately. When he does play without thinking, the speed plays it factor.
Ball security is the other problem, and it predates Dallas. Blue arrived with scouting notes about loose carries and late swaps in traffic, and the fumble this season was a familiar culprit. We saw him fighting for extra yards with the ball low and away from the ribcage and limited points of contact with the ball. The fix isn’t difficult to figure out. Coaching into him that he needs five points of pressure on the ball when contact is coming, and that travels to every play and stadium, the fumbles can stay locked away. Clean that up and the staff will live with the occasional zero-yarder, because the threat of the big one is baked into his speed.
Grade: 50.0
Shemar James (LB)
Fifth Round
When James is on the field the second level moves a tick quicker. The keys get sorted, gaps get plugged, and checkdowns die right where he meets them. The strengths are easy to find on tape with an instant trigger and a finish that drops ball carriers backward. He’s already sprinkled in some splash plays with a well-timed pressure for a sack, a punch-out in the flat that flipped a drive, and he doesn’t fade in the fourth quarter.
The issues are the teachable and week-to-week he does look to be improving slightly. He’ll overrun zone rushes when he trusts his speed too much, take a flat pursuit angle, or bite on hard play-action throws.
Coverage looks better than most rookies. When the ball comes out underneath, he closes with balance and wraps up instead of lunging. Pair that with good timing to trigger the instant the back stays in, and Dallas gets a linebacker who can help the rush without breaking the containment.
Grade: 45.2
Ajani Cornelius (OT)
Sixth Round
Inactive
Grade: N/A
Jay Toia (DT)
Seventh Round
Inactive
Grade: 28.6
Phil Mafah (RB)
Seventh Round
Inactive
Grade: N/A
Trikweze Bridges (CB)
Seventh Round
Bridges’ rookie reel so far shows he needs plenty to brush up on. The recurring theme with what’s been seen is his technique drifts. In press, he’ll open too soon, giving away the line and inviting back-shoulder throws. In off-man, the cushion gets too generous and the transition from pedal to drive comes late. Double-moves have baited his eyes and one peek at the quarterback he’s been a step behind while the head turn at the catch point lags.
Grade: 39.5
Alijah Clark (DB)
UDFA
Clark has looked the part when he’s playing close to the traffic. Up close, he crowds releases without panicking his hands, triggers on plays like he’s seen the script, and finishes tackles with square pads and has no missed tackles this season so far. Pre-snap he’s loud, post-snap he’s sudden, and the special-teams work mirrors the same traits.
The problems have shown up when injuries pushed him to the deep middle. At free safety the strategy changes, and his eyes have drifted. One simple play-action look and he’ll step toward the mesh, arriving late and he gets caught chasing. If Clark locks in better habits, his slot and safety versatility goes from emergency panic addition to quietly getting more snaps and cleaner reps. The issue going forward for Clark in the immediate future is he will now miss one or two weeks while he recovers from a rib injury, which only adds more fuel to the fire for an already depleted secondary.
Grade: 32.6
Arizona Cardinals
Walter Nolen (DT)
First Round
Injured reserve
Grade: N/A
Will Johnson (CB)
Second Round
Johnson has stepped into Arizona with the calm of a veteran and the résumé of a ballhawk. The 6’2”, 200-pound rookie out of Michigan arrived with top-shelf tape. Across his final two college seasons he allowed zero touchdown receptions on 478 coverage snaps and picked off six passes, three of them taken back for scores. That type of background helps explain why the Cardinals installed him as a starting outside corner immediately, and why his rookie line already shows five passes breakups and a 52% completion rate allowed. He’s everything NFL coaches look for in a boundary corner, length to crowd the catch point, patient press technique, and recovery speed that erases small mistakes.
Against Dallas, Johnson’s job is straightforward but unforgiving against this wide receiver corps. He needs to squeeze windows, disrupt in-breakers, and tackle clean when the ball is out quickly. Dallas has been productive through the air and can stress corners with size and physicality on the outside. Arizona’s banged-up corner room has forced rookies into big roles, and Johnson’s ball skills and poise give the Cardinals their best shot at stopping a possession or two. He brings a stabilizing presence to a defense that will need it in a field-position game.
Grade: 71.5
Jordan Burch (OLB)
Third Round
Burch arrives at Cowboys week as Arizona’s power-rotation player. At 6’4” and 280 pounds with legit burst, he converts speed to power pretty well to shrink the pocket. The third-round rookie has been easing into NFL speed as Josh Sweat’s understudy, logging early rotational snaps but has yet to register a sack and has only nine total pressures. That sample size shows both his floor and ceiling. Right now he’s a sturdy edge-setter who can anchor early downs, chase from the backside, and work inside when needed.
Against Dallas, expect the Cards to deploy him in waves. If he strings together a couple of winning first steps, Burch has the possibility of shifting a few third-and-mediums Arizona’s way.
Grade: 52.4
Cody Simon (OLB)
Fourth Round
Inactive
Grade: 64.5
Denzel Burke (CB)
Fifth Round
Inactive
Burke, drafted in the fifth round, did show promise early, but with each passing game looked more like a rookie cornerback before being held out in their Week 7 game. The main reason behind him staying on the bench was a lingering knee issue. While he’s still carving out his role in the secondary, Burke does seem likely to play this week. Keep watch on the practice report this week to see if his name comes up, Arizona will be desperate for him to start with missing pieces at the position. That’s despite his snap count going down every week since Week 1.
Grade: 62.5
Hayden Conner (OG)
Sixth Round
Injured Reserve
Grade: N/A
Kitan Crawford (S)
Seventh Round
Inactive
Crawford was inactive for Arizona’s last game due to an ankle injury. The safety did not practice and was officially ruled out on game day. His absence leaves a vacancy in the defense and opens up extra work for backup safeties and special-teams units while he recovers. He’s another guy to keep an eye on, although he only plays a backup role right now. He’s logged 31 snaps on defense, but the majority of his work comes on special team plays.
Grade: 91.6
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