The Minnesota Vikings had to be thrilled with their 2015 draft class after reviewing the film from their Week 6 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was the star attraction with 129 yards on seven receptions, showing precocious route running for a fifth-round rookie playing his second-career game.
The former Maryland star is slippery quick, with excellent instincts and a smooth back-shoulder connection with Teddy Bridgewater.
Second-round linebacker Eric Kendricks led the way on defense, generating a team-high 10 tackles and a sack. Playing regular snaps for the first time, the third-round defensive end contributed 0.5 sacks of his own to go with four quarterback hurries. Fourth-round right tackle T.J. Clemmings even held his own against Justin Houston and the Chiefs' fierce pass rush.
The only bitter note was watching No. 18 overall pick, Marcus Peters, in a starring role for Kansas City while their own No. 11 overall pick, Trae Waynes, played a minor role at cornerback.
The Vikings' draft class isn't the only one impressing. Here is Around The NFL's latest Rookie of the Year watch for Week 7:
1. Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams running back: Gurley rushed for 305 yards in his first two NFL starts, lifting the Rams from dead-last in rushing to a respectable 13th on the season. He has a dream matchup against the Browns' 32nd-ranked run defense this week.
2. Leonard Williams, New York Jets defensive end: The draft's No. 6 overall pick seems to get better by the week, turning in back-to-back dominant performances versus the Dolphins and Redskins. Williams has proven too valuable to bench, as Todd Bowles ditched his 3-4 scheme for a 4-3 front to shut down Washington's ground attack in Week 6.
3. Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders wide receiver: It speaks to Cooper's immense talent that he's already the best receiver on the field most weeks. That won't be the case in San Diego on Sunday, as Keenan Allen is playing at an All-Pro level.
4. Ronald Darby, Buffalo Bills cornerback: Darby and Stephon Gilmore rendered A.J. Green a non-factor last week, but No. 2 receiver Marvin Jones got free for nine receptions, 95 yards and an acrobatic touchdown. The Bills' duo will try to take away Jaguars top receiver Allen Robinson in London.
5. Henry Anderson, Indianapolis Colts defensive end: We're still trying to figure out how Anderson fell to the third round coming out of Stanford. He has almost single-handedly turned around the Colts' defensive line.
6. Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs: Peters was one of the best players on the field versus the Vikings last week, coming down with an interception and a pair of pass deflections. He's going to be a premier press-man corner for a long time to come.
7. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans quarterback: Limping heavily after taking a shot from Olivier Vernon in the first quarter, Mariota was a sitting duck in the pocket, unable to elude pressure the rest of the way in the Titans' blowout loss to the Dolphins. Although he surely earned respect in the locker room for his toughness, it's somewhat surprising that the coaches left him in to absorb the beating.
8. Jordan Hicks, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker: Coach Chip Kelly heaped praise on DeMeco Ryans after a great performance versus the Giants, referring to the veteran leader as Mufasa from "The Lion King." Hicks has been so impressive over the past month that he's earned a nickname of his own. "We call DeMeco Ryans Mufasa," safety Malcolm Jenkins said Wednesday. "And Jordan Hicksis Simba."
9. Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver: "For the most part, you can tell from Day One, can he play or can he not play? And I always felt like (Diggs) could from Day One," teammate Mike Wallace said this week. "Just the skill set, the way he runs his routes, the energy that he has. It reminds me of (Antonio Brown)."
10. Damarious Randall, Green Bay Packers cornerback:Philip Rivers passed for a career-high 503 yards in a Chargers loss at Lambeau Field. It would have been 506 yards and a potential victory if Randall hadn't deflected a fourth-down pass intended for Danny Woodhead at the pylon with 0:20 remaining.
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