2024 NFL Midseason All-Rookie Team: Packers lead way with three selections, Rams pass-rush pair selected

The midway point of the 2024 NFL regular season is here. Actually, to be technical, it’s halftime of Week 9, so feel free to read this article then. Of course, the selections won’t change based on first-half play Sunday. 

This is your first half of 2024 All-Rookie team. This year, we’re running “11 personnel” on offense — one back, one tight ends and three receivers — and base 4-3 on defense. Let’s get to the picks.

Offense

Daniels has been the model of efficiency in his debut NFL season through eight games. He’s second in the NFL with a 71.8% completion rate, fifth in yards per attempt at 8.4, and he’s been tremendous as a scrambler with a 56.4% success rate on his runs, which is the sixth-highest among all qualifying offensive players. I don’t think Daniels individually has been as tremendous as these numbers suggest, but for a rookie, Daniels has been lights out. This was an easy selection. 

Irving, the smallest of the rookie running backs drafted in April, has been the most effective at the midway point of his rookie season. He’s been as nimble, elusive, and simply hard to corral as he was during his illustrious Oregon career, and not just on swing passes or outside runs. In watching Buccaneers games this season, it’s felt like Irving is simply the most effective runner on the roster. 

He’s averaging a hefty 3.76 yards after contact per rush — which is fourth in the entire NFL among qualifiers — and has forced a ridiculous 26 missed tackles on just 75 attempts to date. Another easy decision here. 

Nabers is getting open in isolation over and over and over again. His suddenness off the line, lightning-fast breaks off the top of his route stem, and incredible speed have made the first-round pick essentially unguardable at all three levels. He does have four drops — one of the critical variety late in the tight contest against the Commanders in September — but other than that, Nabers has been as advertised for the Giants as the club’s clear No. 1 wideout. 

Thomas has been electric down the field for the Jaguars to date. Just so effortlessly smooth out of his stance, and his accelerators are of the elite variety. He’s run past essentially everyone and flashed after the catch, forcing five missed tackles on his 33 receptions. This Jaguars rookie is currently the leader among all first-year pros in receiving yards with 573. 

McConkey has seamlessly transitioned to the NFL from a spectacular yet seemingly underrated career at Georgia. He’s been a gifted route salesman from the Week 1, and has slowly but surely reminded everyone he ran sub 4.40 at the combine. McConkey hasn’t pieced together monster efforts — outside of his first 100-yard performance in Week 8 — but the steadiness from McConkey through the first half of his rookie season feels very familiar to his efforts on Saturdays in the past. 

Bowers is the NFL’s leader in receptions with 52 entering Week 9. That’s quite an accomplishment for a rookie, I don’t care the situation around him. Sure, Davante Adams is gone, which gives Bowers more opportunities, but it simultaneously increases the defensive attention on him every week. And the former Georgia superstar currently only has two outings with fewer than five receptions. 

Alt was the first offensive lineman selected in April, and he’s played like someone deserving of that distinction in the first half of his rookie season. Dominant? Not necessarily, but the former Notre Dame blocker with immense height and athleticism has surrendered a mere six pressures on 208 pass-blocking snaps and mostly done well paving lanes for the Chargers ground game. 

Puni has five-position versatility, and he’s settled in at right guard with the 49ers and blocked like he was back at the University of Kansas, where he starred in the Big 12 for years. Kyle Shanahan’s system has a way of getting the most out of offensive linemen — and running backs — but there’s been minimal growing pains in the zone-blocking system, and he’s held his own in pass protection of Brock Purdy.  

There were a few smaller, mobility-based center prospects in the 2024 class, and through eight games, Bortolini has been the best one. He’s surrendered just one hit on a Colts quarterback on 100 pass-blocking opportunities and done a fantastic job winning the leverage and angles battles at the pivot for Indianapolis’ ground game. His lack of power hasn’t held him back.  

Morgan missed time after Week 2, but has returned at right guard for the Packers and played mostly quality football. And you don’t always have to play spectacularly to make this team, just don’t be a liability — especially up front — and that’s how I’d characterize the start for Morgan with the Packers. 

The second offensive tackle off the board in the 2024 class has ironically been a rock in pass protection but struggled displacing defensive linemen for Tennessee’s run game. It’s ironic because Latham is a gargantuan human being at 6-foot-6 and around 340 pounds. Shows that size and strength aren’t the only attributes needed to win blocking reps in the NFL.

Defense

Verse should be garnering serious Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration with the way his NFL career has begun. While he hasn’t been an every-down player with the Rams, he’s been borderline unblockable at times around the corner with 32 pressures on a mere 167 pass-rushing opportunities, which equates to a enormous 19.1% pressure rate. Power, speed, bend, hand work — it’s all been there with Verse to date. 

There’s a sizable gap between Verse and the next most impressive rookie outside rusher, but that player is Latu in Indianapolis. Since Week 3, Latu has at least two pressures in every contest and enters Week 9 with 17 on 180 pass-rushing reps. 

Murphy has been a clear rotational piece up front in Seattle, but with nine pressures on 92 pass-rushing snaps so far, he’s flashed his upfield ability when given a chance to get after the quarterback. What I like about Murphy too — even at his smaller size, he has not gotten pushed around against the run very often. 

It’s early, but it looks like two hits for the Rams in Round 1 and Round 2 from the 2024 draft, because Fiske has also been a terror on Los Angeles’ defensive line. He’s averaging just under 40 snaps per contest but has 21 pressures on 162 pass-rushing snaps, and the former Florida State Seminole has aligned everywhere up front. 

What a start for Cooper in Green Bay. On right around 39% of the Packers defensive snaps — a number I expect to increase very soon — the former Texas A&M star has 38 tackles (five tackles for loss), 2.5 sacks, a pair of pass breakups, and a forced fumble. He exudes athleticism, and it’s shown on first, second, and third down in Green Bay.

Carlies was a safety at Missouri, and the Colts coaching staff made the correct choice instantly bumping him down to linebacker in the NFL. He’s covered tight ends and backs outstandingly well, likely due to his coverage background in college, and held up in run support on a routine basis. It’s just time for him to get more than 20-ish snaps per contest, because the flashes have been there.

Wilson feels like the next great Steelers linebacker. That was the conventional wisdom after the draft, and he’s played encouragingly at the midway point of the season with 39 tackles and a tackle for loss. He’s gotten home on two of his 12 blitzing opportunities too and helped the Steelers’ second level contain outside runs next to Patrick Queen.

Phillips has been a dynamic, chippy slot cornerback for the Giants, tackling well, and mirroring slippery slot receivers at all levels of the field. He currently has 36 tackles — six for a loss — with a forced fumble and one quarterback hit. With his elite-level explosiveness, Phillips has been the precise type of versatile playmaker defensive coordinators love at that position in today’s NFL.

Another slot defender who’s played well beyond his years in the NFC to begin his professional career. He’s made 33 tackles (two tackles for loss), knocked away four passes, intercepted another, and forced a pair of fumbles. The longtime Georgia star has been everywhere. 

Mitchell has played outside, often against the opposition’s top receivers, and looked the part of the first cornerback selected in April. He has six pass breakups and hasn’t allowed a touchdown in his coverage area in his man-heavy role to date. Impressive.

The Packers got a Swiss Army knife in Williams. While mostly a free safety in Green Bay, he’s played 43 snaps in the box and has been a primary special teams player in his debut NFL season. He’s snagged a pick, defended three others, forced a fumble, and made 28 tackles to date. He and Xavier McKinney have arguably been the league’s best safety tandem at the midway point of the season.