Hawk/Jennings left off SI's Top 10 Rookie Watch

[Fosco33]

SI lists out the 'top 10' rookies each week. I was surprised not to see either Hawk or Jennings on this list...

Here's their take:

10. Chad Jackson WR, Patriots
Jackson missed Week 1 and most of the preseason with a hamstring injury but had a brilliant 29-yard catch and ran very well in New England's win over the Jets. His numbers -- two catches for 42 yards -- aren't that impressive yet, but considering he has barely practiced, the Pats have to be ecstatic about the receiver out of Florida.

9. Jerious Norwood RB, Falcons
The rookie out of Mississippi State is a big part of the Falcons' unstoppable rushing attack. He has 111 yards on the ground with an average of 5.8 yards per run. He's bigger than starting running back Warrick Dunn, which gives Atlanta a nice change of pace.

8. Ernie Sims LB, Lions
He leads the Lions with 17 tackles and has already been fined for an illegal hit on Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, which is likely a point of pride for a tough linebacker. Sims is a big hitter and adds a physical presence to Detroit's defense.

7. Joseph Addai RB, Colts
Only a goal-line fumble kept Addai from being perfect in his second pro game. In Indy's easy win over the Texans, the rookie out of LSU ran for 82 yards on 16 carries and caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. Addai is splitting time with Dominic Rhodes, but don't be surprised if he eventually gets more work.

6. Marques Colston WR, Saints
A seventh-round pick out of Division I-AA Hofstra, Colston has quickly become one of Drew Brees' favorite targets. Colston has eight catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns this season. At 6-4, 231 pounds, he has a nice size advantage and uses it well.

5. Donte Whitner S, Bills
A lot of experts ripped Buffalo for taking the former Ohio State safety with the No. 8 overall pick, but so far he's been impressive. He had 15 tackles and an interception in helping the Bills beat the Dolphins 16-6 last Sunday.

4. Demeco Ryans LB, Texans
He has stood out while No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams has done little for the Texans. Ryans has 20 tackles in two games and, despite a couple of mistakes, has added a lot of energy to this defense.

3. Manny Lawson DE, 49ers
San Francisco desperately needs a pass rush, and the No. 22 overall pick is providing it. Lawson had two sacks in a 20-17 win over the Rams last Sunday. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound North Carolina State product has also been effective against the run.

2. Laurence Maroney RB, Patriots
He's splitting time with Corey Dillon and has run for 151 yards in two games. The shifty Maroney is a great complement to the bruising Dillon, and the rookie should have a couple of 100-yard games coming soon.

1. Reggie Bush RB, Saints
He has yet to break a long run or get in the end zone, but it's a matter of time for the exciting Saints rookie. He has an impressive 15 catches for 120 yards and has run for 72 yards in two games. The potentially damaging investigation into whether his family received excessive benefits while he was at USC shouldn't affect his play on the field.

Summary:
6 Offense (4 RBs, 2 WRs)
4 Defense (2 LBs, 1 DE, 1 S)

Here are Hawk and Jennings respective stats:
A.J. Hawk
6 tackles week one vs. a better than anticipated Bear's team (4 solo).
9 tackles week two vs. Bush and the Saints (7 solo).
He's 2nd on the Packers in total tackles and shown he's a sure tackler. He's on par w/ Ryans (Texans) and Sims (Lions) in overall performance/stats. Being on a winless team didn't seam to matter here as none of these guys have one a game yet. That will stop this weekend w/ the off-matchup of Sims and Hawk.

Greg Jennings
7 catches for 72 yards (10.3 avg) with a touchdown catch last week vs. the Saints after a quiet first game against a stout Bear defense. He's shown flashes of greatness and should easily be above Chad Jackson on par w/ Colston's stats. Jennings will beat out both of these guys by year's end.

[BlueBrewer]

What a bullshit list, I hate SI.

[BF4MVP]

Never heard of that Norwood guy

[RashanGary]

Bad artical.

I'm sorry, the Packers have 2 of the best rookies in the game. Lovie Smith said and I'm doing my best to quote him here "We went at their other LB, we tried to avoid going at their best player" It was something liek that and I"m too damn lazy to look it up but teams are game planning against Hawk right now. That is the sign of a true playmaker. When teh other team goes out of their way to account for you, you have made it.

