NFL Draft

2022 NFL Rookie Rewind: Week 12

Read below to see which rookies performed the best over Thanksgiving weekend.

Robert Gregson

2022 NFL Rookie Rewind: Week 12
2022 NFL Rookie Rewind: Week 12 /
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As we inch closer to December, the holiday season is officially upon us. With the calendar shifting to the most wonderful time of the year, we are witnessing the unwrapping of the gift that is the "real" NFL season. 

Every week closer to Christmas creates separation between teams and the rookies that occupy a spot on them. That brings us to our week 12 standouts with Thanksgiving day show outs, bounce-back performances, and first-time playmakers. Enjoy the week 12 rookie rewind. 

NFL Rookie Rewind: Week 12

Garrett Wilson may benefit from a White Christmas in New York

Garrett Wilson Jets

Dramatic was the best adjective to describe last week in New York. After a postgame blunder by quarterback Zach Wilson, the team turned to Mike White for Sunday's contest against the Bears. 

Named the starter on Wednesday, White came out and provided the quarterback play the Jets had been missing. A direct beneficiary of White's play was Garrett Wilson. 

Starting on the game's first drive, Wilson was targeted heavily with multiple highlight catches and scores. 

Watch Wilson's second touchdown here. 

The Jets run a staple single-high beater here, with a concept called "dagger." Wilson aligned as the number one in a tight stack formation. With the number two receiver running the clear, Wilson has the wrap-in behind it. 

He runs away from the cover three corners and catches the ball in open space before making a defender miss and sprinting into the endzone. 

The Bears boast one of the league's worst defenses when healthy, much less down almost all their starters in the secondary. That context needs to be added before we crown Mike White the second coming of Joe Namath in New York, but the Jets and Garrett Willson will look to keep things rolling with him under center. 

Brian Robinson brings the boom

Brian Robinson TNF

Don't look now, but the Washington Commanders are 7-5 and currently hold the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC. A team playing the old-fashioned way, the Commanders and Robinson will be a tough out if they continue to play as they did on Sunday. 

Watch Robinson's touchdown here.

A simple swing route in the red zone, Robinson catches a head of steam before barreling over the defender and lunging for the goal line. 

Admittedly still not 100% since suffering a gunshot wound in camp; Robinson looks better every week. His power and quickness continue to improve, making him a force to be reckoned with. 

As he and the Commanders continue to get healthy with the return of Chase Young on the Horizon, watch for Washington to be a problem down the stretch. 

Jack Sanborn is the best UDFA of the 2022 class

JackSanborn Bears

When the Bears traded away Roquan Smith, many questioned why the team would rid themselves of their best defensive asset. It would be a stretch to say they had no worries thanks to undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn being on the team, but they have faired well at linebacker thus far. 

Sanborn has been all over the field since pre-season. Recording 11 first-half tackles yesterday, his instinctual play is amongst the best of any rookie defender. 

Watch his tackle for a loss here. 

The Jets run a simple zone toss, with the intent of the play to stretch the defense horizontally. Offenses do this when they believe there is an athletic deficiency at the second level, meaning they can get their ball carrier to the edge before the linebackers can scrape underneath. 

Sanborn shows that while his athletic testing may not have blown you away, his mind is one step ahead, allowing the body to follow and play fast. This enables him to beat the reach block to the perimeter and make a play on the back behind the line of scrimmage. 

With a reeling but young defense, the Bears have several fundamental pieces to build off, including Jack Sanborn. 

Reed Blankenship shines on Sunday night

Reed Blankenship Eagles

Playing his first real snaps on defense after C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with Injury, Blankenship ran with the opportunity. 

A five-year starter at MTSU, his experience in college certainly showed up when he picked off Aaron Rodgers. 

Watch the interception here. 

Rotating to a single high alignment presnap, Blankenship fools Rodgers into thinking his middle field read will be open. He is playing as a lurker and undercuts the receiver's over route from right behind him. 

He would later have a big tackle for loss and was all over the field against Green Bay. While the timeline is uncertain regarding C.J. Gardner-Johnson's injury, Blankenship may be more than just a fill-in for the birds if he continues playing as he did on Sunday Night Football.  

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Robert Gregson
ROBERT GREGSON

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