Hawk is going to make these people looks stupid. The fact that he's on a bad team in a small market takes away from his thunder so I udnerstand him being ignored.

[swede]

Grrrr!

Sports Illustrated is only tangentially linked to sports anymore. It's People magazine for sporties; they do for sports journalism what sideline reporterettes do for televised games; it's for people who just gotta know what color shoes L.T. likes to wear and that's about it.

Having said that I'm still surprised but I shouldn't be.

[jack's smirking revenge]

SI lists out the 'top 10' rookies each week. I was surprised not to see either Hawk or Jennings on this list...

Here's their take:

10. Chad Jackson WR, Patriots
Jackson missed Week 1 and most of the preseason with a hamstring injury but had a brilliant 29-yard catch and ran very well in New England's win over the Jets. His numbers -- two catches for 42 yards -- aren't that impressive yet, but considering he has barely practiced, the Pats have to be ecstatic about the receiver out of Florida.

9. Jerious Norwood RB, Falcons
The rookie out of Mississippi State is a big part of the Falcons' unstoppable rushing attack. He has 111 yards on the ground with an average of 5.8 yards per run. He's bigger than starting running back Warrick Dunn, which gives Atlanta a nice change of pace.

8. Ernie Sims LB, Lions
He leads the Lions with 17 tackles and has already been fined for an illegal hit on Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, which is likely a point of pride for a tough linebacker. Sims is a big hitter and adds a physical presence to Detroit's defense.

7. Joseph Addai RB, Colts
Only a goal-line fumble kept Addai from being perfect in his second pro game. In Indy's easy win over the Texans, the rookie out of LSU ran for 82 yards on 16 carries and caught two passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. Addai is splitting time with Dominic Rhodes, but don't be surprised if he eventually gets more work.

6. Marques Colston WR, Saints
A seventh-round pick out of Division I-AA Hofstra, Colston has quickly become one of Drew Brees' favorite targets. Colston has eight catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns this season. At 6-4, 231 pounds, he has a nice size advantage and uses it well.

5. Donte Whitner S, Bills
A lot of experts ripped Buffalo for taking the former Ohio State safety with the No. 8 overall pick, but so far he's been impressive. He had 15 tackles and an interception in helping the Bills beat the Dolphins 16-6 last Sunday.

4. Demeco Ryans LB, Texans
He has stood out while No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams has done little for the Texans. Ryans has 20 tackles in two games and, despite a couple of mistakes, has added a lot of energy to this defense.

3. Manny Lawson DE, 49ers
San Francisco desperately needs a pass rush, and the No. 22 overall pick is providing it. Lawson had two sacks in a 20-17 win over the Rams last Sunday. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound North Carolina State product has also been effective against the run.

2. Laurence Maroney RB, Patriots
He's splitting time with Corey Dillon and has run for 151 yards in two games. The shifty Maroney is a great complement to the bruising Dillon, and the rookie should have a couple of 100-yard games coming soon.

1. Reggie Bush RB, Saints
He has yet to break a long run or get in the end zone, but it's a matter of time for the exciting Saints rookie. He has an impressive 15 catches for 120 yards and has run for 72 yards in two games. The potentially damaging investigation into whether his family received excessive benefits while he was at USC shouldn't affect his play on the field.

Summary:
6 Offense (4 RBs, 2 WRs)
4 Defense (2 LBs, 1 DE, 1 S)

Here are Hawk and Jennings respective stats:
A.J. Hawk
6 tackles week one vs. a better than anticipated Bear's team (4 solo).
9 tackles week two vs. Bush and the Saints (7 solo).
He's 2nd on the Packers in total tackles and shown he's a sure tackler. He's on par w/ Ryans (Texans) and Sims (Lions) in overall performance/stats. Being on a winless team didn't seam to matter here as none of these guys have one a game yet. That will stop this weekend w/ the off-matchup of Sims and Hawk.

Greg Jennings
7 catches for 72 yards (10.3 avg) with a touchdown catch last week vs. the Saints after a quiet first game against a stout Bear defense. He's shown flashes of greatness and should easily be above Chad Jackson on par w/ Colston's stats. Jennings will beat out both of these guys by year's end.

To be fair, SI is probably looking at stats first, potential second. Hawk's stats aren't as good as the rest of the defenders listed. He's probably on the 10 bubble. As for Jennings, he didn't have a spectacular game 1, but made up for it in game 2. While this says its a week-to-week list, it does reference Week1 in most of these descriptions.

Not saying that Hawk and Jennings aren't valuable and potentially explosive rookies; they just have peers that are showing them up right now. Let's be excited if these guys are on the list in midseason!

Til then, be patient. Hawk and Jennings are victims of problems with the Packer team too. I'm sure they'd be looking better if the team was better as a whole.

tyler

[Scott Campbell]

What a bullshit list, I hate SI.


Come February, you'll take that back.

[wist43]

Agreed that SI is BS... Hawk is already better than Barnett.

[BEARMAN]

Cmon, Face it, Hawk is a Bust ! At best he is an average LB. He is a rookie that looks lost most the time. He may work into a juryman LB, but no superstar ! :lol:


GO BEARS !

[Guiness]

People mag for sports - I like that.


The one that gets me is Chad Jackson - 2 catches for 42yds gets him top 10? Talk about name recognition. I'm surprised they didn't find a way to slip Vince Young in there.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Hawk already looks like a very confident player. I don't see any adjustment period at all, he's there.

[mmmdk]

Never heard of that Norwood guy

And here I thought Jerius Norwood was rated too low...yet how SI can leave Hawk out is beyond me and even Jennings has been quite good. Don't get caught up in pseudo sports journalism - it ain't worth it.

[mraynrand]

SI lists out the 'top 10' rookies each week. I was surprised not to see either Hawk or Jennings on this list...

Here's their take:

6. Marques Colston WR, Saints
At 6-4, 231 pounds, he has a nice size advantage and uses it well.

5. Donte Whitner S, Bills
He had 15 tackles and an interception in helping the Bills beat the Dolphins 16-6 last Sunday.


3. Manny Lawson DE, 49ers
6-foot-5, 240-pound North Carolina State product has also been effective against the run.

2. Laurence Maroney RB, Patriots
The shifty Maroney is a great complement to the bruising Dillon, and the rookie should have a couple of 100-yard games coming soon.



Some comments:

- Isn't Ruvell Martin the same size as Colston? Why can't the Packers get the same kind of matchup advatages as the Saints (the answer is that the Saints FS is a hell of a lot better than Collins - he was all over the field last weekend. Answer # 2 is that the Packer Offense is pretty limited, and the coaches are terrified by their O-line)

- Whitner had 15 tackles at SAFETY? WTF? Anyone see that game. That's unreal. Don't they have any LBs, or was Culpepper passing on every down?

-Lawson is only 240 and holds up well against the run. Watching the tape of the Saints game, I'm estimating KGB took about 25-50% of plays off - a lot of Dancing Bear crap, reminding one of Cleditus. Can't Hunter get in there, or is he tto raw to 'keep contain'?

-Maroney is 'shifty' ? I always thought the guy looked 'straightline' fast at MN, didn't see him as quick or shifty. Shifty is a little twerp who reports everything back to Capone, or is a WWII soldier who is always bartering smokes.

[vince]

Cmon, Face it, Hawk is a Bust ! At best he is an average LB. He is a rookie that looks lost most the time. He may work into a juryman LB, but no superstar ! :lol:


GO BEARS !
More mindless drivel from Bearman.

[Bretsky]

Cmon, Face it, Hawk is a Bust ! At best he is an average LB. He is a rookie that looks lost most the time. He may work into a juryman LB, but no superstar ! :lol:


GO BEARS !


Judging a rookie from his first preseason and first two games ??????????/

Based on that logic, Cedrick Benson and Rex Grossman will always be worthless piles of crap.


Cheers,
B

[b bulldog]

How do you think the Texans feel not having Mario on the list but as B stated, it is way to early.

[RashanGary]

Everyone knew Mario would take time to develop. Except you bulldog :)

[b bulldog]

Nick, go back and find my 25 posts where I said that Mario would need a year and a half to really be a gamechanger but you were the one saying that Hawk is the mot NFL ready. My guess is that he isn't even the best R LB in the north.

[RashanGary]

I know bulldog..I remember. I was just referring to the bet we had in Jan or Feb. I said Hawk would be more productive, you said Mario. We debated how to even measure it and eventually it went away. Eventually, you and everyone else started saying that Mario is an elite prospect but that he needs time to grow into his body. I think it's common sense. The guy was rag dolled by college OT's. What did anyone expect to happen to him in the NFL?

I don't think he's an impact player at all right now. As far as leaving him off the list, that was completely fair. He needs to catch up to his body. If he doesn't work his ass off to become lethal with his leverage and godly with his strength, he'll be one of the all time biggest busts. He's got the body, he's got the ability. He needs to work really hard to bring it all together.

I think he'lll be fine. He seems to be a worker. Merriman is great right now because he is a tireless worker. Mario will need to be the same if he wants to be considered and elite pass rusher in this league. If not, Houston blew it. BTW, Reggie Bush deosn't look so great at this point either. Nick Collins tackled him 2 or 3 times all alone in the open field. Nick Collins isn't even a top 20 safety and he was able to whoop up on Reggie Bush. I don't think it was as big of a mistake as many make it out to be but Mario better work hard or Houston is going to look like a complete joke. YOu don't go 3-13 for nothing. You better hit on that pick.

[BEARMAN]

Jezzzz, I said he was gonna be a jurnyman, not a superstar. He dosn't have the speed, the range nor the athleticism to become a top shelf LB. He'll work into becoming a jurnyman LB, at best. Now that is MY opinion, yours may differ, I hope it dose, or this forum isn't all it's cracked up to be. Yes, I agree Benson is yet to be prooven, however Rex is doing GREAT ! Number ONE rated QB in all the NFL is not too shabby for a rook !
Have you guys decided to keep farve or trade him ?
PS: I in NO way described your rookie LB as a "pile of crap" or use any other derogitary(sp) remarks describing him.


GO BEARS !

[Jimx29]

Ya can't expect them to be able to honor our two quality rookies AND acknowledge/endores Sims illegal hit he made while trying too end Hasselbecks career :crazy:

[Bretsky]

Jezzzz, I said he was gonna be a jurnyman, not a superstar. He dosn't have the speed, the range nor the athleticism to become a top shelf LB. He'll work into becoming a jurnyman LB, at best. Now that is MY opinion, yours may differ, I hope it dose, or this forum isn't all it's cracked up to be. Yes, I agree Benson is yet to be prooven, however Rex is doing GREAT ! Number ONE rated QB in all the NFL is not too shabby for a rook !
Have you guys decided to keep Favre or trade him ?
PS: I in NO way described your rookie LB as a "pile of crap" or use any other derogitary(sp) remarks describing him.


GO BEARS !

Sorry if I read it too negatively, but calling Hawk a bust and nothing more than a journeyman LB to me after one preseason and two games is a bit extreme.

You are also incorrect on Hawk's speed. He has a faster 40 that most of the elite LB's in the game now and he set a record for the shuttle drill that scouts value so much for LB's.

I'm not calling Rex or Benson a pile of crap now. Just pointing out that based on your criteria for Hawk (one preseason and two games) that is what they would have considered after their first preseason and two regular season games as well.

B

[Patler]

I thought Hawk was noticeably better in Game 2 than in Game 1, and was noticeably better in Game 1 than in the preseason. He seems to be reacting more and more without hesitation. The one pass he knocked down in the endzone showed what athleticism he really has. He was momentarily fooled, and took a step toward the line, thinking run. But he realized his mistake and made a quick 3-4 step reversal to get into the play. That's what that great shuttlerun time is indicative of. Against a lot of LBs, that's an easy touchdown if they don't go with the receiver on their first step. You see it time and time agai. I will reserve any judgment about Hawk until midseason.

If you recall, Urlacher played so poorly in preseason as a rookie that he lost the starting position that had been given him, and didn't get it back until the 3rd game of the season. That was on a defense that wasn't very good, so it wasn't expecting too much of him at the time. Hawk has shown enough to make it interesting, and a hopeful situation.

[Fosco33]

I thought Hawk was noticeably better in Game 2 than in Game 1, I will reserve any judgment about Hawk until midseason.
Hawk has shown enough to make it interesting, and a hopeful situation.

I'd say the exact same thing for Jennings.

[esoxx]

however Rex is doing GREAT ! Number ONE rated QB in all the NFL is not too shabby for a rook !




Yeah, Rex Grossman, the third year rookie. Pretty early to be hitting the bottle ain't it? Or just naturally this knowledge challenged?

[esoxx]

Jezzzz, I said he was gonna be a jurnyman, not a superstar. He dosn't have the speed, the range nor the athleticism to become a top shelf LB. He'll work into becoming a jurnyman LB, at best.
PS: I in NO way described your rookie LB as a "pile of crap" or use any other derogitary(sp) remarks describing him.




Describing the fifth overall pick in the draft as destined for "jurnyman" status is not exactly flattering. The pick would definitely be a "pile of crap" if Hawk only accomplished that.

[ahaha]

Jezzzz, I said he was gonna be a jurnyman, not a superstar. He dosn't have the speed, the range nor the athleticism to become a top shelf LB. He'll work into becoming a jurnyman LB, at best. Now that is MY opinion, yours may differ, I hope it dose, or this forum isn't all it's cracked up to be.


GO BEARS !

He doesn't have the speed, range, or athleticism to be a top shelf LB? It's hard to take your OPINION seriously when you make crazy statements like that. Hawk is one of the reasons for serious optimism for the Packers future. Teams are already shying away from running to his side. He is starting to demonstrate the ablility to cover, take on and shed blockers, and he's a damn sure tackler. He's one of the main reasons the Packers are only allowing 2.7 yards per carry. The only thing that will derail him from becoming a pro-bowl linebacker is injuries, or a COMPLETE lack of defensive talent around him for the next 10-15 years.

[VegasPackFan]

Grossman is a "rook"?

NO.

He is a wimp who couldnt keep it together enough to play.

[b bulldog]

No way at all are teams shying away from running at Hawk. He's had one decent game in the two he has played and they are already running away from him?? Usually players with great speed are negated when you run right at them instead of giving them the chance to use their speed by running away from them.

[Iron Mike]

Jezzzz, I said he was gonna be a jurnyman, not a superstar. He dosn't have the speed, the range nor the athleticism to become a top shelf LB. He'll work into becoming a jurnyman LB, at best. Now that is MY opinion, yours may differ, I hope it dose, or this forum isn't all it's cracked up to be. Yes, I agree Benson is yet to be prooven, however Rex is doing GREAT ! Number ONE rated QB in all the NFL is not too shabby for a rook !
Have you guys decided to keep Favre or trade him ?
PS: I in NO way described your rookie LB as a "pile of crap" or use any other derogitary(sp) remarks describing him.


GO GUMMY BEARS !

You know Bearman, if you're gonna use the (sp) thing, just feel free to add it to about every third or fourth word you type!!! :razz:

[MadtownPacker]

Haha, maybe he meant grossman was a rookie cuz he hasnt even played in 16 games? :lol:

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/396159

[BEARMAN]

I thot we got past the fact that I don't spell very well ? :roll:
Hey, this is my opinion, please feel free to disagree with me. :twisted:
I hope your team beats the kitties. :mrgreen:

GO BEARS !

[KYPack]

SI's list is stupid like a lot of their content.

Hawk is progressing quite nicely and is an effective player while learning in the Big league. He was nowhere near an NFL linebacker when he hit camp, but he is now. He quickly abandoned those schoolboy technique's and is doing things the big guy way now. His reads are much quicker and intuitive now. He has learned NFL cover and is beginning to flourish on his drops. 7 solo tackles in his second game as a pro? fuggitaboutit. He is fine and will be a star.

Jennings is also doing nicely, much better than Jackson, although they could both go on to be stars. Greg doesn't play like a rookie. My only reservation with him is his size. NFL WR's take a pounding. I know Greg can play, but can he stay?

[the_idle_threat]

Let's see them leave Jennings off now.

[GrnBay007]

Let's see them leave Jennings off now.

yeah, eat dirt when he's O rookie of the year!!!

[RashanGary]

Let's see them leave Jennings off now.

Nice bump